A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Act 1, Scene 1
Characters
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
Egeus
Hermia
Lysander
Demetrius
Summary
Duke Theseus is going to marry Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons) in four days, during the new moon. Theseus is in a big hurry to enjoy his wedding night, but time is passing way too slowly, who lashes out at the moon for being slow.
Hippolyta is more reasonable. She assures Theseus that four days will go by quickly and says the moon will "behold the night of solemnities."
Theseus sends Philostrate, the Master of the Revels, to go out into the streets of Athens and get the city to celebrate so that the time passes quickly.
Theseus turns to Hippolyta and promises her that their wedding will be more joyful than the circumstances under which they got engaged.
An Athenian man named Egeus arrives and greets Theseus. Egeus has brought along his daughter Hermia and Lysander and Demetrius.
He makes a formal complaint to the Duke against his disobedient daughter, who has refused to marry the man Egeus has chosen for her, Demetrius
According to Egeus, Hermia's been "bewitch'd" by Lysander and refuses to marry Demetrius.
Egeus then tells of the wrongs Lysander has committed. Lysander presented Hermia with various love-tokens, serenaded her by moonlight, and even given her a lock of his hair.
Egeus points out that Hermia is his daughter and therefore his property. Athenian law dictates that Hermia has to marry the man he chooses or be put to death.
Theseus tries to reason with Hermia, but our girl flat out refuses to marry Demetrius.
Hermia asks the Duke what the worst-case scenario would be if she didn't marry Demetrius.
Theseus says that, if Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, she has only two other, become a nun or be put to death.
Theseus warns that being a nun is not so great and suggests that Hermia just marry Demetrius.
Hermia declares she would rather die than marry a guy she doesn't
Act 1, Scene 1
Characters
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
Egeus
Hermia
Lysander
Demetrius
Summary
Duke Theseus is going to marry Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons) in four days, during the new moon. Theseus is in a big hurry to enjoy his wedding night, but time is passing way too slowly, who lashes out at the moon for being slow.
Hippolyta is more reasonable. She assures Theseus that four days will go by quickly and says the moon will "behold the night of solemnities."
Theseus sends Philostrate, the Master of the Revels, to go out into the streets of Athens and get the city to celebrate so that the time passes quickly.
Theseus turns to Hippolyta and promises her that their wedding will be more joyful than the circumstances under which they got engaged.
An Athenian man named Egeus arrives and greets Theseus. Egeus has brought along his daughter Hermia and Lysander and Demetrius.
He makes a formal complaint to the Duke against his disobedient daughter, who has refused to marry the man Egeus has chosen for her, Demetrius
According to Egeus, Hermia's been "bewitch'd" by Lysander and refuses to marry Demetrius.
Egeus then tells of the wrongs Lysander has committed. Lysander presented Hermia with various love-tokens, serenaded her by moonlight, and even given her a lock of his hair.
Egeus points out that Hermia is his daughter and therefore his property. Athenian law dictates that Hermia has to marry the man he chooses or be put to death.
Theseus tries to reason with Hermia, but our girl flat out refuses to marry Demetrius.
Hermia asks the Duke what the worst-case scenario would be if she didn't marry Demetrius.
Theseus says that, if Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, she has only two other, become a nun or be put to death.
Theseus warns that being a nun is not so great and suggests that Hermia just marry Demetrius.
Hermia declares she would rather die than marry a guy she doesn't