A Midsummer Night's Dream

Act 1

ACT 1

SCENE 1

THESUS and HIPPOLYTA standing side by side in THESUS'S garden. THESUS has his arm around HIPPOLYTA's waist.

HIPPOLYTA: Such a wonderful day, isn't it?

THESUS: Yeah. Especially since I'm with you. (Pause) Four more days and we'll be together. (Sigh, complaining voice) It's such a long time. I want to get married already!

(PHILOSTRATE comes in, unnoticed, and admires the ornaments on the wall.)

HIPPOLYTA: Humph, complaining? Seriously, THESUS, you're a grown man. Get yourself together, you baby.

(THESUS opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by HIPPOLYTA.)

HIPPOLYTA: Besides, time will pass quickly enough.

THESUS: What do you mean by that?

HIPPOLYTA: Well, we spend half our time sleeping, and time doesn't pass when we're asleep. Plus I'll be in your dreams if you'll be in mine. You won't even know that time's passed before our wedding.

THESUS: (smiles, turns to PHILOSTRATE) PHIL, go check who else has responded to the invitations. I want to see whose coming. I do hope we get more fun people than the sentimental ones. I'd prefer if people cry after I torture them.

PHILOSTRATE: (scribbles in his notebook, bows) Yes, sir. (Leaves)

THESUS: (turns back to HIPPOLYTA) Have I ever told you, HIPPO, how much I—

HIPPOLYTA: Don't call me HIPPO. You make it seem like I'm obese.

THESUS: Fine. LYTA, have I ever—

(Someone knocked at the door.)

THESUS: (sigh, slightly irritated) Come in.

(EGEUS, HERMIA, DEMETRIUS, AND LYSANDER enter the scene.)

EGEUS: Good day, sir. (Pause) Was I interrupting something important?

(HIPPOLYTA and THESUS turn to them.)

THESUS: It's nothing. What can we do for you, EGEUS?

EGEUS: (Gestures to HERMIA) This is my daughter, Hermia. I want her to marry DEMETRIUS here. (Gestures to DEMETRIUS) He is a wonderful man, the ideal husband, even, but she doesn't want to marry him no matter what I tell her.

THESUS: I don't see any problem here.

HERMIA: But I don't want to marry Demetrius. I love Lysander! (hugs Lysander's arm)

EGEUS: LYSANDER is a useless man. He's nothing more than a pretty face and flattering words. No one can raise a family with hairdos and poems! If my daughter continues to refuse to marry DEMETRIUS, I'm afraid that I have no other choice than to have her executed or banished.

THESUS: (looks at HERMIA) Do you understand the situation, HERMIA? If you disobey your own father then you are going against my own wishes, and I am most certainly capable of sending you off to another land to live the life of a peasant.