A Midsummer Night’s Dream Lysander Lines

Act 1 Scene 1After (Demetrius)Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yieldThy crazed title to my certain right. You have her father’s love, Demetrius;Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Egeus)Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love,And what is mine my love shall render him.And she is mine, and all my right of herI do estate unto Demetrius. I am, my lord, as well derived as he,As well possess’d; my love is more than his;And, which is more than all these boasts can be,I am beloved of beauteous Hermia:Why should not I then prosecute my right?Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,Upon this spotted and inconstant man.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Theseus)I must confess that I have heard so much,Demetrius, come; Egeus; go with me,I have some private schooling for you both.For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourselfTo fit your fancies to your father’s will; Or else the law of Athens yields you up–Which by no means we may extenuate–To death, or to a vow of single life. (He exits) How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale?How chance the roses there do fade so fast?
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)Belike for want of rain, which I could wellBeteem them from the tempest of my eyes. Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,Could ever hear by tale or history,The course of true love never did run smooth;But, either it was different in blood,–
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)O cross! too high to be enthrall’d to low. Or else misgraffed in respect of years,–
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)O spite! too old to be engaged to young. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,–
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,Making it momentany as a sound,Swift as a shadow, short as any dream.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)If then true lovers have been ever cross’d,It stands as an edict in destiny:Then let us teach our trial patience,Because it is a customary cross,As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs,Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers. A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia.I have a widow aunt, a dowagerOf great revenue, and she hath no child:From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;And she respects me as her only son.There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;And to that place the sharp Athenian lawCannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then,Steal forth thy father’s house to-morrow night;And in the wood, a league without the town,Where I did meet thee once with Helena,To do observance to a morn of May,There will I stay for thee.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)My good Lysander! I swear to thee,By all the vows that ever men have broke,In number more than ever women spoke,In that same place thou hast appointed me,To-morrow truly will I meet with thee. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)Take comfort: he no more shall see my face.Lysander and myself will fly this place.Before the time I did Lysander see,Seem’d Athens as a paradise to me:O, then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn’d a heaven unto a hell! Helen, to you our minds we will unfold:To-morrow night,Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.
Act 1 Scene 1After (Hermia)And in the wood, where often you and IUpon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie,Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,There my Lysander and myself shall meet;And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,To seek new friends and stranger companies.Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us;And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius!Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our sightFrom lovers’ food till morrow deep midnight. I will, my Hermia.(Hermia exits)Helena, adieu:As you on him, Demetrius dote on you!(He exits)
Act 2 Scene 2After (Oberon)What thou seest when thou dost wake,Do it for thy true-love take,Love and languish for his sake: (He exits) (Enter with Hermia)Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood;And to speak troth, I have forgot our way:We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,And tarry for the comfort of the day.
Act 2 Scene 2After (Hermia)Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed;For I upon this bank will rest my head. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth.
Act 2 Scene 2After (Hermia)Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear,Lie further off yet, do not lie so near. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!Love takes the meaning in love’s conference.I mean, that my heart unto yours is knitSo that but one heart we can make of it;Two bosoms interchained with an oath;So then two bosoms and a single troth.Then by your side no bed-room me deny;For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.
Act 2 Scene 2After (Hermia)Lysander riddles very prettily:Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.But, gentle friend, for love and courtesyLie further off; in human modesty,Such separation as may well be saidBecomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend:Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet life end! Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;And then end life when I end loyalty!Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!
Act 2 Scene 2After (Helena)O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies;For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:If so, my eyes are oftener wash’d than hers.No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;For beasts that meet me run away for fear:But who is here? Lysander! on the ground!Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.Lysander if you live, good sir, awake. [Awaking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a wordIs that vile name to perish on my sword!
Act 2 Scene 2After (Helena)Do not say so, Lysander; say not soWhat though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though?Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Content with Hermia! No; I do repentThe tedious minutes I with her have spent.Not Hermia but Helena I love:Who will not change a raven for a dove?
