Miko: annotations

The nine muses were Greek and Roman Goddesses of art. This title is probably a reference to Edmund Spenser's “The Teares of the Muses”, published in 1593. Whether Shakespeare was complimenting or parodying Spenser is a subject of debate.

That's an old story. Theseus is saying he's seen it produced before.

learned with great difficulty

labored their unexercised minds

Both Theseus and Hercules fought centaurs at various times in their lives.

courtly entertainment

What do you have to make the time go by more quickly?

Orpheus (the “Thracian singer”) was the greatest singer of Greek Mythology. He was torn to death in a feast honoring Bacchus (the god of wine) because Orpheus preferred the god Apollo.

In the following lines, the First Folio has Lysander reading the potential events and Theseus commenting on them. In the First Quarto, which is followed here, Theseus speaks all the lines himself.

In the First Folio, Egeus is assigned many of the lines that are spoken by Philostrate in the First Quarto. Because those lines concern the festivities, it makes more sense to assign them to Philostrate, who is Master of the Revels.