A Midsummer Night's Dream Act I Scene I

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

Draws on apace; four happy days bring in

Another moon: but, O, 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 revenue.

The first act of A Midsummer Night’s Dream begins with these words. I know that they might seem like a bunch of mumble jumble, but I promise you that they are decipherable. In the beginning of this scene Theseus is telling Hippolyta how anxious he is for their wedding (nuptial hour), and basically he’s also telling her how much he wants her. Yes, Shakespeare does have many sexual references, you just have to catch them. She responds by telling him that four days will go by quickly. Theseus then goes on to say many other pretty things about their wedding and to Hippolyta.

Then comes Egeus,  Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius. Hermia, Egeus’s daughter, has disobeyed him by refused to marry Demetrius because she is in love with Lysander. Since Theseus is the duke, Egeus comes to him with complaint against her, saying that either she marries Lysander or he may invoke his rights as her father and dispose of her. Theseus says that either she marries Demetrius, forfeit her life, or become a nun.

After Theseus, Demetrius, and Egeus leave, Lysander and Hermia tell each other how much they love each other, and then begin formulating a plan to run away together and get married. It is then that we are introduced to Helena, who is in fact in love with Demetrius, who wants nothing to do with the poor girl. Helena is very melancholy and obviously jealous of Hermia’s hold on Demetrius.

Hermia and Lysander then decide to tell her about their plan to elope, and then they leave her. She’s still sad and jealous about Demetrius’s love for Hermia, and so she comes up with the idea to tell him where Hermia and Lysander have gone in the hope that it will win his heart.

And that’s the first scene in Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or email me at peacelayi@gmail.com