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Shakespeare Quotes from A Midsummer Night's Dream
A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry.— filed under Achievement
With the help of a surgeon he might recover, and prove— filed under Ass
DARKNESS, ITS EFFECT ON THE FACULTY OF HEARING. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense, It pays the hearing double recompense.— filed under Daring
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 church-yards: damned spirits all, That in cross-ways and floods have burial,— filed under Dawn
And that same dew which sometime on the buds Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls, Stood now within the pretty flow'ret's eyes, Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail. M. N. iv. 1. I must go seek some dew-drops here,— filed under Dew
The best of this kind are but shadows; and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.— filed under Dramas
I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream ;past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream.— filed under Dreams
Here were a fairy. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song; -rose buds Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; ; Some, to kill cankers in the musk Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats; and some, keep back The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders At our quaint spirits.— filed under Fairies
Away; disperse. Then, my queen, in silence sad, Trip we after the night's shade: We the globe can compass soon,— filed under Fairies
To guide our measure round about the tree. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries The honey bags steal from the humble bees, And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes, To have my love to bed, and to arise; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.— filed under Fairies
In maiden meditation, fancy-free.— filed under Fancy
In deeds dishonourable. Sickness is catching: O, were favour so!— filed under Favour
More strange than true. I never may believe These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.— filed under Fictions
So we grew together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet a union in partition, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem.— filed under Friend
Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent, When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us, -0, is all now forget? All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?— filed under Friend
Trust me, sweet, Out of this silence yet I pick'd a welcome; And in the modesty of fearful duty I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Of saucy and audacious eloquence. Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity In least, speak most, to my capacity.— filed under Greeting
For never any thing can be amiss, When simpleness and duty tender it.— filed under Homage Of Simplicity
continued. We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top, And mark the musical confusion Of hounds and echo in conjunction.— filed under Hunting
I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once, When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear Such gallant chiding; for, besides the groves, The skies, the fountains, every region near Seem'd all one mutual cry: I never heard So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.— filed under Hunting
These are the forgeries of jealousy : And never, since the middle summer's spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By paved fountain, or by rushy brook, Or on the beached margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport.— filed under Jealousy
The forgeries of jealousy.— filed under Jealousy
Such tricks hath strong imagination; That if it would but apprehend some joy, It comprehends some bringer of that joy; Or, in the night imagining some fear, How easy is a bush suppos'd a bear!— filed under Imagination
Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold; That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And, as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name.— filed under Imagination
More merry tears The passion of loud laughter never shed.— filed under Laughter
And ere a man can say, -Behold!— filed under Lightning
Didst thou but know the inly touch of love, Thou would'st as soon go kindle fire with snow, As seek to quench the fire of love with words. T.G. ii. 7. Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind: And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind; Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste; Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste; And therefore is love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguil'd.— filed under Love
For aught that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth; But, either it was different in blood; O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low ! Or else misgraffed, in respect of years; O spite! too old to be engag'd to young! Or else it stood upon the choice of friends: O hell! to choose love by another's eye! Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it; Making it momentary as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That, in a spleen, unfold both heaven and earth, And ere a man hath power to say, -Behold! The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion.— filed under Love
All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer, With sighs of love.— filed under Love
She, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man.— filed under Love
I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow; By his best arrow with the golden head; By the simplicity of Venus' doves; By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves; And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen, When the false Trojan under sail was seen; By all the vows that ever men have broke, In number more than ever woman spoke ;- In that same place thou hast appointed me, To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.— filed under Lover's Vows
Earthlier happy is the rose distill'd, Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn,— filed under Manuscript
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. M.N. i.— filed under Melancholy
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals, The pale companion is not for our pomp.— filed under Mirth
And then the old quire hold their lips, and loffe; And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there.— filed under Mirth
Which is as bad as die with tickling. Never did mockers waste more idle breath.— filed under Mockery
The moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes all the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound: And, through this distemperature, we see The seasons alter.— filed under Moon
Methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, Long withering out a young man's revenue.— filed under Moon
Once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back, Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew civil at her song; And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, To hear the sea-maid's music.— filed under Music
Call forth your actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.— filed under Mustering
Vaporous night approaches. Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon; Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task fore-done. Now the wasted brands do glow, Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe, In remembrance of a shroud. Now it is the time of night, That the graves all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide: And we fairies, that do run, By the triple Hecate's team, From the presence of the sun, Following darkness like a dream, Now are frolic; not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house : I am sent, with broom, before,— filed under Night
And pay no worship to the garish sun. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve :-— filed under Night
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice, You can endure the livery of a nun; For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd, To live a barren sister all your life, Chaunting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice blessed they, that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; But earthlior happy is the rose distill'd, Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness.— filed under Nun
I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd, And duty in his service perishing.— filed under Oppression
If it be husbanded with modesty. Say, what abridgment have you for this evening? What mask? what music? How shall we beguile The lazy time, if not with some delight?— filed under Pastime
These things seem small, and undistinguishable, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.— filed under Perspective
Is there no play,— filed under Plays
To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? Shall's have a play of this? Cym. v.5. What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor.— filed under Plays
Of a whole herd of lions. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.— filed under Roar
None of noble sort would so offend a virgin.— filed under Rudeness
The seasons alter; hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; And on old Hyems' chin, and icy crown, An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds Is, as in mockery, set: The spring, the summer, The childing autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world, By their increase, now knows not which is which.— filed under Sea
This man hath witch'd the bosom of my child: Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchang'd love tokens with my child: Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; 1 And stol'n th' impression of her phantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats; messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth : With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart, Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness.— filed under Seduction
Sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from mine own company.— filed under Sleep
So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow, For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe.— filed under Sleep
A surfeit of the sweetest things,— filed under Surfeit
psalms to hornpipes. On old Hyems' chin, and icy crown, An od'rous chaplet of sweet summer buds— filed under Vituperation
Have humbled to all strokes. UNION. UNITY So we grew together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet a union in partition; Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; Two of the first, like coats in heraldry, Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.— filed under Vituperation
As they themselves would have them. We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo.— filed under Woman
Masters, I am to discourse wonders.— filed under Wonder