Shakespeare dream on a moonlit night. A dream in a summer night
William Shakespeare
A dream in a summer night
CHARACTERS
Theseus , Duke of Athens.
Aegeus father of Hermias.
Lysander, Demetrius in love with Hermia.
Philostratus , manager of entertainment at the court of Theseus.
Pigwa , a carpenter.
Milyaga , carpenter.
The foundation , weaver.
Dudka , repairer of inflatable bellows.
Snout , coppersmith.
zamorysh , tailor.
Hippolyta , queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.
Hermia in love with Lysander.
Elena in love with Demetrius.
Oberon , king of fairies and elves.
Titania , queen of fairies and elves.
Pack, or Good Little Robin , little elf.
Sweet Pea, Spider Web, Moth, Mustard Seed , elves.
Fairies and elves, obedient to Oberon and Titania, retinue.
The scene is Athens and the forest nearby.
ACT I
SCENE 1
Athens, Theseus Palace.
Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus And retinue.
Theseus
Beautiful, our wedding hour is getting closer:
Four happy days - new month
They will bring us. But oh, how slow the old one is!
He stands in the way of my desires,
Like a stepmother or an old widow,
What youths income seizes.
Hippolyta
Four days in the nights will sink quickly;
Four nights in dreams will sink so quickly ...
And the crescent is a bow of silver,
Stretched in the sky - illuminate
Our wedding night!
Theseus
Philostratus, go!
Stir up all the youth in Athens
And awaken the frisky spirit of fun.
Sadness for the funeral let it remain:
We do not need a pale guest at the feast.
Philostratus leaves.
Theseus
I got you with a sword, Hippolyta;
I won your love with threats,
But I will play a wedding in a different way1:
Solemn, and fun, and magnificent!
Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander And Demetrius.
Aegeus
Be happy, our glorious Duke Theseus!
Theseus
Thank you, Egey! What do you say?
Aegeus
I'm upset, complaining to you
To Hermia - yes, to her own daughter! -
Demetri, come! - My sovereign,
Here is the one to whom I wanted to give my daughter. -
Lysander, come near! - My sovereign!
And this one bewitched her heart. -
You, you, Lysander! You wrote poetry to her
Pledges of love changed with her,
Under her windows in the moonlight
Pretending to sing a love pretense song!
You used it to captivate her heart,
Bracelets, hair rings, sweets,
Flowers, knick-knacks, trinkets - everything
That inexperienced youth is cute!
By deceit you stole her love,
You are an obedience due to the father,
Turned evil into stubbornness! - So if
She will not let you, my sovereign,
Consent to Demetrius, I appeal
To the ancient Athenian law:
Since my daughter, I can completely with her
locate; and I decided: Demetrius
Or - as provided by law
In such cases - immediately death!
Theseus
Well, Hermia, beautiful maiden,
What do you say? Think well.
He created your beauty, and you
They cast a wax mold;
Leave it or break it - he has the right.
Demetrius is a decent man.
Hermia
My Lysander too.
Theseus
Yes, by itself;
But if your father is not for him,
That means he deserves it.
Hermia
I wanted my father to look at my
Theseus
Not! Hurry your eyes
We must obey his judgment.
Hermia
Excuse me, Your Grace, I beg you.
I don't know where I found the courage
And is it possible, without offending modesty,
With all of me so freely to speak.
But I conjure, let me know:
What's the worst for me
When will I not marry Demetrius?
Theseus
What? Death! Or renunciation forever
From the society of men. That's why,
Oh Hermia, check yourself. Think:
You are young ... You ask your soul,
When you go against your father's will:
Are you able to put on a nun's outfit,
Forever be imprisoned in a monastery,
Live your whole life as a barren nun
And it's sad to sing hymns to the cold moon?
A hundred times blessed is he who humbles his blood,
To complete the virgin path on earth;
But the rose, dissolving in incense,
Happier than the one on the innocent bush
Blossoms, lives, dies - all alone!
Hermia
So I bloom and live and die
I want it sooner than girlish rights
Give him power! His yoke
My soul does not want to submit.
Theseus
Think Hermia! On the day of the new moon
(On the day that will connect me with my love
For eternal fellowship) should
You be ready or die
For violation of the father's will,
Or marry the one he chose,
Or give forever at the altar of Diana
A vow of celibacy and a harsh life.
Demetrius
Soften, O Hermia! - And you, Lysander,
Give in to my undeniable rights.
Lysander
Demetrius, since your father loves you so much,
Give me your daughter, and marry him yourself!
Aegeus
Bold mocker! Yes, father's love
Behind him and with her everything that I own.
