"Enter Sandman"
Although most scholars of erotic mind control fiction would agree that the Internet has provided us with a new Golden Age of hypnotic stories (in both senses of the word 'hypnotic'), the increased attention paid to the fetish is also providing us with a wealth of information on the history of mind control erotica. Discoveries continue every day, from the use of hypnosis in silent films like 'The Cabaret of Doctor Caligari', to the infamous "burlesque hypnosis shows" of Germany in the 1920s, to the most recent and perhaps most exciting discovery of all--'The Slumber of Rosalind', the lost erotic mind-control play by William Shakespeare.
Of course, rumors have abounded for years of the existence of lost Shakespearean plays, but scholars have had very little luck in locating them. 'The Slumber of Rosalind' was only discovered when a trove of lost documents was uncovered late last year, one relating to unproduced or unfinished work by Shakespeare. While this cache is of little use to scholars wishing to find 'Love's Labors Won' or 'Cardenio', the erotic mind control community rejoiced to discover 'The Slumber of Rosalind' among its contents. Certainly, the fact that it was unproduced explains why it is one of the more obscure plays of Shakespeare's lost canon; apart from a few mentions (which may be the source of inspiration for Neil Gaiman's connection between the Bard and the King of Dreams in his timeless series of 'Sandman' graphic novels), few have heard of 'The Slumber of Rosalind' to look for it.
It is unknown why the Bard never mounted a production of 'Slumber', but many factors must be considered. The London theatre of the time used male actors to portray women, something that would have caused considerable difficulties to any production of the play; in addition, with the reputation of the theatre as encouraging licentiousness and lewd behavior, Shakespeare would have had difficulty getting the play past city authorities. (Indeed, it might be suspected that the reputation for the theatre's encouraging of loose morals came from plays such as 'Slumber', or Christopher Marlowe's play, 'The Entrancing Bosoms'.)
Many also point out that Shakespeare acted in most, if not all of his own plays, and certainly playing the part of Morpheus, the God of Dreams, would have caused Shakespeare difficulties with his wife. However, others point to documentation that suggests Shakespeare put on private performances of the play regularly, casting women with whom he was romantically linked to (and usually omitting the parts of Ferdinand and Alfonso) which would seem to rule this notion out.
Unfortunately, the folio is undated, so we may never know exactly when in his career Shakespeare penned 'The Slumber of Rosalind'; however, from the evident lack of quality when compared to his more famous works, we can assume that it was early in his career. Indeed, this may well be the play that caused Robert Greene to pen his famous criticism of Shakespeare's early works.
But let us not judge this play; rather, let us let you discover the Bard's lost work for yourself!
The Slumber of Rosalind
or
Sleep of the Just
Cast of Characters:
Rosalind, a comely Spanish maiden
Larissa, her governess
Josephine, a 'Gypcian seer
Ferdinand, Rosalind's father
Alfonso, Rosalind's betrothed
and the Sandman, the God of Dreams
Act I, Scene I
The bedchamber of Rosalind.
Enter Rosalind, carrying a candle.
ROSALIND: In truth, this maiden's wits are like this wick,
Consumed by sun's light, burn'd unto the nub,
Yet unlike candle's wax, my wits return
When slumber dost turn weary night to day.
Rosalind sets the candle by her bed.
ROSALIND: The moon holds court this night and shadows shrink,
Yet looks it on me not, for monarchs just
must hold their gaze from maidens fair and chaste
And chaste am I, 'til father once more turns
His gaze back to fair Spain, from shores past sight
And brings my groom, my husband soon to be.
What happy virtues married life must bring!
When I must turn from maid to mother, queen
Of my dominion, tiny though it be
A house, a hearth, and yet it be mine own,
As I be his, my husband's, my own king.
Our wedding night must soon approach apace,
I wonder what we do when that night comes?
Enter Sandman.
