Mr. WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE’S

A
MIDSOMMER
Nights Dreame.

The Sample Beginning

The First Folio text prepared by Patrick Tucker & Christine Ozanne
in friendlyfolio format (Cue Lines: up to three words)

Chart for “A Midsommer Nights Dreame” Sample Beginning

(This is just the first scene, and runs about 15 minutes;  the full “Beginnings” package is the first four scenes, and runs about 35 minutes.)  
									© Patrick Tucker; 06/06/16 	
Play:
	Act:	Character:	Line breakdowns:	Notes:	Casting:	
				:Prose			
				M:		F:		Total:			

A Midsommer Nights Dreame
	
MD	I-1	Hermia
Helena
Hippolita
Theseus
Lysander
Egeus
Demetrius
Philostrate
Attendants	

65
53
30
2
0	56
43
5		254		...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	
Actor nos:  8	5	3					
Total lines:		254	Running time: 15 to 17 mins.	
Cast list:	Helena
Hermia
Hippolita
Theseus
Lysander
Demetrius
Philostrate
Attendants	

65
53
2
0	56
43
5			................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	

The Partial Platt of A Midsommer Nights Dreame

I-1
Enter Theseus, Duke of Athens, with his bride-to-be Hippolita Queene of the Amazons, Philostrate, with others.  To them, Egeus, and his daughter Hermia, and Lysander, and Demetrius.  Lysander and Demetrius stand forth.  Exeunt all but Lysander and Hermia.  To them Helena.  Exit Hermia.  Exit Lysander.  Exit Helena.

FINIS.

FACT Sheet for I-1:

I-1	When he talks of marrying Hermia, Lysander changes to thee.

I-1	Helena is determined to suffer, and so plans to help Demetrius bring Hermia back from the forest, as her long speech shows

The Cue Scripts following the Prompt Script are in alphabetical order:

Demetrius
Egeus
Helena
Hermia
Hippolita
Lysander
Philostrate
Theseus

Help Notes

.

A
MIDSOMMER
Nights Dreame.

[I-1]

Actus primus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.

Theseus:
Now faire Hippolita, our nuptiall houre
Drawes on apace:  foure happy daies bring in
Another Moon:  but oh, me thinkes, how slow
This old Moon wanes;  She lingers my desires
Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager,
Long withering out a yong mans revennew.

Hippolita:
Foure daies wil quickly steep themselves in nights
Foure nights wil quickly dreame away the time:
And then the Moone, like to a silver bow,
Now bent in heaven, shal behold the night
Of our solemnities.

Theseus:
Go Philostrate,
Stirre up the Athenian youth to merriments,
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,
Turne melancholy forth to Funerals:
The pale companion is not for our pompe,
Hippolita, I woo’d thee with my sword,
And wonne thy love, doing thee injuries:
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pompe, with triumph, and with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

Egeus:
Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke.

Theseus:
Thanks good Egeus:  what’s the news with thee?

Egeus:
Full of vexation, come I, with complaint
Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.

Stand forth Demetrius.

My Noble Lord,
This man hath my consent to marrie her.

Stand forth Lysander.

And my gracious Duke,
This man hath bewitch’d the bosome of my childe:
Thou, thou Lysander, thou hast given her rimes,
And interchang’d love-tokens with my childe:
Thou hast by Moone-light at her window sung,
With faining voice, verses of faining love,
And stolne the impression of her fantasie,
With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceits,
Knackes, trifles, Nose-gaies, sweet meats (messengers
Of strong prevailment in unhardned youth)
With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughters heart,
Turn’d her obedience (which is due to me)
To stubborne harshnesse.   And my gracious Duke,
Be it so she will not heere before your Grace,
Consent to marrie with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient priviledge of Athens;
As she is mine, I may dispose of her;
Which shall be either to this Gentleman,
Or to her death, according to our Law,
Immediately provided in that case.

Theseus:
What say you Hermia?  be advis’d faire Maide,
To you your Father should be as a God;
One that compos’d your beauties;  yea and one
To whom you are but as a forme in waxe
By him imprinted:  and within his power,
To leave the figure, or disfigure it:
Demetrius is a worthy Gentleman.

Hermia:
So is Lysander.

Theseus:
In himselfe he is.
But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voyce,
The other must be held the worthier.

Hermia:
I would my father look’d but with my eyes.

Theseus:
Rather your eies must with his judgment looke.

