ACT 3, SCENE 3
The scene opens in the forest beyond Athens. TITANIA is adorning BOTTOM with flowers. She weaves them into his matted, equine hair with such tenderness that the surrounding FAIRIES cannot help but watch in awe. They have been trapped in a perpetual state of anxiousness for so long that they are still on edge, worried that their Queen's new favorite will quickly prove unsatisfactory, however, BOTTOM's appearance is a welcome distraction.
TITANIA: My love, your mortality is of great
Concern to me. I dip into the pool
Of transience so little I am at a
Loss. In fact, I know not how to proceed,
Save tearing away your deformity.
BOTTOM: No! No. For I see no purpose in it.
TITANIA: Where else should my purpose lie, Beloved?
BOTTOM: Firstly, your purpose should lie with no one excepting, of course, me. It would behoove your purpose to stay faithful; else my purpose might be so inclined as to wander from your purpose and purposes severed do not often make purposes reunited. Thirdly, what is so offensive about mortality? Is it not just as it ends the suffering of the sick and hungry? Is it not prudent to cut life short so innocent babes can be welcomed into Providence with open arms? Is it not brilliant in the way that it out-riddles the smartest of men? Trust mortality my lady. If we do not believe in death, then what shall we believe in?
TITANIA: You understand little. Mortality
Is no more than an envious former
Lover; determined to take my love away
And clutch me in its arms. Trust it not, but
Do trust that I could not live without you.
You fall, I shall follow as a Roman.
OBERON and PUCK enter noiselessly.
BOTTOM: Call me an ass then. Besides, Roman is a title that does not suit you. Their republic is small and has nothing enduring about it.
PUCK: (laughingly) What is it that you know of endurance?
BOTTOM brays in surprise. TITANIA leaps to her feet with ease and strategically places herself
between her husband and her lover, feigning calm. All FAIRIES tense at the sight of PUCK and
OBERON. They are fully aware of the impending natural disaster and attempt to brace themselves.
OBERON: Good evening, Titania. I see thou art
Preoccupied with your latest plaything.
I will return when you have tired of him.
TITANIA: Well then, thou shall never return; for I
Cannot live without him. Immortality
Is nothing without love eternal.
OBERON: Do not you realize the pain you inflict?
His visage fills me with sorrow and tempts
Me to unspeakable ill. Puck, leave us.
I would not wish my right hand to witness
The mud which the rest of the body has
Been adorn'd with.
PUCK: So be it, my lord.
TITANIA: Where is this mud you speak of? Is it here?
Her fingers brush gently across his shoulders as she circles him like a lioness trapping an antelope.
TITANIA: No. Surely, it is here.
She cups his chin in her hands and looks into his eyes.
TITANIA: Ah! Now I see!
Although your body is unblemish'd,
Your conscience begs for my forgiveness.
OBERON: It does no such thing!
OBERON slaps her hand away from his face.
TITANIA: So your presence can
Be attributed to jealousy then.
For what else drives men to battle their fate:
Abandoned out of love for another?
OBERON: Must you be so cruel? I came hither to
Inform of thine folly! Lambs, in the field,
Newly inducted into the ways of
Life, hath been felled by thy negligence. In
Their quiet, watery graves, frogs croak no more.
Unbearable thirst makes the trees barren
Until the wind whistles of fruitful rain.
Even the Sky herself has lost her luster.
A void in nature swelled with your love for
This ass. I, alone, cannot bear this yoke.
All that is left is ravished, unless you
Abandon thine folly and nurture the
World back in to good health. Your post so filled,
The void shall take its emptiness back on
The journey into oblivion. My
Pain is a separate issue which I
Refuse discussing in such company.
OBERON sneers at BOTTOM.
TITANIA: Your pain is of no interest to me.
The ravishment of my territories,
However, demands my full attention.
OBERON: Are they not one in the same?
TITANIA: No, surely
Not. For suffering deserved is a whole
World onto itself away from the death
Of Nature's bounty. Olivelilly! Jade!
Pinegrove! Hyacinth! Of you one shall go
Tickle the clouds until they yield their tears,
Another shall sing a spell of growing to
The grass under the shepard's feet, One shall
Dance amongst the tadpoles to strengthen their
Jumping legs, And the last shall murmur words
Of kindness to the overarching Sky.
In the end, she shall oversee the void's
Expulsion in return for her safety.
Now, off! Time is a constant master in
An inconstant world. One should not waste him
Like a dowry in a dice game.
OBERON: How, now!
Will not you accompany them? There was
A day when none could outrun you in service
To Mother Nature. What has changed thee?
TITANIA: Dost thou dare question my real loyalties?
OBERON: Yea, in fact, I must. For who else sees your
Precious love for its true form: Vanity?
The rosy monster of your own desires
Has usurped every crown in your dazed eyes.
Your love for these humans has dashed all former
Responsibilities and pursuits from
Thine visage. Is the world's well-being worth
The fleeting happiness of mortal love?
TITANIA: No, no. Nothing comes at so steep a price.
OBERON: Then yield me one of your mortal playthings.
TITANIA: Surely, that will solve nothing.
OBERON: Surely,
That will solve everything. Think on it as
Penance for misplacing loyalty with
Vanity. I will not accept less than
Your beloved Indian Boy for I
Cannot stand the sight of this vile creature
And would kill him rather than tie him to
My retinue. A trade that benefits
All is better than individual gain.
TITANIA pauses, wrestling with the consequences of either choice.
TITANIA: I agree to your terms. Dawnbrier, please
Fetch the boy and deliver him to any
Place of his choosing.
DAWNBRIER: But, will't be safe?
TITANIA: How dare you? His class in my esteem does
Not make him any less than your sovereign.
Your implication is weighty, but still
Cannot stoop the sturdy King of Shadows.
DAWNBRIER: Pardon, your Majesties, I meant only
To inquire after the safety of
The innocent babe that brightens our hearts.
TITANIA's anger boils over in response to DAWNBRIER not because the lesser fairy has stepped out of place, but rather because she has similar doubts.
TITANIA: Your gall is astounding. Question me no
Further for fear of my wrath. Go with haste!
DAWNBRIER quickly ducks out of view to fetch the INDIAN BOY.
OBERON: She meant no offense.
TITANIA: Oh, but it was heard.
Is that not enough? Must I endure the
Death of all respect for my character,
My crown? I will not sit idly by while
She deems my judgment lacking…
OBERON: Ironic,
Is it not? How one can describe oneself
Without even realizing? Now you feel
The harsh stabs that you inflict upon me.
"Death of all respect". How fitting that the
Presence of mortals has brought Death into
Our camps. Enjoy your plaything while you still
Can, for no one can guess Death's next victim.
OBERON melts away into the forest. TITANIA turns back to BOTTOM, her worst fears laid bare by OBERON's taunting. BOTTOM, self-important as always, tries to brush away her fears with his simple logic.
BOTTOM: 'Is 'lids! What an ass!