Act 4, Scene 1

240 of 240 rows

ACT IV

SCENE I. The same. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA

PUCK:

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lying asleep.
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Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, and other Fairies attending, OBERON behind unseen

TITANIA:

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Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
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While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

amiable: charming,/ coy: caress (from falconry)

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And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
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And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

BOTTOM:

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Where's Peaseblossom?

PEASEBLOSSOM:

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Ready.

BOTTOM:

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Scratch my head Peaseblossom. Where's Mounsieur Cobweb?

COBWEB:

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Ready.

BOTTOM:

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Mounsieur Cobweb, good mounsieur, get you your
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weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipped
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humble-bee on the top of a thistle, and, good
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mounsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret
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yourself too much in the action, mounsieur, and,
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good mounsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not,
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I would be loath to have you overflown with a

overflown with: submerged in or flowed over, and perhaps suffocated

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honey-bag, signior. Where's Mounsieur Mustardseed?

MUSTARDSEED:

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Ready.

BOTTOM:

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Give me your neaf, Mounsieur Mustardseed. Pray you,

neaf: fist

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leave your courtesy, good mounsieur.

leave your courtesy: perhaps means to stop bowing or Do not stand bareheaded (out of respectful good manners)

MUSTARDSEED:

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What's your Will?

BOTTOM:

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Nothing, good mounsieur, but to help Cavalery Cobweb

Cavalery: Cavalier which is defined by Johnson as a “gay sprightly military man”/ Cobweb has been sent off already, and so this referenc is considered an error by many editors. Some suggest “Peaseblossom” should be subsituted for “Cobweb” but it is impossible to know how exactly to correct the “error”

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to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur, for
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methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face, and I
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am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me,
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I must scratch.

TITANIA:

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What, wilt thou hear some music,
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my sweet love?

BOTTOM:

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I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have
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the tongs and the bones.

The tongs and bones: instruments used in burlesque or rustic music (Tongs were played by hitting pieces of metal, like a modern triangle. Bones were pieces of bones clicked together.

TITANIA:

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Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat.

BOTTOM:

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Truly, a peck of provender: I could munch your good

provender: hay, feed for cattle

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dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle

bottle: bundle or truss; the amount of feed one would give a horse

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of hay: good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.

fellow: no equal or nothing like it

TITANIA:

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I have a venturous fairy that shall seek
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The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.

BOTTOM:

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I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas.
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But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me: I
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have an exposition of sleep come upon me.

exposition of: Bottom’s error for “disposition to”

TITANIA:

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Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
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Fairies, begone, and be all ways away.

all ways: i.e., to be off in every direction

Exeunt fairies

TITANIA:

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So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
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Gently entwist, the female ivy so
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Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
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O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!

They sleep

Enter PUCK

OBERON:

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[Advancing] Welcome, good Robin.
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See'st thou this sweet sight?
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Her dotage now I do begin to pity:

dotage: infatuation

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For, meeting her of late behind the wood,
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Seeking sweet favours from this hateful fool,
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I did upbraid her and fall out with her,
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For she his hairy temples then had rounded
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With a coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers,
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And that same dew, which sometime on the buds

sometime: formerly

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Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,

orient: bright, lustrous or from the East and of the purest water

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Stood now within the pretty flowerets' eyes

flowerets: i.e., little flowers

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Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
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When I had at my pleasure taunted her
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And she in mild terms begg'd my patience,
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I then did ask of her her changeling child,
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Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent

straight: straightway, immediately

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To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
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And now I have the boy, I will undo
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This hateful imperfection of her eyes:
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And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
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From off the head of this Athenian swain,
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That, he awaking when the other do,

other: others

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May all to Athens back again repair

May: i.e., they may / repair: go, travel or more specifically, to return

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And think no more of this night's accidents

incidents, events

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But as the fierce vexation of a dream.

vexation: agitation

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But first I will release the fairy queen.
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Be as thou wast wont to be,

was wont to: i.e., used to

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See as thou wast wont to see:
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Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Dian’s bud…power: Oberon earlier explains (at 2.1.191 and 3.2.387-92) that he has in his possession a second flower that can undo the effect of the flower he calls “love-in-idleness” Here, as he applies the juice to Titania’s eyes, he links the curative flower to Diana (Dian’s bud), the goddess of chastity, and love-in-idleness to Cupid, god of love.

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Hath such force and blessed power.
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Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen.

TITANIA:

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My Oberon! what visions have I seen!
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Methought I was enamour'd of an ass.

OBERON:

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There lies your love.

TITANIA:

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How came these things to pass?
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O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!

visage: appearance, face

OBERON:

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Silence awhile. Robin, take off this head.
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Titania, music call, and strike more dead
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Than common sleep of all these five the sense.

these five: i.e., Bottom and the four lovers

TITANIA:

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Music, ho! music, such as charmeth sleep!