But the daughter is mine, and all rights over her
I give Demetrius in full!
Lysander
But, sir, I am equal with him by birth
Yes, and wealth; I love more;
I'm not inferior in position
Rather even higher than Demetrius;
And most importantly - which exceeds everything -
I love the beautiful Hermia!
Why should I renounce my rights?
Demetrius - yes, I'll tell him to his face -
The comedy in five acts was written in the mid-1590s. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote his work in honor of the Day of St. John the Baptist or for the wedding celebration of a famous aristocrat.
The play consists of several storylines, one way or another intertwined with each other. Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Celebrations must take place on a full moon night. A young girl named Hermia is in love with a young man, Lysander, who also loves her. However, Demetrius is also courting Hermia. Aegeus, the girl's father, prefers the second admirer.
Since Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, the father turns to the Duke of Athens, claiming that Lysander has bewitched her daughter. The Duke demands obedience to his father's will. Lysander and Hermia decided to flee the city. The girl shared her secret with her friend Elena. Since Elena was once Demetri's lover and still continues to love him, the insidious woman is driven by the desire to regain the favor of her former fiancé. Elena gives Demetrius the secret of her friend.
Meanwhile, preparations for the Duke's wedding continue. Several city masters decided to stage a comedy about Pyramus and Thisbe in honor of the newlyweds. The production is directed by carpenter Peter Pigwa. The role of Thisbe will be played by Francis Dudka, a bellows repairer. The mother of the main character will be the tailor Robin Zamorysh. Carpenter Milyaga will be a Lion. Weaver Nick Osnova will become Pyramus, and his father will be played by coppersmith Tom Snout. The masters agree to meet in the forest the next day to rehearse the performance. In Shakespeare's time, women weren't allowed on the stage. That is why it might not seem strange to the audience that all the roles in the play are played by only men.
Not far from Athens in the forest live spouses - Oberon, the elven leader, and his wife Queen Titania. The wife took care of the boy. Oberon wants to take him away to make him a servant. Titania disagrees. As a result, husband and wife quarreled. The husband wants to cast a love spell on the queen so that love will make her forget about her adopted son.
For this, the king needs a special flower. Oberon becomes an accidental witness to a conversation between Demetrius and Helen. Hermia and Lysander agreed to meet in the forest, which was known to the girl's friend. Helen brought Demetrius to the same forest. Oberon sends the elf Puck to cast a spell on Demetrius. By mistake, Puck bewitched Lysander. A peacefully sleeping young man, waking up, falls in love with the first person he managed to see - Elena. He leaves Hermia and runs after a new lover.
The city masters gathered in the forest to rehearse the play. Pak, who appeared nearby, bewitched the weaver. The Foundation grew a donkey's head. At the sight of such a metamorphosis, the rest of the masters fled. Not far from the rehearsal place, Titania was sleeping, which Pak had already bewitched. Waking up, the queen sees a weaver monster in front of her and falls in love with him.
Oberon is pleased with Puck's actions, but the elf's mistake had to be corrected. The king bewitched the sleeping Demetrius, who, after waking up, fell in love with Helen, who was near him. When they meet, the friends begin to quarrel. Hermia accuses Elena of betrayal. Demetrius and Lysander now both love the same woman and challenge each other to a duel. Puck enjoys the confusion that he himself caused, but Oberon dispels Lysander. In addition, he freed his wife from the spell and returned the weaver Osnova to his former appearance. Oberon has already managed to get his wife's adopted son as a page and no longer wants to torment her.
Hippolyta, Theseus and Aegeus hunt in the forest and find 2 sleeping couples: Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helen. The awakened Lysander explains that he was forced to flee the city with his beloved so that she would not become the wife of a rival. Demetrius declares that he is no longer interested in Hermia. He only loves Elena. The weaver also comes to his senses and goes to the city. The play ends with a merry wedding, at which Theseus married Hippolyta, Lysander married Hermia, and Demetrius married Elena.
Mere mortals
There are no completely positive or completely negative characters in the play. Mere mortals behave the way people have behaved at all times: they love, hate, fight for their right to happiness, selfishly not thinking about this right for another person. In the course of the play, almost every character manifests himself both from the positive and from the negative side.
