Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time.
– William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Hippolyta responds to Theseus, after he complains that the four days until their wedding is frustrating his desires. Her reference to "dream away the time" foreshadows the prevelance of dreams in the play and the strange, magical occurances that will happen in the forest. These are the first words the Amazon queen speaks in the play.