List of characters
The court
HIPPOLYTA queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus
THESEUS duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta
EGEUS father of Hermia
PHILOSTRATE master of the revels to the Athenian court
The lovers
HERMIA in love with Lysander
HELENA in love with Demetrius
LYSANDER in love with Hermia
DEMETRIUS Egeus’ choice as a husband for Hermia
The Mechanicals
(workers who put on a play)
NICK BOTTOM a weaver who plays Pyramus
PETER QUINCE a carpenter who speaks the Prologue
FRANCIS FLUTE a bellows-mender who plays Thisbe
TOM SNOUT a tinker who plays Wall
ROBIN STARVELING a tailor who plays Moonshine
SNUG a joiner who plays Lion
The fairies
PUCK (or Robin Goodfellow) Oberon’s attendant
OBERON king of the fairies
TITANIA queen of the fairies
PEASEBLOSSOM
COBWEB
MOTH □Titania’s fairy attendants
MUSTARDSEED
A FAIRY in Titania’s service
Hippolyta and Theseus have been at war and are now to marry to cement the new-found peace. Theseus regrets that time is moving slowly before he can marry Hippolyta. She says the four days will quickly pass. Theseus orders preparations for their wedding.
1 Theseus and Hippolyta – relationship? (in pairs)
Shakespeare chooses to use characters from a myth well known in his day. In the myth, Theseus, the duke of Athens, fought a battle with the Amazons (a group of warrior women) and then married Hippolyta, their queen. Taking parts, read lines 1–19 aloud, perhaps more than once. Then talk about what sort of relationship this seems to be.
2 Key words and images (in pairs)
Write down key words and images in lines 1–19 and look for patterns (like all those to do with the moon, or ‘slow’ versus ‘quickly’). These patterns and the relationship between Theseus and Hippolyta give an idea of what the play will be about. Try to guess what might happen, and then share your ideas with another pair.
3 Fit actions to words (in groups of four)
Taking parts (with one person as Philostrate and one as director/ audience), walk through this opening, trying to develop gestures and movements that fit the speeches. Try making one partner dominant and the other quiet (or even resentful). Have them in love and affectionate. Think carefully about positioning and body language. Discuss which you like best, and why.
4 Moon, night and dreams
Think about the title of the play and the first speeches. Make notes on the kind of dream this play could be (a dream for the characters, or for the audience, or . . .)?
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Act 1 Scene 1
Athens Theseus’ Palace
| Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, with others. | |
| THESEUS Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon – but O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, |
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| Like to a step-dame or a dowager | 5 |
| Long withering out a young man’s revenue. HIPPOLYTA Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow |
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| New bent in heaven, shall behold the night | 10 |
| Of our solemnities. THESEUS Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments, Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; |
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| The pale companion is not for our pomp. | 15 |
| [Exit Philostrate] Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. |
Egeus enters with his daughter Hermia and the two men who wish to marry her, Lysander (whom she loves) and Demetrius (whom she dislikes). Egeus claims Lysander has ‘bewitched’ Hermia. He appeals to Theseus to support his right to decide whom his daughter marries.
1 What kind of father? (in groups of four)
Is Egeus being totally unreasonable, or is he a responsible Athenian father? Let one member of your group be Egeus and the others a ‘court’. Ask Egeus questions and let him explain and defend what he says in lines 22–45.
Hippolyta does not speak during Egeus’s ‘complaint’ or Theseus’s response, yet her expression here speaks volumes. What is she thinking? Prepare her thoughts in note form. Then practise these ideas as a monologue. You may like to voice them in character to the class or straight to camera.
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| Enter EGEUS and his daughter HERMIA, LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS. | |
| EGEUS Happy be Theseus, our renownèd Duke! | 20 |
| 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, |
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| This man hath my consent to marry her. | 25 |
| Stand forth, Lysander! – And, my gracious Duke, This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child. Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child. |
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| Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung | 30 |
| With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy, With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats – messengers |
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| Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth; | 35 |
| With cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart, Turned her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious Duke, Be it so she will not here, before your grace, |
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| Consent to marry with Demetrius, | 40 |
| 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 |
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| Immediately provided in that case. | 45 |
Hermia pleads to be allowed to choose Lysander for a husband. Theseus warns her to abide by Egeus’s decision, otherwise she risks being sent to a convent or to her death.
1 Parents versus children (in groups of four)
Discuss Theseus’s views, and consider what children owe their parents. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriages.
Hermia (kneeling) pleads while Hippolyta looks on.
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2 Sisterhood
On this page Hermia stands up for herself as a lone female figure on the stage, surrounded by squabbling men. However, Hippolyta says nothing. Why? What is she thinking? Shakespeare has decided to leave her silent. Decide whether, as director, you would have some recognition pass between Hermia and Hippolyta, and, if so, suggest how it would be done.
| 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 |
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| By him imprinted, and within his power | 50 |
| 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, |
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| The other must be held the worthier. | 55 |
| HERMIA I would my father looked but with my eyes. THESEUS Rather your eyes must with his judgement look. HERMIA I do entreat your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold, |
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| Nor how it may concern my modesty | 60 |
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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. |
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| THESEUS Either to die the death, or to abjure | 65 |
| 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, |
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| You can endure the livery of a nun, | 70 |
| For aye to be in shady cloister mewed, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice blessèd they that master so their blood |
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| To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; | 75 |
| But earthlier happy is the rose distilled 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, |
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| Ere I will yield my virgin patent up | 80 |
| Unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty. |
Theseus orders Hermia to make her decision before his wedding to Hippolyta. Lysander argues his case and points out that Demetrius loved Helena before Hermia, and that Helena still loves him.
1 Hermia’s dilemma – what would you do?
Would you rather die or be imprisoned than marry someone you disliked? (Assume there is no possibility of divorce.) Give reasons for your reply.
2 ‘ . . . looked but with my eyes’ (in pairs or threes)
In line 45, Hermia means she wishes that Egeus could ‘see’ Lysander as she sees him. The people watching ‘see’ the debates in lines 46–110 very differently. Discuss what each character sees and why.
3 Male dominance (in groups of four)
Already there has been a ‘forced’ engagement. Go through lines 36–110, finding any images that imply male dominance – for example, ‘your father should be as a god’. Read the images about males, then those about females, and say which you find acceptable and which you find offensive – and why.
4 ‘Love’ and ‘dote’ (in groups of four)
From line 46, there is a good deal of talk about feelings. Try to identify these different feelings and explain what they are. Talk together about which characters are sensitive to others’ feelings, and which are not. Begin to compile a list of all the words and phrases so far which describe or explore emotion. When you reach the end of Act 1, group them in a way which you think makes sense. Make a display, perhaps with pictures.
| THESEUS Take time to pause, and by the next new moon, The sealing-day betwixt my love and me |
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| For everlasting bond of fellowship, | 85 |
| 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 |
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| For aye austerity and single life. | 90 |
| DEMETRIUS Relent, sweet Hermia; and, Lysander, yield Thy crazèd title to my certain right. LYSANDER You have her father’s love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia’s – do you marry him. |
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| EGEUS Scornful Lysander, true, he hath my love, | 95 |
| 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, |
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| As well-possessed: my love is more than his, | 100 |
| My fortunes every way as fairly ranked, If not with vantage, as Demetrius’; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia. |
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| Why should not I then prosecute my right? | 105 |
| 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, |
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| Upon this spotted and inconstant man. | 110 |
With a final warning to Hermia, Theseus takes Demetrius and Egeus away to talk to them. Left alone, Lysander and Hermia lament the problems of lovers.
1 Hippolyta speaks her mind (in pairs)
Hippolyta and Theseus leave together. They will shortly be married. Improvise the conversation they may have about what has just happened, what each thinks of the situation and the characters involved. Bear in mind how Hippolyta might relate to Hermia’s plight and Theseus’s judgement. Use clues from the script as much as you can. Remember that she was ‘wooed’ with a sword. When Theseus says ‘what cheer, my love?’ what does it imply?
2 Love, ‘short as any dream’ – is it? (in pairs)
In lines 141–9, Lysander paints love as a temporary thing: ‘momentany’ (momentary), ‘Swift’, ‘short’, ‘Brief ’, surrounded by a hostile world. Talk about what he compares love to, and whether you think the comparisons are suitable.
3 ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’
Line 134 has become a commonplace saying. How true is it? Think about what it might imply about the rest of the play. Make a list of films and TV serials which use this saying as a theme.
4 The dance of the lovers – who loves whom? (I)
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