Cinna's Easy Plays from Shakespeare 2

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'SDREAM

SCENE 1

(Enter THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA, separately.)

Theseus: Hippolyta !

Hippolyta: Theseus !

Theseus: In four more days, we shall marry.

Hippolyta: Four days ! I cannot wait so long!�

Theseus: Look at the moon. When it is full, we shall marry.

Hippolyta: It is almost full now.

Theseus: In four days it will be full.

(Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS.)

Egeus: Congratulations, my lord.

Theseus: Thank you, Egeus.

Egeus: And may you long be happy with Queen Hippolyta.

Hippolyta: Thank you, good Egeus.

Egeus: May I ask you a favour, my lord ?

Theseus: A favour ? Certainly. What is it?

Egeus: This is my daughter Hermia.

Theseus: I know her well.

Egeus: And this is Demetrius.

Theseus: Yes, I know.

Egeus: I have chosen him to marry my daughter.

Theseus: Another marriage ! Congratulations to you both.

Demetrius: Thank you, my lord.

Theseus: Egeus, you have made an excellent choice.

Egeus: I think so, sir, but my daughter does not.

Theseus: No?

Egeus: No. She wishes to marry Lysander here.

Theseus: What do you say, Hermia ? Demetrius is a fine man.

Hermia: And so is Lysander.

Theseus: Certainly, they are both fine. However, you can have only one husband, and your father favours Demetrius.

Hermia: I wish my father looked with my eyes.�

Theseus: You must look with his judgement.

Hermia: How can my father be so cruel! Tell me, my lord, what will happen if I refuse to marry Demetrius ?

Theseus: Refuse! If you refuse to obey your father, that is a serious matter.

Hermia: What is the punishment?

Theseus: Death.

Hermia: Death ?

Theseus: You should obey your father.�If you do not, then you must die at once, or you may choose to live alone and never meet another man.

Hermia: That will be a slow death.

Theseus: I will marry Hippolyta at the full moon, four days from now. Think carefully, and by that time make up your mind.

Hermia: I love Lysander.

Demetrius: Hermia ! Change your mind! And you, Lysander, listen to her father.

Lysander: Demetrius, you have her father's love. Let me have Hermia. You marry the father.

Egeus: Very funny. It is true he has my love, and therefore I give him my daughter.

Theseus: Let us go, Hippolyta. Egeus and Demetrius come with us. Hermia, I advise you to listen to your father's wishes. If you do not, then the laws of Athens will be severe.

(Exit all but LYSANDER and HERMIA.)

Lysander: Hermia ! Why are you so pale?

Hermia: Because I may lose my dearest Lysander.

Lysander: The course of true love never did run smooth.(1-1)

Hermia: What can we do ?

Lysander: Run away.

Hermia: Run away? What do you mean?

Lysander: We must run away from Athens, and in some distant place where the law of Athens has no power, we can marry.

Hermia: Yes !

Lysander: Meet me at the city gate tomorrow night.

Hermia: I will.

Lysander: Look ! Here comes Helena.

(Enter HELENA. )

Hermia: Helena !

Helena: Hermia ! And Lysander. What's the matter, Hermia? You seem unhappy.

Hermia: I am. This is my love, Lysander, but my father wants me to marry Demetrius.

Helen: Demetrius!�But I want to marry Demetrius.

Hermia: Then marry him, please.�I want this boy.

Lysander: We are going to leave Athens secretly tomorrow, and marry in a distant place.

Helena: Good luck !

Hermia: And good luck with Demetrius.

(Exit LYSANDER and HERMIA.)

Helena: Demetrius loved me once. Then he met Hermia. She is more beautiful than I am, and so he fell in love with her. If I tell him they plan to marry in secret . . . perhaps he will show me a little gratitude.�Perhaps even love me.

(Exit.)

SCENE 2

(Enter the CLOWNS; QUlNCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT.)

Quince: Is everybody here ?

Bottom: Read their names.

Quince: I will.

Bottom: And tell us why you want to see us.

Quince: The duke Theseus is to marry the queen Hippolyta.

Bottom: That is no concern of ours.

Quince: You are wrong, good Bottom; it is.

Snug: How ?

Quince: We are asked to perform a play, and will be well paid if it is good.

Flute: What play is this ?

Quince: It is called "The Most Sad Love and Happy Death of Pyramus and Thisbe."

