A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Act III, Scene II - Page 4
- PUCK:
-
My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,
For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast;(395)
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger,
At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
Troop home to churchyards. Damned spirits all
That in crossways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone,(400)
For fear lest day should look their shames upon;
They wilfully themselves exile from light,
And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night.
- OBERON:
-
But we are spirits of another sort:
I with the morning's love have oft made sport;(405)
And, like a forester, the groves may tread
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt green streams.
But, notwithstanding, haste, make no delay;(410)
We may effect this business yet ere day.
[Exit Oberon]
- PUCK:
-
Up and down, up and down,
I will lead them up and down.
I am fear'd in field and town.
Goblin, lead them up and down.(415)
Here comes one.
Enter Lysander [Lysander and Demetrius wander on stage as if in the dark.]
- LYSANDER:
-
Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now.
- PUCK:
-
Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?
- LYSANDER:
-
I will be with thee straight.
- PUCK:
-
Follow me, then,(420)
To plainer ground.
Enter Demetrius
- DEMETRIUS:
-
Lysander, speak again.
Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?
- PUCK:
-
Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,(425)
And wilt not come? Come, recreant, come, thou child;
I'll whip thee with a rod. He is defiled
That draws a sword on thee.
- DEMETRIUS:
-
Yea, art thou there?
- PUCK:
-
Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.(430)
[Exeunt]
[Re-enter Lysander]
- LYSANDER:
-
He goes before me, and still dares me on;
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter-heel'd than I.
I followed fast, but faster he did fly,
Shifting places
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,(435)
And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day.
Lie[s] down
For if but once thou show me thy grey light,
I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite.
[Sleeps]
[Re]-enter [Puck] and Demetrius
- PUCK:
-
Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not?
- DEMETRIUS:
-
Abide me, if thou darest; for well I wot(440)
Thou runnest before me, shifting every place,
And darest not stand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou now?
- PUCK:
-
Come hither; I am here.
- DEMETRIUS:
-
Nay, then, thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this(445)
dear,
If ever I thy face by daylight see;
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.
By day's approach look to be visited.(450)
[Lies down and sleeps]
Enter Helena
- HELENA:
-
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours! Shine comforts from the east,
That I may back to Athens by daylight,
From these that my poor company detest.
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,(455)
Steal me awhile from mine own company.
[Lies down and] sleep[s]
- PUCK:
-
Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds makes up four.
Here she comes, curst and sad.
Cupid is a knavish lad,(460)
Thus to make poor females mad.
Enter Hermia
- HERMIA:
-
Never so weary, never so in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers,
I can no further crawl, no further go;
My legs can keep no pace with my desires.(465)
Here will I rest me till the break of day.
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!
[Lies down and sleeps]
- PUCK:
-
On the ground
Sleep sound;
I'll apply(470)
To your eye,
Gentle lover, remedy.
[Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eyes]
When thou wakest,
Thou takest
True delight(475)
In the sight
Of thy former lady's eye;
And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown:(480)
Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.
[Exit]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also:
- - For teachers, the A Midsummer Night’s Dream Lesson Plan.
- - A Midsummer Night’s Dream summary and study guide in the eNotes.
Tell a friend about A Midsummer Night’s Dream at eNotes.