Hermia:
I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold,
Nor how it may concerne my modestie
In such a presence heere to pleade my thoughts:
But I beseech your Grace, that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

Theseus:
Either to dye the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore faire Hermia question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether (if you yeeld not to your fathers choice)
You can endure the liverie of a Nunne,
For aye to be in shady Cloister mew’d,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymnes to the cold fruitlesse Moone,
Thrice blessed they that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage,
But earthlier happie is the Rose distil’d,
Then that which withering on the virgin thorne,
Growes, lives, and dies, in single blessednesse.

Hermia:
So will I grow, so live, so die my Lord,
Ere I will yeeld my virgin Patent up
Unto his Lordship, whose unwished yoake,
My soule consents not to give soveraignty.

Theseus:
Take time to pause, and by the next new Moon
The sealing day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship:
Upon that day either prepare to dye,
For disobedience to your fathers will,
Or else to wed Demetrius as hee would,
Or on Dianaes Altar to protest
For aie, austerity, and single life.

Demetrius:
Relent sweet Hermia, and Lysander, yeelde
Thy crazed title to my certaine right.

Lysander:
You have her fathers love, Demetrius:
Let me have Hermiaes:  do you marry him.

Egeus:
Scornfull Lysander, true, he hath my Love;
And what is mine, my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her,
I do estate unto Demetrius.

Lysander:
I am my Lord, as well deriv’d as he,
As well possest:  my love is more then his:
My fortunes every way as fairely ranck’d
(If not with vantage) as Demetrius:
And (which is more then all these boasts can be)
I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia.
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, Ile avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedars daughter, Helena,
And won her soule:  and she (sweet Ladie) dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

Theseus:
I must confesse, that I have heard so much,
And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof:
But being over-full of selfe-affaires,
My minde did lose it.   But Demetrius come,
And come Egeus, you shall go with me,
I have some private schooling for you both.
For you faire Hermia, looke you arme your selfe,
To fit your fancies to your Fathers will;
Or else the Law of Athens yeelds you up
(Which by no meanes we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of single life.
Come my Hippolita, what cheare my love?
Demetrius and Egeus go along:
I must imploy you in some businesse
Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you
Of something, neerely that concernes your selves.
Egeus:
With dutie and desire we follow you.

Exeunt

Manet Lysander and Hermia.

Lysander:
How now my love?   Why is your cheek so pale?
How chance the Roses there do fade so fast?

Hermia:
Belike for want of raine, which I could well
Beteeme them, from the tempest of mine eyes.

Lysander:
For ought that ever I could reade,
Could ever heare by tale or historie,
The course of true love never did run smooth,
But either it was different in blood.

Hermia:
O crosse!  too high to be enthral’d to love.

Lysander:
Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares.

Hermia:
O spight!  too old to be ingag’d to yong.

Lysander:
Or else it stood upon the choise of merit.

Hermia:
O hell!  to choose love by anothers eie.

Lysander:
Or if there were a simpathie in choise,
Warre, death, or sicknesse, did lay siege to it;
Making it momentarie, as a sound:
Swift as a shadow, short as any dreame,
Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,
That (in a spleene) unfolds both heaven and earth;
And ere a man hath power to say, behold,
The jawes of darknesse do devoure it up:
So quicke bright things come to confusion.

Hermia:
If then true Lovers have beene ever crost,
It stands as an edict in destinie:
Then let us teach our triall patience,
Because it is a customarie crosse,
As due to love, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes,
Wishes and teares;  poore Fancies followers.

Lysander:
A good perswasion;  therefore heare me Hermia,
I have a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,
Of great revennew, and she hath no childe,
From Athens is her house remov’d seven leagues,
And she respects me, as her onely sonne:
There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee,
And to that place, the sharpe Athenian Law
Cannot pursue us.   If thou lov’st me, then
Steale forth thy fathers house to morrow night:
And in the wood, a league without the towne,
(Where I did meete thee once with Helena,
To do observance for a morne of May)
There will I stay for thee.

Hermia:
My good Lysander,
I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicitie of Venus Doves,
By that which knitteth soules, and prospers love,
And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage Queene,
When the false Troyan under saile was seene,
By all the vowes that ever men have broke,
(In number more then ever women spoke)
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
To morrow truly will I meete with thee.

Lysander:
Keepe promise love:  looke here comes Helena.

Enter Helena.

Hermia:
God speede faire Helena, whither away?

