No Fear Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 3, Scene 1, Page 7
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For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?
Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry
“cuckoo” never so?
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Of course they don’t say “no”!
Who’d waste his time talking to such a stupid bird?
Who’d bother to accuse a bird of lying, even if the bird were telling him that his wife was cheating
on him?
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TITANIA
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.
Mine ear is much enamored of thy note.
So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape.
And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.
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TITANIA
Please sing again, sweet human. I love to listen to your voice,
and I love to look at your body. I know this is the first time
I’ve ever seen you, but you’re so wonderful
that I can’t help swearing to you that I love you.
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BOTTOM
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that.
And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company
together nowadays. The more the pity that some honest neighbors will
not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.
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BOTTOM
I don’t think you’ve got much of a reason to
love me. But to tell you the truth, reason and love have very little
to do with each other these days. It’s too bad some
mutual friend of theirs doesn’t introduce them. Ha, ha!
No, I’m just kidding.
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TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
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TITANIA
You’re as wise as you are beautiful.
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BOTTOM
Not so, neither. But if I had wit enough to get out of this wood,
I have enough to serve mine own turn.
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BOTTOM
No, that’s not true. But if I were smart enough to get
out of this forest, I’d be wise enough to satisfy
myself.
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TITANIA
Out of this wood do not desire to go.
Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate.
The summer still doth tend upon my state.
And I do love thee. Therefore go with me.
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee.
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressèd flowers dost sleep.
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed!
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TITANIA
Don’t bother wishing you could leave this forest,
because you’re going to stay here whether you want to or
not. I’m no ordinary fairy. I rule over the summer, and I
love you. So come with me. I’ll give you fairies as
servants, and they’ll bring you jewels from the depths of
the ocean, and sing to you while you sleep on a bed of flowers. And
I’ll turn you into a spirit like us, so you
won’t die as humans do.—Come here,
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed!
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