HERMIA         Help me, Lysander, help me: do thy best To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast. Ay me, for pity! What a dream was here! Lysander, look how I do quake with fear. Methought a serpent ate my heart away, And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. Lysander – what, removed? Lysander, lord – What, out of hearing, gone? No sound, no word? […]

LYSANDER     She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there, And never mayst thou come Lysander near. For as a surfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing to the stomach brings, Or as the heresies that men do leave Are hated most of those they did deceive, So thou, my surfeit and my heresy, Of all be hated, but […]

HELENA         Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is’t not enough, is’t not enough, young man, That I did never, no nor never can Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye, But you must flout my insufficiency? Good troth, you do me wrong; good sooth, you do, In such disdainful […]

LYSANDER     Things growing are not ripe until their season; So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason. And touching now the point of human skill, Reason becomes the marshal to my will And leads me to your eyes, where I o’erlook Love’s stories, written in love’s richest book.        (2.2.121-126) Lysander continues with his commonplaces and his logic, explaining exactly […]

HELENA         Do not say so, Lysander, say not so. What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content. LYSANDER     Content with Hermia? No, I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia, but Helena I love. Who will not change a raven for a dove? The will […]

HELENA         But who is here? Lysander, on the ground? Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake. LYSANDER     [Wakes.] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake. Transparent Helena, nature shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word Is […]

HELENA         O, I am out of breath in this fond chase. The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies, For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears; If so, my eyes are oftener washed than hers. No, no: I am as ugly as a bear, For beasts […]

PUCK  Churl, upon thy eyes I throw All the power this charm doth owe. [Squeezes the flower on Lysander’s eyelids.] When thou wak’st, let love forbid Sleep his seat on thy eyelid. So awake, when I am gone; For I must now to Oberon. (Exit.) Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA running. HELENA         Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. DEMETRIUS   I charge thee, hence, and […]

Enter PUCK. PUCK  Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none On whose eyes I might approve This flower’s force in stirring love. Night and silence! Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he, my master said, Despised the Athenian maid; And here the maiden, sleeping sound On the dank and dirty ground. […]

HERMIA         Lysander riddles very prettily. Now much beshrew my manners and my pride If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied. But gentle friend, for love and courtesy, Lie further off, in human modesty: Such separation as may well be said Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid, So far be distant, and good night, sweet friend. Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet […]