Titania

Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;

Then, for the third part of a minute, hence
Some to kill cankers in the muskrose buds,
Some war with reremice for their leathern wings
To make my small elves coats, and some keep back
The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders
At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep.
Then to your offices and let me rest.

Titania
Come sing a fairy song, and then go back to doing your
work. Some of you will kill worms that are spreading
through the rosebuds, some of you will battle with bats
to take their leather-coated wings, so we can make
coats for my small elves. Some of you will keep the
noisy owl away that hoots and wonders at night us
delicate fairies. Sing me to sleep now. Then resume
your duties and let me sleep.

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

First Fairy
Snakes with split tongues,
And porcupines, dont been seen.
Lethal lizards, dont be mean.
Dont come near our fairy queen.

Chorus
Philomel, with melody
Sing in our sweet lullaby.
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Never harm Nor spell nor charm
Come our lovely lady nigh.
So good night, with lullaby.

Chorus
Nightingale, melodiously,
Sing our sweet lullaby.
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Let no harm or spell or charm
Come near our lovely lady.
So goodnight with a lullaby.

First Fairy
Weaving spiders, come not here.
Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence.
Beetles black, approach not near.
Worm nor snail, do no offence.

First Fairy
Spiders with webs, go away.
You long-legged spiders depart.
Black beetles, dont come near.
Worms and snails, dont be mean.

Chorus
Philomel, with melody
Sing in our sweet lullaby.
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Never harm Nor spell nor charm
Come our lovely lady nigh.
So good night, with lullaby. (Titania sleeps.)

Chorus
Nightingale, melodiously,
Sing our sweet lullaby.
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Let no harm or spell or charm
Come near our lovely lady.
So goodnight with a lullaby.
(Titania sleeps.)

Second Fairy
Hence, away! Now all is well.
One aloof stand sentinel.
(Fairies exit.)

Second Fairy
Lets go! Everything is okay now. One of us should stay
and stand guard.
(Fairies exit.)

Enter Oberon, (who anoints Titanias eyelids with the

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

Enter Oberon, (who squeezes flower juice on Titania's

eyelids.)
Oberon
What you see first when you wake up,
youll think of it as your true love.
Love him and long for him.
Even if its a lynx, a cat, a bear,
a leopard, or a wild boar.
Whatever is present
When you wake up,
itll become dear to you.

Enter Lysander and Hermia.

Enter Lysander and Hermia.

Lysander
Fair love, you faint with wandring in the wood.
And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way.
Well rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,
And tarry for the comfort of the day.

Lysander
My love, youre going to faint from wandering in the
woods for so long. And to be honest, I got us lost. Lets
rest, if thats okay with you, and wait until morning to
resume our journey.

Hermia
Be it so, Lysander. Find you out a bed,
For I upon this bank will rest my head.

Hermia
We can do that, Lysander. Find a place to sleep. Im
going to rest my head on this bank.

Lysander
One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;
One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth.

Lysander
We can sleep together on the grass. One heart, one
bad, two bodies, and one vow.

Hermia
Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear,
Lie further off yet. Do not lie so near.

Hermia
No, Lysander. For my sake, sleep further away. Dont
sleep so close to me.

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

Lysander
Oh honey, I didnt mean to be indecent when I said that.
When people who are in love converse with one
another, the should make sense of each other. I meant
our hearts are tied together, as if it were one. Our
bodies are joined together by the promises we made for
each other, so there are two bodies and a single vow.
Let me sleep next to you. I will lie next to you, Hermia, I
wont lie to you.

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 neer alter till thy sweet life end!

Hermia
Lysander has a way with words. Surely, I would be
impolite if I insinuated that youre lying. But darling,
sleep further off so we can act mannerly. Its only right
for a well-behaved man and a well-behaved girl to be
separated like so. Stay away for now and good night,
my sweet friend. I hope your love for me lives strong
throughout your whole life!

Lysander
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!
Hermia
With half that wish the wishers eyes be pressed!
(They sleep.)

Enter Puck.

Lysander
Amen to that. I hope that my life ends before my fidelity
for you does. Ill sleep over there. Sleep well!
Hermia
Sleep well to you too.
(They sleep.)

Puck
Through the forest have I gone,
But Athenian found I none
On whose eyes I might approve
This flowers force in stirring love.
(He sees Lysander)
Night and silence! Who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear.
This is he my master said
Despisd the Athenian maid.
And here the maiden, sleeping sound
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul, she durst not lie
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
(He anoints Lysanders eyelids with the nectar.)

