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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 1Scene 1
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Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander, Lines 22-45
Context and Language Videos
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 22-45

A performance of lines 22-45 by Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

myShakespeare | Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Performance: Egeus, Hermia, and others Lines 22-45

Egeus

Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia. –
Stand forth Demetrius. – And my noble lord,
This man hath my consent to marry her.
Stand forth Lysander. And, my gracious duke,
This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice verses of feigning love,
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats — messengers
Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth.
With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart,
Turned her obedience, which is due to me,
To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious duke,
Be it so she will not, here before your grace,
Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:
As she is mine I may dispose of her –
Which shall be either to this gentleman
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case.