Helena:
Cal you me faire?  that faire againe unsay,
Demetrius loves you faire:  O happie faire!
Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweet ayre
More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,
When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare,
Sicknesse is catching:  O were favor so,
Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,
My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongues sweet melodie,
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest Ile give to be to you translated.
O teach me how you looke, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius hart.

Hermia:
I frowne upon him, yet he loves me still.

Helena:
O that your frownes would teach my smiles
such skil.

Hermia:
I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

Helena:
O that my prayers could such affection moove.

Hermia:
The more I hate, the more he followes me.

Helena:
The more I love, the more he hateth me.

Hermia:
His folly Helena is none of mine.

Helena:
None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine

Hermia:
Take comfort:  he no more shall see my face,
Lysander and my selfe will flie this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem’d Athens like a Paradise to mee.
O then, what graces in my Love do dwell,
That he hath turn’d a heaven into hell.

Lysander:
Helen, to you our mindes we will unfold,
To morrow night, when Phœbe doth behold
Her silver visage, in the watry glasse,
Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse
(A time that Lovers flights doth still conceale)
Through Athens gates, have we devis’d to steale.

Hermia:
And in the wood, where often you and I,
Upon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,
Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld:
There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete,
And thence from Athens turne away our eyes
To seeke new friends and strange companions,
Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for us,
And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.
Keepe word Lysander we must starve our sight,
From lovers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.

Exit Hermia.

Lysander:
I will my Hermia.   Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you.

Exit Lysander.

Helena:
How happy some, ore other some can be?
Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.
But what of that?   Demetrius thinkes not so:
He will not know, what all, but he doth know,
And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;
So I, admiring of his qualities:
Things base and vilde, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to forme and dignity,
Love lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,
And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blinde.
Nor hath loves minde of any judgement taste:
Wings and no eyes, figure, unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a childe,
Because in choise he is often beguil’d,
As waggish boyes in game themselves forsweare;
So the boy Love is perjur’d every where.
For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,
He hail’d downe oathes that he was onely mine.
And when this Haile some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolv’d, and showres of oathes did melt,
I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:
Then to the wood will he, to morrow night
Pursue her;  and for his intelligence,
If I have thankes, it is a deere expence:
But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,
To have his sight thither, and backe againe.

Exit.

F I N I S.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Demetrius

[I-1]

─────────────────────────────── with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── daughter Hermia.

Stand forth Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── and single life.

Relent sweet Hermia, and Lysander, yeelde
Thy crazed title to my certaine right.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Egeus

[I-1]

─────────────────────────────── with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke.

─────────────────────────────── news with thee?

Full of vexation, come I, with complaint
Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.

Stand forth Demetrius.

My Noble Lord,
This man hath my consent to marrie her.

Stand forth Lysander.

And my gracious Duke,
This man hath bewitch’d the bosome of my childe:
Thou, thou Lysander, thou hast given her rimes,
And interchang’d love-tokens with my childe:
Thou hast by Moone-light at her window sung,
With faining voice, verses of faining love,
And stolne the impression of her fantasie,
With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceits,
Knackes, trifles, Nose-gaies, sweet meats (messengers
Of strong prevailment in unhardned youth)
With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughters heart,
Turn’d her obedience (which is due to me)
To stubborne harshnesse.   And my gracious Duke,
Be it so she will not heere before your Grace,
Consent to marrie with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient priviledge of Athens;
As she is mine, I may dispose of her;
Which shall be either to this Gentleman,
Or to her death, according to our Law,
Immediately provided in that case.
─────────────────────────────── you marry him.

Scornfull Lysander, true, he hath my Love;
And what is mine, my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her,
I do estate unto Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── concernes your selves.

With dutie and desire we follow you. 

Exeunt

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Helena

[I-1]

─────────────────────────────── comes Helena.

Enter Helena.

─────────────────────────────── whither away?

Cal you me faire?  that faire againe unsay,
Demetrius loves you faire:  O happie faire!
Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweet ayre
More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,
When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare,
Sicknesse is catching:  O were favor so,
Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,
My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongues sweet melodie,
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest Ile give to be to you translated.
O teach me how you looke, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius hart.

─────────────────────────────── loves me still.

O that your frownes would teach my smiles such skil.

─────────────────────────────── gives me love.

O that my prayers could such affection moove.

─────────────────────────────── he followes me.

The more I love, the more he hateth me.

─────────────────────────────── none of mine.

None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine.

─────────────────────────────── dotes on you.

