SYNOPSIS:

Hermia loves Lysander, and Lysander loves Hermia. Demetrius loves Helena; Helena used to love Demetrius but now
loves Lysander. Egeus, Lysander’s mother, prefers Helena as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Hippolyta, the Queen of the
Amazon, to enforce her wishes upon her son. According to Athenian law, Lysander is given four days to choose between
Helena, life in a monastery, or a death sentence. Lysander, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Hermia into the
surrounding forest.
Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom
Oberon has adopted. Titania instructs her servant Puck to bring her magic love drops, which Titania will sprinkle on the
King’s eyelids as he sleeps, whereupon Oberon will fall in love with the first creature he sees upon awakening.
Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Titania, overhearing
Helena’s denouncement of Demetrius, takes pity upon him and tells Puck to place the magic drops upon the eyelids of
Helena as well, so that Helena may fall in love with Demetrius. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops on
the eyelids of Hermia instead. Demetrius stumbles over Hermia in the forest, and the spell is cast; Hermia now desires
Demetrius and renounces a stunned Lysander.
In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be played for
the Queen at her wedding, to the Duke of Athens, which she won in battle. Puck impishly casts a spell on Bottom to give
him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Oberon sees when he awakens; hence, Bottom
ends up being lavishly kept by the King. Titania enjoys this sport but is less amused when it becomes apparent that Puck
has botched up the attempt to unite Demetrius and Helena. Titania herself anoints Helena with the love potion and ensures
that Demetrius is the first person she sees; however, Demetrius understandably feels that he is now being mocked by both
Helena and Hermia (who is still magically enamored of him).
Finally, Titania decides that all good sports must come to an end. She puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Hermia the
antidote for the love potion so that she will love Lysander again when they all wake up. Next, Titania gives Oberon the
antidote, after he gives her the servant, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then discover Lysander,
Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. All return to Athens to make sense of what they think is a strange
dream. Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding feast (which has
since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings.

DIRECTOR’S REMARKS:
At the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck steps out on stage to deliver an epilogue, where
he begs us, the audience, to "pardon" the actors if they didn't enjoy the show:
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended:
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
This whole "aw, shucks, we sure hope you liked our sorry play" routine is standard in Elizabethan epilogues.
Still, when Puck invites the audience to think of the play as nothing more than a "dream," Shakespeare makes
an important statement about the nature of the theater. Like dreams, plays aren't real – they're the product of
imagination and fantasy and involve the momentary suspension of reality. Come to think of it, this seems like an
accurate description about life in general. At times, the real events that make up our own human story can seem
as fleeting and fantastic as our dreams.
THE SCRIPT – ABRIDGED - A Midsummer Night's Dream

[MUSIC CUE #1]

Introductory music – battle enhanced

(A strobe light and much darkened stage – with a sword battle between a man and woman – it’s the Duke of Athens and
the Queen of the Amazon – which will lead to the submission of the Duke of Athens.)
[ALL BLACK Music makes an abrupt stop – then continues in a Renaissance themed music – all one cue]

Act I. Scene I – Athens plaza

[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, and PHILOSTRATE]

HIPPOLYTA
Now, fair Theseus, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon; but, O, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes!

THESEUS
Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night, Of our solemnities.

HIPPOLYTA
Go, Philostrate,
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals;
The pale companion is not for our pomp.
Theseus, I wooed thee with my sword
And won thy love doing thee injuries;
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.
[Exit PHILOSTRATE]
[Enter EGEUS and her son LYSANDER, and HERMIA, and HELENA.]

EGEUS
Happy be Hippolyta, our renowned queen!

HIPPOLYTA
Thanks, good Egeus. What's the news with thee?

EGEUS
Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my son Lysander.
Stand forth, Helena.
My Queen,
This woman hath my consent to marry him.
Stand forth, Hermia.
And, my gracious Queen,
This woman hath bewitched the bosom of my child.
Thou Hermia, thou hast given him rhymes
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Turned his obedience which is due to me,
To stubborn harshness, And, my gracious Queen,
Be it so he will not here before Your Grace
Consent to marry with Helena,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:
As he is mine, I may dispose of him,
Which shall be either to this gentlewoman
Or to his death, according to our law.

HIPPOLYTA
What say you, Lysander? Be advised.
To you your mother should be as a god
Helena is a worthy woman.

LYSANDER
So is Hermia.

HIPPOLYTA
In herself she is;
But in this kind, wanting your mother’s voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

LYSANDER
I would my mother looked but with my eyes.

HIPPOLYTA
Rather your eyes must with her judgment look.

LYSANDER
I do entreat Your Grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold
Nor how it may concern my integrity
In such a presence, here to plead my thoughts;
But I beseech Your Grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case
If I refuse to wed Helena.

HIPPOLYTA
Either to die the death or to abjure
Forever the society of women.
Therefore, Lysander, question your desires
Know of your youth, examine well your blood
Whether, if you yield not to your mother’s choice
You can endure the livery of a monk.

LYSANDER
So will I grow, so live, so die, my Queen
My soul consents not to give sovereignty

HIPPOLYTA
Take time to pause, and by the next new moon
The sealing day betwixt my love and me
For everlasting bond of fellowship
Upon that day either prepare to die
For disobedience to your mother's will,
Or else to wed Helena.

HELENA
Relent, sweet Lysander, and, Hermia, yield.
Thy crazed title to my certain right.

HERMIA
You have his mother's love, Helena;
Let me have Lysander’s,
Do you marry her.

EGEUS
Scornful Hermia! True, she hath my love
And what is mine my love shall render her.
And he is mine, and all my right of him
I do estate unto Helena.

HERMIA
I am my Queen as well derived as she,
As well possessed; my love is more than hers;
My fortunes every way as fairly ranked
Why should I then not persecute my right?

HIPPOLYTA
Helena, come,
And come, Egeus, you shall go with me;
I have some private schooling for you both.
For you, Lysander, look to arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your mother’s will.
Come, my Theseus.

EGEUS
With duty and desire we follow you.

Exeunt [all but LYSANDER and HERMIA].

HERMIA
How now, my love, why is your cheek so pale?
How chance the roses there do fade so fast?
Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth;
But either it was different in blood.

LYSANDER
O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.

HERMIA
Or else it stood upon the choice of friends
LYSANDER
O hell, to choose love by another's eyes!

HERMIA
Hear me, Lysander:
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child.
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;
And she respects me as her only daughter,
There, Lysander, may I marry thee,
And to that place the sharp Athenian
Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then
Steal forth thy mother's house tomorrow night;
And in the wood, a league without the town,
There will I stay for thee.

LYSANDER
My fair Hermia, I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
In that same place, thou hast appointed me
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

HERMIA
Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Demetrius.

[Enter DEMETRIUS]

LYSANDER
God speed, Demetrius! Whither away?

DEMETRIUS
Demetrius loves you
Were the world mine, Helena being bated,
The rest I'd give to be to you translated.
O, teach me how you look and with what art
You sway the motion of Helena’s heart.

LYSANDER
I frown upon her, yet she loves me still.

DEMETRIUS
O, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!

LYSANDER
I give her curses, yet she gives me love.

DEMETRIUS
O, that my prayers could such affection move!

LYSANDER
The more I hate, the more she follows me.
DEMETRIUS
The more I love, the more she hateth me.

LYSANDER
Her folly, Demetrius, is no fault of mine.

DEMETRIUS
None, but your looks. Would that fault were mine!

