A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Illustrated) E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: Animedia Classics
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 89

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

«A Midsummer Night’s Dream» is a comedy play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (mechanicals), who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.

The ebook edition of «A Midsummer Night’s Dream» from Animedia Company contains more than 50 black-and-white and color illustrations by Arthur Rackham.

Leseprobe

William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Illustrations by Arthur Rackham

The text of this book and the illustrations are in public domain. © E-book edition. Animedia Company, 2015 Cover illustration by Artuš Scheiner

Shakespeare, William: A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1 vyd. Praha, Animedia Company, 2015ISBN 978-80-7499-130-1 (online : epub)

William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Dramatis Personæ

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.

EGEUS, Father to Hermia.

LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia.

PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus.

QUINCE, a Carpenter.

SNUG, a Joiner.

BOTTOM, a Weaver.

FLUTE, a Bellows-mender.

SNOUT, a Tinker.

STARVELING, a Tailor.

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.

HERMIA, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander.

HELENA, in love with Demetrius.

OBERON, King of the Fairies.

TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies.

PUCK, or Robin Goodfellow.

PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, Fairies.

Other Fairies attending their King and Queen.

Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

SCENE.—Athens, and a Wood near it.

Athens. The palace of Theseus.

(Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants)

THESEUS. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

Draws on apace; four happy days bring in

Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow

5

This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,

Like to a step-dame or a dowager

Long withering out a young man revenue.

HIPPOLYTA. Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;

Four nights will quickly dream away the time;

10

And then the moon, like to a silver bow

New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night

Of our solemnities.

THESEUS. Go, Philostrate,

Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;

15

Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;

Turn melancholy forth to funerals;

The pale companion is not for our pomp.

(Exit PHILOSTRATE)

Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword,

20

And won thy love, doing thee injuries;

But I will wed thee in another key,

With pomp, with triumph and with revelling.

(Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS)

EGEUS. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke!

25

THESEUS. Thanks, good Egeus: what's the news with thee?

EGEUS. Full of vexation come I, with complaint

Against my child, my daughter Hermia.

Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord,

This man hath my consent to marry her.

30

Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke,

This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child;

Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,

And interchanged love-tokens with my child:

Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,

35

With feigning voice verses of feigning love,

And stolen the impression of her fantasy

With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,

Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers

Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth:

40

With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart,

Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,

To stubborn harshness: and, my gracious duke,

Be it so she; will not here before your grace

Consent to marry with Demetrius,

45

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,

As she is mine, I may dispose of her:

Which shall be either to this gentleman

Or to her death, according to our law

Immediately provided in that case.

50

THESEUS. What say you, Hermia? be advised fair maid:

To you your father should be as a god;

One that composed your beauties, yea, and one

To whom you are but as a form in wax

By him imprinted and within his power

55

To leave the figure or disfigure it.

Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

HERMIA. So is Lysander.

THESEUS. In himself he is;

But in this kind, wanting your father's voice,

60

The other must be held the worthier.

HERMIA. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.

THESEUS. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.

HERMIA. I do entreat your grace to pardon me.

I know not by what power I am made bold,

65

Nor how it may concern my modesty,

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 Demetrius.

70

THESEUS. Either to die the death or to abjure

For ever the society of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires;

Know of your youth, examine well your blood,

Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,

75

You can endure the livery of a nun,

For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd,

To live a barren sister all your life,

Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood,

80

To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;

But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,

Than that which withering on the virgin thorn

Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness.

HERMIA. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,

85

Ere I will my virgin patent up

Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke

My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

THESEUS. Take time to pause; and, by the nest new moon—

The sealing-day betwixt my love and me,

90

For everlasting bond of fellowship—

Upon that day either prepare to die

For disobedience to your father's will,

Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would;

Or on Diana's altar to protest

95

For aye austerity and single life.

Demetrius. Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield

Thy crazed title to my certain right.

LYSANDER. You have her father's love, Demetrius;

Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.

100

EGEUS. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love,

And what is mine my love shall render him.

And she is mine, and all my right of her

I do estate unto Demetrius.

LYSANDER. I am, my lord, as well derived as he,

105

As well possess'd; my love is more than his;

My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd,

If not with vantage, as Demetrius';

And, which is more than all these boasts can be,

I am beloved of beauteous Hermia:

110

Why should not I then prosecute my right?

Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,

Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,

And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,

Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

115

Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

THESEUS. I must confess that I have heard so much,

And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;

But, being over-full of self-affairs,

My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come;

120

And come, Egeus; you shall go with me,

I have some private schooling for you both.

For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself

To fit your fancies to your father's will;

Or else the law of Athens yields you up—

125

Which by no means we may extenuate—

To death, or to a vow of single life.

Come, my Hippolyta: what cheer, my love?

Demetrius and Egeus, go along:

I must employ you in some business

130

Against our nuptial and confer with you

Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

EGEUS. With duty and desire we follow you.

(Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA)

LYSANDER. How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale?

135

How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

HERMIA. Belike for want of rain, which I could well

Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

LYSANDER. Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,

Could ever hear by tale or history,

140

The course of true love never did run smooth;

But, either it was different in blood,—

HERMIA. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low.

LYSANDER. Or else misgraffed in respect of years,—

HERMIA. O spite! too old to be engaged to young.

145

LYSANDER. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,—

HERMIA. O hell! to choose love by another's eyes.

LYSANDER. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,

War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,

Making it momentany as a sound,

150

Swift as a shadow, short as any dream;

Brief as the lightning in the collied night,

That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth,

And ere a man hath power to say 'Behold!'

The jaws of darkness do devour it up:

155

So quick bright things come to confusion.

HERMIA. If then true lovers have been ever cross'd,

It stands as an edict in destiny:

Then let us teach our trial patience,

Because it is a customary cross,

160

As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs,

Wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers.

LYSANDER. A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia.

I have a widow aunt, a dowager

Of great revenue, and she hath no child:

165

From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;

And she respects me as her only son.

There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;

And to that place the sharp Athenian law

Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then,

170

Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night;

And in the wood, a league without the town,

Where I did meet thee once with Helena,

To do observance to a morn of May,

There will I stay for thee.

175

HERMIA. My good Lysander!

I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow,

By his best arrow with the golden head,

By the simplicity of Venus' doves,

By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,

180

And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen,

When the false Troyan under sail was seen,

By all the vows that ever men have broke,

In number more than ever women spoke,

In that same place thou hast appointed me,

185

To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

LYSANDER. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

(Enter HELENA)

HERMIA. God speed fair Helena! whither away?

HELENA. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay.

190

Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!

Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air

More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear,

When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

Sickness is catching: O, were favour so,

195

Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;

My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,

My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.

Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,

The rest I'd give to be to you translated.

200

O, teach me how you look, and with what art

You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

HERMIA. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

HELENA. O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!

HERMIA. I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

205

HELENA. O that my prayers could such affection move!

HERMIA. The more I hate, the more he follows me.

HELENA. The more I love, the more he hateth me.

HERMIA. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.

HELENA. None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine!

210

HERMIA. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face;

Lysander and myself will fly this place.

Before the time I did Lysander see,

Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me: