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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 1Scene 1
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"silver bow"
Imagery
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 1-11a

An explanation of Hippolyta’s moon imagery in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

[Ancient Athens. Enter Duke Theseus, ruler of Athens; Hippolyta, his soon to be wife; Philostrate, a nobleman; and various attendants]

Theseus

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon — but, Oh, methinks how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a stepdame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man’s revenue.

Hippolyta

Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities. 

To Hippolyta, the waning moon resembles a silver bow drawn back to fire an arrow. Diana, goddess of both the moon and hunting, is often pictured with a bow and arrow. Hippolyta imagines the face in the moon as that of Diana looking down on their wedding festivities.

(Diana the Huntress by Orazio Gentileschi, 17th century)

References: 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diana_the_Huntress_by_Orazio_Gen...(17th-century).jpg