A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Ian Hunter: Theseus - Duke of Athens

Photos 

Quotes 

• Starveling - the Tailor : [Precariously gets up onto a chair, holding up a lantern to speak as the moon, and a thorn bush tied to a dog's collar in his other hand; all cheer as he manages to stand on the chair]  This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; Myself the man...

  Theseus - Duke of Athens : He should have worn horns on his head.

  Starveling - the Tailor : This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be. This do...

  Theseus - Duke of Athens : This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man should be put into the lantern.

  Starveling - the Tailor : This lan...

  Theseus - Duke of Athens : How is it else the man i' the moon?

  Starveling - the Tailor : This lantern doth...

  Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons - Betrothed to Theseus : I am so weary of this moon: would he would change!

  Starveling - the Tailor : [gurning]  This lantern...

  Demetrius, in Love with Hermia : Proceed, Moon.

  Starveling - the Tailor : [sighs, then speaks very quickly]  All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the lantern is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.

• [first lines] 

  Theseus - Duke of Athens : Hippolyta, I wooed you with my sword and won your love, doing thee injuries. But, I will wed you in another key: with pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.

• Theseus - Duke of Athens : 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.

• Theseus - Duke of Athens : Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace. Four happy days bring in another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow this old moon wanes! She lingers my desires.

  Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons - Betrothed to Theseus : 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.

• Lysander : These things seem small and undistinguishable, like far off mountains turned into clouds.

  Demetrius, in Love with Hermia : It seems to me that, yet we sleep, we dream!

  Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons - Betrothed to Theseus : 'Tis strange my Theseus, what these lovers speak of.

  Theseus - Duke of Athens : Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, such wild imaginings, that apprehend more than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover and the poet are of imagination all compact.

• Theseus - Duke of Athens : Come now; what masques? What dances shall we have? Where is our usual manager of mirth? What revels are in hand?

• Theseus - Duke of Athens : The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve: Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time. I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn, As much as we this night have overwatch'd. Sweet friends, to bed. A fortnight hold we this solemnity, In nightly revels and new jollity.