It is likely that the author did not want to divide his characters into 2 camps because he wanted to show their helplessness. All heroes, including Duke Theseus, were supposed to appear as puppets. Shakespeare relieves his characters of responsibility for their actions. The fate of a man does not belong to him. It's all the fault of evil fate, a predetermined path. Perhaps the author did not believe in the existence of the Greek gods, but he fully admitted that there is a force that determines our lives.
forest gods
According to Greek tradition, the forest gods in Shakespeare's play have anthropomorphic qualities. They are distinguished from people only by power and supernatural abilities. Otherwise, the king, queen and elves are like ordinary Athenians. Oberon quarreled with his wife, like the most ordinary mortal. Elf Pack loves pranks, like any boy on the streets of Athens. The gods are also able to love, envy and plot each other.
Gods with a human face
The author has no reverence for supernatural forest creatures. He strives to portray them as comically as possible, to show their grumpiness, vanity and some stupidity. Gods, like people, are not divided into good and bad. Oberon, who has started a real intrigue to take his adopted son from his wife, nevertheless, does not show cruelty and helps to unite the lovers.
Fatum is often present in the works of Shakespeare. Evil fate did not allow Romeo and Juliet to connect. Despite all the tricks, cruel fate doomed the young Veronians to inevitable death.
main idea
The idea of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the summary of which will interest the future viewer or reader, can cause controversy, since the main purpose of this work is to entertain the public. One can only assume that Shakespeare chose as his idea the idea that human life is just a game. How exactly the game ends depends solely on the mood of the players.
Analysis of the work
When creating his play, the author set himself one single goal - to please the public. The work does not contain any moralizing or thoughtful philosophy. The audience, carried away by the plot, does not always notice the lack of credibility. The ruler of Athens could hardly be called a duke. Urban Greek artisans cannot bear typical English names.
However, Shakespeare's plans did not include authenticity, an excessive desire for which can make the work too boring. At the end of the play, Park, addressing the audience, asks them to imagine that everything they saw was just a dream. Presenting the play as a not entirely logical dream justifies unreliability and inaccuracies, because in dreams everything becomes possible that was impossible in reality.
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In this article we will talk about the famous comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". William Shakespeare is a recognized master of dramaturgy, whose equal has not yet been found in literature. His creations, written in the distant 16th century, have not lost their relevance even today.
About the work
The play consists of 5 acts, the date of writing is 1596. It is believed that the author composed it specifically for the wedding day of some aristocrat close to Elizabeth I.
The main idea of comedy is that the whole world is a game. And how it will end will depend only on the decision and mood of the players themselves. But one should not look for a particularly deep philosophical subtext in this work, since it was created mainly for the entertainment of the audience.
Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream": a summary. Location and characters
The events of the play unfold in ancient Greek Athens. The city is ruled by a king named Theseus, with whom many ancient legends are associated, the main one tells about the conquest of the Amazon tribe by him, after which he married their queen Hippolyta, who also participates in the play.
In addition to human characters, there are magical creatures in comedy - in particular, the king and queen of these peoples - Oberon and Titania.
tie
The comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream begins with wedding preparations (we will present a summary in this article). Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta are going down the aisle. The celebration is scheduled for the night of the full moon.
Enraged Aegeus, the father of young Hermia, bursts into the palace. He attacks Lysander with accusations - the young man bewitched his daughter and forced him to love himself, and meanwhile the girl had already been promised to Demetrius. Hermia appears, she says that she loves Lysander. The duke intervenes in the conflict and announces that, according to the laws of Athens, the daughter is obliged to fulfill the will of the parent. Theseus gives the headstrong girl time to think, but on the first day of the new moon, she will have to decide "to die ... or marry the one whom her father chose ... or take ... a vow of celibacy."
Hermia and Lysander decide to flee Athens and agree to meet the next night at the nearest forest. The lovers reveal their plan to Elena. The girl has long and hopelessly been in love with Demetrius, hoping to win the favor of her beloved, she tells him about the plans of Hermia and Lysander.
Sideshow
Shakespeare, as always, anticipates the development of literary devices. For example, we see the staging of the play in the comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" itself (the summary is proof of this). Thus, the author raises the game, in this case theatrical, to the absolute. And this is already a favorite technique of postmodernism, which will appear only at the end of the 20th century.
So, the company of artisans decides to put on an interlude in honor of Theseus' wedding. The carpenter Peter Pigwa is chosen to direct, choosing the "poignant comedy" The Very Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Weaver Nick Osnova is called to play the role of Pyramus, he is generally ready to take on several characters at once. The role of Thisbe goes to Dudka, the bellows repairman. Don't be surprised, in Shakespeare's day, women could not perform, and all roles were played by men. Thisbe's mother was the tailor Robin Zmorysh; Piram's father is Tom Snout, coppersmith; Leo - carpenter Milyaga. Pigwa tells everyone to learn their roles by tomorrow.