Exit Lysander.
How happy some, ore other some can be?
Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.
But what of that?   Demetrius thinkes not so:
He will not know, what all, but he doth know,
And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;
So I, admiring of his qualities:
Things base and vilde, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to forme and dignity,
Love lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,
And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blinde.
Nor hath loves minde of any judgement taste:
Wings and no eyes, figure, unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a childe,
Because in choise he is often beguil’d, 
As waggish boyes in game themselves forsweare;
So the boy Love is perjur’d every where.
For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,
He hail’d downe oathes that he was onely mine.
And when this Haile some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolv’d, and showres of oathes did melt,
I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:
Then to the wood will he, to morrow night
Pursue her;  and for his intelligence,
If I have thankes, it is a deere expence:
But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,
To have his sight thither, and backe againe.

Exit.

F I N I S.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Hermia

[I-1]

─────────────────────────────── with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── worthy Gentleman.

So is Lysander.

─────────────────────────────── the worthier.

I would my father look’d but with my eyes.

─────────────────────────────── his judgment looke.

I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold,
Nor how it may concerne my modestie
In such a presence heere to pleade my thoughts:
But I beseech your Grace, that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── single blessednesse.

So will I grow, so live, so die my Lord,
Ere I will yeeld my virgin Patent up
Unto his Lordship, whose unwished yoake,
My soule consents not to give soveraignty.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.  Manet Lysander and Hermia.

─────────────────────────────── fade so fast?

Belike for want of raine, which I could well
Beteeme them, from the tempest of mine eyes.

─────────────────────────────── in blood.

O crosse!  too high to be enthral’d to love.

─────────────────────────────── respect of yeares.

O spight!  too old to be ingag’d to yong.

─────────────────────────────── choise of merit.

O hell!  to choose love by anothers eie.

─────────────────────────────── to confusion.

If then true Lovers have beene ever crost,
It stands as an edict in destinie:
Then let us teach our triall patience,
Because it is a customarie crosse,
As due to love, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes,
Wishes and teares;  poore Fancies followers.

─────────────────────────────── stay for thee.

My good Lysander,
I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicitie of Venus Doves,
By that which knitteth soules, and prospers love,
And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage Queene,
When the false Troyan under saile was seene,
By all the vowes that ever men have broke,
(In number more then ever women spoke)
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
To morrow truly will I meete with thee.

─────────────────────────────── comes Helena.

Enter Helena.

God speede faire Helena, whither away?

─────────────────────────────── Demetrius hart.

I frowne upon him, yet he loves me still.

─────────────────────────────── smiles such skil.

I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

─────────────────────────────── affection moove.

The more I hate, the more he followes me.

─────────────────────────────── he hateth me.

His folly Helena is none of mine.

─────────────────────────────── fault wer mine

Take comfort:  he no more shall see my face,
Lysander and my selfe will flie this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem’d Athens like a Paradise to mee.
O then, what graces in my Love do dwell,
That he hath turn’d a heaven into hell.

─────────────────────────────── devis’d to steale.

And in the wood, where often you and I,
Upon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,
Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld:
There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete,
And thence from Athens turne away our eyes
To seeke new friends and strange companions,
Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for us,
And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.
Keepe word Lysander we must starve our sight,
From lovers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.

Exit Hermia.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Hippolita

[I-1]

Actus primus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.

─────────────────────────────── mans revennew.

Foure daies wil quickly steep themselves in nights
Foure nights wil quickly dreame away the time:
And then the Moone, like to a silver bow,
Now bent in heaven, shal behold the night
Of our solemnities.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Lysander

[I-1]

─────────────────────────────── with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── to marrie her.

Stand forth Lysander.

─────────────────────────────── my certaine right.

You have her fathers love, Demetrius:
Let me have Hermiaes:  do you marry him.

─────────────────────────────── unto Demetrius.

I am my Lord, as well deriv’d as he,
As well possest:  my love is more then his:
My fortunes every way as fairely ranck’d
(If not with vantage) as Demetrius:
And (which is more then all these boasts can be)
I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia.
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, Ile avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedars daughter, Helena,
And won her soule:  and she (sweet Ladie) dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.  Manet Lysander and Hermia.

How now my love?   Why is your cheek so pale?
How chance the Roses there do fade so fast?

─────────────────────────────── of mine eyes.

For ought that ever I could reade,
Could ever heare by tale or historie,
The course of true love never did run smooth,
But either it was different in blood.

─────────────────────────────── enthral’d to love.

Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares.