Music, still

PUCK:

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Now, when thou wakest, with thine
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own fool's eyes peep.

OBERON:

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Sound, music! Come, my queen, take hands with me,
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And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
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Now thou and I are new in amity,
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And will to-morrow midnight solemnly

solemnly: ceremoniously or in a spirit of festive ritual

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Dance in Duke Theseus' house triumphantly,

triumphantly: festively or as in a festive triumph

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And bless it to all fair prosperity:

prosperity: Oberon and Titania can now fulfil the purpose which brought him to Athens: to endow Theseus and Hippolyta’s marriage with joy and prosperity

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There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
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Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

PUCK:

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Fairy king, attend, and mark:

i.e. pay attention, notice

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I do hear the morning lark.

OBERON:

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Then, my queen, in silence sad,

sad: serious or sober silence

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Trip we after the night's shade:
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We the globe can compass soon,
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Swifter than the wandering moon.

TITANIA:

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Come, my lord, and in our flight
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Tell me how it came this night
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That I sleeping here was found
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With these mortals on the ground.

Exeunt

Horns winded within

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train

THESEUS:

106
Go, one of you, find out the forester,

forester: the official in charge of the forest land and responsible for the wild animals of the forest

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For now our observation is perform'd,

our observation: i.e., our observance of May Day rites

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And since we have the vaward of the day,

since…day: i.e., since it is still early/ vaward: vanguard or command the foremost place

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My love shall hear the music of my hounds.

music of the hounds: The cry of a pack of hounds in pursuit of hunted animals was compared to orchestral or vocal music, and its sound was much prized. At line 127, Theseus suggest that his hounds’ music is more important to him than their speed.

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Uncouple in the western valley, let them go:

uncouple: i.e., unleash the hounds

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Dispatch, I say, and find the forester.

Exit an Attendant

THESEUS:

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We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
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And mark the musical confusion

mark…conjunction: i.e., listen to the sound created by the coming together of the cry of the hounds and its echo from the mountain

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Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

HIPPOLYTA:

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I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,

Hercules: a hero in Greek and Roman mythology: Cadmus: legendary founder of the city of Thebes; Shakespeare uses him even though historically he lived before Theseus and Hercules

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When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear

bay’d: brought to bay or drove to bay with barking hounds/ Crete: where Theseus slew the Minotaur and, thanks to Ariadne’s thread, escaped from the labyrinth (see Sources essay for more info)

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With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear

hounds of Sparta: Spartan hounds, celebrated for their hunting abilities

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Such gallant chiding: for, besides the groves,

chiding: i.e., barking or the angry noise of hounds. This is the OED’s earliest use of this word.

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The skies, the fountains, every region near
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Seem'd all one mutual cry: I never heard

mutual: common is the most frequent definition of the word in Shakespeare

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So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.

THESEUS:

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My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,

kind: strain or lineage

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So flew'd, so sanded, and their heads are hung

So: i.e., like those of Sparta / flew’d: with large folds of flesh about the mouth/ sanded: i.e., sandy-colored OED first use of this word

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With ears that sweep away the morning dew,
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Crook-knee'd, and dew-lapp'd like Thessalian bulls,

dew-lapped: i.e., with folds of skin under their necks

126
Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells,

matched…each: i.e., their cry was like a set of bells, each voice chiming in tune with the others

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Each under each. A cry more tuneable

Each under each: i.e., like notes on a scale / cry: used to denote the pack of dogs when barking / tuneable: i.e., tuneful; harmonious; to a huntsman’s ear, melodious

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Was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn,

cheer’d: encouraged, animated

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In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly:

Hippolyta’s pack includes dogs from Crete and Sparta.

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Judge when you hear. But, soft! what nymphs are these?

soft: i.e. stop a minute

EGEUS:

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My lord, this is my daughter here asleep,
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And this, Lysander, this Demetrius is,
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This Helena, old Nedar's Helena:
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I wonder of their being here together.

of: at

THESEUS:

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No doubt they rose up early to observe

observe…The Rite of May: i.e., celebrate May Day

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The rite of May, and hearing our intent,
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Came here in grace our solemnity.

grace: to honor / solemnity: observance (i.e., of May Day rites)

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But speak, Egeus, is not this the day
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That Hermia should give answer of her choice?

EGEUS:

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It is, my lord.

THESEUS:

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Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.

Horns and shout within. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA wake and start up

THESEUS:

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Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past:

Saint Valentine: i.e., Valentine’s Day (when birds proverbially chose their mates)

143
Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?

LYSANDER:

144
Pardon, my lord.

In some texts, there is a stage direction that precedes this line, “The lovers kneel”. Kneeling and rising were common in Elizabethan social rituals. Here it may suggest the lovers’ desire for mercy and to be given a chance to be heard.

