(the wood outside Athens.)

A Midsummer Night's Dream monologues, printed in full

Helena's six, Theseus's seven, Oberon, Titania, Puck and Bottom. The comedy most schools stage first and the one with the most usable short speeches for young actors. Public domain, printed whole.

Search all of them Start rehearsing

1
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:54 min
How happy some o'er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he…
2
Robin Goodfellow Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 0:58 min
If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but…
3
Egeus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · defiant · 1:29 min
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.…
4
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · philosophical · 0:52 min
Either to die the death, or to abjure For ever the society of men. Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you…
5
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 1:02 min
I must confess that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it.—But, Demetrius, come, And…
6
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · romantic · 0:56 min
Call you me fair? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars and your tongue’s sweet air More tuneable than lark to shepherd’s ear,…
7
Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:19 min
Thou speak’st aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon, and make him smile, When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal;…
8
Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 2:20 min
These are the forgeries of jealousy: And never, since the middle summer’s spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By pavèd fountain, or by rushy brook, Or on the beachèd…
9
Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · defiant · 1:08 min
Set your heart at rest; The fairyland buys not the child of me. His mother was a vot’ress of my order, And in the spicèd Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip’d by my…
10
Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 1:17 min
That very time I saw, (but thou couldst not), Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm’d: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal, thronèd by the west, And loos’d…
11
Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 1:20 min
I pray thee give it me. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and…
12
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 1:05 min
O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies, For she hath blessèd and attractive eyes. How came her…
13
Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 0:54 min
Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion’s neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect: ‘Ladies,’ or, ‘Fair…
14
Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:52 min
My mistress with a monster is in love. Near to her close and consecrated bower, While she was in her dull and sleeping hour, A crew of patches, rude mechanicals, That work for…
15
Hermia from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 0:55 min
Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse, For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, Being o’er shoes in blood, plunge in the…
16
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 1:13 min
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent To set against me for your merriment. If you were civil, and knew courtesy, You would not do me thus much injury. Can you not hate me, as I…
17
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 1:52 min
Lo, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoin’d all three To fashion this false sport in spite of me. Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid! Have you…
18
Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 0:56 min
Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn, To follow me, and praise my eyes and face? And made your other love, Demetrius, Who even but now did spurn me with his foot, To call me…
19
Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 1:30 min
Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight. Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; The starry welkin cover thou anon With drooping fog, as black as Acheron, And lead these…
20
Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · contemplative · 2:00 min
Welcome, good Robin. Seest thou this sweet sight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity. For, meeting her of late behind the wood, Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool, I did…
21
Demetrius from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · romantic · 1:11 min
My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither to this wood; And I in fury hither follow’d them, Fair Helena in fancy following me. But, my good lord,…
22
Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:42 min
(Waking.) When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is ‘Most fair Pyramus.’ Heigh-ho! Peter Quince! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout, the tinker! Starveling! God’s my…
23
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · philosophical · 1:17 min
More strange than true. I never may believe These antique fables, nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More…
24
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · contemplative · 1:04 min
The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing. Our sport shall be to take what they mistake: And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect Takes it in might, not merit. Where I…
25
Pyramus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · anguished · 0:59 min
O grim-look’d night! O night with hue so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night, O night, alack, alack, alack, I fear my Thisbe’s promise is forgot! And thou, O…
26
Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · mystical · 0:58 min
Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon; Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task fordone. Now the wasted brands do glow, Whilst the screech-owl,…
27
Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · inspirational · 1:05 min
Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray. To the best bride-bed will we, Which by us shall blessèd be; And the issue there create Ever shall be fortunate.…
28
Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 0:56 min
That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. I will move storms; I will condole in some measure. To the rest—yet my…
29
Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:03 min
Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps; meet presently at the…
30
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · philosophical · 1:06 min
(Reads) ‘The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.’ We’ll none of that. That have I told my love In glory of my kinsman Hercules. ‘The riot of…
31
Robin from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 1:02 min
The King doth keep his revels here tonight. Take heed the Queen come not within his sight, 35 37 A Midsummer Night’s Dream ACT 2. SC. For Oberon is passing fell and wrath Because…
32
Fairy from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 1:53 min
Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he That frights the maidens of the villagery,…
33
Robin from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · romantic · 0:55 min
Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none On whose eyes I might approve This flower’s force in stirring love. Night and silence! Who is here? Weeds of Athens he…
34
Robin from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · comedic · 0:58 min
On the ground Sleep sound. I’ll apply To your eye, Gentle lover, remedy. 117 A Midsummer Night’s Dream ACT 3. SC. Robin applies the nectar to Lysander’s eyes. When thou wak’st,…
35
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · dramatic · 2:01 min
His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing impaired, but all disordered. Who is next? Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine and Lion as in dumb show. PROLOGUE Gentles,…
36
Theseus from A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare · play · joyful · 1:10 min
No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus,…

Length is estimated at a spoken pace of about 150 words a minute. Public-domain pieces are printed in full on their own page; copyrighted ones list the character and the source.

Not the one yet?

Describe the piece the way you would to a coach and the search reads the whole corpus, not this shelf. Free to start, no credit card.

Search the corpus Start rehearsing