Here's the speech:
A Midsummers Night’s DreamThe story starts when Egeus, a father, brings his daughter to the court of Theseus, the Duke of Athens. He says he wishes to complain about the behaviour of his daughter, Hermia.
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 interchang’d 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, gawds, conceits,
knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats – messengers
of strong prevailment in unhardened youth;
With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughter’s heart;
_ Turn’d 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.
Glossary
Vexation – anger interchanged – swapped thou – you
Feigning – pretending stol’n – stolen thy – your
Gawds, conceits – presents prevailment – pressure filch’d – pinched
Beg – demand ancient privilege – the old dispose – get rid of
law
additional word list
• Impressions of her fantasy = signs of Hermia’s love
• Knacks and trifles = small gifts
• Nosegays and sweetmeats = flowers and sweets
• Split the speech into 3 parts;
Full of – bosom of my child
Thou, thou Lys – To stubborn harshness
And my gracious – end of speech.
Here's the play:
'A Midsummer Night's Dream'