Snout: An excellent play.

Quince: Bottom will play Pyramus.

Bottom: Pyramus? What is he? A lover? Or a killer ?

Quince: He is both. First he loves Thisbe, and then he kills himself.

Bottom: Why ?

Quince: Because the writer of' the play says so.

Bottom: But if he loves Thisbe, why should he kill himself?

Quince: Quiet! You are to act the play, not to write it.

Bottom: Act, yes. I shall make the audience laugh, and weep, and I shall. . . .

Quince: Quiet, Bottom. Let me continue. Flute.

Flute: Yes.

Quince: You shall be Thisbe.

Flute: Good. Who is he ?

Quince: It is not he. It is she.

Flute: I am to play a woman ?

Quince: Yes.

Flute: No, please. I am too old. Look, there is hair on my face.

Quince: Then you must shave.

Bottom: I will play the lady Thisbe. I will speak in a beautiful high voice. (He speaks in a high voice.) "Oh Pyramus.�I love you.�Oh ! Oh ! Oh !"

Quince: No, Bottom, no. Quiet, please. You are Pyramus, and Flute is Thisbe.

Bottom: Okay, but I think....

All: Quiet, Bottom.

�(BOTTOM puts finger on lips.)

Quince: Snout ?

Snout: Yes.

Quince: You shall be a wall.

Bottom: A wall !

All: Quiet, Bottom.

Quince: Snout, you are a wall. The lovers are on different sides of the wall, and they must whisper through a little hole in you.

Snout: There is no little hole through me.

Quince: Then hold your fingers so. (Holds fingers in a circle.) Now, Snug.

Snug: Yes.

Quince: You are a lion.

Bottom: Oh, let me be the lion! I am a wonderfully good roarer. I shall roar so well that the duke will say, "Well roared lion let him roar again.�Grrrrrrrrrrrrr !

Quince: That's much too good. All the ladies will scream and run. No, let Snug be lion.

Snug: Well, give me the words to learn as soon as you can because I am very slow.

Quince: You have no words. You only roar.

Bottom: Go on, roar.

Snug(very quietly) : Grrrr.

Bottom: No, no, no, you are not a mouse. You must roar like this . . . .

All: Bottom !

Quince: I shall be moonshine. I shine and give light. We will meet tomorrow night and practise in secret.

Snug: Then let's go out of Athens and practise in the forest.

Quince: Good idea. Everybody, bring some suitable clothes for your part. We'll meet tomorrow night at the city gates.

All: Yes. Good night.

�(Exit all.)

SCENE 3

(Enter OBERON and TITANlA separately.)

Titania: Oberon !

Oberon: Titania! Ill met by moon light, proud Titania.(2-1)

Titania: I have come to the wedding of Theseus. I have not come to see you.

Oberon: You are my wife !

Titania: No longer.

Oberon: Oh yes. And where is my son !

Titania: You shall not have the boy.

Oberon: I must.

Titania: Never ! You are a bad father.

Oberon: Please ! Let me see him.

Titania: No !

(Exit TITANlA.)

Oberon: Come hither, my gentle Puck.

(Enter PUCK.)

Puck: I am here, sir.

Oberon: My jealous wife is hiding my boy.

Puck: It is a bad business.

Oberon: I must have revenge.

Puck: Will you steal the boy, then?

Oberon: I don't know. First, I must humiliate proud Titania. Go and bring me that flower called love-in-idleness.

Puck: Love-in-idleness .

Oberon: Yes. That is a magic flower. When she is sleeping, I will squeeze the juice of the flower on her eyelids. Then, when she wakes, she will love the first thing she sees, however foolish. Hurry !

Puck: I will go round the world in forty minutes.

(Exit PUCK. Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA.)

Demetrius: Go away. Don't follow me. I do not love you.

Helena: You loved me once.

Demetrius: But not now. Hermia is my love.

Helena: But she does not love you.

Demetrius: You said Hermia and Lysander were running away from Athens into this forest. Where are they? I do not see them.

Helena: They are here somewhere, I am sure. Let us look.

Demetrius: Not together, I will look alone. Good bye.

(Exit DEMETRlUS. )

Helena: And I will follow you.

(Exit HELENA.)

Oberon: Very strange!

(Enter Puck.)

Puck: Here I am.

Oberon: That was quite quick.

