A Midsummer Night's Dream

 

 

play by William Shakespeare

translation and adaptation by Ruth Salles

NOTE

William Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights of all time, was born in the 16th century and died in the 17th century, having left, in addition to historical dramas, comedies and tragedies, also a volume of sonnets, the content of which is still an enigma to critics. With true genius, he knew how to create all kinds of characters, who live on stage from the simplest feelings to the most tragic passions.

The comedy A SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, as can be seen from the title, is supposed to have been written for a Saint John's night party. It must have been composed around 1594, but it wasn't until 1600 that it was first published.

According to Almeida Cunha and Oscar Mendes, there are several sources for this piece. The story of Theseus and Hippolyta is in Plutarch and Chaucer (“Knight's Tale”). Several medieval novels speak of Oberon, and the feud between the fairy kings seems to have also been inspired by Chaucer ("Merchant's Tale"), with Titania appearing in Ovid's "Metamorphoses". The idea of the supreme love is found in Jorge de Montemayor (“Diana girlfriend”), and we see the story of Pyramus and Thisbe again in Ovid and Chaucer.

This piece was presented for the 1st time at the School in 1975, slightly condensed at the request of the then teacher Lucy Pessoa. In 1997, it was presented for the 2nd time, a little more condensed at the request of Professor Ana Lucia Gallo Sacramento. Now, for 2007, the version was condensed a little more, at the request of Professor Cristina Ferreira Manberger. The translation was made from the original, and the excerpts that in the original are in verses were transposed into Portuguese also in verses.

As for the music, in 1975 we chose some moments from the work THE FAIRY QUEEN, by the English composer Henry Purcell, a contemporary of Shakespeare. Only the song by Novelo, o weaver was created especially for us by the Brazilian composer Luiz Roberto Oliveira, in an arrangement for flutes, but in the style of Purcell.

Ruth Salles

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, and orders Philostratus, his head of ceremonies, to encourage the young people for the festivities that will follow the wedding.
A group of modest artisans will represent the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The rehearsal of the play will be in the woods.
Meanwhile, the Duke receives an appeal from Aegeus, an important citizen, who wants to force his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius. If she doesn't want to, she must either be killed or enter the solitary life of the temple of Diana, according to ancient Athenian law. Hermia, however, loves Lysander, and the two decide to run away; but first they make the mistake of revealing their secret to Helena, who loves Demetrius. Helena, to try to please Demetrius, tells him about Hermia and Lysander's escape.
The grove, where the two lovers and the artisans will meet, is populated by fairies and elves, who came to bless the marriage of Duke Theseus. The king of the elves, Oberon, is in a fight with the queen of the fairies, Titania; he wants to keep the queen's young page, and the queen won't let him. Deciding to punish the queen, Oberon sends Puck to bring a flower, whose juice, squeezed into the eyes of a sleeping person, will make her fall in love with the first living being she finds. Before Puck returns, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena fighting, as they search for the fugitive pair. Demetrius says he hates her and leaves Helena in the woods. Oberon orders Puck to anoint Demetrius' eyes with the juice, while he will do the same to Titania. Demetrius would be recognized by his Athenian attire. However, Puck mistakes Demetrius for Lysander, and the latter, upon waking up, falls in love with Helena, which causes the greatest confusion. Later, Oberon fixes Puck's mistake. At the same time, for fun, Puck makes one of the artisans have a donkey head. Titania sees him when she wakes up and falls in love with him, giving the page to Oberon. This one, after that, breaks the charm of Titania and the poor craftsman. The situation of the two pairs of lovers is also resolved, and Theseus invites them to marry in the same ceremony as his own wedding.
The play by Pyramus and Thisbe is performed for the Duke with great grace, and the party ends with dancing. After everyone leaves, fairies and elves bless the place, and finally, when they leave with Oberon and Titania, Puck apologizes and asks for the audience's applause.

 

 

CHARACTERS

THESEUS – Duke of Athens
AEGEUS - father of Hermia
LYSANDER and
DEMETRIUS – in love with Hermia
PHILOSTRATE – Master of Ceremonies of Theseus
HIPPOLYTA – queen of the Amazons, bride of Theseus
HERMIA – daughter of Aegeus, in love with Lysander.
HELENA – in love with Demetrius (must be taller than Hermia)

OBERON - King of the Elves
TITANIA - queen of fairies
PUCK or Robin Bom-Comarada – playful spirit (always jumping half crouched)
PEA BLOSSOM,
COBWEB,
MOTH and
MUSTARD BEAN - fairies

PEDRO MARMELO – carpenter
JOÃO SERROTE – carpenter
TONICO NOVELO – weaver
CHICO FLUTA – bellows repairman
HUNGRY TIÃO – tailor
ZÉ TROMBUDO – tinsmith

ENGAGEMENTS OF ELVES AND FAIRIES, in the service of the king and queen
ENGAGEMENTS of Theseus and Hippolyta

Characters of the tragic farce:
PROLOGUE – Quince
PYRAMUS – Novel
TISBE – Flute
WALL – Trombudo
MOONLIGHT – Hungry
LION – Saw

The scene takes place in Athens and in a nearby forest.

