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Midsummer Night’s Dream

Act 1 Scene 2

QUINCE
Is all our company here?
BOTTOM
You were best to call them generally, man by man,
according to the scrip.
QUINCE
Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is
thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our
interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his
wedding-day at night.
BOTTOM
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats
on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow
to a point.
QUINCE
Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and
most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.
BOTTOM
A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a
merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your
actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.
QUINCE
Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver.
BOTTOM
Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.
QUINCE
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.
BOTTOM
What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?
QUINCE
A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.
BOTTOM
That will ask some tears in the true performing of
it: if I do it, let the audience look to their
eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some
measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a
tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to
tear a cat in, to make all split.
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
The foolish Fates.
This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is
more condoling.
QUINCE
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.
FLUTE
Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
Flute, you must take Thisby on you.
FLUTE
What is Thisby? a wandering knight?
QUINCE
It is the lady that Pyramus must love.
FLUTE
Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.
QUINCE
That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and
you may speak as small as you will.
BOTTOM
An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll
speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
and lady dear!'
QUINCE
No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.
BOTTOM
Well, proceed.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling, the tailor.
STARVELING
Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.
Tom Snout, the tinker.
SNOUT
Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father:
Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I
hope, here is a play fitted.
SNUG
Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it
be, give it me, for I am slow of study.
QUINCE
You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.
BOTTOM
Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will
do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar,
that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again,
let him roar again.'
QUINCE
An you should do it too terribly, you would fright
the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek;
and that were enough to hang us all.
ALL
That would hang us, every mother's son.
BOTTOM
I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the
ladies out of their wits, they would have no more
discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my
voice so that I will roar you as gently as any
sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any
nightingale.
QUINCE
You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a
sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a
summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:
therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
BOTTOM
Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best
to play it in?
QUINCE
Why, what you will.
BOTTOM
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your
perfect yellow.
QUINCE
Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and
then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here
are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request
you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night;
and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the
town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if
we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with
company, and our devices known. In the meantime I
will draw a bill of properties, such as our play
wants. I pray you, fail me not.
BOTTOM
We will meet; and there we may rehearse most
obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.
QUINCE
At the duke's oak we meet.
BOTTOM
Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.

Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 1

[Flourish of trumpets.]

           Enter [QUINCE for] the Prologue.

      Prologue 
108   If we offend, it is with our good will. 
109   That you should think, we come not to offend, 
110   But with good will. To show our simple skill, 
111   That is the true beginning of our end. 
112   Consider then we come but in despite. 
113   We do not come as minding to content you, 
114   Our true intent is. All for your delight 
115   We are not here. That you should here repent you, 
116   The actors are at hand; and by their show, 
117   You shall know all that you are like to know.
      THESEUS 
118   This fellow doth not stand upon points.

      LYSANDER 
119   He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knows 
120   not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not 
121   enough to speak, but to speak true.

      HIPPOLYTA 
122   Indeed he hath played on his prologue like a child 
123   on a recorder— a sound, but not in 
124   government.

      THESEUS 
125   His speech, was like a tangled chain; nothing 
126   impair'd, but all disordered. Who is next?

           Enter PYRAMUS and THISBY and WALL 


           and MOONSHINE and LION.

      Prologue 
127   Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show; 
128   But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. 
129   This man is Pyramus, if you would know; 
130   This beauteous lady Thisby is certain. 
131   This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present 
132   Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder; 
133   And through Wall's chink, poor souls, they are content 
134   To whisper. At the which let no man wonder. 
135   This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn, 
136   Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know, 
137   By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn 
138   To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. 
139   This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name, 
140   The trusty Thisby, coming first by night, 
141   Did scare away, or rather did affright; 
142   And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall, 
143   Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain. 
144   Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall, 
145   And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain: 
146   Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, 
147   He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast; 
148   And Thisby, tarrying in mulberry shade, 
149   His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, 
150   Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain 
151   At large discourse, while here they do remain.

           Exit [with Pyramus,] Thisby, Lion, and Moonshine.