─────────────────────────────── ingag’d to yong.

Or else it stood upon the choise of merit.

─────────────────────────────── anothers eie.

Or if there were a simpathie in choise,
Warre, death, or sicknesse, did lay siege to it;
Making it momentarie, as a sound:
Swift as a shadow, short as any dreame,
Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,
That (in a spleene) unfolds both heaven and earth;
And ere a man hath power to say, behold,
The jawes of darknesse do devoure it up:
So quicke bright things come to confusion.

─────────────────────────────── Fancies followers.

A good perswasion;  therefore heare me Hermia,
I have a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,
Of great revennew, and she hath no childe,
From Athens is her house remov’d seven leagues,
And she respects me, as her onely sonne:
There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee,
And to that place, the sharpe Athenian Law
Cannot pursue us.   If thou lov’st me, then
Steale forth thy fathers house to morrow night:
And in the wood, a league without the towne,
(Where I did meete thee once with Helena,
To do observance for a morne of May)
There will I stay for thee.

─────────────────────────────── meete with thee.

Keepe promise love:  looke here comes Helena.

Enter Helena.
─────────────────────────────── into hell.

Helen, to you our mindes we will unfold,
To morrow night, when Phœbe doth behold
Her silver visage, in the watry glasse,
Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse
(A time that Lovers flights doth still conceale)
Through Athens gates, have we devis’d to steale.

─────────────────────────────── deepe midnight.

Exit Hermia.

I will my Hermia.   Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you.

Exit Lysander.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Philostrate

[I-1]

Actus primus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.

A Midsommer Nights Dreame

Theseus

[I-1]

Actus primus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.

Now faire Hippolita, our nuptiall houre
Drawes on apace:  foure happy daies bring in
Another Moon:  but oh, me thinkes, how slow
This old Moon wanes;  She lingers my desires
Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager,
Long withering out a yong mans revennew.

─────────────────────────────── our solemnities.

Go Philostrate,
Stirre up the Athenian youth to merriments,
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,
Turne melancholy forth to Funerals:
The pale companion is not for our pompe,
Hippolita, I woo’d thee with my sword,
And wonne thy love, doing thee injuries:
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pompe, with triumph, and with revelling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
and Demetrius.

─────────────────────────────── renowned Duke.

Thanks good Egeus:  what’s the news with thee?

─────────────────────────────── in that case.

What say you Hermia?  be advis’d faire Maide,
To you your Father should be as a God;
One that compos’d your beauties;  yea and one
To whom you are but as a forme in waxe
By him imprinted:  and within his power,
To leave the figure, or disfigure it:
Demetrius is a worthy Gentleman.
─────────────────────────────── is Lysander.

In himselfe he is.
But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voyce,
The other must be held the worthier.

─────────────────────────────── with my eyes.

Rather your eies must with his judgment looke.

─────────────────────────────── wed Demetrius.

Either to dye the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore faire Hermia question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether (if you yeeld not to your fathers choice)
You can endure the liverie of a Nunne,
For aye to be in shady Cloister mew’d,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymnes to the cold fruitlesse Moone,
Thrice blessed they that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage,
But earthlier happie is the Rose distil’d,
Then that which withering on the virgin thorne,
Growes, lives, and dies, in single blessednesse.

─────────────────────────────── give soveraignty.

Take time to pause, and by the next new Moon
The sealing day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship:
Upon that day either prepare to dye,
For disobedience to your fathers will,
Or else to wed Demetrius as hee would,
Or on Dianaes Altar to protest
For aie, austerity, and single life.

─────────────────────────────── inconstant man.

I must confesse, that I have heard so much,
And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof:
But being over-full of selfe-affaires,
My minde did lose it.   But Demetrius come,
And come Egeus, you shall go with me,
I have some private schooling for you both.
For you faire Hermia, looke you arme your selfe,
To fit your fancies to your Fathers will;
Or else the Law of Athens yeelds you up
(Which by no meanes we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of single life.
Come my Hippolita, what cheare my love?
Demetrius and Egeus go along:
I must imploy you in some businesse
Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you
Of something, neerely that concernes your selves.

─────────────────────────────── we follow you. 

Exeunt.

Help Notes
(These notes are issued to be used in conjunction with First Folio material from friendlyfolio.com.)

You can use the package for a class or cast reading, for a semi-staged version, or for a
complete performance with costumes and properties.

Cue Scripts

The complete words and cue words for a character in a play are called a Part, with shorter selections being called a Cue Script.

