2.1 Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fair­ies, quarrel over possession of a young Indian boy. Oberon orders Robin Goodfellow, a hobgoblin or "puck," to obtain a special flower that makes people fall in love with the next creature they see. Oberon wants to make Titania fall in love with a beast and use her infatuation to get the Indian boy from her. Demetrius enters pursued by Helena, whom he tries to drive off. When Robin returns, Oberon, who sym­pathizes with Helena's love, orders him to find the Athenian man (i.e., Demetrius) and apply some of the flower's magic nectar to his eyes.

0 SD. Robin Goodfellow: a "puck," or mis­chievous spirit, whose activities are described in lines 33-59 (This character is often called "Puck" by editors.) Robin appears in stories, plays, and books on witchcraft, sometimes as simply mischie­vous, sometimes as an evil goblin. (See picture, page 58.)

3. Thorough: i.e., through4. pale: fenced-in area7. sphere: In Ptolemaic astronomy, the moon

(like the planets, the stars, and the sun) was carried around the Earth in a crystalline sphere. (See pic­ture, page xxxiv.)

9. orbs: circles (A circle of darker, more luxuri­ant, grass in a meadow was called a "fairy ring" and was thought to be the dancing ground of fairies.)

10. pensioners: Because of their height and theirbrightly colored flowers (gold with ruby-red spots),

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34

'Pul-k , l c, I ftijy� 1.,1 (__' -t, i)

fACT 21

rscene 11 Enter a Fairy at one door and Robin Goodfellow at

another.

ROBIN

How now, spirit? Whither wander you? FAIRY

Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire;

I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere. And I serve the Fairy Queen, To dew her orbs upon the green. The cowslips tall her pensioners be; 1n their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favors; In those freckles Jive their savors.

I must go seek some dewdrops here And hang a pearl in every co',:_Vsllp's ear. Farewell, thou lob of spirits. I'll be gone. Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

ROBIN

The King doth keep his revels here tonight. Take heed the Queen come not within his sight,

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cowslips are compared to the gaudily dressed body­guards (pensioners) that served Queen.Elizabeth.16. lob: oaf, lout 17. anon: soon18. revels: At the court of Queen Elizabeth, rev­els were presented at special seasons, and includedplays, masques, and sports. Here, the king of Fairy­land's revels might also include, dancing. 20. passing: i.e., surpassingly, extremely; felland wrath: i.e., fiercely angry

25. trace: travel through26. perforce: forcibly29. they: i.e., the king and queen of fairies30. fountain: spring -•l31. �uare: quan-el; that: i.e.: so that 34. shrewd: mischievous, malicious; sprite:spirit 35. Robin Goodfellow: See the note on 2.1.0 SD.36. villagecy: villages37. Skim milk: i.e., steal the cream from themilk; labor in the quern: i.e.,. work at the quern(a small mill for grinding com) to frustrate thegrinding 38. bootless ... churn: i.e., make her churningproduce no butter bootless: uselessly, fruitlesslyhuswife: i.e., housewife (pronounced "hussif')39. harm: yeasty "head" on beer47. beguile: deceive, trick49. gossip's bowl: the cup from which the gos­siping or tattling woman is drinking 50. crab: crab apple (Roasted crab apples andspices were added to hot ale to make a winter drink.)

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36 ..:

31 A Midsummer Night's Dream ACT2. sc. 1

For Oberon is passing fell and wrath Because that she, as her attendant, hath A lovely boy stolen from an Indian king; She never had so sweet a changeling. And jealous Oberon would have the child Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild. But she perforce withholds the lov� boy, Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her

joy. And now they never meet in grove or green, By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen, But they do square, that all their elves for fear Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.

FAIRY

Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he That frights the maidens of the villagery, Skim milk, and sometimes labor in the quern And bootless make the breathless huswife churn, And sometime make the drink to bear no barm, Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm? Those that "Hobgoblin" call you and "sweet Puck," You do their work, and they shall have good luck. Are not you he?

ROBIN Thou speakest aright. I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal. And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl In very likeness of a roasted crab, And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob And on her withered dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;

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35

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52. dewlap: the (old of skin hanging from theneck of certain animals (here applied to the neck of the old woman)

53. aunt: old woman or gossip; telling ... tale:

'Wmter's tales" and "old wives' tales," told to while away long evenings, could be meny or sad.

56. ''Tailor": Since "tail" could mean "buttocks,"it has been suggested that the old woman's cry might be translated as "O my bum!" (It remains uncertain just what the expression means.)

57. choir: company57-58. Joffe ... waxen ... neeze: These archaic

forms of "laugh," "wax" (i.e., increase), and "sneeze" seem to reproduce the country setting Robin is describing.

60. room: i.e., make room, stand aside64. forsworn: renounced, formally rejected65. rash wanton: foolish rebel; lord: husband

(and therefore having the right to control his wife) 66. lady: wife (and therefore having the right to

expect her husband to be faithful) 68. in •.. Corin: disguised as a lovesick shepherd69. of corn: i.e., made from wheat straws70. Phillida: traditional shepherdess of love

poetry 71. steep: slope, cliff72. forsooth: in truth, certainly; Amazon: i.e.,

Hippolyta (See note to 1.1.17-18.) 73. buskined: wearing buskins, or boots74. must be: i.e., is to be75. their bed: i.e., their maniage and offspring77. Glance at: allude to; credit: reputation

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38 ..

39 A Midsummer Night's Dream ACT 2. sc. 1

Then slip I from her bum, down topples she 55

And "Tailor!" cries and falls .into a cough, And then the who\e choir hold their hips and loffe And waxen in their mirth and neeu and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there. But room, fairy. Here comes Oberon. 60

FAIRY

And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!

Enter r Oberon 1 the Ki,ng of Fairies at one door, with his train, and fTitania 1 the Queen at another, with hers.

OBERON

Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. TITANIA

What, jealous Oberon? rFairies,1 skip hence. I have forsworn his bed and company.

OBERON

Tany, rash wanton. Am not I thy lord? 65

TITANIA

Then I must be thy lady. But I know When thou hast stolen away from Fairyland And in the shape of Corin sat all day Playing on pipes of corn and versing love To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, 70 Come from the farthest steep of India, But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, Your buskined mistress and your warrior love, To Theseus must be wedded, and you come To give their bed joy and prosperity? 75

OBERON

How canst thou thus for shame, Titania, Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering

night 80

From fPerigouna,1 whom he ravished,