Background
Stories connected with characters from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Story of Theseus
Once, there was a young boy named Theseus. Nobody knew who his father was, for both King Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon had
been fond of his mother Aethra. Right before Theseus was born, Aegeus said to Aethra, "If we shall have a son, then when he
becomes of age, tell him to lift this rock and take my sword and sandals." Aegeus then hid both his sword and his sandals under a
large boulder and set sail for Athens.
This happened in a small town called Troezen, where Theseus grew into a strong, young man. When Aethra thought it was time, she
took Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift it. Theseus wrapped his mighty arms around the boulder and lifted it with no
difficulty at all. Then, he threw the boulder into a nearby forest. Aethra then told him to take the sword and sandals and go to Athens.
Theseus Journeys to Athens
Aethra and her father begged Theseus to go to Athens by sea, for horrible robbers and bandits inhabited the road, but Theseus was
bold and went overland. After a few miles, he met a large man with a shiny club. "I am Periphetes, the cudgel man, and I'm going to
bash your head with this club," he said. "That's a mighty fine club you have there," replied Theseus.
"Pure brass."
"I bet it isn't."
"Yes it is."
"It's just wood wrapped in brass."
"Here, look at it to make sure."
Periphetes handed the club to Theseus. Theseus hit Periphetes on the side of the head with it. "Not bad," thought Theseus, "not bad at
all. I think I'll keep this."
Theseus continued on his journey. Not much further, he saw a giant man with a battle axe, standing on the side of the road. "I am
Sciron and these are my cliffs. To pass you must wash my feet as a toll!" the man said. "What would happen if I didn't?" replied
Theseus. "I will chop off your head with this axe, and don't think that puny little twig you're carrying will save you, you're
absolutely...WRONG!!!!" Sciron yelled. So, Theseus sat down and started to wash Sciron's feet. Theseus looked over the side of the
cliff, and saw a monstrous turtle at the bottom. That's when her realised that Sciron was the infamous giant that threw people off the
cliff for his man-eating turtle. When he took a grasp of Sciron's foot, Theseus jerked aside and hurled Sciron off the cliff.
Theseus walked further ahead when he saw a man that looked remarkably like Sciron. The man said, "Could you do me a favor young
man? Hold this pine tree down for me." The man's name was Sinis, the pine-bender. Sinis bent a pine tree down and waited for
Theseus to hold the tree down with him. Then, Sinis let go, expecting Theseus to be catapulted in the air; however, Theseus held it
down. Sinis stooped down to get a better look at the tree, thinking that it had been broken, when Theseus let go of the tree,
hitting Sinis in the chin and knocking him unconscious. Theseus then tied Sinis' legs to one bent pine tree, his arms to another.
Then, Theseus let go, the trees ripping Sinis in half; vultures screamed with delight.
Theseus went on his way again. After a few miles, it got dark. Theseus saw a large house up ahead of him. He decided to ask the
owner for a bed for the night, so he walked up to the door and knocked. A man came to the door and said, "Welcome young man.
Come in, you look tired. My name is Procrustes. I have a magic bed for you to stay the night on. It is exactly six feet long, but can fit
anyone, be they short or tall." Theseus had been warned about a man named Procrustes. His so called "magic" bed did fit anyone, but
in an unpleasant way. If a person was too short, Procrustes would chain their arms and legs and stretch them. If they were too tall, he
would chop off their legs until they were just right. Procrustes led Theseus into the room where the bed was. Theseus pushed
Procrustes onto the bed and chopped off his legs; and just so Procrustes wouldn't feel any pain, he sliced his head off too.
Theseus Recognized
The next morning Theseus reached Athens. It was the largest city he had ever seen. He went to the palace where Aegeus lived.
Aegeus had married Medea, who (being a sorceress) had him under her power. With her powers, Medea recognized Theseus and
knew that he would try to get rid of her. So she told Aegeus that Theseus had come to kill him and that she would give Theseus
poisoned wine. Aegeus, unaware that Theseus was his son, agreed. He invited Theseus to a banquet; however, when Theseus was
just about to drink his wine, Aegeus recognized the sword and threw the wine cup to the floor. Theseus and Aegeus were filled with
happiness. Medea left in a chariot drawn by dragons.
Theseus Journeys to Minos
Theseus and Aegeus were happy for a long time, but when the time of the spring equinox came, all Athenians were in desperation, as
a ship with black sail approached Athens. Theseus begged his father to tell him why the Athenians were sad, but Aegeus said nothing.
Theseus went down to the harbor and asked the captain of the black-sailed ship what was happening. The captain told him about how
Androgeus, the eldest son of King Minos of Crete, had accidentally been killed in Athens. Minos was very angry. He attacked Athens
and demanded that the Athenians pay a yearly tribute of seven young man and seven young women to be fed to the Minotaur. The
Minotaur was a monster, half man and half bull, residing in the Labyrinth, a large maze under King Minos' palace.
Theseus went back to Aegeus and said, "I will go to Crete as one of the victims and I will slay the Minotaur!" "No, my son," said
Aegeus, "you mustn't go. You are my only son. The only heir to the throne." "I must go, father. I must prove that I am a hero." said
Theseus. In the end, Aegeus let Theseus go, but made him promise that if he returned back to Athens alive, he should change the
black sails to white ones. So, Theseus volunteered to go as one of the fourteen tributes.
