A Midsummer Night's Dream - Play Script - Act 1, Scene 1

Oct 28, 2026

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare presents competing desires and mistaken loyalties in Athens and the nearby woods. The opening scene introduces Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding preparations while Egeus brings Hermia’s lovers before the duke under Athens’ law. Hermia defies her father’s choice, placing Lysander and Demetrius in direct conflict. The act sets a tone of urgency and conflict that drives the play’s ensuing romantic entanglements and fairies’ interventions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages59

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Act I

Scene I: Athens

A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare An Electronic Classics Series Publication A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a publication of The Electronic Classics Series. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, The Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Editor, PSU-Hazleton, Hazleton, PA 18202 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Jim Manis is a faculty member of the English Department of The Pennsylvania State University. This page and any preceding page(s) are restricted by copyright. The text of the following pages are not copyrighted within the United States; however, the fonts used may be. Cover Design: Jim Manis Copyright © 1999 - 2013 The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM William Shakespeare (written about 1593-1594) DRAMATIS PERSONAE THESEUS: Duke of Athens. EGEUS: father to Hermia. LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS: in love with Hermia. PHILOSTRATE: master of the revels to Theseus. QUINCE: a carpenter. SNUG: a joiner. BOTTOM: a weaver. FLUTE: a bellows-mender. SNOUT: a tinker. STARVELING: a tailor. HIPPOLYTA: queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. HERMIA: daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. HELENA: in love with Demetrius. OBERON: king of the fairies. TITANIA: queen of the fairies. PUCK: or Robin Goodfellow. PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED: fairies. Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. SCENE: Athens, and a wood near it. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM ACT I SCENE I: Athens. The palace of THESEUS. [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.] THESEUS: 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. 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. THESEUS: Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit PHILOSTRATE.] Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph and with revelling. [Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS.] EGEUS: Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! THESEUS: Thanks, good Egeus: what’s the news with thee? EGEUS: Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child; Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth:

FAQs

Who are the main characters introduced in Act I, scene i?

Theseus and Hippolyta lead the opening court scene, while Philostrate appears as an attendant. Egeus brings Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius before Theseus, setting up the conflict at the center of the act.

What issue does Egeus raise to Theseus?

Egeus complains about his daughter Hermia and her refusal to marry Demetrius. He argues that Lysander has “bewitch’d the bosom” of Hermia and asks Theseus to apply the ancient privilege of Athens.

What choice does Theseus give Hermia if she refuses Demetrius?

Theseus warns that refusal means either facing death or abjuring the society of men, effectively requiring Hermia to live under strict religious seclusion.

Oct 28, 2026

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