Fairy Kingdom
Shakespeare uses images of mythical characters in his play. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from this comes close to an English fairy tale.
The action is transferred to the forest. The ruler of the elves and fairies, Oberon, quarrels with his wife Titania over a baby whom the queen has adopted. The king wants to take the child from his wife in order to make him his page. Titania refuses her husband and leaves with the elves.
Then Oberon orders the elf Pak to bring a flower, which was accidentally hit by Cupid's arrow. If the eyelids of a sleeping person are smeared with the juice of this plant, then he will fall in love with the first person he sees. The king hopes that his wife will fall in love with some animal, and forget about the child.
The invisible Oberon remains to wait for Pack. At this time, Helena and Demetrius appear, who is looking for Hermia and rejects the one who loves him. When the servant brings the flower, Oberon tells Demetrius to lubricate the eyelids so that he falls in love with Elena. The king of the elves himself applies the remaining juice to Titania's eyelids.
Hermia and Lysander, wandering through the forest, were tired and lay down to rest. Peck mistakes the young man for Demetrius and smears the juice on his eyelids. Waking up, Lysander sees Helen, falls in love with her and confesses his feelings. The girl decides that he is mocking her and runs away. The young man, leaving the sleeping Hermia, pursues a new lover.
Awakening Titania
Increasingly implausible events take place in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The summary tells us about the pranks, and not always harmless, of elves and fairies.
Artisans gather in the forest for a rehearsal. The basis suggests, in order not to frighten the spectators, to compose two prologues to the play. The first will say that Pyramus does not kill himself at all, and in general it is not Pyramus at all, but the Foundation. In the second, warn the audience that the Lion is also not really a terrible beast, but a carpenter.
Baek is watching the rehearsal. The prankster decides to enchant the Foundation, turning his head into a donkey's. The artisans take a friend for a werewolf and run away from him in fear. At this moment, Titania wakes up, sleeping not far from this place. The first she sees the Foundation, falls in love and calls him with her. The queen immediately summons four elves and orders them to serve the new "my lord".
Duel
The events of the work "A Midsummer Night's Dream" continue to unfold. Peck reports to Oberon about how the queen fell in love with the monster. The king is delighted with the news. However, having learned that instead of Demetrius, the magic juice fell on Lysander, he begins to scold.
Oberon is looking for Demetrius, wanting to correct the oversight of the servant. At this time, Peck lures Elena to the sleeping Demetrius. The young man wakes up and immediately begins to swear eternal love to the one he just rejected. Elena comes to the conclusion that Lysander and Demetrius conspired to mock her. She also decided that Hermia was involved in all this. Hearing accusations against her, Hermia lashes out at her friend with accusations that she seduced Lysander.
The young people, who have now become rivals, decide through a duel to decide who will get Elena. Peck is delighted with what is happening. However, Oberon orders the servant to lead the duelists deep into the forest, and then separate and drive in circles so that they cannot meet. As the exhausted heroes fall asleep, Peck smears Lysander's eyelids with an antidote for love juice.
Awakening
Has a clear entertainment focus "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Theater in the years of Shakespeare served only for the amusement of the public. Nevertheless, the great playwright, even in comedy, the lowest genre, was considered to be able to put a modicum of meaning.
Oberon, who has already got the baby, accidentally sees Titania sleeping next to the Foundation. The king feels sorry for her, and he lubricates her eyelids with an antidote. The queen wakes up and exclaims: “I dreamed ... I fell in love with a donkey!”. Oberon orders Peck to return the original head to the Foundation. The fairies are flying away.
Aegeus, Hippolyta and Theseus come to the forest to hunt. They accidentally find sleeping young people. Waking up, Lysander announces that he and Hermia have fled here from the harsh laws of Athens. Demetrius, under the influence of the potion, confesses that he loves Elena and wants her to become his wife. Theseus announces that two more couples will be married this evening, besides himself and Hippolyta.
The Foundation wakes up, he goes to Pigve. Here the director gives instructions to the actors before the performance.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream": a summary. denouement
Preparations for the celebration begin. The lovers tell Theseus about everything that happened to them in the forest. The Duke marvels at their adventures.
Philostratus arrives, manager of entertainment. He provides Theseus with a list of recreational activities, from which the ruler must choose those he likes. The Duke opts for an interlude of artisans.
The performance begins. Pigwa reads the prologue, and the audience makes snide remarks. Snout comes out, he explains that he is smeared with lime, because he depicts a wall through which Thisbe and Pyramus must talk. The main action begins. Leo rises to the stage, who in verse explains to everyone that he is not real. At this time, Theseus admires: "What a reasonable and meek animal!" Actors say stupid things, shamelessly distort the text and amend the plot. This is all very amusing to the audience.
