4c. Literary Fragment(s)

Midsummer Night's Dream

➜ Below you will find three fragments from A Midsummer Night's Dream.
➜ Read the original text on the left and use the modern translation on the right to help you understand the fragments better.
➜ Watch the video you will find after each fragment, each showing a different theatrical production of the scene you've read.
➜ Write a short summary of the three scenes in your own word, and review the videos. Which was your favourite, and why? Include this in your Literary History File and upload it to Seesaw and link it in Egodact.

Introduction to the play

To be honest, A Midsummer Night's Dream is not the simplest play that Shakespeare has written. There are a few storylines that intermingle and sometimes get tangled, fortunately to get solved in the end. The characters are chasing each other around in varying circumstances, and there's confusion, misunderstandings, mischief and mayhem all around. Oh, and there's fairies, too. The geographical setting of the play is Athens, Greece; the historical setting is foggy, at best.

Please make sure you have watched the videos on the previous page, outlining the general plot of the play.

Act 3 Scene 1

Introduction: In this part, a group of 'mechanics', or simple labourers, is preparing to rehearse a play they want to perform at the Duke's wedding feast. The group is supposedly led by Quince the carpenter, but in fact dominated by the outrageously annoying Bottom the weaver. The play is 'Pyramus and Thisbe', which is an ancient Roman story about two doomed lovers.

BOTTOM

Are we all met?

BOTTOM

Are we all here?

QUINCE

Pat, pat. And here’s a marvelous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house, and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke.

QUINCE

Pat, pat. Here's a nice place for our rehearsal. This green patch will be our stage, this bush our curtains, and we will perform it as we will do it before the duke.

BOTTOM

Peter Quince—

BOTTOM

Peter Quince—

QUINCE

What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

QUINCE

What do you want, Bottom?

BOTTOM

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

BOTTOM

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that just don't work. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which will frighten the ladies. What do you think of that?

SNOUT

By 'r lakin, a parlous fear.

SNOUT

Gee golly, that's really scary..

STARVELING

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

STARVELING

Let's just leave the killing out.

BOTTOM

Not a whit. I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed. And for the more better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of fear.

BOTTOM

No need. I have a plan to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let the prologue say we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed. And to make it even more assuring, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver. This will ease their minds.

QUINCE

Well. We will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six.

QUINCE

Well. I will write such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six line.

BOTTOM

No, make it two more. Let it be written in eight and eight.

 

[Bottom also proposes to write a second prologue to comfort the ladies by telling him the person playing the Lion is not actually a real lion, but just an actor]

 

QUINCE

Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber. For, you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

QUINCE

Okay, let's do it that way. But there are two more things that bug me: the first, how to bring the moonlight into a chamber. For, you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

SNOUT

Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

SNOUT

Does the moon shine on the night we play our play?

BOTTOM

A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine, find out moonshine!

BOTTOM

A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine, find out moonshine!

QUINCE

(takes out a book) Yes, it doth shine that night.

QUINCE

(takes out a book) Yes, it shines that night.

BOTTOM

Why then, may you leave a casement of the great chamber window where we play open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.

BOTTOM

Well, then you may leave a small window of the room where we play open, and the moon can shine in through the window.

QUINCE

Ay. Or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of Moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber. For Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

QUINCE

That's possible. Or someone must come in carrying a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to represent the person of Moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber. For Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, talked through the chink of a wall.

SNOUT

You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?

SNOUT

You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?

BOTTOM

Some man or other must present Wall. And let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some roughcast about him to signify wall. And let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.

BOTTOM

One of us must represent the Wall. And let him carry some plaster, or some sticky mud, or some other building material to symbolise the wall. And let him hold his fingers like this, and through this little space Pyramus and Thisbe shall whisper.

 

Act 3 Scene 2

In this scene, both Lysander and Demetrius have been bewitched to fall in love with Helena. Hermia cannot believe what is happening and finally turns on Helena, furious that she has stolen her love.

HERMIA

O me!

(to HELENA) You juggler! You canker-blossom!

You thief of love! What, have you come by night

And stol'n my love’s heart from him?

HERMIA

O poor me!

(to HELENA) You juggler! You tumor-flower!

You thief of love! What, have you come by night

And stolen my love’s heart from him?

HELENA

Fine, i' faith!

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,

No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear

Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?

Fie, fie! You counterfeit, you puppet, you!

HELENA

I beg your pardon!

Don't you have any modesty, no young girl's shame,

No touch of humility? What, are you going to try

to rip out my tongue to get your answers?

For shame! You wannabe, you little doll, you!

HERMIA

“Puppet”? Why so?—Ay, that way goes the game.

Now I perceive that she hath made compare

Between our statures. She hath urged her height,

And with her personage, her tall personage,

Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him.—

And are you grown so high in his 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.

HERMIA

“Little doll”? What do you mean?— Oh, that's how you want to play it.