LYSANDER
Take comfort. She no more shall see' my face.
Hermia and myself will fly this place

HERMIA
Demetrius, to you Our minds we will unfold.
Tomorrow night, through Athens’ gates
We have devised to steal

LYSANDER
And in the wood,
Pray thou for us,
And good luck grant thee thy Helena.
Keep word, Hermia.
We must starve our sight
From lovers' food till morrow deep midnight.

HERMIA
I will. my Lysander.

[Exit LYSANDER]

Demetrius adieu.
As you on her, Helena dote on you!

[Exit HERMIA]

DEMETRIUS
How happy some o'er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as he
But what of that? Helena thinks not so.
She hailed down oaths that she was only mine;
And when this hail some' heat from Lysander felt;
So she dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.
I will go tell her of Lysander’s flight.
Then to the wood will she tomorrow night
Pursue him; and for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.

[exeunt DEMETRIUS]
[MUSIC CUE #2]
Act I. SCENE II. – Athens plaza
[Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

QUINCE
Lissen up. Is erebody here?

BOTTOM
Be better to call us up one at a time. Who’s got the sign-up sheet?

QUINCE
Here is the list of everbody in Athens that wants to be
In the play we fixin’ to put on for the Queen and Duke on their weddin’ day.

BOTTOM
Okay, Pete. Read us about the play and tell us about the characters and what not.

QUINCE
It’s called the most lamen … lamentiblul … let’s go with sad. The sad, awful death of Pyramus and
Thisbe.

BOTTOM
A crackerjack piece of work, I assure you, and fun as all get out.
Now, Petey Quince, tell everybody who they’re playin’.
Y’all spread out.

QUINCE
Lissen up. Nicky Bottom, the weaver.

BOTTOM
Ready teddy. Who am I playin’?

QUINCE
We got you down for Pyramus.

BOTTOM
Who’s this Pyramus? Is he a lover, or a jerk?

QUINCE
A lover, that kills hisself over a girl.

BOTTOM
Ohhh, that’s gonna make ‘em cry when they see me doin’ that.
They gon’ cry buckets. Who else we got?

QUINCE
Frankie Flute.

FLUTE
Yo.

QUINCE
You’re playin’ Thisbe.

FLUTE
Who’s Thisbe? Like a knight or something’?

QUINCE
You’re Pyramus’ girlfriend.

FLUTE
Oh, hell no. I ain’t playin’ no woman. I got a beard comin’ in.

QUINCE
You can wear a mask if’n you want. And use a high voice.

BOTTOM
Hey, if he don’t want to do it, I’ll wear a mask and play Thisbe too.
Check it out Thisbe, Thisbe? Oh, Pyramus, lover boy!
It’s Thisbe your main squeeze.’

QUINCE
No, no; you’re only playing Pyramus. And, Flute, like it or not,
you’re Thisbe.

BOTTOM
Get on with it.

QUINCE
Robby Starveling.

STARVELING
Right here, Pete.

QUINCE
You’re Thisbe’s mother. Tom Snout?

SNOUT
Yeah, whatcha got?

QUINCE
You’re Pyramus’ father. I’ll be Thisbe’s father.
Snug, the roofer, you’re playing a lion.

SNUG
Is the lion’s part wrote down? If it is, you better give it
To me now ‘cause It takes me a while to learn stuff.

QUINCE
You can wing it. All you hafta do is roar.

BOTTOM
Let me play the lion too. I’ll roar so good the Duke will be sayin’
‘Where’s that guy that played the lion? Let’s hear him roar some mo’

QUINCE
Yeah, you would prob’ly roar so good you’d scare
the duchess and the ladies and git us all hung.

ALL (ad libbing)

(Yeah. They’d hang us all right. Mm hum. Ever one of us.)

BOTTOM
You make a good point. I reckon. If we scare the
Ladies too bad they would hang us for sure. What about this?
I’ll roar kinda quiet, like a dove call. I’ll roar like a nightingale.

QUINCE
I’m gonna tell you one more time. You’re only playin’ Pyramus.
It’s a good part.

BOTTOM
Okay, I’m in. What kinda beard do you think he would have?

QUINCE
Whatever.

BOTTOM
I could go with a straw-colored beard. Or like an orangey-tawny beard.
Or, hey. A purple beard. Or how about this? A yellow beard like the
French royals wear.

QUINCE
Some of your Frenchies have no hair at all, and
there you’ll be, out there bare-faced. Okay, y’all. Here’s
your parts: and I beg you. Please learn ‘em by tomorrow night.
We’ll meet up in the woods by the palace ‘bout a mile outta town.
We can rehearse in the moonlight. A lot better than rehearsin’ in town
where people can snoop on us. I’ll put together a list of props.
Don’t none of you let me down now, y’hear?

BOTTOM
We’ll be there and get ‘er done. Hey, y’all. Let’s do ourselves proud, okay?
See y’all.
QUINCE
We’ll meet up at the oak by the Duke’s place.
[Exeunt ALL]

Act II Scene I - [Scene change to forest W/ NO BED]

[Enter PUCK and PEASEBLOSSOM]

PUCK
How now, spirit! whither wander you?

PEASEBLOSSUM
Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
And I serve the fairy king,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:
Our king and all our elves come here anon.

PUCK
The queen doth keep her revels here to-night:
Take heed the king come not within her sight;
For Titania is passing fell and wrath,
Because that he as his attendant hath
A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king;
He never had so sweet a changeling;
And jealous Titania would have the child
Knight of her train, to trace the forests wild;
But he perforce withholds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flowers and makes him all his joy:
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But, they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.

PEASEBLOSSUM
Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are not you he?

PUCK
Thou speak'st aright;
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Titania and make her smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal:
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
And when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there.
But, room, fairy! here comes Titania.

PEASEBLOSSUM
And here my master. Would that she were gone!
(Enter OBERON, TITANIA and the fairies)

TITANIA
Ill met by moonlight, proud Oberon.

OBERON
What, jealous Titania! Fairies, skip hence:
I have forsworn her bed and company.

TITANIA
Tarry, rash debaucher: am not I thy lady?
OBERON
Then I must be thy lord: but I know
When thou hast stolen away from fairy land,
And in the shape of Corin sat all day,
Playing on pipes of corn and versing love
To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,
Come from the farthest Steppe of India?
But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,
Your buskin'd master and your warrior love,
To Hippolyta must be wedded, and you come
To give their bed joy and prosperity.

TITANIA
How canst thou thus for shame, Oberon,
Glance at my credit with Theseus,
Knowing I know thy love to Hippolyta?
Didst thou not lead her through the glimmering night?

OBERON
These are the forgeries of jealousy:
And never, since the middle summer's spring,
Met we on hill, in dale, forest or mead,
By paved fountain or by rushy brook,
Or in the beached margent of the sea,
To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,
But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport.

TITANIA
Do you amend it then; it lies in you:
I do but beg a little changeling boy,
To be my henchman.
OBERON
Set your heart at rest:
The fairy land buys not the child of me.
His mother was a votaress of my order:
And, in the spiced Indian air, by night,
Full often hath she gossip'd by my side,
But she, being mortal, of that boy did die;
And for her sake do I rear up her boy,
And for her sake I will not part with him.

TITANIA
How long within this wood intend you stay?

OBERON
Perchance till after Hippolyta’s wedding-day.
If you will patiently dance in our round
And see our moonlight revels, go with us;
If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

TITANIA
Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.
OBERON
Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away!
We shall chide downright, if I longer stay.
[Exeunt OBERON with fairies]

TITANIA
Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove
Till I torment thee for this injury.
My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememberest
Since once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath
That the rude sea grew civil at her song
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres,
To hear the sea-maid's music.