FIRST ACT

Scene 1

Athens, Palace of Theseus. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus and their retinues. Then enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius. Finally, Helen.

THESEUS: My Hippolyta, four days to go.
for our wedding night.
However, how long does it take…

HIPPOLYTE:
“Have more patience, my dear Theseus,
for only at the new moon will we marry.
She's already waning, and soon, soon,
will shine like a silver streak,
curved like a Cupid's bow,
releasing your love arrows
from heaven, blessing our wedding.

THESEUS: Well then, let's prepare the festivities! (addresses Philostratus):
– Go, Philostratus, encourage our youth,
to attend the ceremonies!
Organize happy shows
and triumphal pomps!

PHILOSTRATO: Yes, lord duke! (He leaves)

AEGEUS (enters with Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius):
– Hail Theseus, our exalted duke!

THESEUS: My good Aegeus, what do you want from me?

AEGEUS:
“I came to complain about my own daughter. (points to Hermia)
Yes, from Hermia! – Demetrius, come closer!
- This boy has my consent
to marry her, lord duke.
But now I present to you Lysander,
that bewitched Hermia's heart.
And the obedience she owed me
Lysander turned into stubbornness.
Now, Duke, I ask Your Grace:
if before you Hermia persists
in not wanting to marry Demetrius,
to have recourse to the ancient law of Athens,
that allows a father to dispose of his children.
May my beloved daughter be killed!

THESEUS:
– What do you say, Hermia? the father shouldn't
be a god to your daughter... be the god
that shaped you with such beauty?
I see in Demetrius a worthy gentleman.

HERMIA (dry):
– Lysander is too.

THESEUS: But he lacks
your father's permission. Therefore, you must
consider Demetrius the best groom.

HERMIA:
– Lord Duke, I beg Your Grace:
I said what can happen to me
if I refuse to marry Demetrius!

THESEUS:
- Or you lose your life, my girl,
or enter the temple of Diana,
where you will be in complete isolation.
Growing up, living, dying so lonely...

HERMIA:
– I prefer to grow up, live, die,
to give my life to someone I don't love!

THESEUS:
- Think more slowly. in the new moon,
on the day I marry Hippolyta,
you will decide whether to marry Demetrius,
if you die, or if you are going to live in the temple.

DEMETRIUS:
– O sweet Hermia, marry me!
– And you, Lysander, get away from Hermia!

LYSANDER (angry):
– Demetrius, if you are preferred
of Hermia's father, marry him,
but let Hermia be mine!

AEGEUS:
– Insolent Lysander! It's really true
that, to me, Demetrius is good and worthy.
Everything that belongs to me will be his.

LYSANDER:
– I am as well-born as he is.
Our possessions are equal. My love
it's bigger. And what is most important:
I am loved by young Hermia.
As for Demetrius, I say before him,
he courted the beautiful Helena and conquered her.
And she's madly in love
by the fickle and disloyal Demetrius.

THESEUS:
– This news reached my ears…
– But come, Demetrius, and you too, Aegeus!
- My Hippolyta, let's go! What do you have? (she is saddened by the case)
Let's go out and let this young woman
thinking and deciding to resign
at the father's will, to free himself
of the harsh law of Athens. (All but Lysander and Hermia leave.)

LYSANDER: – Our love
made you look so pale, honey.
The roses on your face have even withered…

HERMIA:
– Maybe they need to be watered
by the sad tears in my eyes...

LYSANDER:
– From all that I have heard and read,
the path of love is not always easy.

HERMIA:
– It's fate. We must be patient.

LYSANDER:
– Sage advice. However, listen to me.
I have an aunt who lives far away.
She is like my mother.
And there, the law of Athens does not affect you.
We can get married, dear Hermia.
If you love me, tomorrow night
flee, leave your father's house.
I'll be in the woods waiting for you.

HERMIA:
-I swear by Cupid's bow
and for your best golden arrow
that tomorrow I will run to meet you.

LYSANDER:
- Fulfill your promise, my love!
Look, here comes Helen. (Helena enters)

HERMIA: – God keep you,
beautiful Helena, but where are you going?

