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Modern Text |
Enter LORENZO and JESSICA
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LORENZO and JESSICA
enter.
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LORENZO The moon shines bright. In such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees
And they did make no noise, in such a night
Troilus methinks mounted the Trojan walls
5And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents
Where Cressid lay that night.
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LORENZO The moon’s bright tonight. I think that on a night like this, when the wind
blew the trees so gently that they didn’t make a sound,
TroilusTroilus was the son of King Priam of Troy. His lover, Cressida, was sent to the Greek camp, where she betrayed him. Troilus climbed up onto the walls of Troy and sighed for Cressida in the Greek camp. |
JESSICA In such a night
Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew
And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself
And ran dismayed away.
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JESSICA On a night like this,
ThisbeThisbe had agreed to meet her lover Pyramus, but was frightened away by a lion. Pyramus killed himself because he thought the lion had eaten her, and Thisbe killed herself when she found Pyramus dead. Thisbe saw the lion’s shadow and ran away in fear. |
LORENZO In such a night
10Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea banks, and waft her love
To come again to Carthage.
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LORENZO On a night like this,
DidoDido, the queen of Carthage, was abandoned by her lover Aeneas. Dido stood holding a willow branch on the seashore, begging her lover to come back to her in Carthage. |
JESSICA In such a night
Medea gathered the enchanted herbs
That did renew old Æson.
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JESSICA On a night like this,
MedeaMedea used her magic to help her lover, Jason’s father. Later, Jason betrayed her, and she murdered their children in revenge. Medea gathered magic herbs to rejuvenate old Aeson. |