Konni Ehrlich
Matthias Fastenrath Theresa Lasch
Martin Eulenberger Bianca Reichel
“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT`SDREAM“
~ A Theaterplay ~
A bus station: Enter Hermia and Lysander, nervous (turning around)
Herm: “Are you sure, nobody is following us?”
Lys: “Don`t be afraid, I will care for you. We are save at the place, we´re going to.” Herm: “But where are we actually going to?”
Lys: “Hear me Hermia:
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child-
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues- And she respects me like her ownly son. There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us.
Tomorrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the wat`ry glass,
Decking with liquid peare the bladed grass,
A time that lover`s flight doth still conceal,
Through Athenian`s gates have we devis`d to steal. If though lov`st me then ,
come and follow me.” Herm: “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,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage Queen, When the false Troyan under sail was seen, By all the vows that ever man have broke, In number more than woman ever spoke
I swear by good that I will love you till the end.
I’m tired now, my feet are hurting, can’t we rest a while?” Lys: “We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good And tarry for the comfort of the day.” Herm: “Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head.”
Enter Demetrius
Dem: “What are you doing here? I did not not expect meeting you.” Lys:(waking up, scared)
We took a walk through the woods. Hermia felt tired after a while, so we rested here.” Dem: “Don’t you want to introduce us?”
Lys: “Oh, excuse me! Demetrius, this is Hermia, my girlfriend.
Hermia, this is Demetrius, an old friend of mine.”
Dem: “Nice to meet you. Congratulations Lysander, your girlfriend is so beautiful.” Herm: “Oh, thank you!”
Lys: “By the way, what are you doing here?” Dem:(fixed on Hermia, ignoring his question)
“O Hermia , goddess, nymph, perfect devine! To what, my love shall I compare thine eyne? Cristal is muddy. O how ripe in show
These lily lips,
These cherry nose,
These yellow cowslip cheeks
Are so amazing
Her eyes were green as leeks O, let me kiss
This princes of pure white, this seal of bliss.” Lys: “Demetrius! Would you mind to stop!?”
Demetrius leaves the scene, noticing somebody, following him
Dem: “Helena? I can see you, come out there!
How often do I have to tell you,
I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.” Hel: “You draw me, you hard hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you.” Dem: “Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather do I not in plainest truth
Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?” Hel: “And even for that do I love you the more.” Dem: “Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;
For I am sick when I do look on you.”
Hel: “And I am sick when I look not on you.”
Dem: “I’ll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Or, if though follow me, do not believe But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. Stay on thy peril, I alone will go.
(Helena tries to hold him back)
I’ll not stay thy question; let me go.”
Hel: “The wildest hath not such a heart as you.
Run when you will; the story shall be chang’d!”
Exit Demetrius
Helena, very confused, being watched by Puck
Puck: “How now! Wither wander you?”
Hel: (gets frightened)
“Who is that?
Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Call’d Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he That frights the maidens of the villagery, Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern, And bootless make the breathless houswife churn, And sometime make the drink to bear no barm, Mislead night-wandereres, laughing at their harm? Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, You do their work and they shall have good luck, Are not you he?”
Puck: “Thou speak’st aright:
I am that merry wanderer of the night. I make people smile
When I fed and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal;
And sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob,
And on her wither’d dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the sadest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And “tailor” cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and loffe, And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there.
But what are you doing here?” Hel: “I’m in love with Demetrius I followed him to see where he was going to. But I don’t think that he ever noticed me. I’m afraid that he loves Hermia.
Do you have an idea, how I can solve my problem?” Puck: “Here is the answer to your question: Just put this ass’s head upon Hermia’s and you will see, it will work!”
Helena takes the head and leaves Puck
Hel:(to herself)
“How happy some can o’er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she, But what of that? Demerius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know. And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes, So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and wile, holding no quantity Love can transpose to form and dignity.”
Puck:(alone, amused about Helena)
“But love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”
Helena gets to the bus station, where Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander are discussing. At once she takes the ass’s head and puts it upon Hermias head.
Hel: “Well, Demetrius, do you think she is still more beautiful than me, looking like an ass,
I always told you ...
Herm: “Why do they laugh?
This is a knavery of them to make me affeard.
(notices, what happened)
What have you done, you moron?
O, is all forgot?
All school-days’ friendship, childhood, innocence?” Lys: “How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast?”
Dem: “You are right Hermia, only mentally challenged people can do such unintelligent things.
I will revenge you, honey.”
Herm: “Come on, Demetrius, please don’t flatter that much. I don’t like you anyhow.” Dem: “So should the murder’d look, and so should I
You spent your passion on a misprised mood.” Lys:(trying, not to laugh)
“My only Hermia, my pleasure, my love. I still love you like on the day we met first.
You are still so cute and you are getting more and more pretty every day, my love.
Herm: “Oh, Lysander. I believe every single word you say because deep in my heart I know that you Love me.”
Lys:(to the audience, laughing)
“Oh my godness, I guess she really doesn’t know, what she looks like!” Herm: “Help me Lysander, help me! Do thy best
To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast Ay me for my pity! What a dream was here! Lysander, look how I do quake with fear. Methought, a serpent ate my heart away, And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.”