Puck: And here is the flower you want.

Oberon: Give it to me.

(PUCK gives flower to OBERON.)

Oberon: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows. Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine and with sweet muskroses and with�eglantine. There sleeps Titania sometimes of the night.(2-1) I will find her, and squeeze this flower on her eyes.

Puck: Shall I come with you ?

Oberon: No. Just now a man from Athens went that way.

(He points after DEMETRIUS.)

Find him. He is scorning the love of a lady. Wait till he sleeps and then squeeze the juice on his eyes, so he may awake and see the lady. This will bring love to them.

Puck: I will try to find him.

(Exit separately.)

SCENE 4

(Enter TITANlA. She lies down and sleeps; enter OBERON stealthily; he squeezes the flower over her eyes, and exits ; enter LYSANDER and HERMIA.)

Lysander: Let us sleep under this tree, Hermia.

Hermia: Yes, I am very tired.

Lysander: Here .

Hermia: No, here. That is too close.

�( They lie down, separately.)

Lysander: Good night.

Hermia:Happy dreams.

( They sleep; enter PUCK.)

Puck: Aha! Is this the man Oberon told me to find?�I think it must be. And that must be the girl he does not love. They are not very close !

Puck(squeezes flower on LYSANDER'S eyes) : When�he wakes he will love her, I hope. (Exit PUCK.)

(Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA. She is chasing him . )

Helena: Stop ! Stop ! Demetrius.

Demetrius: Leave me alone !

Helena: It is dark ! I cannot see. Please stop here !

Demetrius: Stop here if you wish. I will go.

(DEMETRlUS exits.)

Helena (sits) : Demetrius hates me. Now I am alone in this forest. It is dark and dangerous. Perhaps some animal will attack me. Who is this ? Lysander!�Is he dead ?

Lysander(wakes) : Helena, my love !

Helena: Lysander. I thought that you loved Hermia.

Lysander: Hermia ? That was just a passing mood. It is you that I truly love.

Helena: Do not tease me. I know you love Hermia.

Lysander: I am not teasing. I love you, dear Helena.

Helena: You are joking.

Lysander: No, no, believe me, I am serious.

Helena (angry) : Demetrius insults me and you make fun of me. I want to cry.

(Exit HELENA.)

Lysander: Helena ! Come back. I want you. I want you.

(Exit LYSANDER.)

Hermia(wakes) : Lysander ! Lysander. Where are you? He has gone. Help!

(Exit HERMIA.)

SCENE 5

(Enter the CLOWNS.)

Bottom: Is every one here ?

Quince: I think so. This grass will make a perfect stage. Let us rehearse our play here.

Bottom: Before we start we must make some changes.

Quince: Why ?

Bottom: Well, firstly, it says that Pyramus kills himself. Now that will never do. The ladies will not like it.

Snout: True .

Bottom: The ladies will scream and faint.

Flute: We must have no killing.

Bottom: And then there is a lion. Now a lion among ladies is a terrible thing. They will not like it. The lion is a most dangerous bird.

Quince: Bird ! A lion is not a bird.

Bottom: The lion roars, doesn't it ?

Quince: Of course.

Bottom: Then the ladies will be frightened by the roaring.

Snug: If queen Hippolyta is frightened, the duke Theseus will hang us.

Quince: No, no, no, don't be so silly.

Bottom: I think I have a solution. Snug must dress as a lion, but he must let the ladies see his face. Then they will know he is not a true lion.

Quince: Yes, all right, Snug can do that. Now the lovers meet by moonlight. Today we have a moon, but on the day we perform the play is there a moon?

Bottom: Of course.�There is always a moon.

Quince: I mean, does the moon shine on Athens that day ?

Bottom: Ah, I don't know.

Quince: Then one man must carry a lantern and be moonlight.

Bottom: I will do that.

Quince: No, no, you are Pyramus. Now the lovers meet on opposite sides of a wall. Snout, you are the wall. Prepare a chink for the lovers to talk through.

Snout: A chink ?

Quince: A little hole, a gap, a crack.

Bottom: A chink.

Quince: Exactly. Every man put on his clothes

and let us begin to practise our play.

( The men start to change their clothes. PUCK enters carrying the head of an ass. He puts this over the head of BOTTOM.)

Bottom: Is this for me, Quince? How very strange.

(He sits down near TITANIA. She wakes.)