When Theseus and his companions landed at Crete, Minos was there to welcome them. He asked each of them who they were. When
he asked Theseus, he said, "I am Theseus, prince of Athens, son of Poseidon!" "If you were the prince of Athens," Minos said,
"wouldn't old Aegeus be your father? To prove you are the son of Poseidon, fetch my ring," he said, throwing it into the sea. Praying
to Poseidon, Theseus dived into the water. He saw the nymph Thetis, who gave him the ring and an old crown. Theseus went back to
shore holding the ring and the crown; Minos laughed.
That night Theseus was visited by Minos' daughter Ariadne. She said to him, "Theseus, I want to help you kill the Minotaur, but
promise me to take me with you to Athens afterwards, and make me your queen." Theseus agreed and Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of
silk thread, telling him to tie it to the entrance of the Labyrinth, unrolling it as he moved through the tunnels. The string would lead
him back to the entrance.
The following day, Theseus and his companions were forced into the Labyrinth. Theseus tied the string onto a rock and told everyone
to follow him. He led them towards the center of the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was. When they got there, they saw the beast
sleeping. Theseus jumped on it and ripped off one of its horns. Theseus started poking with the horn at the Minotaur, who was
furious. Then, Theseus ran to a safe distance and threw the horn like a javelin. The horn ripped into the monsters neck and was stuck
there. The Minotaur, enraged, charged at Theseus, but fell dead before reaching him. Everyone cheered and Theseus became a hero!
They followed the thread back to the entrance of the Labyrinth.
Theseus, Ariadne, and the rest of the tributes boarded the black-sailed ship and set sail for Athens. One night, the god Dionysus came
to Theseus and said, "You mustn't marry Princess Ariadne, for I have chosen her as my own bride. Leave her on the island of Naxos."
Theseus did as the god told him, but he was so sad that he forgot to change the sails. As the ship approached Athens, Aegeus sat on a
cliff watching and waiting for Theseus to come; when he saw the black sails, he jumped into the sea. As a result, that fatal stretch of
water was named after him and became the Aegean.
Story of Theseus and Hippolyta
Theseus returning how from his adventure of slaying the Minotaur needed to find a wife and a queen for Athens. Theseus
and his best friend Pirithous set off for the island of the Amazons, to woo and wed their queen Hippolyta. Hippolyta was a
beautiful and strong woman, the daughter of Ares and the Queen of the Amazons. She had a magic girdle (which is like a
belt) that her father Ares gave her as a symbol of her authority as queen, its like her crown but mch more practical.
When they arrived on the island they were warmly welcomed. There was a great feast in honor of their esteemed guest
Theseus. All the Amazons were in attendance, and there was lots of food, music and dancing.
At dinner Theseus popped the question to Hippolyta. "Will you marry me and be the queen of Athens?" Theseus said.
Hippolyta gave it some thought; after all being queen of Athens is way more power than being the queen of just an island.
Hippolyta then thought about her responsibilities to her people the Amazon warrior woman. Remembering her obligation
to them reminded her that she liked being single, and not having to cook or clean up after a husband. So Hippolyta told
Theseus that she was flattered but not interested in being his wife or queen. The party went on into the night but Theseus
wasn’t joining in the festivities instead he was quietly sitting and thinking how he could change Hippolyta's mind.
Later that night when everyone went to bed, Theseus and his friend Pirithous were sitting up chatting on their ship.
Pirithous had a great idea, just kidnap the queen run for Athens and make her marry you. The amazons won't fight back
they thought, and once she is your queen she can’t leave. So it was settled they would kidnap the queen and return home
with her as Theseus wife.
After a few days of partying with the Amazons it was time to put the plan in action. Late at night while everyone was
sleeping, Theseus snuck into Hippolyta's tent and picked her up and carried her off to his ship and set sail for Athens. In
the morning when the warrior woman woke up and found that their queen was missing and so was their guest, they
quickly out the 2 together and realized that Theseus had kidnapped their queen.
At once the warrior woman set sail for Athens to rescue their queen from a forced marriage. Theseus safely reaches
Athens and starts the preparations for the wedding and the festival to follow. Being just a few hours behind Theseus, the
amazons arrive in Athens under the darkness of night Perfect for an ambush attack. The Amazonians make their way to
the palace and spring Hippolyta out of the castle and not a moment too soon, because at dawn they were to wed.
With their queen with them once more, the amazons returned to their island much more cautious and wary of visitors. The
next morning Theseus woke up and went to greet his soon to be bride only to find out that his bride had got away in the
night. Seeing that trying to force Hippolyta to marry him was a fruitless endeavor Theseus sets his eyes instead on Helen
of Troy.
Story of Pyramus and Thisby
Thisbe, by John William Waterhouse, 1909In the Ovidian version, Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who
occupy connected houses/walls, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. Through a crack in one of the
walls, they whisper their love for each other. They arrange to meet near Ninus' tomb under a mulberry tree and state their feelings for
each other. Thisbe arrives first, but upon seeing a lioness with a mouth bloody from a recent kill, she flees, leaving behind her veil.
When Pyramus arrives he is horrified at the sight of Thisbe's veil, assuming that a wild beast has killed her. Pyramus kills himself,
falling on his sword in proper Roman fashion, and in turn splashing blood on the white mulberry leaves. Pyramus' blood stains the
white mulberry fruits, turning them dark. Thisbe returns, eager to tell Pyramus what had happened to her, but she finds Pyramus' dead
body under the shade of the mulberry tree. Thisbe, after a brief period of mourning, stabs herself with the same sword. In the end, the
gods listen to Thisbe's lament, and forever change the colour of the mulberry fruits into the stained colour to honour the forbidden
love.