PUCK
I remember.

TITANIA
That very time I saw, but thou couldst not,
Flying between the cold moon and the earth,
Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took
At a fair vestal throned by the west,
And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow,
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts;
But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft
Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound,
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew'd thee once:
The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid
Will make or man or woman madly dote
Upon the next live creature that it sees.
Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again
Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

PUCK
I'll put a girdle round about the earth, In forty minutes.
[Exeunt Puck]

TITANIA
Having once this juice,
I'll watch Oberon when he is asleep,
And drop the liquor of it in his eyes.
The next thing then he waking looks upon,
Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
On meddling monkey, or on busy ape,
He shall pursue it with the soul of love:
And ere I take this charm from off his sight,
As I can take it with another herb,
I'll make him render up his page to me.
But who comes here? I am invisible;
And I will overhear their conference.
[Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA following him]

HELENA
I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?
The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me.
Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood;
And here am I, and wode within this wood,
Because I cannot meet my Lysander.
Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

DEMETRIUS
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.

HELENA
Do I entice you? do I speak you fair?
Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth
Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?

DEMETRIUS
And even for that do I love you the more.
I am your spaniel; and, Helena,
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:
Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worser place can I beg in your love,--
And yet a place of high respect with me,--
Than to be used as you use your dog?

HELENA
Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;
For I am sick when I do look on thee.

DEMETRIUS
And I am sick when I look not on you.

HELENA
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
And the ill counsel of a desert place.
DEMETRIUS
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 on me?

HELENA
I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

DEMETRIUS
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 griffin; the mild hind
Makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless speed,
When cowardice pursues and valour flies.

HELENA
I will not stay thy questions; let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.

DEMETRIUS
Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,
You do me mischief. Fie, Helena!
Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex:
We cannot fight for love, as women may do;
We should be wood and were not made to woo.

[Exit HELENA]

I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,

To die upon the hand I love so well.
[Exit DEMETRIUS]

TITANIA
Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove,
Thou shalt fly her and she shall seek thy love.
[Re-enter PUCK]
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.

PUCK
Ay, there it is.

TITANIA
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 Oberon sometime of the night,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:
And with the juice of this I'll streak his eyes,
And make him full of hateful fantasies.
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:
A sweet Athenian man is in love
With a disdainful shrew: anoint her eyes;
But do it when the next thing she espies
May be the man: thou shalt know the woman
By the Athenian garments she hath on.
Effect it with some care, that she may prove
More fond on him than he upon his love:
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

PUCK
Fear not, my Lady, your servant shall do so.

[Exeunt ALL]
[MUSIC CUE #3]

Act II. SCENE II. (Scene forest W/OBERON’S BED)

[Enter OBERON, with his train]

OBERON
Come, Sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices and let me rest.

[The Fairies sing]

[MUSIC CUE #4]

PEASEBLOSSOM
You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs
be not seen; Newts and blindworms, do no wrong
Come not near our Fairy King.

COBWEB
Weaving spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long legged spinners, hence!
Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm nor snail do no offence.

PEASEBLOSSOM
Hence, away!
Now all is well:
One aloof stand sentinel.

[Exeunt Fairies save one as guard]

(OBERON sleeps – fairy flees upon Titania’s arrival)

[Enter TITANIA and squeezes the flower on OBERON’s eyelids]

[MUSIC CUE #5 sound effect: flower charm]

TITANIA
What thou seest when thou dost wake,
Do it for thy true love take,
Love and languish for her sake:
Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
In thy eye that shall appear When thou wakest, it is thy dear:
Wake when some vile thing is near.

[Exit TITANIA]
[Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA]

HERMIA
Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood;
And to speak troth, I have forgot our way:
We'll rest us, Lysander, if you think it good,
And tarry for the comfort of the day.

LYSANDER
Be it so, Hermia: find you out a bed;
For I upon this bank will rest my head.

HERMIA
One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;
One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth.
LYSANDER
Nay, good Hermia; for my sake, my dear,
Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

HERMIA
O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!
Love takes the meaning in love's conference.
I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit
So that but one heart we can make of it;
Two bosoms interchained with an oath;
So then two bosoms and a single troth.
Then by your side no bedroom me deny;
For lying so, Lysander, I do not lie.

LYSANDER
Hermia riddles very prettily:
Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,
If Lysander meant to say Hermia 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 life end!

HERMIA
Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;
And then end life when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!

LYSANDER
With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd!

(They sleep)
[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 she doth wear:
This is she, my mistress said, Despised
the Athenian man;
And here the man, sleeping sound,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul! He durst not lie
Near this lacklove, this kill courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
[MUSIC CUE #6] flower charm

When thou wakest, let love forbid

Sleep her seat on thy eyelid:
So awake when I depart;
For I to Titania must now impart.

[Exit PUCK]
[Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running]

DEMETRIUS
Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

HELENA
I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

DEMETRIUS
O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.

HELENA
Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go.

[Exit HELENA]

DEMETRIUS
O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.
Happy is Lysander, wheresoe'er he lies;
For he hath blessed and attractive eyes.
How came his eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:
If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than his.
No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;
For beasts that meet me run away for fear:
But who is here? Hermia! on the ground!
Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.
Hermia if you live, good lady, awake.

[MUSIC CUE #7] sound effect: flower charm

HERMIA
[Awaking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.
Transparent Demetrius! Nature shows art,
That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.
Where is Helena? O, how fit a word
Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

DEMETRIUS
Do not say so, Hermia; say not so
What though she love your Lysander? Lady, what though?
Yet Lysander still loves you: then be content.

HERMIA
Content with Lysander! No; I do repent
The tedious minutes I with him have spent.
Not Lysander but Demetrius I love:
Who will not change a raven for a dove?
The will of woman is by her reason sway'd;
And reason says you are the worthier swain.

DEMETRIUS
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 woman,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Helena’s eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do,
In such disdainful manner me to woo.
But fare you well: perforce I must confess
I thought you lady of more true gentleness.
O, that a lord, of one woman refused.
Should of another therefore be abused!

[Exit DEMETRIUS]

HERMIA
She sees not Lysander. Lysander, sleep thou there:
And never mayst thou come Hermia near!
For as a surfeit of the sweetest things
The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,
Or as tie heresies that women do leave
Are hated most of those they did deceive,
So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,
Of all be hated, but the most of me!
And, all my powers, address your love and might
To honour Demetrius and to be his knight!

[Exit HERMIA]

LYSANDER
[Awaking] Help me, Hermia, help me! do thy best
To pluck this crawling serpent from my chest!
Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!
Hermia, look how I do quake with fear:
Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.
Hermia! what, removed? Hermia! lady!
What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?
Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
No? then I well perceive you all not nigh
Either death or you I'll find immediately.

[Exit LYSANDER]
[MUSIC CUE #8]
ACT III SCENE I. The wood. (forest with fairy king bed) OBERON lying asleep in bed.
[Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

BOTTOM
Are we all here?

QUINCE
Yep, yep. And we got a perfect place for our rehearsal.
We can use this patch of grass for our stage,
And hide in this cane brake for the dressing room.
Let’s give it a shot, just like we’ll do it for the Duke.

BOTTOM
Petey Quince …

QUINCE
What’s up, Bottom?

BOTTOM
There’s some stuff in this comedy of Pyramus and
Thisbe that’s not working. First, Pyramus has to
draw a sword and kill hisself which is really gonna
upset the ladies. Am I wrong?