Titania: Oh what a handsome man !

Bottom: Me !

Titania: Yes, you.

Bottom: Well ! Nobody ever called me handsome.

Titania: Good, then I will be the first.

Bottom: Who are you ?

Titania: Who do you think ? You are so handsome and wise you can easily decide about a simple girl like me.

Bottom (confused) : Oh.

Titania: Shall we go for a little walk ?

Bottom(pleased) : That's a very good idea.

(TITANlA and BOTTOM exit together; the others continue dressing, and see nothing. Enter OBERON.)

Oberon: I wonder if Titania has woken up yet.

Puck: Oh yes. These fellows are rehearsing a play, and I put the head of an ass on one man. She saw him first, and is now madly in love with him.

Oberon (pleased) : Titania in love with an ass!

Puck: Yes, and they are now walking together in the moonlight.

Oberon: Marvelous.

Puck: It was very funny.

Oberon: And I am revenged.

Puck: You are.

Oberon: Now I must go and find my boy. By the way, did you find that Athenian man I told you about?

Puck: I did, and I squeezed the flower on his eyes as you said.

Oberon: Good. And here he comes.

(Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA.)

Puck: This is the woman.�

Oberon: Yes.

Puck: But not the man.

Oberon(surprised) : What !

Puck: I squeezed the flower on a different man !

Oberon: Puck! What have you done!

Demetrius(to HERMIA) : Why are you so unkind to me ?

Hermia (to DEMETRIUS) : Where is Lysander ? I think you have killed him.

Demetrius: No, never.

Hermia: You devil.

Demetrius: I don't like him, but I have no reason to kill him. For all I know, he is still alive.

Hermia: I hate you.

Demetrius: Don't say so!�I love you.

Hermia (angry) : Good bye.

Demetrius: I love her, but she is in a rage. Tomorrow she will calm down a bit, so I will wait until then. This seems a nice place to sleep, so I will take a rest.

(DEMETRlUS lies down and sleeps.)

Oberon: Puck!�Look what you have done! Go and bring his true love Helena here as fast as possible.

(Exit PUCK. OBERON squeezes flower onDEMETRlUS's eyes; enter Puck.)

Puck: Helena is coming.

Oberon: Good, then let's hide.

Puck: She is with the man I mistook for this one. He is trying to make love to her. What fools men are!

Oberon: They may wake Demetrius with the sound of their voices.

(Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. )

Helena: You scorn me ! You insult me!

Lysander: Why do you say so ?

Helena: Because you say you love me, but yesterday I heard you say the same thing to Hermia.

Lysander: Then I was a fool yesterday.

Helena: Oh ? And tomorrow ?

Lysander: Demetrius loves Hermia.

Helena: But I love Demetrius.

Lysander: Please try to love me ! Demetrius does not love you because he loves Hermia. Can't you understand ?

(DEMETRlUS awakes.)

Demetrius: Helena ! Helena ! Let me kiss you !

Helena (angry) : What! A plot! Both of you men are planning to insult me.

Lysander: Demetrius, do not hurt Helena. We know you love Hermia. I loved Hermia once, but now I give her to you freely.

Helena: Stop hurting me.

Demetrius: Lysander, you can keep Hermia.�Helena is the girl for me.

(Enter HERMIA. )

Hermia: Lysander ! My love ! I heard your voice among the trees and I came here. Why did you leave me sleeping ?

Lysander: Go away. Don't bother me.

Hermia: Don't bother you!�What do you mean ?

Lysander: I mean I am not interested in you.

Hermia: Lysander! I can't understand you at all.

Helena: I understand very well. Hermia and the two of you have made a cruel agreement to hurt my feelings. Hermia, we were children together. How can you do this wicked thing to me ?

Hermia: What wicked thing? I don't know what you are talking about.

Helena: Didn't you encourage Lysander to tease me?

Hermia: I am amazed ! What are you talking about !

Helena: You false friend ! You pretend you don't know! All is fair in love and war, I suppose?

Hermia: Please explain what you mean.

Lysander: Helena, let me explain, my love.

Helena (sarcastically) : Oh, fine.

Hermia (to LYSANDER) : Don't hurt her feelings.

Demetrius: If she cannot persuade, then I can demand.

Lysander: You have no power to demand from me, Demetrius. Helena, I love you and I will prove it. Let me fight Demetrius, if I die, then my death is the proof.