SANDMAN: (aside) She asks a question, thinking only time
And priest's wise blessing will the answer bring,
And yet, with black arts, soon I shall provide
The secret pleasures that in slumber dwell.
An answer she shall have, though not her king's--
For am I not a king above him still?
ROSALIND: Who's there? In truth, I start at shadows still,
Though no more child I am, but still a maid.
The gate is barred, the windows closed. No man
Could find his way to maiden's chambers here--
Yet wherefore do I hear that sound? A laugh?
Did I make jest, unknowing all the while?
SANDMAN: A jest indeed, fair maid, for darkness black
As pitch has ne'er been obstacle to man
In finding maiden's inner chambers, aye.
Indeed, the shadow's cloak doth greatly aid
All men upon the path they ever seek.
ROSALIND: Good sirrah! Know I not how you arrived!
For yonder door remains yet fastened tight!
SANDMAN: Steel locks and bars can hold back slumber not,
When eyes grow weary, there I ever am.
When brother Hypnos visits maid or man,
I step with him, and bring the dreams of kings.
And queens and heroes too--aye! Queen you are,
And queen you soon will be of mine tonight.
For husband waits too far away to know
Of my dark magic and your dark delight.
ROSALIND: You would not ravish me! You would not dare!
My father's sword would seek its swift revenge
If I but whispered of your liberties
And spoke but once of e'en one visit here.
SANDMAN: Ha! Foolish young and empty-headed maid
Yet not as lost of wit as thou shalt be
When my dream-sands do bring you to sweet sleep
And then not more of ravishment you'll speak
But of sweet love instead, of sleepy need
For my hard prick, inside your maidenhead.
ROSALIND: No! Ne'er shall I be brought to such a state
Where in mine own seduction shall I be
Accomplice willing, pand'rer of myself.
"Beware men's lusts!" Larissa oft does say.
"Beware their tricks, their wiles, their secret schemes!
Their plans to take your virtue!" This I'll do!
My wits I'll pit 'gainst yours--
Sandman blows dust in Rosalind's face. Rosalind falls back upon her bed.
ROSALIND: --my wits? What wits?
The dark of sleep doth beckon without cease.
And I, a feeble-minded, weary maid
Can fight it not, but ever deeper fall
Into sweet slumber, mindless, blank and deep.
SANDMAN: Fair maiden, in this, my enchanted sleep
Your eyes can open, yet disturb it not
For sleep shall hold you, even when you wake
And e'en in waking, slumber shall you still.
Rosalind sits up and opens her eyes.
ROSALIND: A miracle it is, though I can see,
And yet I see you still through sleep's soft haze
And as it is a dream, I dream of you
With lost will, blank thoughts and my mind quite 'mazed.
SANDMAN: And in this dreamy waking slumber, eyes
Must ever see what dream-kings wish them see
And so upon my flesh, you soon will gaze
And yet, unseeing and unthinking be.
Sandman disrobes.
SANDMAN: Gaze now, sweet Rosalind, upon my cock,
Yet crows it not, more like a serpent's hiss
(aside) Yet serpent hisses I should never hear--
The groundlings' view is better than the gods.
ROSALIND: A serpent's hiss? Then 'tis a snake I see?
SANDMAN: A mighty serpent, stirring 'twixt my thighs.
Its one-eyed stare shall hypnotize you more
Shall hold you still, in mind and body too,
So as to make you ready for its strike.
See now, young maiden, how its gaze doth seem
So terrible, yet wonderful and deep?
ROSALIND: Your words ring true, aye, and they ever have,
Though memory plays false, I now care not.
I must stare deep in snake's eye and obey,
It sways and stiffens, calling me to heel.
SANDMAN: The serpent's eye compels you now to shed
Your maiden's garments, soon you'll need them not
When serpent strikes deep, seeking maiden's warmth
Yet, when he finds it, maidenhood's forgot.
Rosalind disrobes. Sandman climbs onto the bed with her.
ROSALIND: Oh! I cry out, for maiden's pain is sharp