SNOUT
You nailed it, peckerwood.

STARVELING
I think we oughta just leave the killing out.

BOTTOM
No problem. I know how to fix it.
Write me a prologue to say. Something like,
The stabbin’ ain’t real, and Pyramus is not
Really dead. Then tell them that I’m not even Pyramus.
I’m Bottom the weaver. That should calm ‘em down.

QUINCE
Okay, you got it. A prologue of about … what? Six lines?

BOTTOM
No, make it two more. Make it eight.

SNOUT
Won’t the ladies be scared of the lion?

STARVELING
I’m with you. That’s gonna freak ‘em out.

BOTTOM
When those ladies get a look at that lion,
They’re gonna scream their fool heads off.

SNOUT
Put something in there explainin’ he’s not really a lion.

BOTTOM
How about this? Half his face pokes out from the lion’s neck.
And he says, “Ladies … or fair ladies .. I wish y’all ..
No, I’m askin’ y’all. Don’t be afraid, okay?
I don’t want anybody thinkin’ I’m really a lion.
I’m just a regular guy like anybody else. He should say,
“I’m not a lion. I’m Snug.”

QUINCE
Okay, that’ll work. But we still have a problem.
We need moonlight, because, you know, Pyramus and
Thisbe meet by moonlight.

SNOUT
Is the moon shining the night we do the play?

BOTTOM
Somebody look in the almanac.

QUINCE
Yeah. (checking almanac) Good. Moon should be shining.

BOTTOM
All right. We need to make a window for the moon
to shine through.

QUINCE
Why not just get somebody to play the moon?
And here’s another thing. We need a wall.
A wall with a hole in it for Pyramus and Thisbe to
Talk through.

SNOUT
Gonna be tough bringin’ in a wall. Whatcha think, Bottom?

BOTTOM
Get somebody to play the wall: We could dress
Him up in something like … you know … a wall suit.
And he could hold his fingers like this to make the hole
for Pyramus and Thisbe to whisper through.

QUINCE
Good idea. I like that.. Okay, everybody, let’s
rehearse. Pyramus, you got the first line.
[Enter PUCK behind]

PUCK
What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here,
So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward! I’ll be an auditor;
An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.

QUINCE
You’re up, Pyramus. Thisbe, get in here.

BOTTOM
Thisbe, the stench of the flowers …

QUINCE
Scent, not stench. Scent, scent.

BOTTOM
Sweet smellin’ flowers. Sweet like your breath, sweetheart.
I hear somebody coming. Stay here. I’ll be right back.

{Exit}

PUCK
A stranger Pyramus than o’er played here.

{Exit}

FLUTE
Do I talk now?

QUINCE
Yes, you do. He goes out to check on a noise he heard.
And while he’s doin’ that, you say ---

FLUTE
Pyramus, you are one good lookin’ white boy.
So tan and young and strong as a horse.
Whataya say we meet up at Ninnys tomb?

QUINCE
Ninus tomb man. Don’t say that yet. Wait for
your cue.

{Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass’s head}

BOTTOM
Hey, who’s handsome and has two thumbs. This guy!

QUINCE
Okay, this is weird! What the hell’s goin’ on?!
Let’s git outta here!
[Exeunt QUINCE, SNUG, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

PUCK
I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round,
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:
Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

{Exit}

BOTTOM
Where’d everybody go? Is somebody pullin’ my leg?
{Re-enter SNOUT}

SNOUT
Uh … Bottom. You don’t look like yourself!

BOTTOM
Why? What do I look like? No. Don’t say it.

[Exit SNOUT]
[Re-enter QUINCE]

QUINCE
Bottom! Somebody messed you up bad, brother!

{Exit}

BOTTOM
Okay, I get it. Big joke. Tryin’ to make an ass outta me.
To scare me. But I’m not going anywhere.
I’m gonna stay right here and sing.
[Sings]
Didja ever see a crow
With an orangish yellah bill … ?

OBERON
[Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM
[Sings]
A finch, a sparrow and a mockin’ bird.
Singin’ cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo …

OBERON
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamour’d of thy note;
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.
BOTTOM
That don’t make a whole lot of sense.
But if you say you love me, hey, I’m good with that.
And besides, what’s truth and reason got to do with love?

OBERON
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

BOTTOM
Not really. Wish I was smart enough to get out
of these woods and back to town.

OBERON
Out of this wood do not desire to go:
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate;
The summer still doth tend upon my state;
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
Peaseblossom! Cobweb!

[Enter PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB]

PEASEBLOSSOM
Ready.

COBWEB
And I. Where shall we go?

OBERON
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs
And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s eyes,
To have my love to bed and to arise;
And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

PEASEBLOSSOM
Hail, mortal!

COBWEB
Hail!
BOTTOM
Well, ain’t y’all nice? What’s your
name, pee wee?

COBWEB
Cobweb.

BOTTOM
Nice to meet you, little feller. And who’s this guy?

PEASEBLOSSOM
Peaseblossom.

BOTTOM
You must be the pride and joy of your mama and daddy.
Peaseblossom, tell me a little about yourself. Where’s
A guy like you come from?

OBERON
Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.
The moon methinks looks with a watery eye;
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
Lamenting some enforced chastity.
Tie up my love’s tongue bring him silently.

Exeunt
[Exeunt ALL]
[MUSIC CUE #11 LOBBY SET]

-----------------------------------------------------INTERMISSION--------------------------------------
Act III SCENE II. “Another part of the wood.” (Scene forest w/ NO BED)

[Enter TITANIA]

TITANIA
I wonder if Oberon be awaked;
Then, what it was that next came in his eye,
Which he must dote on in extremity.

[Enter PUCK]
Here comes my messenger.
How now, mad spirit!
What night - rule now about this haunted grove?

PUCK
My lord with a monster is in love.
Near to him close and consecrated bower,
While he was in his dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial-day.
The shallowest thick- skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forsook his scene and enter'd in a brake
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass's nole I fixed on his head:
Anon his Thisbe must be answered,
And forth my mimic comes. When they him spy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky,
So, at his sight, away his fellows fly;
I led them on in this distracted fear,
And left sweet Pyramus translated there:
When in that moment, so it came to pass,
Oberon waked and straightway loved an ass.

TITANIA
This falls out better than I could devise.
But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

PUCK
I took her sleeping,
--that is finish'd too,
--And the Athenian man by her side:
That, when she waked, of force he must be eyed.

[Enter HERMIA and DEMETRIUS]

TITANIA
Stand close: this is the same Athenian.

PUCK
This is the man, but not this the woman.

HELENA
O, why rebuke you she that loves you so?
Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe.

LYSANDER
Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse,
If thou hast slain Hermia in her sleep,
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.
The sun was not so true unto the day
As she to me: would she have stolen away
From sleeping Lysander?
It cannot be but thou hast murder'd her;
So should a murderer look, so dead, so grim.

HELENA
So should the murder'd look, and so should I,
Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty:
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.

LYSANDER
What's this to my Hermia? where is she?
Ah, good Helena, wilt thou give her me?

HELENA
I had rather give her carcass to my hounds.

LYSANDER
Out, dog! out, cur! thou drivest me past the bounds
Of man's patience. Hast thou slain her, then?
Henceforth be never number'd among women!
O, once tell true, tell true, even for my sake!
Durst thou have look'd upon her being awake,
And hast thou kill'd her sleeping?

HELENA
You spend your passion on a misprised mood:
I am not guilty of Hermia’s blood;
Nor is she dead, for aught that I can tell.