The play ends at midnight. The guests disperse. The elves appear, led by Peck. They sing, dance and have fun. Then Oberon and his wife order them to disperse around the castle and bless the beds of the newlyweds.
This concludes the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (we presented a summary above).
CHARACTERS Theseus, Duke of Athens. Aegeus, father of Hermia. Lysander) in love with Hermia. Demetrius Philostratus, manager of entertainment at the court of Theseus Pigwa, carpenter. Milyaga, carpenter. Warp, weaver. Dudka, repairer of inflatable bellows. Snout, coppersmith. Frozen, tailor. Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. Hermia in love with Lysander. Helena in love with Demetrius. Oberon, king of the fairies and elves. Titania, queen of the fairies and elves. Peck, or Good Little Robin, a little elf. Sweet Peas | Gossamer | Moth) elves. Mustard Seed | Fairies and elves, obedient to Oberon and Titania, retinue. The scene is Athens and the forest nearby. ACT I SCENE 1 Athens, Theseus' palace. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus, and Retinue. Theseus Beautiful, our wedding hour is getting closer: Four happy days - a new month They will bring us. But oh, how slow the old one is! He stands in the way of my desires, Like a stepmother or an old widow, That seizes a young man's income. Hippolyta Four days in the nights will sink quickly; Four nights in dreams will sink so quickly... And the crescent - a bow of silver Strung in the sky - will illuminate the Night of our wedding! Theseus Philostratus, go! Stimulate all the youth in Athens And awaken the frisky spirit of fun. Let sadness remain for the funeral: We do not need a pale guest at the feast. Philostratus leaves. THESEUS I got you with the sword, Hippolyta; With threats of your love I achieved, But I will play a wedding in a different way: Solemnly, and cheerfully, and magnificently! Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius. Aegeus Be happy, our glorious Duke Theseus! THESEUS Thank you, Egey! What do you say? Egey I am upset, with a complaint to you On Hermia - yes, on my own daughter! - Demetrius, come! - My sovereign, Here is the one to whom I wanted to give my daughter. - Lysander, come closer! - My sovereign! And this one bewitched her heart. - You, you, Lysander! You wrote poetry to her, Swapped with her pledges of love, Under her windows in the moonlight, Pretendingly sang love a pretend song! You used to captivate her heart, Bracelets, hair rings, sweets, Flowers, knick-knacks, trinkets - everything That is cute for inexperienced youth! You stole her love by deceit, You turned the obedience due to the father into evil stubbornness! - So if She is with you, my sovereign, does not give Consent to Demetrius, I appeal to the ancient Athenian law: Since my daughter, I can completely dispose of her; but I decided: Demetrius Or - as prescribed by law In such cases - immediately death! THESEUS Well, Hermia, beautiful maiden, what say you? Think well. You should consider your father as if a god: He created your beauty, and you are a cast wax form by Him; Leave it or break it - he has the right. Demetrius is a decent man. Hermia Lysander is mine too. THESEUS Yes, by itself; But if your father is not for him, That means that he is more worthy. HERMIA How I would like my father to look through my eyes! THESEUS No! Rather, your eyes Should obey his judgment. HERMIA Excuse me, Your Grace, I beg you. I myself do not know where I found courage, And whether it is possible, without offending modesty, To speak so freely in front of everyone. But I conjure, let me know: What is the worst thing for me, When I do not marry Demetrius? THESEUS What? Death! Ile renunciation forever From the society of men. That is why, O Hermia, test yourself. Think: You are young... Ask your soul, When you go against your father's will: Are you capable of putting on a nun's outfit, Be forever imprisoned in a monastery, Live all your life as a barren nun And sadly sing hymns to the cold moon? A hundred times blessed is he who humbles his blood, To complete the virgin path on earth; But the rose, dissolving in incense, Is happier than the one that blooms on an innocent bush, lives, dies - all alone! HERMIA So I bloom, and live, and die. I want to give him power as soon as a girl's rights! His yoke My soul does not want to submit. THESEUS Consider, Hermia! On the day of the new moon (On the day that will bind me with my love For eternal fellowship) You must be ready: either to die For the violation of your father's will, Or to marry the one he chose, Or to give forever at the altar of Diana A vow of celibacy and a harsh life. Demetrius Be gentle, O Hermia! - And you, Lysander, yield to my indisputable rights. Lysander Demetrius, since your father loves you so much, Give me your daughter, and marry him yourself! Aegeus daring mocker! Yes, father's love - Behind him and with her everything that I own. But the daughter is mine, and I give all the rights over her to Demetrius in full! Lysander But, my lord, I am equal with him in birth Yes and wealth; I love more; I am in no way inferior in position, rather even higher than Demetrius; And most importantly - which exceeds everything - I love the beautiful Hermia! Why should I renounce my rights? Demetrius - yes, I'll tell him to his face - I was in love with