HIPPOLYTA    I was with Hercules and Cadmus once When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear With hounds of Sparta. Never did I hear Such gallant chiding; for besides the groves, The skies, the fountains, every region near Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.  (4.1.111-117) This is SUCH a power move from Hippolyta: I was with Hercules and […]

Wind horns. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS and [the Duke’s] train. THESEUS        Go one of you, find out the forester; For now our observation is performed, And since we have the vaward of the day, My love shall hear the music of my hounds. Uncouple in the western valley, let them go. Dispatch, I say, and find the forester. [Exit an Attendant.] We will, fair queen, up […]

PUCK  Fairy king, attend and mark: I do hear the morning lark. OBERON         Then, my queen, in silence sad, Trip we after night’s shade. We the globe can compass soon, Swifter than the wandering moon. TITANIA         Come, my lord, and in our flight, Tell me how it came this night That I sleeping here was found With these mortals on the […]

OBERON         Silence a while. Robin, take off this head. Titania, music call, and strike more dead Than common sleep of all these five the sense. TITANIA         Music, ho, music, such as charmeth sleep.    (Music still.) PUCK  [to Bottom] Now, when thou wak’st, with thine own fool’s eyes peep. OBERON         Sound music. Come, my queen, take hands with me, And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be. [They dance.] […]

OBERON         Be as thou wast wont to be. See as thou wast wont to see. Dian’s bud o’er Cupid’s flower Hath such force and blessed power. Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen. TITANIA         [Wakes.] My Oberon, what visions have I seen! Methought I was enamoured of an ass. OBERON         There lies your love. TITANIA         How came these things to pass? O, […]

OBERON         And gentle puck, take this transformed scalp From off the head of this Athenian swain, That he, awaking when the other do, May all to Athens back again repair, And think no more of this night’s accidents But as the fierce vexation of a dream. But first I will release the Fairy Queen.       (4.1.63-69) And gentle puck, take this transformed scalp from off the […]

OBERON         When I had at my pleasure taunted her, And she, in mild terms, begged my patience, I then did ask of her her changeling child, Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent To bear him to my bower in fairy land. And now I have the boy, I will undo This hateful imperfection of her […]

[Oberon advances.] Enter PUCK. OBERON         Welcome, good Robin. Seest thou this sweet sight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity. For meeting her of late behind the wood, Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool, I did upbraid her, and fall out with her; For she his hairy temples then had rounded With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers, And that same dew, which sometime on the buds Was […]

TITANIA         Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms. Fairies, be gone, and be always away. [Exeunt Fairies.] So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle Gently entwist; the female ivy so Enrings the barky fingers of the elm. O how I love thee! How I dote on thee!       (4.1.39-44) Titania will do anything, anything that Bottom asks; if he wants a […]

TITANIA         What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love? BOTTOM        I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let’s have the tongs and the bones. (Music: tongs, rural music.) TITANIA         Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat. BOTTOM        Truly, a peck of provender. I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a […]