A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

RenaissanceDrama
17,280 words13 chapters~70 min read
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Shakespeare's Renaissance comedy follows four young Athenians whose romantic entanglements become wildly complicated when they flee to a forest inhabited by mischievous fairies. The play weaves together multiple plotlines involving mistaken identities, magical love potions, and a troupe of amateur actors rehearsing a play within the play.

Opening lines

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 step-dame or a dowager, Long withering out a young man’s revenue. 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. 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.
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About William Shakespeare

An English playwright and poet from Stratford-upon-Avon (1564-1616) who transformed theater with timeless works like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. His profound exploration of human nature, masterful use of language, and innovative storytelling techniques revolutionized drama and continue to captivate audiences worldwide four centuries later. All works by William Shakespeare

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