A Midsummer Night's Dream Page #4

Fly, masters.

I'll follow you.

I'll lead you about, around,

through bog, through bush,

through break, through brier.

Sometime a hound I'll be.

A hog!

Murder! Murder!

Starveling.

Help me!

I won't play anymore.

Why do they run away?

I see their knavery.

This is to make an ass of me,

to fright me if they could.

But I will not stir from this place,

do what they will.

I will walk up and down here,

and I will sing,

so they shall hear I am not afraid.

The ousel cock so black of hue

With orange-tawny bill...

The throstle with his note so true

The wren with little...

Oh, me.

The finch, the sparrow and the lark

The plain-song cuckoo gray

Whose note full many a man doth mark

And dares not answer nay

What angel wakes me

from my flowery bed?

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.

Mine ear is much enamor'd of thy note.

And so is mine eye enthralled

by thy shape.

And thy fair manliness

and grace doth move me

on the first view...

to say, to swear, I love thee.

Methinks, mistress,

you should have little reason for that.

And yet, to say the truth...

reason and love

keep little company together nowadays.

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Not so, not so.

Sing again.

The ousel cock so black of hue

So black of hue

With orange-tawny bill

The throstle with his note so true

The wren with little quill

If I had wit enough to get out

of this wood,

I'd have enough

to serve mine own turn.

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.

No.

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee.

Peaseblossom.

Cobweb. Moth.

And Mustardseed.

Me

And I

And I

Where shall we go?

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.

Hop in his walks

and gambol in his eyes,

feed him with apricots

and dewberries

with purple grapes,

green figs and mulberries,

the honey-bags steal

from the humblebees

and for night candles,

crop their waxen thighs,

and light them

at the fiery glowworm's eyes

to have my love to bed and to arise.

Nod to him, elves,

and do him courtesies.

Hail, mortal, hail!

Hail! Hail!

I greet your worships most heartily.

I beseech your worship's name.

Cobweb.

Oh. Cobweb.

- Bottom.

Bottom.

I desire more of your acquaintance,

good Master Cobweb.

Your name, honest gentleman?

Peaseblossom.

Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mustardseed.

Oh. Mustardseed.

I desire more of your acquaintance,

good Master Mustardseed.

Oh. Oh!

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.

Come, wait upon him,

lead him to my bower.

This falls out better than I could devise.

Have you slain him, then?

You spend your passion

on a foolish mood.

I am not guilty of Lysander's blood,

nor is he dead, for all that I can tell.

Stand close. This is the same Athenian.

This is the woman, but not this the man.

I beg you, tell me then if he is well.

And if I could,

what should I get therefore?

A privilege never to see me more,

so from your hated presence shall I go.

See me no more,

whether he be dead or no.

There is no following her

in this fierce vein.

Here therefore for a while I will remain.

From thy mistaking

must perforce ensue

some true love turn'd

and not a false turn'd true.

Then fate o'er-rules,

that, one man holding troth,

a million fail,

confounding oath on oath.

About the wood go swifter than the wind,

and Helena of Athens look thou find.

By some illusion

see thou bring her here.

I'll charm his eyes against she do appear.

I go! I go!

Look how I go,

swifter than the arrow

from the Tartar's bow.

Flower of this purple dye

Sink in apple of his eye

When his love he doth espy

Let her shine in glory high

When thou wakest, if there she be

Beg of her for remedy

Captain of our fairy band,

Helena is here at hand

And the youth, mistook by me...

...pleading for a lover's fee.

Stand aside. The noise they make

will cause Demetrius to awake.

Then will two at once woo one.

That must needs be sport alone,

and those things do best please me

that befall preposterously.

Look, when I vow, I weep,

and vows so born,

in their nativity all truth appears.

- These oaths are Hermia's.

- Hermia's?

Love you her no more?

I had no judgment when to her I swore.

Nor none, in my mind,

while you thus implore.

Demetrius loves her,

and he loves not you.

Demetrius, I...

Helen, goddess, nymph.

Perfect, divine.

To what, my love,

shall I compare your eyne?

Crystal is muddy.

Oh, how ripe in show

your lips, those kissing cherries,

tempting grow.

0, spite! 0, hell!

I see you all are bent

to set against me for your merriment.

If you were civil and knew courtesy,

you would not do me thus much injury.

Helena.

You are both are rivals and love Hermia.

And now, both rivals to mock Helena.

A fine exploit, a manly enterprise.

To conjure tears up

in a poor maid's eyes.

- Helena. Huh?

- You are unkind, Demetrius.

Be not so, for you love Hermia.

This you know, I know.

L...

And here, with all goodwill,

with all my heart.

Of Hermia's love, I yield you up my part.

And yours of Helena's to me bequeath.

For her I love,

and will love till my death.

Lysander, keep your Hermia,

I want none.

If once I loved her, all that love is gone.

My heart to her but as a guest sojourned.

And now, to Helena is it home returned.

There to remain.

Helena, it is not so.

Disparage not the faith you do not know.

- Hermia.

- Yes, Lysander.

Oh, Lysander.

Oh, my ear.

I thank it brought me to your sound.

But why unkindly did you leave me so?

Why should he stay,

whom love does press to go?

What love could press Lysander

from my side?

Lysander's love,

that would not let him bide.

Why seek you me?

Could this not make you know the hate

I bare you made me leave you so?

Oh, you speak not as you think.

- Here, it cannot be.

- Lo, she is one of this confederacy.

Now I perceive.

They have joined up all three

to fashion this false sport in spite of me.

Injurious Hermia. Most ungrateful maid.

To join with men

in scorning your poor friend.

It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly.

I understand not what you mean by this.

Go on, persever, counterfeit sad looks.

Make mouths upon me

when I turn my back.

Wink at each at other.

Hold the sweet jest up.

But fare you well.

Helena!

'Tis partly my own fault, which death

or absence soon shall remedy.

Helena.

Stay, gentle Helena. Hear my excuse.

My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena.

Oh, excellent.

Sweet, do not scorn her so.

If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

You can compel no more

than she entreat.

Your threats have no more strength

than her weak prayers.

Helena, I love you. By my life I do.

I say I love you more than he can do.

If you say so, withdraw and prove it too.

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