LYSANDER
I pray thee, tell me then that she is well.

HELENA
An if I could, what should I get therefore?

LYSANDER
A privilege never to see me more.
And from thy hated presence part I so:
See me no more, whether she be dead or no.

[Exit LYSANDER]

HELENA
There is no following him in this fierce vein:
Here therefore for a while I will remain.

[Lies down and sleeps]

[MUSIC CUE #12 transitional]

(Angry Titania)
TITANIA
What hast thou done?
Thou hast mistaken quite
And laid the love
-juice on some true
-love's sight:
Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true.

PUCK
Then fate o'er-rules, that, one woman holding troth,
A million fail, confounding oath on oath.
TITANIA
About the wood go swifter than the wind,
And Demetrius of Athens look thou find:
All fancy-sick he is and pale of cheer,
With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear:
By some illusion see thou bring him here:
I'll charm his eyes against he do appear.

PUCK
I go, I go; look how I go,
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.

[Exit PUCK]

TITANIA
Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid's archery,
Sink in apple of her eye.

[MUSIC CUE #13] sound effect: flower charm

When her love she doth espy,

Let him shine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.
When thou wakest, if he be by,
Beg of him for remedy.

[Re-enter PUCK]

PUCK
Captain of our fairy band,
Demetrius is here at hand;
And the youth, mistook by me,
Pleading for a lover's fee.
Shall we their fond pageant see?
Lord, what fools these mortals be!

TITANIA
Stand aside: the noise they make
Will cause Helena to awake.

(they stand aside)

[Enter LYSANDER and HELENA]

HELENA
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears:
Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born,
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?

DEMETRIUS
You do advance your cunning more and more.
When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
These vows are Lysander’s: will you give him o'er?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh:
Your vows to him and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales.

HERMIA
I had no judgment when to him I swore.

DEMETRIUS
Nor none, in my mind, now you give him o'er.

HERMIA
Helena loves him, and she loves not you.
0
[MUSIC CUE #14] sound effect: flower charm

HELENA
[Awaking] O Demetrius, god, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!

DEMETRIUS
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me for your merriment:
If you we’re civil and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in souls to mock me too?
You both are rivals, and love Lysander;
And now both rivals, to mock Demetrius:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor man's eyes
With your derision! none of noble sort
Would so offend, and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

HERMIA
You are unkind, Helena; be not so;
For you love Lysander; this you know I know:
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
In Lysander’s love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Demetrius to me bequeath,
Whom I do love and will do till my death.

DEMETRIUS
Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

HELENA
Hermia, keep thy Lysander; I will none:
If e'er I loved him, all that love is gone.

HERMIA
Demetrius, it is not so.

[Re-enter LYSANDER]

LYSANDER
Thou art not by mine eye, Hermia, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound
But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?

HERMIA
Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go?

LYSANDER
What love could press Hermia from my side?

HERMIA
Hermia’s love, that would not let her bide,
Fair Demtrius, who more engilds the night
Than all you fiery oes and eyes of light.
Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

LYSANDER
You speak not as you think: it cannot be.

DEMETRIUS
Lo, he is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd all three
To fashion this false sport, in spite of me.
Injurious Lysander! most ungrateful man!
Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
To bait me with this foul derision?
Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The brothers' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us,--O, is it all forgot?
All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with women in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not manly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.

LYSANDER
I am amazed at your passionate words.
I scorn you not: it seems that you scorn me.
DEMETRIUS
Have you not set Hermia, as in scorn,
To follow me and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Helena,
Who even but now did spurn me with her foot,
To call me god, nymph, divine and rare,
Precious, celestial?
Wherefore speaks she this
To him she hates? and wherefore doth Hermia
Deny your love, so rich within her soul,
And tender me, forsooth, affection,
But by your setting on, by your consent?

LYSANDER
I understand not what you mean by this.

DEMETRIUS
Ay, do, persevere, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mouths upon me when I turn my back;
Wink each at other; hold the sweet jest up:
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.
But fare ye well: 'tis partly my own fault;
Which death or absence soon shall remedy.

HERMIA
Stay, gentle Demetrius; hear my excuse:
My love, my life my soul, fair Lysander!

DEMETRIUS
O excellent!

LYSANDER
Sweet, do not scorn him so.

HELENA
If he cannot entreat, I can compel.

HERMIA
Thou canst compel no more than he entreat:
Thy threats have no more strength than his weak prayers.
Demetrius, I love thee; by my life, I do:

HELENA
I say I love thee more than she can do.

HERMIA
If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
HELENA
Quick, come!

LYSANDER
Hermia, whereto tends all this?

HERMIA
Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose,
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!

LYSANDER
Why are you grown so rude? what change is this?
Sweet love,

HERMIA
Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out!
Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!

LYSANDER
Do you not jest?

DEMETRIUS
Yes, sooth; and so do you.

HERMIA
Helena, I will keep my word with thee.

HELENA
I would I had your bond, for I perceive
A weak bond holds you: I'll not trust your word.

HERMIA
What, should I hurt him, strike him, kill him dead?
Although I hate him, I'll not harm him so.

LYSANDER
What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love!
Am not I Lysander? are not you Hermia?
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you loved me; yet since night you left
me: Why, then you left me--O, the gods forbid!
--In earnest, shall I say?

HERMIA
Ay, by my life;
And never did desire to see thee more.
Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt;
Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest
That I do hate thee and love Demetrius.

LYSANDER
O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom!
You thief of love! what, have you come by night
And stolen my love's heart from her?

DEMETRIUS
Fine, i'faith!
Have you no modesty, no shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet, you!

LYSANDER
Puppet? why so? ay, that way goes the game.
Now I perceive that he hath made compare
Between our statures; he hath urged him height;
And with his personage, his tall personage,
His height, forsooth, he hath prevail'd with her.
And are you grown so high in her esteem;
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
(he flails at Demetrius, but is restrained)

DEMETRIUS
I pray you, though you mock me, gentlewomen,
Let him not hurt me: I was never curst;
Let him not strike me. You perhaps may think,
Because he is something lower than myself,
That I can match him.

LYSANDER
Lower! hark, again.

DEMETRIUS
Good Lysander, do not be so bitter with me.
I evermore did love you, Lysander,
Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you;
Save that, in love unto Helena,
I told her of your stealth unto this wood.
She follow'd you; for love I follow'd her;
But she hath chid me hence and threaten'd me
To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:
And now, so you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back
And follow you no further: let me go:
You see how simple and how fond I am.

LYSANDER
Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders you?

DEMETRIUS
A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.
LYSANDER
What, with Hermia?

DEMETRIUS
With Helena.

HERMIA
Be not afraid; he shall not harm thee, Demetrius.

HELENA
No, he shall not, though you take his part.

DEMETRIUS
O, when he's angry, he is keen and shrewd!
He was a tempter when he went to school;
And though he be but little, he is fierce.

LYSANDER
'Little' again! nothing but 'low' and 'little'!
Why will you suffer him to flout me thus?
Let me come to him.

HERMIA
Get you gone, you dwarf;
You minimus, of hindering knot-grass made;
You bead, you acorn. Now he holds me not;
Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right,
Of thine or mine, is most in Demetrius.

HELENA
Follow! nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole.

[Exeunt HELENA and HERMIA]

LYSANDER
You, master, all this coil is 'long of you:
Nay, go not back.

DEMETRIUS
I will not trust you, I, Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray,
My legs are longer though, to run away.
[Exit DEMETRIUS]

LYSANDER
I am amazed, and know not what to say.