      THESEUS 
152   I wonder if the lion be to speak.

      DEMETRIUS 
153   No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many 
154   asses do.

      Wall 
155   In this same interlude it doth befall 
156   That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; 
157   And such a wall, as I would have you think, 
158   That had in it a crannied hole or chink, 
159   Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, 
160   Did whisper often very secretly. 
161   This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show 
162   That I am that same wall; the truth is so: 
163   And this the cranny is, right and sinister, 
164   Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

      THESEUS 
165   Would you desire lime and hair to speak 
166   better?

      DEMETRIUS 
167   It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard 
168   discourse, my lord.

           [Enter PYRAMUS.]

      THESEUS 
169   Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!

      Pyramus 
170   O grim-look'd night! O night with hue so black! 
171   O night, which ever art when day is not! 
172   O night, O night! alack, alack, alack, 
173   I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot! 
174   And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall, 
175   That stand'st between her father's ground and mine! 
176   Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, 
177   Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!

           [Wall holds up his fingers.]


178   Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this! 
179   But what see I? No Thisby do I see. 
180   O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss! 
181   Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!

      THESEUS 
182   The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse 
183   again.

      Pyramus 
184   No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me' 
185   is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to 
186   spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will 
187   fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.

           Enter THISBY.

      THISBY 
188   O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans, 
189   For parting my fair Pyramus and me! 
190   My cherry lips have often kiss'd thy stones, 
191   Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.

      Pyramus 
192   I see a voice: now will I to the chink, 
193   To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. 
194   Thisby!

      THISBY 
194                   My love thou art, my love I think.
      Pyramus 
195   Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace; 
196   And, like Limander, am I trusty still.

      THISBY 
197   And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.

      Pyramus 
198   Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.

      THISBY 
199   As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.

      Pyramus 
200   O kiss me through the hole of this vild wall!

      THISBY 
201   I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.

      Pyramus 
202   Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?

      THISBY 
203   'Tide life, 'tide death, I come without delay.

           [Exeunt Pyramus and Thisby.]

      Wall 
204   Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so; 
205   And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.

           [Exit.]
      THESEUS 
206   Now is the moon used between the two 
207   neighbours.

      DEMETRIUS 
208   No remedy, my lord, when walls are so 
209   willful to hear without warning.

      HIPPOLYTA 
210   This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

      THESEUS 
211   The best in this kind are but shadows; and the 
212   worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.

      HIPPOLYTA 
213   It must be your imagination then, and not 
214   theirs.

      THESEUS 
215   If we imagine no worse of them than they of 
216   themselves, they may pass for excellent men. 
217   Here come two noble beasts in, a man and a 
218   lion.

           Enter LION and MOONSHINE.

      Lion 
219   You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear 
220   The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, 
221   May now perchance both quake and tremble here, 
222   When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. 
223   Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am 
224   A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam; 
225   For, if I should as lion come in strife 
226   Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

      THESEUS 
227   A very gentle beast, of a good con- 
228   science.

      DEMETRIUS 
229   The very best at a beast, my lord, that 
230   e'er I saw.

      LYSANDER 
231   This lion is a very fox for his valour.

      THESEUS 
232   True; and a goose for his discretion.

      DEMETRIUS 
233   Not so, my lord; for his valour cannot carry 
234   his discretion; and the fox carries the goose.

      THESEUS 
235   His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his 
236   valour; for the goose carries not the fox. It 
237   is well: leave it to his discretion, and let us 
238   listen to the Moon.

      Moonshine 
239   This lanthorn doth the horned moon present;—
      DEMETRIUS 
240   He should have worn the horns on his 
241   head.

      THESEUS 
242   He is no crescent, and his horns are 
243   invisible within the circumference.

      Moonshine 
244   This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; 
245   Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be.

      THESEUS 
246   This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man 
247   should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else the 
248   man i' the moon?

      DEMETRIUS 
249   He dares not come there for the candle; for, you 
250   see, it is already in snuff.

      HIPPOLYTA 
251   I am aweary of this moon: would he would 
252   change!

