You are here

All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 1Scene 1
Back to the Play
"Phoebe"
Mythological Imagery
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 208-213

An explanation of Lysander’s reference to Phoebe in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Lysander

Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.
Tomorrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the wat’ry glass
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass —
A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal —
Through Athens' gates have we devised to steal.

Lysander is imagining the moon goddess Phoebe looking down to see her reflection in the dew drops (“liquid pearl”) on the grass.