Now I see that she is making comparisons

Between our builds. She has drawn attention to how tall she is,

And with her person, her tall person,

Her height, you know, she has won him over.—

And does he think so highly of you

Because I am so dwarfish and so low?

How low am I, you painted maypole? Speak.

How low am I? I am not that low

That I can't scratch your eyes out.

HELENA

(to LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS)

I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,

Let her not hurt me. I was never cursed.

I have no gift at all in shrewishness.

I am a right maid for my cowardice.

Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,

Because she is something lower than myself,

That I can match her.

HELENA

(to LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS)

Please, though you make fun of me, gentlemen,

Let her not hurt me. I have never been cursed at before.

I am no good at saying mean things.

I am a little cowardly, like a young girl.

Don't let her hit me. Maybe you think,

Because she is a little shorter than me,

That I can take her easily.

HERMIA

“Lower”? Hark, again!

HERMIA

“Shorter”? There, she says it again!

HELENA

Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.

I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your counsels, never wronged you—

Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

I told him of your stealth unto this wood.

He followed you. For love I followed him.

But he hath chid me hence and threatened 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.

HELENA

Sweet Hermia, don't be so bitter with me.

I have always been your friend, Hermia,

I always kept your secrets, never did you wrong—

Except that, because I love Demetrius,

I told him of you sneaking away into this forest.

He followed you. For love I followed him.

But he turned me away and threatened me

To hit me, despise me— even to kill me too.

And now, if you will let me go quietly,

I will go back to Athens like a fool

And follow you no further. Let me go.

You see how simple and how nice I am.

HERMIA

Why, get you gone! Who is ’t that hinders you?

HERMIA

Well go away then! What is stopping you?

HELENA

A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.

HELENA

A foolish heart, that I leave behind here.

HERMIA

What, with Lysander?

HERMIA

Are you in love with Lysander?

HELENA

With Demetrius.

HELENA

With Demetrius.

LYSANDER

Be not afraid. She shall not harm thee, Helena.

LYSANDER

Don't be afraid. She won't harm you, Helena.

DEMETRIUS

(to LYSANDER)

No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.

DEMETRIUS

(to LYSANDER)

No, sir, she won't, but it won't be because you're cheering her on.

HELENA

Oh, when she’s angry, she is keen and shrewd!

She was a vixen when she went to school.

And though she be but little, she is fierce.

HELENA

Oh, when she’s angry, she gets mean and spiteful!

She was a bad girl when she went to school.

And although she is only little, she is fierce.

HERMIA

“Little” again? Nothing but “low” and “little”!—

Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?

Let me come to her.

HERMIA

“Little” again? Nothing but “low” and “little”!—

Why will you let her call me such names?

Let me at her!

LYSANDER

(to HERMIA) Get you gone, you dwarf,

You minimus of hindering knotgrass made,

You bead, you acorn!

LYSANDER

(to HERMIA) Go away, you dwarf,

You little pinky made of weeds,

You bead, you acorn!

DEMETRIUS

You are too officious

In her behalf that scorns your services.

Let her alone. Speak not of Helena.

Take not her part. For if thou dost intend

Never so little show of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

DEMETRIUS

You are trying too hard

For someone who isn't interested in you

Leave her alone. Don't talk about Helena.

Don't take her part. Because you used to be in love with Hermia 

So you can't say you love Helena now,

Or you will be sorry for it.

LYSANDER

Now she holds me not.

Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right,

Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.

LYSANDER

Hermia doesn't interest me anymore.

So follow me and let's fight it out, if you dare, to see which of us,

most deserves to be with Helena.

DEMETRIUS

“Follow”? Nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jowl.

DEMETRIUS

“Follow”? No, I'll be right there at your side.

Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS

Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS

HERMIA

You, mistress, all this coil is long of you.

Nay, go not back.

HERMIA

You, girl, you caused all this trouble.

Don't you run away.

HELENA

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.

HELENA

I will not trust you, I,

Nor will I stay any longer stay with you.

You're more eager for a fight than I am,

But my legs are longer, so I can run away.

Exit HELENA

Exit HELENA

HERMIA

I am amazed and know not what to say.

HERMIA

I can't even.

Act 5 Scene 1

The fairy Puck, also known as Robin, is left alone on stage to finish the play. He breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly.

ROBIN

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 unearnèd luck

Now to ’scape the serpent’s 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.

ROBIN

If we actors/shadows have offended you,

Just think this, and all will be well ---

That you have simply been asleep

While you were here looking at this story.

And this simple and insignificant little story,

Was nothing but a dream.

Gentle people, don't be angry,

If you will forgive us, we will do better next time.

And, because I'm an honest Puck,

If we are undeservedly lucky

That you won't hiss at us for this play,

We will perform a better play for you soon.

If our next play isn't better, you can call the Puck a liar.

So goodnight, everyone.

Clap your hands if you liked us,

And Robin will make it better for you soon.