[Exit LYSANDER]

[MUSIC CUE #15]

(Angry Titania)
TITANIA
This is thy negligence: still thou mistakest,
Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully.

PUCK
Believe me, queen of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me I should know the woman
By the Athenian garment she had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes;
And so far am I glad it so did sort
As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

TITANIA
Thou see'st these lovers seek a place to fight:
Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
And lead these testy rivals so astray
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Hermia sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Helena up with bitter wrong;
And sometime rail thou like Helena;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Hermia’s eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with her might,
And make her eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision,
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
With league whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I'll to my king and beg his Indian boy;
And then I will his charmed eye release
From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.

PUCK
My fairy queen, this must be done with haste,
For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,

TITANIA
Make no delay:
We may effect
this business yet ere day.

[Exit TITANIA]
[MUSIC CUE #16] add Fog

PUCK
Up and down, up and down,
I will lead them up and down:
I am fear'd in field and town:
Goblin, lead them up and down.
Here comes one.
[Re-enter HERMIA]

HERMIA
Where art thou, proud Helena? speak thou now.

PUCK
Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou?

HERMIA
I will be with thee straight.

PUCK
Follow me, then, To plainer ground.
[Exit HERMIA, as if following the voice]
[Re-enter HELENA]

HELENA
Hermia! speak again:
Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?

PUCK
Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,
And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child;
I'll whip thee with a rod: she is defiled
That draws a sword on thee.

HELENA
Yea, art thou there?

PUCK
Follow my voice: we'll try no womanhood here.
[Exeunt HELENA]
[Re-enter HERMIA]

HERMIA
She goes before me and still dares me on:
When I come where she calls, then she is gone.
The villain is much lighter-heel'd than I:
I follow'd fast, but faster she did fly;
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,
And here will rest me.
(Lies down)
Come, thou gentle day!
For if but once thou show me thy grey light,
I'll find Helena and revenge this spite.
(She Sleeps)

[Re-enter PUCK and HELENA]

PUCK
Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why comest thou not?

HELENA
Abide me, if thou darest; for well I wot
Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place,
And darest not stand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou now?

PUCK
Come hither: I am here.

HELENA
Nay, then, thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear,
If ever I thy face by daylight see:
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.
By day's approach look to be visited.
(Lies down and sleeps)

[Re-enter DEMETRIUS]

DEMETRIUS
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hour! Shine comforts from the east,
That I may back to Athens by daylight,
From these that my poor company detest:
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,
Steal me awhile from mine own company.
(Lies down and sleeps)

PUCK
Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds make up four.
Here he comes, curst and sad:
Cupid is a knavish lad,
Thus to make poor males mad.

[Re-enter LYSANDER]

LYSANDER
Never so weary, never so in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew and torn with briers,
I can no further crawl, no further go;
My legs can keep no pace with my desires.
Here will I rest me till the break of day.
Heavens shield Hermia, if they mean a fray! (Lies down and sleeps)

PUCK
(Squeezing the juice on HERMIA’s eyes-charm MUSIC CUE #16 sound effect embedded in music)

On the ground Sleep sound

I'll apply To your eye,
Gentle lover, remedy.
When thou wakest,
Thou takest
True delight
In the sight
Of thy former lord’s eye:
And the country proverb known,
That every woman should take her own,
In your waking shall be shown:
Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill;
The woman shall have her stallion again, and all shall be well.

[Exit PUCK]
[MUSIC CUE #17]
ACT IV. SCENE I. The same forest w/ NO BED.
[LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA lying
asleep]
[Enter OBERON and BOTTOM PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB; TITANA behind unseen]

OBERON
Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

BOTTOM
Where’s Peaseblossom?

PEASEBLOSSOM
Ready.

BOTTOM
Scratch my ears, little buddy.

OBERON
What, wilt thou hear some music,
my sweet love?

BOTTOM
Oh, sure, I like me some music.

OBERON
Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat.

BOTTOM
Honestly, I’m kinda in the mood for some
oats. And follow that up with some good, sweet hay.

OBERON
I have a venturous fairy that shall seek
The squirrel’s hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.

BOTTOM
Tell you the truth, I’d rather have a handful or two of peanuts.
But, hey, ya’ll please give me a little peace and quiet.
I‘m so tired, I feel like catchin’ some shut-eye.
OBERON
Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
Fairies, begone, and be all ways 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!
(They sleep)

[Enter PUCK]

TITANIA
[Advancing] Welcome, good Robin.
See'st thou this sweet sight?
His dotage now I do begin to pity:
For, meeting him of late behind the wood,
I then did ask of him, his changeling child;
Which straight he gave me, and his fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of his eyes:
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 Oberon; wake you, my sweet king.

[MUSIC CUE #18] Flower Charm

OBERON
My Titania! what visions have I seen!
Methought I was enamour'd of an ass.

TITANIA
There lies your love.

OBERON
How came these things to pass?
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!

TITANIA
Silence awhile. Robin, take off this head.
Oberon, music call; and strike more dead
Than common sleep of all these five the sense.

OBERON
Music, ho! music, such as charmeth sleep!

[MUSIC CUE #19] Daybreak [Flower Charm sounds in music track]

PUCK
Now, when thou wakest, with thine
own fool's eyes peep.

TITANIA
Sound, music! Come, my king, take hands with me,
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity,
And will tomorrow midnight solemnly
Dance in Queen Hippolyta’s house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity:
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded, with Hippolyta, all in jollity.

PUCK
Fairy queen, attend, and mark:
I do hear the morning lark
TITANIA
Then, my king, in silence sad,
Trip we after the night's shade:
We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wandering moon.

OBERON
Come, my lady, and in our flight
Tell me how it came this night
That I sleeping here was found
With these mortals on the ground.

[Exeunt TITANIA, OBERON et al}

[MUSIC CUE #20] Long horn or trumpet
[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and processional]

HIPPOLYTA
But, soft! what nymphs are these?

EGEUS
My queen, this is my son here asleep;
And this, Hermia; this Helena is;
This Demetrius, I wonder of their being here together.

HIPPOLYTA
No doubt they rose up early to observe
The rite of May, and hearing our intent,
Came here in grace our solemnity.
But speak, Egeus; is not this the day
That Lysander should give answer of his choice?

EGEUS
It is, my queen.

HIPPOLYTA
Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.
[MUSIC CUE #21] Short horn call Horns and shout within. (LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA wake
and start up)

Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past:

Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?

HERMIA
Pardon, my queen.
[Lysander, Demetrious, Helena and Hermia kneel]

HIPPOLYTA
I pray you all, stand up.

[they rise]

I know you two are rival enemies:

How comes this gentle concord in the world,
That hatred is so far from jealousy,
To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?
HERMIA
My queen, I shall reply amazedly,
Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here;
But, as I think,--for truly would I speak,
And now do I bethink me, so it is,
--I came with Lysander hither: our intent
Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law

EGEUS
Enough, enough, my queen; you have enough:
I beg the law, the law, upon his head.
They would have stolen away; they would, Helena,
Thereby to have defeated you and me,
You of your husband and me of my consent,
Of my consent that he should be your husband.

HELENA
My lord, fair Demetrius told me of their stealth,
Of this their purpose hither to this wood;
And I in fury hither follow'd them,
Fair Demetrius in fancy following me.
But, my good quuen, I wot not by what power,
--But by some power it is,--my love to Lysander,
Melted as the snow,
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
Is only Demetrius. To him, my queen,
Was I betroth'd ere I saw Lysander:
But, like in sickness, did I loathe this food;
But, as in health, come to my natural taste,
Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
And will for evermore be true to it.
HIPPOLYTA
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met:
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.
Egeus, I will overbear your will;
For in the temple by and by with us
These couples shall eternally be knit:
Away with us to Athens; three and three,
We'll hold a feast in great solemnity.
Come, Theseus.

[Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and processional]

HELENA
These things seem small and undistinguishable,

LYSANDER
Methinks I see these things with parted eye,
When every thing seems double.

DEMTRIUS
So methinks:
And I have found Helena like a jewel,
Mine own, and not mine own.

HELENA
Are you sure
That we are awake? It seems to me
That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think
The queen was here, and bid us follow her?

LYSANDER
Yea; and my mother.

DEMETRIUS
And Theseus.

HERMIA
And he did bid us follow to the temple.

HELENA
Why, then, we are awake: let's follow her
And by the way let us recount our dreams.

[Exeunt Lysander, Hermia, Helena and Demetrius]

BOTTOM
Call me when my cue comes up, will ya?
[Awaking] Hey! Petey Quince! Where you at?!
Flute! Snout! Starveling!
You sumbitches left me here asleep!
[MUSIC CUE #22] Bottom’s dream

I have had one wacky dream.

I thought I was— y’all aren’t gon’ believe this. I thought
I had this … it was weird. But like I say, nobody’s ever
gonna believe it. I think I’ll get Pete Quince to write
A song about it, and call it ‘Bottom’s Dream’ because, hey,
It don’t have no bottom to it. I could sing it at the end of the play.
Sing it to the queen! Hell yeah.

[Exit BOTTOM]

[MUSIC CUE #23]

Act IV SCENE II. (Scene change Athens plaza)

[Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

QUINCE
Did you check at Bottom’s house? Did he ever come home?

STARVELING
Not there. Nobody’s got a clue where he’s at.

FLUTE
If he don’t show, we don’t have a play.

QUINCE
You’re right. Nobody in Athens could play Pyramus like
He does.

FLUTE
You got that right. He’s the most talented guy in Athens.

QUINCE
Yeah, and a great guy, too. With the sweetest voice you
ever heard. What you call a uh … uh a paramour.

FLUTE
I think you mean paragon; A paramour is … oh, never mind.

[Enter SNUG]
SNUG
Hey, the duke is coming from the temple, with
two or three lords and ladies. Man, too bad we
can’t do the play.

FLUTE
Bottom!

[Enter BOTTOM]

BOTTOM
What’s shakin’, guys? Whatchall up to?

QUINCE
Bottom! Thank God you’re here, son!

BOTTOM
I been on some kinda strange trip. Strange, strange trip.

QUINCE
Tell it, tell it.

BOTTOM
Not now. The duke is through with dinner and expectin’
A show. Everybody get your costumes together. We’ll meet up
at the palace. Hey. Lissen. Everybody look over your lines.
We gotta be off book. Get Thisbe a clean dress.
And where’s the lion? There you are. Don’t
trim your nails. Use ‘em like claws. And, everybody, please.
Don’t eat no onions. Or garlic. Let’s keep our breath nice
and fresh for our audience, okay? We got a show to do, people.
Go, go!

[Exeunt The Players]

[MUSIC CUE #24] wedding celebration
ACT V. SCENE I. (scene Athens plaza W/THRONES)

[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE & set up thrones]

THESEUS
'Tis strange my Hippolyta, that these lovers speak of.

HIPPOLYTA
More strange than true: I never may believe
These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.
Such tricks hath strong imagination,
That if it would but apprehend some joy,
It comprehends some bringer of that joy;
Or in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush supposed a bear!

THESEUS
But all the story of the night told over,
And all their minds transfigured so together,
More witnesseth than fancy's images
And grows to something of great constancy;
But, howsoever, strange and admirable.

HIPPOLYTA
Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.

[Enter LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, and HELENA]

Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of love

Accompany your hearts!

HERMIA
More than to us
Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!

HIPPOLYTA
Come now; what masques, what dances shall we have,
To wear away this long age of three hours
Between our after-supper and bed-time?
Where is our usual manager of mirth?
What revels are in hand? Is there no play,
To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
Call Philostrate.

PHILOSTRATE
Here, my Queen.

HIPPOLYTA
Say, what abridgement have you for this evening?
What masque? what music? How shall we beguile
The lazy time, if not with some delight?

PHILOSTRATE
There is a brief how many sports are ripe:
[Giving a scroll]
Make choice of which your highness will see first.

HIPPOLYTA
[Reads] 'The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung
By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.'
'The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals
Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.';
'A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.'
Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!
That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow.
How shall we find the concord of this discord?

PHILOSTRATE
A play it is, my lord, some ten words long,
Which is as brief as I have known a play;
But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,
Which makes it tedious; for in all the play
There is not one word apt, one player fitted:
And tragical, my noble lord, it is;
For Pyramus therein doth kill himself.
Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,
Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears
The passion of loud laughter never shed.

HIPPOLYTA
What are they that do play it?

PHILOSTRATE
Hard-handed townfolk that
work in Athens here,
Which never labour'd in their minds till now,
And now have toil'd their unbreathed memories
With this same play, against your nuptial.

HIPPOLYTA
And we will hear it.

PHILOSTRATE
No, my queen
It is not for you: I have heard it over,
And it is nothing, nothing in the world;
Unless you can find sport in their intents,
Extremely stretch'd and conn'd with cruel pain,
To do you service.

HIPPOLYTA
I will hear that play;
For never anything can be amiss,
When simpleness and duty tender it.
Go, bring them in: and take your places.
[Exit PHILOSTRATE]

[Music Cue #25] Flourish of trumpets

[Re-enter PHILOSTRATE with QUINCE]

PHILOSTRATE
So please your grace, the Prologue is address’d.

QUINCE
We’re here tonight, hopin’
' we don’t offend anybody.
That’s not why we’re here – to offend you. So
We won’t do that. So, just forget the part about offending.
We’re here to show off. Well, not show off.
Put on our show is what I mean to say.
That is the reason and the beginning of our end.
We do not come to stir things up.
Our true reason for being here is not because we’re
us but because we’re here for you. All for you.
Otherwise why bother to be here at all?
The actors are here, ready to do the show and then
You will know all that you are likely to know.

HIPPOLYTA
This fellow doth not stand upon points.

HERMIA
He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knows
not the stop. A good moral, my queen:
it is not enough to speak, but to speak true.

THESEUS
Indeed he hath played on his prologue like a child
on a recorder; a sound, but not in government.

HIPPOLYTA
His speech, was like a tangled chain; nothing
impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?

[Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine, and Lion]

QUINCE
Ladies and gentlemen, you may be wondering about
this show. But wonder no longer. Here you go.
This man is Pyramus, just so you know.
This purty lady is Thisbe.
You can guess by lookin’ at this man that he’s the wall.
The wall that has came between these love birds.
All they can do is whisper through the Wall’s hole.
This man with the lantern is the moon.
Because these lovers meet in the moonlight at Ninus’; tomb
Thisbe gets there first and here comes a lion that
Scares her so bad she takes off, dropping her robe.
The lion chews on it, gets blood all over it.
Here comes Pyramus, a tall good lookin’ guy.
He finds his Thisbe’s robe all covered with blood.
Then he takes his blade, his bloody blameful blade,
and bravely jabs his boiling bloody breast;
And Thisbe, hiding in a mulberry bush,
Stabs herself too and kicks the bucket.