Demetrius: Helena, don't believe him. I love you more than he does.

Helena: You both love me ?

Hermia: Neither of you love me ?

Lysander: Let us fight it out.

Hermia (takes LYSANDER's arm) : Lysander !

Lysander: Take your hands off me!�

Hermia: Lysander !

Lysander: Let go of me!

Hermia (weeping) : Why have you changed like this ?

Demetrius: You can hardly fight me now, Lysander!�Hermia seems to have mastered you !

Lysander (throws HERMIA to ground): Oh! I will kill her.

Hermia: Why kill me ? You hate me and that is worse than death. Last night you loved me and now everything has changed.

Lysander: Yes, it has. I love Helena.

Hermia (to HELENA) : You are the cause of this, Helena.

Helena: Me !

Hermia: Yes, you have bewitched him.

Helena: Hermia ! Have you no shame !

Hermia: I will scratch out your eyes.

Helena: Help ! Keep her off me !

Hermia: You have stolen my lover.

( The men hold HERMIA away from HELENA.)

Helena: We have always been friends, and I have never harmed you.

Hermia: Never?

Helena: Not until yesterday. Yesterday I told Demetrius that you and Lysander planned to escape from Athens and marry in secret. I hoped he would like me a little for telling him, but he threatened to kill me. I want to go home to Athens.

Hermia: Then go.

Lysander(to HERMIA) : Keep back, you witch.

Demetrius: You are too officious, Lysander.�Do not try to help, Helena.�She is mine.�I can protect her.

Lysander: Oh, can you ? You think so?

Demetrius: I am not frightened of you.

Lysander: Then let us go and fight it out.

Demetrius: Come on then.

(Exit DEMETRIUS and LYSANDER.)

Helena (pleased) : Two men fighting over me!

Hermia (jealous) : But no one to protect you here.

Helena: Help!

Hermia: No one will want you after I spoil your beauty.

(HERMIA tries to attack HELENA.)

Helena: Help ! Help !

(HELENA runs off.)

Hermia: I'll get you ! I'll get you !

(Exit HERMIA.)

Oberon: Puck! This mischief is your fault. Or did you do it on purpose ?

Puck: Believe me, king of shadows, I tried to do just as you said.

Oberon: Well, maybe. Now you must follow Demetrius and Lysander. Do not let them meet, or they will kill each other. Copy the voice of one and lead him away from the other. It is dark, so that will not be difficult.

Puck: I will.

Oberon: When Lysander is tired, he will lie down and sleep. Then squeeze the flower on his eyes. When he wakes, he will remember nothing but a foolish dream.

Puck: Yes, sir.

Oberon: I will go and look for Titania, and ask her for the boy. If she gives him to me, then I must free her from the love of that ass.

(Exit OBERON; enter LYSANDER ; he crosses the stage and exits; enter DEMETRIUS.)

Demetrius: Lysander ! Where are you ?

Puck (speaking as LYSANDER) : Here I am, come and catch me.

Demetrius: It is so dark, I can't see you.

Puck (as before) : This way, you fool.

Demetrius: Are you afraid of me, you coward ?

Puck (as before) : Come on, come on.

Demetrius: I am going to kill you.

(Exit DEMETRIUS ; enter LYSANDER separately.)

Lysander: Demetrius, where are you? Oh, I don't know where he has gone. I feel so tired, I think I will sit down here for a minute.

(LYSANDER sits, yawns, and sleeps; enter DEMETRIUS.)

Demetrius: Lysander, where are you ? Oh, I don't know where he has gone. I feel so tired, I think I will sit down here for a minute.

(DEMETRlUS sits, yawns, and sleeps. He does not see LYSANDER ; enter HELENA.)

Helena: What a long night ! I am so weary .

(HELENA lies down and sleeps; enter HERMIA.)

Hermia: I cannot go any further. Where can Lysander be? I hope Demetrius has not killed him.

(HERMIA lies down and sleeps.)

Puck: Now is my chance to correct my mistake.

(He squeezes the flower on LYSANDER's eyes.)When you wake, Lysander, you will see your love and there will be no more quarreling.

(Exit PUCK. Enter TITANlA and BOTTOM.)

Titania: Sit here my love, and let me kiss your lovely long ears.

Bottom (yawns) : I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Titania: Then take a rest, my love.