Enter Puck.
Puck
I have search through the entire forest, but havent
found an Athenian to use this flower on.
(He sees Lysander)
Wait a minute, who is this? Hes wearing Athenian
clothing. This must the Athenian guy who shunned the
Athenian girl. And heres the girl, sound asleep on the
damp and dirty ground. What a pretty girl. She shouldnt
sleep near the thise cold-hearted man. Jerk, Ill put all
the power this charm has on your eyes.
(He puts flower juice in Lysanders eyes.)
When you awaken, let love keep you from sleeping
again. Wake up when Im gone, because I must go to
Oberon.
(He exists)

When thou wakst, let love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.
So, awake when I am gone,
For I must now to Oberon.
(He exits.)
Enter Demetrius and Helena, running.
Helena
Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.
Demetrius
I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

Enter Demetrius and Helena, running.

Helena
Stop Demetrius, even if you wish to kill me.

Helena
O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so.

Demetrius
Im telling you to leave me alone and stop following me
around like so.

Demetrius
Stay, on thy peril. I alone will go.
He exits.

Helena
And leave me in the dark alone? Please dont.

Helena
O, I am out of breath in this fond chase.
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.
Happy is Hermia, wheresoeer she lies,
For she hath blessd 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 that meet me run away for fear.
Therefore no marvel though Demetrius
Do as a monster fly my presence thus.
What wicked and dissembling glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermias sphery eyne?
But who is here? Lysander, on the ground!

Demetrius
Stay here at your own risk. Im going alone.
He exits.
Helena
Oh, Im out of breath from this silly chase. The more I
pray, the less I get from it. Hermia is fortunate, wherever
she is, because she has pretty eyes. How are her eyes
so bright? Not from crying. If thats the case, my eyes
overflow with tears more than her. No, no, Im as ugly
as a bear because animals that see me run away in
fear. So it shouldnt surprise me that Demetrius runs
away from me as if I were a monster. What sinful and
dishonest mirror made me believe I could compete with

Dead or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.

Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.
Lysander (waking up)
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 that vile name to perish on my sword!
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 of man is by his reason swayed,
And reason says you are the worthier maid.
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 oerlook
Loves stories written in loves richest book.
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 manner me to woo.
But fare you well. Perforce I must confess
I thought you lord of more true gentleness.
O, that a lady of one man refused
Should of another therefore be abused!
She exits.
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 the most of me!
And, all my powers, address your love and might
To honor Helen and to be her knight.

Hermias twinkling eyes? But whos this here? Lysander

on the ground! Is he dead or is her sleeping? I dont see
any blood or bruises. Lysander, if youre alive, wake up.

Lysander (waking up)

Id run through fire if you ordered me to. The beautiful,
Helena! Its like Mother Nature is allowing me to see
into your heart. Where is Demetrius? Id slice the name
with my sword, if I could.
Helena
Dont say that, Lysander. Dont say that. Who cares if
Demetrius loves Hermia. How does that matter. If
Hermia still loves you, you should be happy.
Lysander
Happy with Hermia? I regret all that time I spent with
her. I dont love Hermia because I love you. Who would
a crow more than a dove? A mans aspiration
determined by his rational mind, and its rational that
youre the one for me. Produce doesnt ripen until its
the right season. Im young and my sense of reason
didnt ripe until now. I can see clearly now. My logic is
taken over what I yearn for, and its telling me to look
into your eyes, where I see every love story ever
written.
Helena
Why does everyone make fun of me? What have I done
to deserve this? Is it not enough, is it not enough young
man, that Ill never be pretty enough to get a good look
from Demetrius, but you must sneer at my
imperfections? My God, its wrong of you to charm me
in such a hateful and scornful way. But so long. I should
tell you, I thought you were a better person than this.
Oh, how terrible that a lady whos been rejected by one
man, and treated rudely by another!
She exits.
Lysander
She didnt see Hermia-Hermia, keep sleeping, and dont
come near me ever again. People who continue to eat
sweets tend to get stomachaches, and people always
hate decisions they made prior. Hermia, youre that kind
of sweet that Ive had too much of, and the mistake that
I used to make, which means I hate you more than
anyone else. Ill use my abilities to honor Helen and to
serve her.
He exits.

Hermia (waking up)

Help me, Lysander, help me! Take this snake and get if

He exits.
Hermia (waking up)
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?
Alack, where are you? Speak, an if you hear.
Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh.
Either death or you Ill find immediately.
She exits.

off my breast! Oh my goodness! What a nightmare I

had! Lysander, see how Im shaking with fear. I thought
a serpent was eating my heart and you were watching
with a mean smile on your face. Lysander! Is he gone?
Lysander, my lord! Can he hear me? Gone? No answer,
not a word? Oh god, where are you? Say something if
you can hear me? Say something, please! Im about to
faint from being scared. Nothing? Then I guess youre
not nearby. I will search to find you, even if I die.
She exits.