1.	The words to be spoken are printed on the left of the Cue Script.  Each person is only given their own text, and the few words before each of their speeches or stage instructions, with a line drawn before them.  These are the Cue Words (up to three words), and will look like this:

		─────────────────────────────── and single life.

		Relent sweet Hermia, and Lysander, yeelde
		Thy crazed title to my certaine right.

So when the words “and single life.”  are spoken, then Demetrius will say the speech:  “Relent sweet Hermia,” 

2.	Stage Instructions are printed in Italics, and are to be obeyed, not spoken.  They look like this:
		Exeunt.

		Manet Lysander and Hermia.

“Manet” is the Latin for “he remains”, and means that Lysander and Hermia do not leave the stage at the word “Exeunt”, which means everybody exits.   (The plural “manent – they all remain)” is only used once in the entire Folio).

3.	Words in Italics in a speech itself are either the name of a person or place, foreign words, or the words of a song.

4.	If there are lines immediately following a stage instruction, then they are not spoken until the stage instruction has been completed.  It will look like this:

		───────────────────────────────  dotes on you.

		Exit Lysander.

		How happy some, ore other some can be?
So Helena will wait until Lysander has gone before speaking the words: “How happy some, ore other some can be?

The Book-Holder

This is what a Prompter used to be called:

1.	It is essential to have someone ready to prompt, as a cue line may be missed, or someone may come in with the wrong line, and the group need to be kept on the right track.   For a performance, the Book-Holder should be as obvious to the cast and audience as a conductor is at a concert.   The Original Shakespeare Company found that the best position for the Book-Holder was up-stage left.   This allows an actor to catch the Book-Holder’s eye at any moment when they need the assurance that they are on the right track, have said the right line, or made the correct entrance or exit.

2.	For a full performance, the proceedings are started and stopped by the Book-Holder. Usually, if there is a pause in the proceedings, the Book-Holder should prompt.   If an actor needs a prompt then saying the word “Prithee?” rather then the more modern “Line!” or “Yes?” is preferable.   Simple sound effects, such as a bell ringing or a knock on a door,  can also be done by the Book-Holder.

The Platt

Plays back then usually had a Platt:

1.	The Platt can be written out on a poster, with the names of the actors doing each role added after their first appearance on the Platt.   This should be hung up back stage, the way they did in Shakespeare’s time.

2.	The OSC found that the small version of this was an ideal “programme” for the audience to enjoy.   The Platt can also just be distributed to the performers, so they have the complete information that the original actors would have had – a Part and a Platt.

Reading the scripts

1.	Give out the cue scripts, and assign someone to be the Book-holder.

2.	Discover with the group what changes there are to their understanding when they only have their own lines to inform them;  also find out what they discovered by listening to the other people in the scene.

3.	The suspense of wondering when to speak, when the situation is not known, is a wonderful way to get a group enthused and excited about discovering the play.

Performance preparation

If the piece is to be performed, the lines can be learned, or they can be performed by reading from the cue scripts themselves.  There are a few extra things to see to:

1.	Prior to the performance (sometimes just a short while in advance) the actors should be gathered to be told which entrances and exits should be used (for example: “to and from the forest is Stage Left; to and from the court is Stage Right”) and any music or fights quickly gone through.

2.	All the properties needed for the presentation should be on a table underneath the Platt, and if used the costumes should be appropriate to the status of the character (again, the OSC found that if the servants dressed according to their state, the kings and the clerics for theirs, a complete mix of historical styles worked just fine – it was the status that was important, not the accuracy of the period).

3.	The Book-holder starts and stops the performance, and a good way of doing this is by ringing a bell, which can also be used to stop the actors if they are veering off with the wrong lines.   

Full Beginnings Package  (available from www.friendlyfolio.com)

We have prepared Beginnings for over 20 of Shakespeare’s plays, and the full package also includes the guides “24 Acting Clues”; “Acting from a Cue Script”; “How to work with a Beginning”;  and “How to make up a Role in the original way”:

1.	“24 Acting Clues” is a seven page list of the clues in the original language, and how to turn them into acting notes.

2.	“Acting from a Cue Script” and “How to work with a Beginning” are expanded versions of these notes.

3.	“How to Make up a Role” are instructions of how to turn Cue Scripts into the roles that the original actors worked from.

4.	Some of the Beginnings have been prepared in a Short version to allow you to fit the project to the time and actors available.

www.friendlyfolio.com