Midsummer Night’s Dream Puck Lines and Cues

Act II Scene 1 starts How now, spirit! Wither wander you?
Farewell thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone. Our queen and all her elves come here anon. The king doth keep his revels here tonight. Take heed the queen not come within his sight. 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 lovèd boy, crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy.
Else I mistake your shape and making quite, or else you are that crude and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he? Thou speakest aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile. But, room, fairy, here comes Oberon.
Fetch me this herb I’ll put a girdle around the earth in forty minutes.
Has thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. Ay, there it is.
More fond on her than she upon her love; And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow. Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so.
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. Through the forest I have gone, but Athenian found I none. Night and Silence. Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear: this is he, my master said, despised the athenian maid, and here the maiden, sleeping sound, on the dank and dirty ground. Pretty soul! She durst not lie near this lack-love, this kill courtesy. Churl, upon thy eyes I throw all the power this charm doth owe. When thou wak’st, let love forbid sleep his seat on thy eyelid. So awake when I am gone, for I must now to Oberon.
When you have spoken your speech, enter into that break. And so everyone according to his cue. What hempen homespuns have we swagg’ring here? So near the cradle of the Fairy Queen? What, a play toward! I’ll be an auditor; an actor too perhaps, if I see cause.
Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit! My mistress with a monster is in love. Near to her close and consecrated bower, while she was in her dull and sleeping hour, a crew of patches, rude mechanicals, that work for bread upon Athenian stalls, were met together to rehearse a play, intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day. I led them on this distracted fear, and left sweet Pyramus translated there: when in that moment so it came to pass, Titania waked, and straightway loved a (Oberon covers mouth)
This falls out better than I could devise. But has thou yet latched the Athenian eyes with the love juice, as I bid thee do? I took him sleeping… that is finished too… and the Athenian woman by his side; that, when he waked, of force she must be eyed.
Stand close, this is the same Athenian This is the woman, but not this the man.
By some illusion see them bring her here, I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear. I go, I go; look how I go; swifter than the arrow from the tartar’s bow.
When thou wak’st if she be by, beg of her for remedy. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand; and the youth, mistook by me, pleading for a lover’s fee. Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!
Stand aside. The noise they make will cause Demetrius to awake. Then will two at once woo one; that must be need for sport alone; and those things do best please me that befall prepost’rously.
This is thy negligence, still thou mistak’st, or else committ’st thy knaveries willfully. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook. Did not you tell me I would know the man by the Athenian garments he had on?
And then I will charmed eye release from monster’s view, and all things shall be peace. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste, for night’s swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, and yonder shines Aurora’s harbinger, at whose approach, ghosts, wand’ring here and there, troop home to the churchyards.
We may effect this business yet ere day Up and down, up and down, I will lead them up and down: I am feared in field and town: Goblin, lead them up and down. Here comes one.
Where are thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou?
I will be with thee straight Follow me, then. To plainer ground.
Lysander! Speak again! Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled? Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head? Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, telling the bushes that thou look’st for wars, and wilt not come? Come, recreant! Come, thou child! I’ll whip thee with a rod. He is defiled that draws a swords on thee.
Yea, art thou here? Follow my voice. We’ll try no manhood here.
For if but once thou show me thy gray light, I’ll find Demetrius, and revenge his spite. Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why come’st thou not?
Where art thou now? Come hither. I am here.
Nay, then, thou mock’st me thou shalt buy this dear, if ever I thy face by daylight see. On the ground sleep sound. I’ll apply to your eye, gentile lover, remedy. When thou wak’st, thou tak’st true delight in the sight of thy former lady’s eye. And the country proverb known, that every man should take his own, in your waking shall be shown. Jack shall have Jill; naught shall go ill; the man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity. Fairy King, attend and mark. I do hear the morning lark.
This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled the heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed. Now the hungry lion roars and the wolf behowls the moon; now is the time of night, that the graves, all gaping wide, everyone lets forth his sprite, in the churchway paths to glide. And we fairies that do run from the presence of the sun. I am sent with broom, before, to sweep the dust behind the door.
Trip away, make no stay, meet me all by break of day. If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended, that you have but slumb’red here, while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. And, as I am an honest Puck if we have unearnèd luck now to scape the serpent’s tongue, we will make amends ere long, else the Puck a liar call. So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends.