Titania’s Monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1: "Set your heart at rest"

Synopsis

Titania explains to Oberon why she will not relinquish the changeling boy to him. She recounts a heartfelt memory of the boy’s mother, a devoted follower and friend who tragically passed away during childbirth. In honour of her deceased friend, Titania vows to protect and raise the boy, refusing to give him up.

What’s just happened before this moment that’s relevant to the scene?

Oberon has demanded that Titania hand over the Indian changeling boy, whom he desires for his own court. Titania refuses, and tensions escalate as she explains her deep emotional attachment to the child and her determination to keep him, despite Oberon’s insistence.

Original Text

"Set your heart at rest:
The fairy land buys not the child of me.
His mother was a votress of my order;
And in the spiced Indian air, by night,
Full often hath she gossip’d by my side;
And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands,
Marking th’embarked traders on the flood:
When we have laugh’d to see the sails conceive
And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind;
Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait
Following (her womb then rich with my young squire),
Would imitate, and sail upon the land
To fetch me trifles, and return again
As from a voyage rich with merchandise.
But she, being mortal, of that boy did die;
And for her sake do I rear up her boy;
And for her sake I will not part with him."

Translation of Text into Contemporary Language

"Stop insisting—I'm not giving the child to you.
The magical realm has no price that could buy him from me.
His mother was a loyal follower of mine,
And in the fragrant Indian nights,
She often sat by my side,
On Neptune’s golden sands,
Watching the merchant ships on the ocean.
We’d laugh as we saw the sails swell
Like pregnant bellies, filled with playful winds.
She, graceful and elegant,
Would mimic the ships,
Her own belly full with the child she carried,
Bringing me little gifts as if she were a ship returning from a rich voyage.
But being mortal, she died giving birth to that boy.
In her memory, I raise him,
And for her sake, I will never give him up."

Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words

Set your heart at rest: Be at peace; stop worrying or insisting.
Fairy land buys not: The magical realm cannot purchase.
Votress: A woman dedicated to a vow, often religious or spiritual.
Spiced Indian air: The fragrant atmosphere of India, evoking an exotic and luxurious setting.
Gossip’d: Chatted or talked intimately.
Neptune’s yellow sands: The golden beaches by the sea, associated with Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
Th’embarked traders: Merchants who have set sail.
Big-bellied with the wanton wind: The sails of ships swelling like pregnant bellies due to playful winds.
Pretty and with swimming gait: Moving gracefully, as if swimming or gliding.
Womb then rich with my young squire: Pregnant with the boy who would later become her child.
Mortal: A human, subject to death.

Journey Keypoints

Hook: Titania opens with a firm refusal to give up the boy, asserting her unwavering decision.
Turning Point: She recalls the vivid, joyful memories of the boy’s mother, evoking a sense of emotional depth.
Climax: The revelation of the mother’s tragic death, heightening the emotional stakes.
Resolution: Titania declares her commitment to honour her friend by raising the boy and firmly refuses Oberon’s demand.

Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role

Judi Dench (RSC Production, 1968)
Vanessa Redgrave (Film, 1968)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Film, 1999)
Gwendoline Christie (Bridge Theatre, 2019)

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