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Quotations from A Midsummer’s Night Dream
Lysander: The course of true love never did
run smooth
Helena: Love can transpose to form and
dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the
mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste:
And therefore is love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguil'd
Puck: 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. Else
the Puck a liar call. And so good night unto
you all. Give me your hands, if we be
friends, and Robin shall restore amends.
Puck: If we shadows have offended, / Think
but this, and all is mended, / That you have
but slumber'd 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. /
Else the Puck a liar call. / Give me your
hands, if we be friends, / And Robin shall
restore amends.
Titania: Come, my lord, and in our flight /
Tell me how it came this night / That I
sleeping here was found / With these mortals
on the ground.
Theseus: The iron tongue of midnight hath
told twelve: Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost
fairy time.
Oberon: Now, until the break of day /
Through this house each fairy stray. / To
the best bride-bed will we, / Which by us
shall blessed be; / So shall all the couples
three / Ever true in loving be; / And the
owner of it blest / Ever shall in safety
rest. / Trip awa; make no stay; / Meet me
all by break of day.
Helena: I am your spaniel. And Demetrius,
the more you beat me, I will fawn on you.
Use me - but as your spaniel. Spurn me,
strike me, neglect me, lose me, but give me
leave, unworthy as I am, to follow you.
Tom Snout: [Puck has turned Bottom into a
donkey] Bottom, thou art changed. What do I
see on thee?
Bottom the Weaver: What do you see? What; do
you see an ass' head of your own, do you?
Peter Quince: [backing away] Bless me. Thou
art translated.
Bottom the Weaver: Why do they run away? I
see their knavery. This is to make an ass of
me.
Theseus: [Reviewing possible plays to be
presented] "Battle with the Centaurs," to be
sung by an Athenian eunuch to the harp.
We'll none of that.
Hermia: O hell! to choose love with
another's eye.
Flute: Nay, faith, let me not play a woman;
I have a beard coming.
Bottom: A lion among ladies is a most
dreadful thing.
Titania: My Oberon! what visions have I
seen!
Methought I was enamoured of an ass.
Theseus: The iron tongue of midnight hath
told twelve; Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost
fairy time.
PucK If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd 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 unearnéd 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.
Hippolyta: I love not to see wretchedness
o'ercharged,
And duty in his service perishing.
Lysander: Ay me! for aught that I could
ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run
smooth.
Helena:
haste.
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy
Helena: Love looks not with the eyes, but
with the mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.
Helena: And therefore is Love said to be a
child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
Theseus: But earthlier happy is the rose
distill'd,
Than that which withering on the virgin
thorn
Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness.
Hermia: O hell! to choose love with
another's eye.
Flute: Nay, faith, let me not play a woman;
I have a beard coming.
Bottom: A lion among ladies is a most
dreadful thing.
Helena:
We, Hermia, like two artificial
gods,
Have with our needles created both one
flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices and
minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition;
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one and crowned with one crest,
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor
friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.
Puck:
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
Puck: Night's swift dragons cut the clouds
full fast,
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;
At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here
and there,
Troop home to churchyards.