Elena, the daughter of Nedar. He carried her away. Tender Helena Loves the fickle madly, Worships the empty man! THESEUS To be honest, I've heard something about it And even thought of talking to him; But, busy with the most important things, I forgot about that. - Come with me, Demetrius, And you, Egey! Come with me both, And we'll find something to talk about! - Well, Hermia, try to subordinate Your dreams to the desire of your father, Otherwise the law of Athens will betray you (Which we cannot change) To death or to eternal celibacy. - Well, Hippolyta ... What, my love? Let's go ... - Demetrius and Aegeus - follow me. I will instruct you to arrange something for the solemn day and talk about what concerns you both. Aegeus We are always glad to fulfill our duty. Exeunt Theseus, Hippolyta, Aegeus, Demetrius, and Retinue. Lysander Well, my love? How pale cheeks! How quickly the roses withered on them! HERMIA Is it because there is no rain, which From the storm of my eyes is easy to get. Lysander Alas! I have never heard And read - whether in history, in a fairy tale eh - So that the path of true love is smooth. But - or the difference in origin ... HERMIA Woe! Higher - captivated by the lower! .. Lysander Or the difference in years ... Hermia O mockery! To be too old for a young bride! Lysander Or the choice of relatives and friends... Hermia O torment! But how to love someone else's choice? Lysander And if the choice is good for all, - war, Sickness or death always threaten love And make it, like a sound, instantaneous, Like a shadow, flying and, like a dream, short. So lightning, flashing in the darkness of the night, Angrily opens the heavens and the earth, And before we exclaim: "Look!" - She will already be swallowed by the abyss of darkness - Everything bright disappears so quickly. Hermia But if suffering is inevitable for lovers, and such is the law of fate, So let us be patient in trials: After all, this is an ordinary cross for love, Decent for her - dreams, languor, tears, Desires, dreams - love's unfortunate retinue! Lysander Yes, you are right... But, Hermia, listen: I have an aunt. She is a widow, rich, childless, moreover. Lives about seven miles from here. So: she loves me like a son! There, Hermia, we can get married. Cruel Athenian laws They won't find us there. If you really love, You secretly leave the house tomorrow night. In the forest, three miles from Athens, in the place Where I met you with Helena (you came to perform the rites on a May morning, remember?), I will wait for you. HERMIA O my Lysander! I swear by the strongest bow of Cupid, by his best arrow, golden, the purity of Venus doves, by the fire into which Dido threw herself, when the Trojan raised the sails, - by all that love binds the heavens, by the darkness of men's oaths, shamelessly violated (in which it is impossible for women to catch up with them), I swear: in the forest indicated by you, I will be tomorrow night, my dear! Elena enters. Lysander You will keep your oath... But look - Elena! Hermia Hello! Where are you going, my beautiful friend? Elena the beautiful? Oh, don't joke around. Your beauty Demetrius captivates, Lucky! Your gaze shines on him Brighter than the stars, your voice is sweeter, Than a lark's song among the fields... If beauty were a sticky disease - I would have been infected by you, my friend! I would steal away from you And the sparkle of your eyes, and the tenderness of your sweet speech ... If my whole world - Demetrius would rather I would take myself; everything else - own it! But teach me: by what art of Demetrius have you mastered the senses? HERMIA I frown - he loves more and more. Elena Such power - my smile would be! Hermia I swear it - it only makes the flame brighter! HELENA Oh, if only I could soften him with prayers! HERMIA The harder I am, the more tender he is with me! Elena The more tender I am, the harder he is with me! HERMIA His madness is not my fault. Elena Your beauty! Oh, be mine, guilt! HERMIA I won't see him again: don't suffer. We will leave this land forever! While I lived here, not knowing love, Athens seemed to me better than paradise ... And now - love! How good is she, When from heaven to make hell is free? Lysander Elena, friend, I will reveal everything to you: Tomorrow night, as soon as Phoebe sees His silvery face in the mirror of the river, Reeds strewn with liquid pearls, - At the hour that keeps secrets for lovers, We will go out with her from the city gates. Hermia In the forest, where often, lying among the flowers, We shared girlish dreams, My Lysander must meet me, And we will leave our native city, Looking for other friends, a different circle. Farewell, my friend's childhood games! Please, pray for our fate, And God send Demetrius to you. - So remember the agreement, Lysander: until the night Our eyes must fast. Lysander Yes, my Hermia... Hermia leaves. Farewell, Elena! Demetrius I wish you love. (Exits.) HELENA How happy one is to the detriment of the other! In Athens, I am equal in beauty with her ... What of it? He is blind to my beauty: He does not want to know what everyone knows. He is in error, captivated by Hermia; I - also, admiring them blindly. Love is able to forgive low things And to turn vices into valor And chooses not with the eyes - with the heart: For this reason they depict her blind. It is difficult for her to come to terms with common sense. Without eyes - and wings: a symbol of reckless Haste! .. Her name is - a child; After all, it is easy to deceive her by joking. And as the boys swear in the game, So it is easy and uneasy for her to deceive. Until he was captured by Hermia, He swore to me with a hail of oaths of love; But only Hermia breathed heat - The hail melted, and with it all the oaths in vain. I will go, I will reveal their plans to him: He, surely, will go into the forest at night; And if I receive gratitude, I will pay dearly for it. But I am in my anguish and this is a lot - With him, together in the forest and out of the forest, the road! (Exits.) SCENE 2 Athens. A room in a hut. Enter Pigwa, Milyaga, Osnova, Dudka, Snout, and Snag. Pigwa Is our whole company assembled? Basis And you better make a roll call: call us all on the list. Pigwa Here is a list with the names of all who have been found in the slightest degree fit to present our interlude before the Duke and Duchess on the evening of their marriage. Basis First of all, good Peter Pigwa, tell us what the play is about, then read the actors' names and you'll get to the point! Pigwa Correct! Our play is "The pitiable comedy and the very cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe." Basis Excellent stuff, I assure you, and hilarious! Well, good Peter Pigwa, now call all the actors on the list. Citizens, line up! Pigwa Answer the call!.. Nick Base! The basis is! Name my role and continue the roll call. Pigwa You, Nick Base, have been targeted for Pyramus. Foundation What is Pyramus? Lover or villain? Pigwa A lover who blatantly kills himself for love. Base Yep! So it takes tears to play it right. Well, if I take this role - prepare, the public, handkerchiefs! I'll raise a storm... I'll lament to some extent... But, to tell the truth, my main vocation is the role of villains. I would play Hercules in an unusual way, or even such a role as to gnaw the earth and smash everything around to pieces! A roar will be heard, Blows of fighters - And the bolt of the Cruel dungeon will collapse. And Phoebe, the bright god, Far and high, Will change the evil fate From his chariot! What was it like? Great, huh? Well, call other actors. Here was the manner of Hercules, the character of the villain; lover - much more tearful. Pigwa Francis Dudka, bellows repairer. Dudka Yes, Peter Pigwa! Pigwa You must take on the role of Thisbe. Dudka And who will this be Thisbe? The errant knight? Pigwa No, this is the lady Pyramus is in love with. Dudka No, I beg your honor, don't make me play a woman: my beard is breaking through! Pigwa Means nothing; you can play in a mask and you will squeak in the thinnest voice. Base A! If you can play in a mask - come on, I'll play Thisbe for you: I can speak in a monstrously thin voice. "Yours, yours ... Ah, Pyramus, my dear lover! I am your dear Thisbe, I am your dear lady!" Pigwa No! Not! You must play Pyramus, and you, Dudka, - Thisbe. Foundation Okay. Move on! Pigwa Robin Squishy, the tailor! Squishy Yes, Peter Pigwa! Pigwa Squishy, you will play Thisbe's mother. - Thomas Snout, coppersmith! SNOUT Yes, Peter Pigwa! Pigwa You are Piram's father. I'll play Fisbin's father. - Milyaga, carpenter, you get the role of Leo. Well, I hope the play goes well with us. Milyaga Have you rewritten the role of Leo? You will give it to me now, otherwise my memory is very slow for learning. Pigwa There is nothing to learn here, and so you will play: you will only have to growl. Basis Let me play Leo for you! I will growl so that your heart will rejoice; I will growl so that the duke himself will surely say: “Come on, let him growl some more, let him growl some more! "Pigwa Well, if you growl so terribly, you will probably frighten the duchess and all the ladies to death; they will also scream, and that will be enough for us all to be hanged! Everyone Yes, yes, they hang every single one! you, my friends, I agree that if we incite the ladies, they will not think of anything better than to hang us all up.But I will be able to change my voice so that I will growl tenderly, like your little dove bird; I will growl to you like your nightingale! Pigwa No role for you but Pyramus, because Pyramus is a handsome fellow, just such a real man in his prime, a first-class man, well-bred, with manners, well, in a word, exactly like you ... All you have to do is play Pyramus. Base Okay, I agree, I'll take the part. What beard should I play it with? "Red? Or maybe the colors of the French crown - pure yellow." but? Pigwa Some French crowns have no hair at all, and you will have to play with a naked face ... - Well, citizens, here are your roles for you, and I beg you, I beg you and conjure you - memorize them by tomorrow evening. And in the evening come to the palace forest, a mile from the city, where we will have a rehearsal by moonlight. Otherwise, if we gather in the city, they will sniff out about it and blurt out our idea. In the meantime, I'll make a list of the props we need for the play. And please don't let me down. Basis We will definitely come. There it will be possible to rehearse, as they say, more unceremoniously, more freely. Try not to lose face! Until then, stay healthy! Pigwa Meeting - at the ducal oak. Foundation Okay. Even hang yourself, but stay where you are. They leave.Theseus , Duke of Athens.