HELENA:
– You say I'm beautiful? You should not.
For Demetrius only sees your beauty.
And I wanted to know how spells
the hard heart of my Demetrius.

HERMIA:
– I make faces at him, and he loves me.

HELENA:
- Had my smiles such charm...

HERMIA:
“I curse him, and he loves me.

HELENA:
- Had my supplications such strength...

HERMIA:
“The more I hate him, the more he loves me.

HELENA:
- Me, the more I love him, the more he hates me.

HERMIA:
– It's not my fault, Helena, but console yourself.
Demetrius will never see my face again.
Tomorrow, Lisandro and I will run away.

LYSANDER:
– The plan we are revealing to you
is to leave Athens tomorrow,
during the night.

HERMIA: And in that wood,
where together we exchange confidences,
because that's where we make our appointment.
So goodbye, friend! and that luck
give you back Demetrius! - Goodbye, Lysander.
It is now convenient for us to separate.

LYSANDER:
- Goodbye! - Goodbye, Helen. that Demetrius
love you one day as much as you love him.

(Hermia and Lysander exit, each one to one side, or one after the other.)

HELENA:
– There are happier beings, and others less…
Before, my Demetrius told me
that all your love was mine alone.
But when he saw Hermia, he forgot everything.
On second thought, I'll reveal to him
Hermia's plan. So I can see you.
He will even smile, grateful,
and I will feel rewarded. (Helena leaves.)

 

scene 2

Quince House. Enter Quince, Saw, Novel, Flute, Trombudo and Hungry.

QUINCE: – Is our entire Company here? For I bring you the paper with the names of all who were deemed capable of performing this interlude in Athens, on the wedding day of the Duke and Duchess.

NOVELO: – So, Pedro Marmelo, settle the matter right away by explaining what this interlude is.

QUINCE: – Very well. It is a play entitled “The most lamentable comedy, the cruelest death of Pyramus and Thisbe”.

NOVEL: – Nice piece! It must be fun! And now, my good Pedro Marmelo, read the names of the actors from the list. Masters, scatter!

QUINCE: – I answer as I call. – Tonico Novello, weaver!

NOVEL: – Present!

QUINCE: – Tonico Novello, you were cast in the role of Pyramus.

BOTTLE: – Who is Pyramus? Lover or tyrant?

QUINCE: – Lover, who kills himself gallantly for reasons of love.

NOVEL: – Then it will be necessary to shed some tears. If I play this role, let the audience take care of their eyes; I will cause storms. But I think I'd be better off in the role of tyrant; would make a Hercules with a handful, a rip-and-tear to split a cat in two.

QUINCE: – Not at all! You are better in the role of lover. – Chico Fluta, bellows repairman!

FLUTE: – Present, Pedro Marmelo!

QUINCE: – You will have to stay with Thisbe.

FLUTE: – Who is Thisbe? Walking knight?

QUINCE: – No! She is the woman Pyramus must love!

FLUTE: Ah, don't give me the role of a woman; My beard is starting to sprout!

Quince: – It doesn't matter; just speak in a very thin voice.

FLUTE (practicing): – “Ah, Pyramus, my love, I am your little Thisbe…”

QUINCE: – Let's go on! – Hungry Uncle, tailor!

HUNGRY: – Present, Pedro Marmelo!

Quince: Thou shalt be the mother of Thisbe. – Zé Trombudo, tinsmith!

TRUMBUDO: – Present, Pedro Marmelo!

Quince: You will be the father of Pyramus, and I will be the father of Thisbe. To conclude, it will be up to João Serrote, the carpenter, to play the role of lion.

SAW: Is the lion's share already written? If so, pass it on to me, as I'm a little slow to decorate.

QUINCE: – It is not written because your role is only to roar.

BOTTLE: Ah, give me the role of lion! I shall roar terribly; I shall roar in such a way that the Duke will exclaim: “Let it roar again! Let it roar again!”

QUINCE: If you roared like that, the Duchess and the other ladies would cry out in terror, which would be more than enough to hang us all.

ALL OTHERS: – To hang us??!!

BOTTLE: What if I roar like a dove? What if I roar sweetly like a canary?

QUINCE: – No. For you the role of Pyramus is ideal, for he is a charming gentleman, a fine sort of man.

BOWL (convinced of his beauty): – It's all right. I will be Pyramus.

QUINCE: – Gentlemen, here are the papers. Decorate them soon. As soon as the moon rises, look for me in the woods near the city. There we will rehearse in secret, and no one will discover our plan. The meeting will be by the oak tree. Goodbye!