(BOTTOM lies down and sleeps.)

Titania: I will hold you in my arms.

(TITANlA sleeps; enter OBERON and PUCK.)

Oberon: There is Titania ! Sleeping ! Take that ass's head off that poor fellow.

Puck: I will. :

Oberon: I found Titania and she gave me the boy, so I must remove the charm. (Squeezes the flower on TITANlA's eyes.) Wake ! Titania.

Titania (wakes) : Oberon! I have had the strangest dream.

Oberon: Oh ?

Titania: I dreamed that I loved an ass.

Oberon: You mean this fellow ? (He points to BOTTOM.)�

Titania: Yes. How ugly he is !

Oberon: Puck, take off his head.

(PUCK takes ass's head off BOTTOM; TITANlA laughs.)Oberon : Titania, we have quarreled too long.

Titania: Yes, I have been silly.

Oberon: Then let us love again.

Titania: Please.

Oberon: The duke Theseus will marry soon. We must help to make his wedding happy.

(Exit OBERON and TITANlA; enter THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA.)

Hippolyta: What a lovely night !

Theseus: This forest is a perfect place to hunt.

Hippolyta: The moon is so bright !

Theseus: It will soon be morning.

Hippolyta(sees the sleepers) : What's this !

Theseus: Hm. Very strange. Huntsman, blow your horn.

(HUNTSMAN blows horn. Sleepers awake.)

Theseus: Good morning, my friends.

Lysander: The Duke ! Your pardon, my lord.

Theseus (laughs) : What are you all doing here ?

Lysander: Hermia and I came to escape from the laws of Athens.

Demetrius: Helena told me, so I followed them. At nightfall, I went to sleep and had the strangest dream.

Theseus: Lysander and Hermia have taken a great risk.

Lysander: I am sorry.

Theseus: This proves your great love, and I change my mind.

Lysander: Really ?

Theseus: Yes, I want you to marry.

Demetrius: Then I can marry Helena.

Hermia: We shall both marry the man we love.

Theseus: Yes. You shall marry when I marry queen Hippolyta.

Helena: You mean, three marriages together ?

Theseus: Yes, the six of us at one time.

Hippolyta: Wonderful !

Theseus: Let us go to the temple.

(Exit THESEUS holding HIPPOLYTA, LYSANDER holding HERMIA, DEMETRlUS holding HELENA.)

SCENE 6

Bottom (wakes): I must have been sleeping.�Where are the others ? I have had the strangest dream.

(Exit BOTTOM ; enter the CLOWNS.)

Quince: Where is Bottom?

Snout: No one can find him.

Quince: Our play will be ruined.

Flute: Let some one else play Pyramus.

Quince: Impossible.

Snug: We must do something. The duke Theseus is at his wedding and he will want his entertainment soon.�

Quince: Then we must find Bottom.

All: Bottom ! Bottom !

Bottom (enters) : Here you are ! Where did you go ?

All: Where did you go ?

Bottom: I have been waiting for you rascals, here. I had a little snooze and while I was sleeping I had the most extraordinary dream.

All: Tell us.

Bottom: It was very interesting.

All: Tell us.

Bottom: No. The play, the play, have you forgotten ! The duke Theseus wants to see our play. Let us go to the duke's palace and get ready.

(Exit the CLOWNS.)

SCENE 7

(Enter THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA.)

Hippolyta: These lovers tell a strange story

Theseus: Yes, but I don't believe it.

Hippolyta: Why not?

Theseus: When lovers walk in the forest under the moon, they think of all sorts of nonsense. It's all imagination.

Hippolyta: But they all tell the same story!

(Enter DEMETRIUS, LYSANDER, HERMIA, HELENA.)

Theseus: Here they are !

Lysander: I hope your marriage will be long and happy.

Theseus: We hope the same for you.

Hippolyta: Thank you.

Theseus: Now for the entertainment.

Hippolyta: Some workers of Athens wish to present a play. Shall we see it ?

Theseus: We should. They are faithful subjects. Tell them to come.

(DEMETRIUS claps his hands; the CLOWNS enter; they are dressed for the play.�Others sit and watch.)

Quince: Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show.

But wonder on, till truth makes all things plain.(5-1)

This man is Pyramus. (Points to BOTTOM.)

This beauteous lady, Thisbe. (Points to FLUTE.)