Act 2 Scene 2After (Helena)Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?Is’t not enough, is’t not enough, young man,That I did never, no, nor never can,Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye,But you must flout my insufficiency?O, that a lady, of one man refused.Should of another therefore be abused! (She exits) She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there:And never mayst thou come Lysander near!And, all my powers, address your love and mightTo honour Helen and to be her knight! (He exits)
Act 3 Scene 2After (Puck)Then will two at once woo one;That must needs be sport alone;And those things do best please meThat befal preposterously. (Enter with Helena)Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?Scorn and derision never come in tears.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)You do advance your cunning more and more.When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!These vows are Hermia’s: will you give her o’er? I had no judgment when to her I swore.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)O spite! O hell! I see you all are bentTo set against me for your merriment:If you were civil and knew courtesy,You would not do me thus much injury.Can you not hate me, as I know you do,But you must join in souls to mock me too?If you were men, as men you are in show,You would not use a gentle lady so. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; For you love Hermia; this you know I know:And here, with all good will, with all my heart,In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part;And yours of Helena to me bequeath,Whom I do love and will do till my death.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Demetrius)Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none:If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone.My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourn’d,And now to Helen is it home return’d,There to remain. Helen, it is not so.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)Lysander, why unkindly didst thou leave me so? Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go?
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)What love could press Lysander from my side? Lysander’s love, that would not let him bide,Fair Helena, who more engilds the nightThan all you fiery oes and eyes of light.Why seek’st thou me? could not this make thee know,The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)Ay, do, persever, counterfeit sad looks,Make mouths upon me when I turn my back;But fare ye well. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse:My love, my life my soul, fair Helena!
Act 3 Scene 2After (Demetrius)If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Demetrius)I say I love thee more than he can do. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)Lysander, whereto tends all this? Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose,Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)Why are you grown so rude? what change is this?Sweet love,– Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out!Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)Yes, sooth; and so do you. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Demetrius)I’ll not trust your word. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?Although I hate her, I’ll not harm her so.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)What, can you do me greater harm than hate?Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love!Am not I Hermia? are not you Lysander? Ay, by my life;Be certain, nothing truer; ’tis no jestThat I do hate thee and love Helena.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Helena)With Demetrius. Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Hermia)’Little’ again! nothing but ‘low’ and ‘little’!Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?Let me come to her. Get you gone, you dwarf.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Demetrius)You are too officiousIn her behalf that scorns your services. Now she holds me not;Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right,Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Puck)Up and down, up and down,I will lead them up and down:I am fear’d in field and town:Goblin, lead them up and down.Here comes one. (Re-enter)Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Puck as Lysander)Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou? I will be with thee straight.
Act 3 Scene 2After (Puck)Follow my voice: we’ll try no manhood here.(He exits) (Re-enter)He goes before me and still dares me on:When I come where he calls, then he is gone.The villain is much lighter-heel’d than I:I follow’d fast, but faster he did fly;That fallen am I in dark uneven way,And here will rest me.(Lies down.)Come, thou gentle day!For if but once thou show me thy grey light,I’ll find Demetrius and revenge this spite.(Sleeps.)
Act 4 Scene 1After (Egeus)Go, one of you, find out the forester;(Exit one of the train.)But, soft! what nymphs are these?My lord, this is my daughter here asleep;And this, Lysander; this Demetrius is;This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena:I wonder of their being here together.No doubt they rose up early to observeThe rite of May, and hearing our intent,Came here in grace our solemnity.(LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA wake and start up.)Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past:Begin these wood-birds but to couple now? Pardon, my lord.
Act 4 Scene 1After (Egeus)I pray you all, stand up.I know you two are rival enemies:How comes this gentle concord in the world,That hatred is so far from jealousy,To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity? My lord, I shall reply amazedly,Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear,I cannot truly say how I came here;But, as I think,–for truly would I speak,And now do I bethink me, so it is,–I came with Hermia hither: our intent Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,Without the peril of the Athenian law.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Theseus)Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.(Lovers enter)Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of loveAccompany your hearts! More than to usWait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!
Act 5 Scene 1After (Theseus)This fellow doth not stand upon points. He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knowsnot the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not enough to speak, but to speak true.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Demetrius)The very best at a beast, my lord, that e’er I saw. This lion is a very fox for his valour.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Theseus)It appears, by his small light of discretion, thathe is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in allreason, we must stay the time. Proceed, Moon.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Theseus)Well moused, Lion. And so the lion vanished.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Demetrius)No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one. Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.
Act 5 Scene 1After (Demetrius)A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, whichThisbe, is the better; he for a man, God warrant us;she for a woman, God bless us. She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.