Fireside Folktales presents A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Act 2, Scene 2.
Come now a roundel in the fairy song. Then for the third part of a minute hence. Some to kill cankers in the musk rose buds. Some boar with rare mice for their leathern wings to make my small elves coats. And some keep back the clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders at our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep Then to your offices and let me rest.
New spotted snakes with double tongue Thorny hedgehogs Be unseen New 7 Do no wrong Come not near our fairy queen.
Fill a mouth with melody.
Sing in our sweet lullaby Singing our sweet lullaby Never harm nor spell nor charm Come our lovely lady Nine so good night with lullaby Weeping spiders come not here Hence you know hence be little Philomel with melody singing our sweet lullaby Singing us with melody singing our sweet lullaby Sing an ass with melody singing.
Sing.
Us with melody Sing our sweet lullaby Never harm nor smell nor come our lovely lady night so good night with lullaby Hence the way now all is well what thou seest when thou dost wake, do it for thy true love. Take love and languish for his sake. Be it ounce or cat, bear, pard, or boar with bristled hair in thy eye that shall appear when thou wakest, it is thy dear wake when some vile thing is near.
Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood. And to speak troth, I forgot our way. We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, and tarry for the comfort of the day.
Be it so, Lysander, find you out a bed. For I upon this bank will rest my head.
One turf shall serve as a pillow for us both. One heart, one bed, two bosom's, one troth.
Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, lie further off yet. Do not lie so near.
Oh, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence. Love takes the meaning in love's conference. I mean that my heart unto yours is knit so that but one heart we can make of it. Two bosoms interchanged with an oath. So then two bosoms and a single troth, then by your side no bedroom me deny. For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.
Lysander riddles very prettily. They'll much beshrew my manners and my pride, if Hermia meant to say Lysander lied. But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy, lie further off in human modesty, such separation as may well be said, becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid. So far Be distant. And good night, sweet friend. Thy love ne' er alter till thy sweet life end.
Amen. Amen to that fair prayer, I say. And then end life when I end loyalty. Here is my bed. Sleep give thee all his rest.
With half that wish the wisher's eyes be prestigious.
Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none on whose eyes I might approve this flower's force in stirring love. Night and silence. Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he my master said to sweet despised the Athenian maid. And here the maiden sleeping sound on the dank and dirty ground. Pretty soul, she durst not lie near. This lack love, this kill courtesy. Churl, upon thy eyes I throw all the power this charm doth. O, when thou wakest, let love forbid sleep his seat on thy eyelid. So wake when I am gone, for I must now to Oberon.
Stay, though thou kill me, Sweet Demetrius.
I charge thee hence, and do not haunt me thus.
Oh, wilt thou, darkling, leave me? Do not so.
Stay on thy peril. I alone will go.
Oh, I am out of breath in this fond chase. The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe' er she lies, for she hath blessed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears. If so, my eyes are oftener washed than hers. No, no, I am ugly as a bear, for beasts that meet me run away for fear. Therefore, no marvel though Demetrius do as a monster fly my presence thus. What wicked and dissembling glass of mine made me compare with Hermia's fiery eyne? But who is here? Lysander, on the ground, dead or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.
And run through fire. I will, for thy sweet sake. Transparent Helena, nature shows art that through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word is that vile name to perish on my sword?
Do not say so, Lysander, say not so. What, though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you. Then be content.
Content with Hermia? No. I do repent the tedious minutes with her I have spent. Not Hermia, but Helena I love. Who will not change a raven for a dove? The will of man is by his reason swayed, and reason says you are the worthier maid. Things growing are not ripe until their season. So I, being young till now, ripe not to reason, and touching now the point of human skill. Reason becomes the marshal to my will and leads me to your eyes, where I o' erlook love stories written in love's richest book.
Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is't not enough? Is't not enough, young man, that I did never know nor never can deserve a sweet look from Demetrius eye. But you must flout my insufficiency. Good troth, you do me wrong. Good sooth, you do in such disdainful manner me to woo. But fare you well. Perforce I must confess, I thought you lord of more true gentleness. O, that a lady of one man refused should of another therefore be abused.
She sees not. Hermia. Hermia. Sleep thou there, and never mayst thou come Lysander near. For as a surfeit of the sweetest things the deepest loathing to the stomach brings, or as the heresies that men do leave are hated most by those they did deceive. So thou my sir fate and my heresy of all, be hated with the most of me and all my powers address your love and might to honor Helen and to be her knight.
Help me, Lysander, help me. Do thy best to pluck this crawling serpent from my breast. Oh, hi me, for pity. What a dream was here. Lysander. Look how I do quake with fear. Oh, methought a serpent eat my heart away. And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. Lysander. What removed Lysander, Lord. What, out of hearing gone. No sound, no word. Alack, where are you? Speak, and if you hear, speak of all loves. I swoon almost with fear. No. How then I perceive you are not nigh. Either death or you I'll find immediately.
This episode of A Midsummer Night's Dream featured the vocal talents of Chijoke Williams and as Titania, Missy Roland, Pandora, Beatrix Szell, Tracy and Obscura as the fairies. Sebastian Crane as Oberon Ezra Wayne as Lysander Danielle Ellet as Hermia Nala J. Wu as Puck Christopher Wilson as Demetrius Emma Shurjarko as Helena A Midsummer Night's Dream was produced and directed by Dallas Hawthorne with the assistance of Roz Ray Powers. Cole Burkhart was the sound designer. Allie Hilton composed the music. Adam Raymonda composed the theme song. This show would not have been possible without the support of friends, family and many, many, many of a respected peers in the audio drama sphere. If you want to provide your support to the cast and crew of the show, please consider donating to our Ko Fi page which you can find linked in the show notes. If you wish to donate directly to a cast or crew member of your choosing. You can find out how to do that in the Show Notes as well. Transcriptions of each episode, including the edits made during production, can also be found linked in the Show Notes. Generally, anything you might need to know should be down in the Show Notes. Thank you for listening.