A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Through the house give glimmering light

By the dead and drowsy fire;

Every elf and fairy sprite

Hop as light as bird from brier; And this ditty, after me, Sing and dance it trippingly.

Prologue

In a mythical period in a remote and romantic city-state, the Duke, Theseus, and his bride to be, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, are entreated to allow Hermia to marry Lysander, her true love, instead of Demetrius, her father’s choice. Hermia begs, but Theseus refuses. He demands that she marry Demetrius or be banished. Lysander also pleads his case and reminds the Duke that Demetrius is deserting his true love, Helena, to marry Hermia. The entreaties are to no avail. The Duke is adamant. Hermia must marry Demetrius.

Lysander and Hermia bewail their sad fate. They are truly star-crossed lovers. They decide to escape the Duke’s jurisdiction and marry outside his realm. They tell Helena of their plans and flee to the enchanted wood. Helena, truly in love with Demetrius, and blinded by the falsity of his love, tells him of Lysander and Hermia’s plans. He rushes to the wood after them. Helena follows, ever hopeful of regaining her love’s affections.

Nick Bottom and his fellow rustics arrive, looking for a place to have a picnic and make plans for the entertainment they will be providing for the Duke’s wedding.

I must go seek some dewdrops here and hang a pearl in every cowlip’s ear. Farewell, thou lob of spirits. I’ll be gone. Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

ACT 1 Scene 1

The fairies and butterflies of the enchanted wood watch over their King, Oberon, and his Fairy Queen, Titania, as they celebrate in honour of the approaching marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Oberon and Titania quarrel over the changeling child who was stolen from the court of an Indian King. Titania wishes to keep the child to grace her court while Oberon wants to make the child a knight of his own followers. Then, as is natural with fairies, for continued spite and anger belong only to human beings, the quarrel ends. Titania asks Oberon to join her in their dances. He consents on condition that she surrender the child. She again refuses and leaves with her attendants, Peaseblossom, Moth, Cobweb, and Mustardseed.

After she leaves, Oberon decides to play his mischief with her before she departs the wood. He summons the Fairy of the Enchanted Flower for a special elixir and he calls his sprite, Puck, reminding him of a former night when they saw cupid take aim, “At a fair vestal throned by the west” but the arrow fell on a certain pansy, guarded by the Fairy of the Enchanted Flower, “Now purple with love’s wounds.” Since that time its juice, laid on the eyelids of sleeping people, makes them fall in love with the first living creature they see when they awaken. Puck will put a drop of his elixir on Titania’s eyes to make her fall in love with the first living creature she sees in the wood when she awakes.

After Puck leaves, Oberon makes himself invisible so that he can oversee the affairs of the two people, Demetrius and Helena, who have just entered the wood. Helena wins his sympathy and he plans to help her gain Demetrius’ love by applying some of the potion to Demetrius’ eyes. Puck returns and Oberon tells him to apply the juice to Demetrius. Puck will recognize him by the garments he wears.

Lysander and Hermia enter the woods exhausted. They decide to rest for the night before continuing their journey. Puck, seeing the sleeping youth and supposing him to be the one he is in search of, anoints his eyes with the elixir from the enchanted flower. Helena wandering helplessly in the wood in search of Demetrius, comes upon the sleeping Lysander. She wakes him to ask for his help. The potion takes its effect! Lysander falls in love with Helena, the first person he has seen! The confusion continues. Puck has made a glorious mess of the entire situation. Oberon tells him he has worked the charm on the wrong man and commands that Puck rights his error.

The lovers chase through the woods until they finally collapse in fatigue. Oberon and Puck anoint the youths again and this time make certain that they arrange the couples properly: Demetrius to see Helena upon waking and Lysander to behold Hermia at first sight.

Fair lovers, you are fortunately met; Of this discourse we more will hear anon. For in the temple, by and by with us These couples shall eternally be knit. Away with us to Athens; three and three, We’ll hold a feast of great solemnity.

Titania enters with her attendants. Accustomed sometimes to sleep lulled by the sweetness of the flowers around her, Titania rests on a lilac rose petal where the wild thyme blows. She falls gently off to sleep guarded by her nymphs. Eager to play more mischief, Puck streaks her eyes with the potion and hides as he hears people coming into the wood.

Nick Bottom and his rustics, Snug, Quince, Francis, Snout, and Starveling bumble in to have a picnic and make their plans for the play they will perform for the Duke’s wedding. They quickly lose interest in their preparations and get down to the more serious business of playing. Puck is delighted with what he sees and decides to have some fun with the most thick-skinned of them, Bottom. Invisible throughout, Puck torments them and rides Bottom off through the woods only to return him to his companions transformed into an ass. Frightened and superstitious the rustics rush off when they see Bottom’s remarkable transformation.

Titania awakes, sees Bottom, and falls in love with him. She bids her attendants bind them eternally in a garland of flowers.

Come, set thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy. And stick musk-roses in thy smoothe head, And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

Act Ii

The Wedding

Theseus has given his consent that the lovers shall marry their true love on the same day that he weds Hippolyta. Hippolyta’s Amazon warriors and attendants join the nobles to dance in celebration of their Queen’s royal union.

Epilogue

Oberon has released Titania from her spell. They dance in a flurry of fireflies, in jubilant celebration of the triumph of Love over Fate. Puck removes the Ass head from Bottom and laughs mischievously at his own devilment while the First Fairy heralds the approaching dawn with her golden trumpet.

Bottom wakes musing: The eye of man hath not heard, The ear of man hath not seen, Man’s hand is not able to taste, His tongue to conceive, Nor his heart to report, What my dream was.

I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of the dream; It shall be called Bottom’s dream, Because it hath no bottom...

Tooth-Coloured

Sealants

Implants

Crown

Whitening

Root

Extractions

MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8.30AM - 6.00PM

SATURDAY 9AM - 2PM