      THESEUS 
253   It appears, by his small light of discretion, that 
254   he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all 
255   reason, we must stay the time.

      LYSANDER 
256   Proceed, Moon.
      Moonshine 
257   All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the 
258   lanthorn is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this 
259   thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.

      DEMETRIUS 
260   Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for all 
261   these are in the moon. But, silence! here comes 
262   Thisby.

           Enter THISBY.

      THISBY 
263   This is old Ninny's tomb. Where is my love?

      Lion  [Roaring.] 
264   O!

           [Thisby runs off.]

      DEMETRIUS 
265   Well roared, Lion.

      THESEUS 
266   Well run, Thisby.

      HIPPOLYTA 
267   Well shone, Moon. Truly, the moon shines with a 
268   good grace.

           [The Lion shakes THISBY's mantle, and exit.]


      THESEUS 
269   Well mous'd, Lion.

      DEMETRIUS 
270   And then came Pyramus.

      LYSANDER 
271   And so the lion vanished.

           Enter PYRAMUS.

      Pyramus 
272   Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams; 
273   I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright; 
274   For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams, 
275   I trust to take of truest Thisby sight. 
276         But stay, O spite! 
277         But mark, poor knight, 
278       What dreadful dole is here! 
279         Eyes, do you see? 
280         How can it be? 
281       O dainty duck! O dear! 
282         Thy mantle good, 
283         What, stain'd with blood! 
284       Approach, ye Furies fell! 
285         O Fates, come, come, 
286         Cut thread and thrum; 
287       Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!
      THESEUS 
288   This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would 
289   go near to make a man look sad.

      HIPPOLYTA 
290   Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.

      Pyramus 
291   O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame? 
292   Since lion vile hath here deflower'd my dear: 
293   Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame 
294   That lived, that loved, that liked, that look'd with cheer. 
295         Come, tears, confound; 
296         Out, sword, and wound 
297       The pap of Pyramus; 
298         Ay, that left pap, 
299         Where heart doth hop:

                 [Stabs himself.]

300       Thus die I, thus, thus, thus. 


301         Now am I dead, 
302         Now am I fled; 
303       My soul is in the sky: 
304         Tongue, lose thy light; 
305         Moon take thy flight:

                 [Exit Moonshine.]

306       Now die, die, die, die, die.

           [Dies.]
      DEMETRIUS 
307   No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one.

      LYSANDER 
308   Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is 
309   nothing.

      THESEUS 
310   With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, 
311   and prove an ass.

      HIPPOLYTA 
312   How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisby comes 
313   back and finds her lover?

      THESEUS 
314   She will find him by starlight. Here she comes; and 
315   her passion ends the play.

           [Enter THISBY.]

      HIPPOLYTA 
316   Methinks she should not use a long one for 
317   such a Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.

      DEMETRIUS 
318   A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, 
319   which Thisby, is the better; he for a man, God 
320   warrant us; she for a woman, God bless us.
      LYSANDER 
321   She hath spied him already with those sweet 
322   eyes.

      DEMETRIUS 
323   And thus she means, videlicet—

      THISBY 
324         Asleep, my love? 
325         What, dead, my dove? 
326       O Pyramus, arise! 
327         Speak, speak. Quite dumb? 
328         Dead, dead? A tomb 
329       Must cover thy sweet eyes. 
330         These My lips, 
331         This cherry nose, 
332       These yellow cowslip cheeks, 
333         Are gone, are gone: 
334         Lovers, make moan: 
335       His eyes were green as leeks. 
336         O Sisters Three, 
337         Come, come to me, 
338       With hands as pale as milk; 
339         Lay them in gore, 
340         Since you have shore 
341       With shears his thread of silk. 
342         Tongue, not a word: 
343         Come, trusty sword; 
344       Come, blade, my breast imbrue:

           [Stabs herself.]


345         And, farewell, friends; 
346         Thus Thisby ends: 
347       Adieu, adieu, adieu.

           [Dies.]

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