NOVEL: – There we will be. Goodbye!

(all leave)

 

SECOND ACT

Scene 1

Forest near Athens. A fairy and Puck enter from opposite sides; then Titania and Oberon; finally, Demetrius and Helena.

PUCK: Hello, Spirit, where are you wandering?

FAIRY:- Through the valleys, through the mountains;
by waters, by fire;
I wander more than the moon
that floats through the air.
I serve the fairy queen
and I leave drops of dew
in the grass where she passes.
– Farewell, O heaviest of Spirits!
Soon, here in this wood will arise
Queen Titania. I will leave.

PUCK:
- Take care that the queen
don't be seen by the fairy king.
Titania now has a handsome page.
And Oberon wants the page as a present;
You want to make him your knight.
But Titania, stubborn, did not give in.
When they meet, they argue,
so angry, the elves run away.

FAIRY:
- You are, if I'm not mistaken,
that restless, clever Spirit,
called Robin the Good Comrade:
the mischievous one, who frightens the villagers…
the milk turns sour… I know you like it well
unravel the mill and go astray
night travelers on the road.
To anyone who calls you sweet Puck,
you will give him luck, you will do everything.

PUCK:
– I am the joyful Spirit you speak of.
And you speak well! I amuse our king.
I hide at the bottom of the bowl
of some chatty little woman.
If she turns the bowl over I fall apart
and spill beer on your lap.
A woman who tells a long story
thinks I'm the bank you lean on.
I fall apart, here she comes to the floor,
screams, chokes, claims the tumble,
while the others burst out laughing.
Behold Oberon! Make way, O fairy!

FAIRY:
– Here is Titania too! Before it was not! (the two hide)

(Enter Titania and Oberon, one by one, with their retinues of elves and fairies)

OBERON:
- Bad date in the moonlight, haughty queen.

TITANIA:
- I also think! - Let's go, fairies!

OBERON:
– Smug! Just a moment! So you don't listen
what has your lord to say?

TITANIA:
- My Lord?! Why do you think I'm yours?
if you spoke of love to the beautiful Phyllida?
And you came to bless the marriage
of the Amazon warrior whom you loved?

OBERON:
– You are not ashamed to speak of Hippolyta,
when I know very well that you love Theseus?

TITANIA:
- Our jealousy harms everything...
Never again can we fairies make it
dance our round to the sound of the winds,
without your screams disturbing us.
Therefore, the winds, as in reprisal,
gathered evil clouds from the sea,
spilling them in the fields and making
overflow our rivers and streams.
Wheat has rotted, diseases arise,
just because of our differences.

OBERON:
– The solution depends only on you.
I only ask that you give me your new page.

TITANIA:
– My page I don't give. give up on him.

OBERON:
– How long are you going to stay in the woods?

TITANIA:
– Until the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.
If you want to dance in our rounds,
come with us, otherwise I will avoid
the places that you haunt with your figure.

OBERON:
– Give me your page, and I will go with you.

TITANIA:
– Not throughout this realm. - Come on, fairies!

(Exit Titania with her entourage)

OBERON:
- Go, you will soon have your punishment.
“Come here, my kind Puck. Once,
I saw Cupid's bow break free
an arrow of love addressed
to a hundred thousand hearts! But fell
in a flower called Pansy.
When the juice of this flower is spilled
over the eyes of someone who is sleeping,
this someone, when he wakes up he falls in love
by the first being that appears to you.
Go get that flower, Puck! Quickly!

PUCK (coming out):
- I will go around the world
and I'll be back in a second!

OBERON:
- I will pour the juice of this flower
in the eyes of the sleeping Titania.
And she will wake up in love
by anyone, even a wolf,
a lion, a monkey, a bear, a bull.
And, before I disenchant it myself,
it will be easy to force her to give me the page.
But, who's coming? They cannot see me.
I will listen to what these beings say.

(Enter Demetrius, followed by Helena)

DEMETRIUS:
- I don't love you, Helena, don't insist!
Where are Lysander and the beautiful Hermia?
You said they'd be in this woods.
But, stop following me! Go! Go!

HELENA:
- If you stop attracting me, I won't follow you.
But you are a hard, hard magnet.

DEMETRIUS:
– You are not afraid of being in a dark forest
next to me, that I have no love for you?

HELENA:
– Your good character will be my shield.
And my love lightens the darkness.

DEMETRIUS (leaving):
– I run away and leave you at the mercy of the beasts!

HELENA (leaving):
– No beast has such a tough soul…

OBERON (aside):
- Helena, before you leave this forest,
he will look for your love.

