← All monologuesFull work: A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream · William Shakespeare · c. 1595
PUCK
A sprite who has spent the night causing chaos and now has to send the audience home happy about it.
The speech110 words · 4 beats
0:00 / 0:55
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 a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call.turn
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
- Speaking to
- The audience, directly, with a wink.
- What just happened
- The lovers are sorted, the play is nearly done. Puck steps forward alone to close the show.
- Objective
- To be forgiven for the whole evening, and to get a round of applause while he’s at it.
- The turn
- ‘And, as I am an honest Puck’ — the apology becomes a cheeky bargain.
- Watch out for
- Rhymed tetrameter that can trot into sing-song. Keep it spoken and sly, to one person at a time, not chanted.