Faculty of English

OBERON         Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove: A sweet Athenian lady is in love With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes, But do it when the next thing he espies May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man By the Athenian garments he hath on. Effect it with some care, that he […]

Enter PUCK. OBERON         Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. PUCK  Ay, there it is. OBERON                                 I pray thee give it me. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine. There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the […]

HELENA         Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. We cannot fight for love as men may do; We should be wooed, and were not made to woo. I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well. (Exit.) OBERON         Fare […]

HELENA         The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be changed: Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffon; the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger: bootless speed, When cowardice pursues, and valour flies. DEMETRIUS   I will not stay thy questions. Let me go; Or if thou follow me, do […]

HELENA         Your virtue is my privilege, for that It is not night when I do see your face. Therefore I think I am not in the night, Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, For you in my respect are all the world. Then how can it be said I am alone, When all the world is here to look […]

DEMETRIUS   Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee. HELENA         And I am sick when I look not on you. DEMETRIUS   You do impeach your modesty too much, To leave the city and commit yourself Into the hands of one that loves you not, To trust the opportunity of night […]

HELENA         And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel, and Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel: spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, loose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love (And […]

HELENA         You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you. DEMETRIUS   Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do not, nor I […]

Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. [Oberon stands apart.] DEMETRIUS   I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I’ll stay; the other stayeth me. Thou toldst me they were stolen unto this wood; And here am I, and wood within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.       […]

OBERON                     Having once this juice, I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep And drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she, waking, looks upon, Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, On meddling monkey or on busy ape, She shall pursue it with the soul of love. And ere I take this charm from off her sight […]