PUCK (returning):
- Ready! Look at the flower! (hands it over)

OBERON: - Titania has fallen asleep.
I'll squeeze the juice in your eyes.
Also take some. In this forest,
there is a beautiful lady in love
by an Athenian who detests her.
When he is asleep, anoint his eyes;
take care to be the beautiful lady
the first person he sees
upon waking. You will meet the young
by the garments of Athena that he wears.
Carry out the task carefully
and returns before the rooster crows.

PUCK:
- Do not be afraid. I do what you said. (the two leave)

 

scene 2

In the woods. Oberon is in hiding; enter Titania and retinue; Lysander and Hermia: Puck; Demetrius and Helena.

 

TITANIA:
– Come round! Sing, fairies, sing!
Then go to fulfill your tasks:
kill the pests of rosebuds;
go away the noisy owl
that frightens our vaporous spirit.
Sing me to sleep! Then go! (she lies down behind the rose fence)

FAIRIES (sing):
“Nana, nana, honey.
Goodnight. Everything is fine.
Wind comes, comes sing.
Sing to lull you.
Snake, Snail and Lacrau
will do you no harm,
can't even enchant you
whoever comes close to you.” (ends with the repetition of the first stanza)

A FAIRY:
– Psss…
The queen is already asleep...
Let's complete the tasks!

(The fairies leave. Titania sleeps. Oberon enters and squeezes the flower to her eyelids.)

OBERON:
– Who do you see when you wake up?
shall be your beloved,
be bear or leopard
or bristling wild boar.
When some very abject being
to pass by here,
then wake up, Queen! (Oberon leaves. Enter Lysander and Hermia.)

LYSANDER:
- You faint, love, you are so tired.
I lost direction. Let's stop
and sleep until daylight.

HERMIA:
– I lie down on the grass. Here is well.

LYSANDER:
- And I'm going to lie down there too.

HERMIA:
“And good night, my dear love.
May your love last for a lifetime.

LYSANDER:
– It must last! You know, beautiful Hermia,
that I prefer until I lose my life
to be unfaithful to you, my dear! (They fall asleep. Enter Puck)

PUCK:
- I walked all over this forest
and I did not see the Athenian,
to drip in your eyes
the juice of Pansy.
Look at him here! These clothes
they are even the attire of Athens.
And there the maiden sleeps
who loves those who despise her.
Hey, yeah! that his eyes
be delighted now! (dripping the flower juice)
I go in search of Oberon
before the rooster crows! (Puck leaves)

(Demetrius enters without seeing the two sleeping; Helena comes running after him.)

HELENA:
– Beloved Demetrius, stop, wait!

DEMETRIUS:
- Go! Chase me no more, Helena!

HELENA:
- Oh, as much as I beg, it's no use.
Happy is Hermia with her beautiful eyes…
Am I as ugly as a bear?
Or is the mirror so deceiving?
But who do I see lying here! Lysander?
Is he dead or sleeping? But I don't see
blood or wound. - Wake up, if you're alive!

LYSANDER (waking up and rising):
– Yes!!… And I throw myself into the fire for Helena!
O diaphanous Helen, love conquers me!
The vile Demetrius where will he walk now?
For you deserve to die on my sword!

HELENA:
– No, Lysander, don't say anything like that.
What does it matter that Demetrius loves Hermia?
Hermia feels only love for you.
You must be happy.

LYSANDER:- Happy? With Hermia?

I regret the hours I spent with her.
It's not Hermia, it's Helena, my beloved.
In time, everything matures.
My reason matures now
and say you are the most worthy maiden!

HELENA:
– Was I born to hear such affront?
You make fun of me! I thought you were
kinder and more polite with a lady.
Oh! If one rejects me, the other insults me! (Exit Helen.)

LYSANDER:
– Helena didn't even see Hermia. - Sleep, Hermia!
Go on sleeping, and may you not be able to
never come near Lisandro again!
'Cause just like the stomach aches
for having eaten too much sweets,
and just as a man creates horror
to the heresy he abandoned,
so you, heresy and excess of mine,
May the world hate you and so do I!
My love I consecrate to the beautiful Helena.
May my strength honor her alone! (Lisander leaves.)

HERMIA (waking up):
— Oh, help, help! A snake!
Lysander, what a terrible nightmare!
I dreamed that a snake devoured
my heart, and you, Lysander, laugh,
enjoying my cruel ordeal.
But… Lysander! Lysander, where are you?
- He's gone. Because? And where?
Without saying anything… – My love, answer!
– Oh, what dread! I have to find him.
Better to die than find him no more! (Hermia exits.)

END OF THE SECOND ACT

(to be continued)

 

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