[Exeunt Prologue, Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshine]

HIPPOLYTA
I wonder if the lion be to speak.

HELENA
No wonder, my queen: one lion may, when many asses do.

WALL
In this scene you may recall
That I, Snout, plays the wall;
And such a wall, I’ll have you think,
That has what you’d call a hole or chink,
Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe,
Whisper back and forth.

HELENA
It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard
discourse, my queen.

[Enter Pyramus]

HIPPOLYTA
Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!

PYRAMUS
O darkened night! O night so black!
O night, that usually comes when it’s not day.
O night, O night! alack, alack, alack,
I fear my Thisbe’s forgot about our date.
And you, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,
That stands between her father’s place and mine!
You wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,
Show me your chink, to blink through with my eye!
(Wall holds up his fingers)
Thanks, wall: God bless your hole!
But what do I see? No Thisbe anywhere.
You lousy wall, you crummy pile of rocks!
To hell with y’all for tricking me!

HIPPOLYTA
The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.

PYRAMUS
No, he shouldn’t; Tricking me
is Thisbe’s cue: she’s supposed to enter now,
so I can see her through the hole.
You’ll see what I’m talking about.
Yonder she comes.

[Enter Thisbe]

THISBE
O wall, so often have you heard me moan,
For keeping me from my fair Pyramus.
My cherry lips have often kiss’d your hole.

PYRAMUS
I see a voice: now I look in the chink
To see my Thisbe’s lovely face. Thisbe!
THISBE
It is my love, I think.

PYRAMUS
Think what you want. Kiss me!

(They attempt to kiss)

THISBE
I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all.

PYRAMUS
Meet me at Ninny’s tomb. Come right away.

THISBE
Wait life, wait death, I come without delay.

[Exeunt Pyramus and Thisbe]

WALL
That’s all the part the wall has left to play. So, excuse me while
I simply go away.

[Exit WALL]

THESEUS
This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

HIPPOLYTA
The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst
are no worse, if imagination amend them.

THESEUS
It must be your imagination then, and not theirs.

HIPPOLYTA
If we imagine
no worse of them than they of
themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here
come two noble beasts in, a man and a lion.

[Enter Lion and Moonshine]

LION
You, ladies, you that squeal and shake
Whenever a tiny mouse comes in the room,
Please don’t tremble and quake when the lion roars.
Relax, it’s just me Snug the joiner. As you can
See. I’m not a lion at all, I’m simply me.

HIPPOLYTA
A very gentle beast, of a good conscience.
HELENA
The very best at a beast, my queen, that e’er I saw.

HIPPOLYTA
Let us listen to the moon.

MOONSHINE
This lantern represents the moon,
Which makes me the man in the moon.

HIPPOLYTA
This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man
should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else the
man i’ the moon?

THESEUS
I am aweary of this moon: would he would change!

HIPPOLYTA
It appears, by his small light of discretion, that
he is in the wane; but yet,
in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time.

HERMIA
Proceed, Moon.

MOONSHINE
All that I have to say, is …. to tell you that the
lantern is the moon; I am the man in the moon;
this thorn-bush, my is thorn-bush; and this dog is my dog.

HELENA
Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for all
these are in the moon. But, silence! here comes Thisbe.

[Enter Thisbe]

THISBE
This is old Ninny’s tomb. Where is my love?

LION
[Roaring]

THISBE
Oh!
(Thisbe runs off)

HELENA
Well roared, Lion.

HIPPOLYTA
Well run, Thisbe.
THESEUS
Well shone, Moon. Truly, the moon shines with a good grace.

(The Lion shakes Thisbe’s mantle, and exit)

HIPPOLYTA
Well moused, Lion.

HERMIA
And so the lion vanished.

HELENA
And then came Pyramus.

[Enter Pyramus]

PYRAMUS
Sweet Moon, I thank you for your
sunny beams; I thank you, Moon, for shining now so bright;
For, by your gracious, golden, glittering gleams,
I hope to see my Thisbe here tonight.
But wait, O no!
What awful thing is here!
Do you see, eyes? How can this be?
O dainty duck! O dear!
Your robe is stained with blood!
Oh, what the hell is this?
O tricky fate, come, come,
Cut, thrust and thrum;
Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!

HIPPOLYTA
This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would
go near to make a man look sad

THESEUS
Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.

PYRAMUS
Why, oh why, Nature, did you ever make lions?
A wicked lion that has dined on my sweetheart.
Who is--no, no--
who was the fairest girl
That lived, that loved, that liked, that look’d
So cute.
Come on, tears!
Come here, sword and poke me here
Right where my heart is at.

[Stabs himself]

Thus I die, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead,
Now am I fled;
My soul is in the sky:
Tongue, lose your light;
And moon take flight:

[Exit Moonshine]

Now die, die, die, die, die.

[Pyramus Dies agonizingly]

HIPPOLYTA
With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and
prove an ass.

THESEUS
How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes
back and finds her lover?

HIPPOLYTA
She will find him by starlight. Here she
comes; and her passion ends the play.

[Re-enter Thisbe]

THESEUS
Methinks she should not use a long one for such a
Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.

HERMIA
She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.

THISBE
Asleep, my love?
What, dead, my dove?
O Pyramus, get up!
Speak, speak. Quite numb?
Dead, dead? A tomb
Must cover your sweet eyes.
These My lips,
this cherry nose,
These yellow cheeks,
Are gone, are gone:
His eyes were green as leeks.
O Sisters Three,
Come, come to me,
With hands as pale as milk;
Get them bloody!
Come, trusty sword;
Come, blade, find my girly breast.
[Stabs herself]
And, farewell, friends;
Thus Thisbe ends:
Adieu, adieu, adieu.
[Dies dramatically]
HIPPOLYTA
Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

HELENA
Ay, and Wall too.

BOTTOM
[Starting up] No I assure you; the wall part is over.
Would you like to hear the epilogue?
Or see the big dance number we’ve got planned
for the finish?

HIPPOLYTA
No epilogue, I pray you;
The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:
Lovers, to bed; tis almost fairy time.

{Exeunt ALL]
[MUSIC CUE #26] Fairy Dust
[Enter PUCK]

PUCK
Now the hungry lion roars,
And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
Now it is the time of night
That the graves all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,
In the church-way paths to glide:
And we fairies, that do run
From the presence of the sun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic: not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:
I am sent with broom before,
To sweep the dust behind the door.

[MUSIC CUE #27] Finale: Now Until Break of Day

TITANIA
(spoken)
Through the house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowsy fire;
Every elf and fairy sprite
Hop as light as bird from brier;
And this ditty, after me,
Sing and dance it trippingly

OBERON
(spoken)
First rehearse your song by rote,
To each word a warbling note
Hand, in hand, with fairy grace,
(music starts)
We will sing and bless this place
(Dance starts)

TITANIA
Now, until the break of day,
Through this house each fairy stray
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessed be

(Oberon and Titania dance)

OBERON
And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace with sweet peace;
And the owner of it blest, Ever shall in safety rest
(All dance)

TITANIA
Trip away; make no stay,
meet me all by break —of day

(Oberon gestures on a music cue and all disperse, save Puck)

[MUSIC CUE #28] Midnight bell toll (12 gongs) - dance music continues softly

PUCK
(spoken, after 1st bell)
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearnéd luck
Now to’ scape the serpents tongue;
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call.
So, good night unto you all
Give me your hands if we be friends
And Robin shall restore amends

(music fades out)

CURTAIN CALL
[MUSIC CUE #29]