Aegeus father of Hermias.
Lysander, Demetrius in love with Hermia.
Philostratus , manager of entertainment at the court of Theseus.
Pigwa , a carpenter.
Milyaga , carpenter.
The foundation , weaver.
Dudka , repairer of inflatable bellows.
Snout , coppersmith.
zamorysh , tailor.
Hippolyta , queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.
Hermia in love with Lysander.
Elena in love with Demetrius.
Oberon , king of fairies and elves.
Titania , queen of fairies and elves.
Pack, or Good Little Robin , little elf.
Sweet Pea, Spider Web, Moth, Mustard Seed , elves.
Fairies and elves, obedient to Oberon and Titania, retinue.
Location - Athens and the forest nearby.
ACT I
SCENE 1
Athens, Theseus Palace.
Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus And retinue.
Theseus
Beautiful, our wedding hour is getting closer:
Four happy days - a new month
They will bring us. But oh, how slow the old one is!
He stands in the way of my desires,
Like a stepmother or an old widow,
What youths income seizes.
Hippolyta
Four days in the nights will sink quickly;
Four nights in dreams will sink so quickly ...
And the crescent is a bow of silver,
Stretched in the sky - will illuminate
Our wedding night!
Theseus
Philostratus, go!
Stir up all the youth in Athens
And awaken the frisky spirit of fun.
Sadness for the funeral let it remain:
We do not need a pale guest at the feast.
Philostratus leaves.
Theseus
I got you with a sword, Hippolyta;
I won your love with threats,
Solemn, and fun, and magnificent!
Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander And Demetrius.
Aegeus
Be happy, our glorious Duke Theseus!
Theseus
Thank you, Egey! What do you say?
Aegeus
I'm upset, complaining to you
To Hermia - yes, to her own daughter! -
Demetri, come! - My sovereign,
Here is the one to whom I wanted to give my daughter. -
Lysander, come near! - My sovereign!
And this one bewitched her heart. -
You, you, Lysander! You wrote poetry to her
Pledges of love changed with her,
Under her windows in the moonlight
Pretending to sing a love pretense song!
You used it to captivate her heart,
Bracelets, hair rings, sweets,
Flowers, knickknacks, trinkets - everything
That inexperienced youth is cute!
By deceit you stole her love,
You are an obedience due to the father,
Turned evil into stubbornness! - So if
She will not let you, my sovereign,
Consent to Demetrius, I appeal
To the ancient Athenian law:
Since my daughter, I can completely with her
locate; and I decided: Demetrius
Or - as provided by law
In such cases - immediately death!
Theseus
Well, Hermia, beautiful maiden,
What do you say? Think well.
He created your beauty, and you
They cast a wax mold;
Leave it or break it - he has the right.
Demetrius is a decent person.
Hermia
My Lysander too.
Theseus
Yes, by itself;
But if your father is not for him,
That means he deserves it.
Hermia
I wanted my father to look at my
Theseus
Not! Hurry your eyes
We must obey his judgment.
Hermia
Excuse me, Your Grace, I beg you.
I don't know where I found the courage
And is it possible, without offending modesty,
With all of me so freely to speak.
But I conjure, let me know:
What's the worst for me
When will I not marry Demetrius?
Theseus
What? Death! Or renunciation forever
From the society of men. That's why,
Oh Hermia, check yourself. Think:
You are young ... You ask your soul,
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