This man represents a wall. (Points to SNOUT.)

This, a lion. (Points to SNUG.)

And I am the moon.(He holds up a lantern.)

Hippolyta: What is the story ?

Quince: Pyramus and Thisbe are lovers. They live on different sides of this wall, so they plan to meet in the forest. Thisbe arrives first. She is surprised by a lion, so she runs away and drops her coat. The lion tears it. Pyramus arrives, finds the torn coat, thinks the lion has eaten her, and so he kills himself. Thisbe looks for him, finds his dead body and then she kills herself. The end.

(Exit the CLOWNS.)

Hippolyta: This is strange entertainment for our wedding day!

Theseus: They mean no harm. I wonder if the lion speaks.

(Enter SNOUT dressed as a wall. Enter BOTTOM as PYRAMUS.)

Bottom:�Oh, where is my lover, Thisbe ?

Snout: She is behind me.

Bottom: Thank you, courteous wall. (kneels in front of SNOUT) Show me your chink.

(SNOUT makes a circle of his fingers. BOTTOM looks through SNOUT's fingers.)

Bottom: Thisbe !

Snout (shouting) : Thisbe! Hurry.

�(FLUTE runs in. He kneels on the other side of SNOUT.)

Flute (as THISBE) : Oh Pyramus, my love.

Bottom: Oh .

Flute: Oh.

Bottom: Oh .

Flute: Oh.

Bottom: This is not enough.

Flute: I cannot kiss you through this wall.

Bottom: True. Meet me in the forest tonight.

Flute: I am frightened of the dark.

Bottom: There will be a moon.

Flute: Yes.

(Exit BOTTOM and FLUTE.)

Snout: I am not needed any longer.

(Exit SNOUT.)

Hippolyta: This is the silliest play I ever saw.

(Enter SNUG as lion. He roars. HIPPOLYTA screams. )

Snug (showing his face) : Don't scream, gentle ladies. I am Snug.

Theseus: A good and gentle lion, you see.

(Enter QUINCE.)

Quince: The moon begins to shine.

(Enter FLUTE.)

Flute: Pyramus, where are you ?

(SNUG roars. FLUTE screams and runs away. He drops his coat. SNUG worries the coat, and exits.)

Demetrius: Well roared, lion.

Theseus: Well run, Thisbe.

Hippolyta: Well shone, moon.

(FLUTE, SNUG, QUINCE return, bow, and exit; enter BOTTOM. )

Bottom: Thisbe! Thisbe! Where are you ! What's this ! Her coat ? Torn ! Blood ! She is dead. My love is dead. Then die, Pyramus.

(He stabs himself.)

Die, die, die, die, die. Dead.

(BOTTOM falls to the floor.)

Lysander: Brilliant.

Demetrius: What an actor !

Bottom (stands and bows) :Thank you, thank you.�It was nothing. (BOTTOM lies down again, as dead.)

Flute (enters) : Pyramus ! Pyramus ! Where are you ! (sees BOTTOM.) �Here he is. Sleeping. No! Dead? Yes Then Thisbe does not wish to live. Let me kill myself.

(BOTTOM gives the dagger to FLUTE.�FLUTE stabs himself. )

Flute: Pyramus, I come !

(FLUTE falls to floor : pause.)

Helena: What happens next ?

Bottom (standing) : That is the end.

(FLUTE stands. All clap. Exit the CLOWNS.)

Theseus (stands) : The play is over and the lovers are dead.

Hermia: But we are not.

Lysander: We nearly killed each other in our dream.

Demetrius: But the dream is finished.

Theseus: And our new lives begin.

( There is music, a dance, and the lovers exit pair by pair.)

l     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

PLACE : a forest

TIME : indefinite

ACTORS: 12 boys, 4 girls

PEOPLE IN THE PLAY

THESEUS, duke of Athens

HIPPOLYTA, his bride

EGEUS

HERMIA, his daughter

LYSANDER, her lover

HELENA

DEMETRIUS, loved by HELENA, but chosen by

EGEUS to marry HERMIA.

QUINCE, who later plays the Moon

SNOUT, who later plays a wall

BOTTOM, who later plays Pyramus CLOWNS

FLUTE, who later plays Thisbe

SNUG, who later plays a lion

OBERON, king

TITANIA, queen

FAIRIES

PUCK, servant to OBERON