A Midsummer Night's Dream Read Online Free Page B

text was set from a copy of the Second Quarto (thus repeating many of its corrections and errors), but with some consultation of an independent theater-derived manuscript, which provided additional stage directions, some corrections, and signs of a few revisions, most notably an economizing on roles whereby the Philostrate of Quarto becomes a silent character who only appears in the first scene and the role of Master of the Revels introducing the entertainment in the final scene is taken over by Egeus (which makes for nice tension between him and Lysander, the new son-in-law he did not want). Our edition retains this innovation as well as many local Folio corrections and modernizations, but restores Quarto in many cases where words are misset, omitted, or transposed as a result of what was almost certainly compositor’s error as opposed to editorial alterations on the basis of the theater manuscript.

LIST OF PARTS
    THESEUS , Duke of Athens
    HIPPOLYTA , Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
    EGEUS , an Athenian courtier, father to Hermia
    LYSANDER , in love with Hermia
    HERMIA , in love with Lysander, but ordered by her father to marry Demetrius
    DEMETRIUS , in love with Hermia, though once a suitor to Helena
    HELENA , in love with Demetrius
    Peter QUINCE , a carpenter and leader of an amateur dramatic group, who speaks the PROLOGUE to their play
    Nick BOTTOM , a weaver, who plays PYRAMUS in the amateur play
    Francis FLUTE , a bellows-mender, who plays THISBE in the amateur play
    SNUG , a joiner, who plays a LION in the amateur play
    Tom SNOUT , a tinker, who plays a WALL in the amateur play
    Robin STARVELING , a tailor, who plays MOONSHINE in the amateur play
    OBERON , King of Fairies
    TITANIA , Queen of Fairies
    ROBIN Goodfellow, also known as Puck, a sprite in the service of Oberon
    Fairies attendant upon Titania
    PEASEBLOSSOM
    COBWEB
    MOTH
    MUSTARDSEED
    PHILOSTRATE , an official in Theseus’ court
    Other Attendants at the court of Theseus; other Fairies attendant upon Oberon

TEXTUAL NOTES
    Q = First Quarto text of 1600
    F = First Folio text of 1623
    F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632
    F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685
    Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor
    SD = stage direction
    SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)
    List of parts = Ed
    1.1.7 nights = F. Q = night 10 New-bent = Ed. F = Now bent 25 Stand forth, Demetrius = Ed.
Set in italic as a stage direction in
F 27 Stand forth, Lysander = Ed.
Set in italic as a stage direction in
F 134 Ay me, for = Q. F = For I could ever = Q. F = ever I could 138 low = Ed. F = loue 142 eyes = Q. F = eie 145 momentary = F
’s modernization of Q’s
momentany 161 removed = F. Q = remote 169 to = Q. F = for
    175 love = F. Q = loves 185 your = Q. F = you 203 none = F. Q = no fault 208 like = F. Q = as 210 into = F. Q = unto a 219 sweet = Ed. F = sweld 228 dote = Q. F = dotes 242 often = F. Q = so oft 251 this = Q. F = his
    1.2.8 grow on to = F. Q = grow to 37 You must = F. Q = Flute, you must 58 if it be = Q. F = if be 72 roar = F. Q = roare you 89 will we = Q. F = we will
    2.1.1 SH ROBIN = Ed. F =
Rob. Sometimes
Pucke 5 Thorough flood, thorough = Q. F = through flood, through 33 sprite = Q. F = spirit 34 not you he = Q. F = you not hee 47 filly = Q. F = silly 62 SH TITANIA = Ed. F =
Qu
. Fairies = Ed. F = Fairy 66 hast = Q. F = wast 70 step = Q. F = steepe 78 not thou = Q. F = thou not 80 Aegles = Ed. F = Eagles 81 Antiopa = Q. F =
Atiopa
92 petty = F. Q = pelting 108 hoary-headed = Q1. F = hoared headed 110 thin = Ed. F = chin 138 do I = Q. F = I doe 158 saw = Q. F = say 178 round about = Q. F = about 214 do use = Q. F = doe 242 the field = Q. F = and Field 247 I’ll = Q. F = I
    2.2.9 SH FIRST FAIRY = Ed.
Not in
F 13, 24 SH CHORUS = Ed.
Not in
F 14 our = Q. F = your 35 wood = Q. F = woods 48 we can = Q. F = can you 49 interchainèd = Q. F = interchanged 67 found = Q. F = finde
    68 On = Q.