THESEUS:

145
I pray you all, stand up.
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I know you two are rival enemies:
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How comes this gentle concord in the world,
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That hatred is so far from jealousy,

jealousy: suspicion, mistrust

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To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?

LYSANDER:

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My lord, I shall reply amazedly,

amazedly: i.e., in a state of bewilderment (as if lost in a maze)

151
Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear,
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I cannot truly say how I came here,
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But, as I think,--for truly would I speak,

truly…speak: i.e., I wish to speak the truth

154
And now do I bethink me, so it is,--
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I came with Hermia hither: our intent
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Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,
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Without the peril of the Athenian law.

Without: outside of; beyond

EGEUS:

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Enough, enough, my lord, you have enough:
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I beg the law, the law, upon his head.
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They would have stolen away, they would, Demetrius,
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Thereby to have defeated you and me,

defeated: defrauded

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You of your wife and me of my consent,
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Of my consent that she should be your wife.

DEMETRIUS:

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My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth,
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Of this their purpose hither to this wood,

hither: i.e., to come here

166
And I in fury hither follow'd them,

hither: here

167
Fair Helena in fancy following me.

in fancy: i.e., drawn by her love

168
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power,--

wot: know

169
But by some power it is,--my love to Hermia,
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Melted as the snow, seems to me now
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As the remembrance of an idle gaud

idle gaud: worthless trinket

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Which in my childhood I did dote upon,
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And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,

faith…heart: his heart’s orientation to fidelity and virtue/ virtue: power or special quality

174
The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
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Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
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Was I betroth'd ere I saw Hermia:
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But, like in sickness, did I loathe this food,

like a sickness: i.e., like one who is sick

178
But, as in health, come to my natural taste,
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Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
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And will for evermore be true to it.

THESEUS:

181
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met:
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Of this discourse we more will hear anon.
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Egeus, I will overbear your will,

overbear: i.e., overrule

184
For in the temple by and by with us
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These couples shall eternally be knit:
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And, for the morning now is something worn,

for: i.e., because / something: somewhat

187
Our purposed hunting shall be set aside.
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Away with us to Athens, three and three,
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We'll hold a feast in great solemnity.

in great solemnity: i.e., with great ceremony

190
Come, Hippolyta.

Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train

DEMETRIUS:

191
These things seem small and undistinguishable,

HERMIA:

192
Methinks I see these things with parted eye,

parted: divided

193
When every thing seems double.

HELENA:

194
So methinks:
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And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,

like a jewel…own: i.e., as if I had found a jewel whom someone else might claim

196
Mine own, and not mine own.

DEMETRIUS:

197
Are you sure
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That we are awake? It seems to me
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That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think
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The duke was here, and bid us follow him?

HERMIA:

201
Yea, and my father.

HELENA:

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And Hippolyta.

LYSANDER:

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And he did bid us follow to the temple.

DEMETRIUS:

204
Why, then, we are awake: let's follow him
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And by the way let us recount our dreams.

Exeunt

BOTTOM:

206
[Awaking] When my cue comes, call me, and I will
207
answer: my next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.' Heigh-ho!

next: i.e., my next line / Heigh ho!: This may signal either a call or a big yawn.

208
Peter Quince! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout,

Some editors keep the question mark in Q1 so that Bottom is asking if Quince is present.

209
the tinker! Starveling! God's my life, stolen

God’s: i.e., perhaps, may God save or Good Lord! OED first use of this phrase

210
hence, and left me asleep! I have had a most rare
211
vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to

wit of man: power of the human mind

212
say what dream it was: man is but an ass, if he go

go about: i.e., try or should start trying

213
about to expound this dream. Methought I was--there
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is no man can tell what. Methought I was,--and
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methought I had,--but man is but a patched fool, if

patched: i.e., dressed in motley, such as a professional fool would wear; the fool usually wore a child’s full length coat that had various colors arranged in simple patterns, stripes, or checks.

216
he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye

The eye…dream was: This seems to be Bottom’s confused memory of I Corinthian 2.9, where St. Paul writes: “The eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (as translated in the Bishops’ Bible [1585]).

217
of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not
218
seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue
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to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream
220
was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of

ballad: a topical narrative set to a popular tune, like those printed as black-letter broadsides.

221
this dream: it shall be called Bottom's Dream,
222
because it hath no bottom, and I will sing it in the

because it hath no bottom: St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians continues (I Corinthians 2:10): …the spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God,” words that again may be confusingly echoed in Bottom’s reflection on the bottomlessness of his vision.

223
latter end of a play, before the duke:
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peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall

gracious: appealing

225
sing it at her death.

Exit