Dem: “Hermia, I will prove my love to thee and remove that mask from your georgeous face.”
Demetrius is trying to rip the mask of.
Herm: “Stop it now!”
Lys:(to Helena)
“You, mistress, all this coil is long of you. Nay, go not back
Okay, I say this in peace now, Helena. Listen, I offer you two opportunities: You can either remove the mask in 3 seconds or I will punish you really strict for what you’ve done. To spectators:These thing has to be removed, I can’t stand to have a donkey girlfriend like that.” Dem: “That’s exactly, what I thought of. Let’s beat her of.
Hel: “The more you beat me, the more I will fawn on you.
Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me...
Herm: “Out dog! Out cur! Though drivest me past the Bounds of maidens patience.”
Let’s start punishing her ”
Hel: “Please don’t. Give me a minute to explain.”
Herm: “No mercy!”
Lys+Dem: “Okay, we will listen.You’ve got 50 seconds:”
Hel: “Well ”
Dem: “...45”
Hel: “It’s not my faulr. I just made a walk. I was so happy about your love to Hermia, Lysander and
yours to Lysander, Hermia. Your relationship is making me so joyful.
Suddenly, the air becamevery dark. When I looked up, I saw a huge monster, standing in front of me, taller than the trees around here. It spoke to me with a very deep, frightening voice:
>> Destroy the love between Hermia and Lysander! <<
I said no, I don’t want to destroy it! But the monster looked at me with it’s big, rolling eyes And i was forced to do, what he said.”
Herm, Lys, Dem: “Do you think, you can fool us? We don’t believe you. Let’s beat her up!”
Hel: “Wait, wait, don’t you hear it’s laugh?” Lys: “She’s right, I can hear it too.”
Dem: “Look there, I saw sth. moving. Let’s have a look!”
All going around, searching for Puck.
Lys: “Thou run away, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?”
Puck comes out
Herm: “Is this, what you call a huge monster?”
Hel: “Well, it looked bigger, it might have been the shadows, I suppose...”
Puck: “You really did it, Helena, I cannot believe, a human being can be as stupid as that. And,
Hermia, don’t worry...I do not think, your appearance got more worse because of the ass’s head.
In comparison with your former look, you are quite attractive. You should be thankful.
Ohhh, Demetrius. Don’t look at me like this! I can’t help you, nothing can help you, no mask, nothing. You are looking awfully, even more than Lysander.”
Lys: “That is enough!
Get you gone, you dwarf;
You minus, of hindering knot-grass made; You bead, you acorn!”
Hel: “Do you see, what he is, he’s the son of the devil. I did never tell you a lie.
Beat him, not me!”
They immediately pull Puck behind the curtain. There are soundsof a scuffle.As all appear again, they are friends ~ no conflicts at the moment. Puck comes after them, in a wheelchair.
Puck: “You were right with convincing me that I was wrong. I want to live in peace and friendship with you all. So would you mind to drink this peace-drink with me?”
Dem: “I don’t trust you, what are the ingredients?” Puck: “Relax, it’s harmless.”
Without thinking, the four take the tins with the liquid and disappear behind the curtain. The curtain gets opened and you can see 4 piles of ashes.
Puck: “That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream. We will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call. So, goodnight unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends.
Frequently asked questions about "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT`S DREAM“
What is the setting of the opening scene?
The opening scene is set at a bus station where Hermia and Lysander are nervous and turning around, suggesting they are trying to avoid being followed.
Why are Hermia and Lysander running away?
They are fleeing Athens to escape the Athenian law and to go to Lysander's aunt's house, where they can marry.
Who is Demetrius and what is his relationship to Hermia and Lysander?
Demetrius is an old friend of Lysander's. He is also in love with Hermia, which is why he is pursuing her and Lysander.
What is Helena's role in the story?
Helena is in love with Demetrius, but he does not reciprocate her feelings. She follows him and is desperate for his love.
Who is Puck and what is his nature?
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a mischievous sprite who enjoys playing tricks on humans. He is described as a "merry wanderer of the night."
What trick does Puck play on Hermia?
Puck places an ass's head upon Hermia. This makes her the object of ridicule and affects the relationships between the lovers.
How do Lysander and Demetrius react to Hermia's transformed appearance?
Lysander claims to still love Hermia. Demetrius initially intends to revenge her. The situation causes conflict and confusion among the characters.
What are some of the main themes explored in this excerpt?
Some of the main themes include love, deception, jealousy, the power of magic, and the nature of reality versus illusion.
How does the conflict between the lovers resolve?
The excerpt ends with all characters friends after fighting among each other. Puck offers them peace drink. However, after drinking peace drink they all disintegrate into ashes.
What is Puck's final message to the audience?
Puck acknowledges that the audience may feel they have slumbered and that the play was but a dream. He asks for forgiveness and says if the audience be friends, he shall restore amends. Puck exits after that.
- Quote paper
- Bianca Reichel (Author), Konni Ehrlich (Author), Matthias Fastenrath (Author), Theresa Lasch (Author), Martin Eulenberger (Author), 2000, Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night`s Dream, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/98833
