Page 53 - No Fear A Midsummer Night's Dream

No Fear Shakespeare – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by SparkNotes) -53-
Original Text
Enter lovers: LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA
THESEUS
Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.—
Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love 30 Accompany your hearts!
LYSANDER
More than to us
Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!
THESEUS
Come now, what masques, what dances shall we have
To wear away this long age of three hours
35 Between our after-supper and bedtime? Where is our usual manager of mirth? What revels are in hand? Is there no play, To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? Call Philostrate.
PHILOSTRATE
Here, mighty Theseus.
THESEUS
Say, what abridgement have you for this evening? 40 What masque, what music? How shall we beguile
The lazy time if not with some delight?
PHILOSTRATE
(giving THESEUS a document)
There is a brief, how many sports are ripe.
Make choice of which your highness will see first.
THESEUS
45 (reads)
“The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.”
We’ll none of that. That have I told my love, In glory of my kinsman Hercules.
“The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,
Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.” That is an old device, and it was played When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.
Act 5, Scene 1, Page 3
“The thrice three Muses mourning for the death
Of learning, late deceased in beggary.” 50 That is some satire, keen and critical,
Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.
“A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisbe. Very tragical mirth.”
“Merry” and “tragical”? “Tedious” and “brief”? That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow. How shall we find the concord of this discord?
PHILOSTRATE
Modern Text
The lovers— LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS,HELENA, and HERMIA—enter.
THESEUS
Here come the lovers, laughing happily.—I wish you joy, my friends! I hope the days ahead are full of joy for you.
LYSANDER
We wish you even more joy, and hope joy comes to you in your royal walks, at your table, and in your royal bed!
THESEUS
Now, what kind of entertainment do we have to fill up the long three hours between dinner and bedtime? Where is our entertainment director? What performances have been prepared? Aren’t there any plays for us to enjoy while we wait in torture for bedtime to come? Let me see Philostrate.
PHILOSTRATE
Here I am, Theseus.
THESEUS
Tell us what entertainment you’ve prepared for the evening. Which plays, what music? How will we pass the time without some entertainment?
PHILOSTRATE
(giving THESEUS a piece of paper) Here’s a list of all of the acts that have been prepared. Choose which one you want to see first.
THESEUS
(reading) “The battle between Hercules and the Centaurs, to be sung by an Athenian eunuch, accompanied by a harp.” No, we won’t see that. I’ve already told that story to Hippolyta, while praising my cousin Hercules. What else? “The riot of the drunk Bacchanals who rip the singer Orpheus to shreds.” That’s an old show, and I saw it the last time I came back from conquering
Thebes. “The nine Muses mourning the death of learning and scholarship.” That’s some sharp, critical satire, and it’s not appropriate for a wedding. “A tedious short drama about young Pyramus and his love Thisbe, a very sad and tragic comedy.” A sad comedy? Short but still tedious? That’s like hot ice and strange snow. How can this drama be so many contradictory things?
PHILOSTRATE