A Midsummer Night's Dream

scene 1.2

Helena

rap

Is all our company here? 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 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

marry, our play is ‘The lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe’.

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.

Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver

Bottom

Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed

You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

Bottom

What is Pyramus? A lover or a tyrant?

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.

Francis Flute, the bellows-mender?

flute

Here, Peter Quince.

flute, you must take Thisbe on you.

flute

What is Thisbe? A wandering knight

It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

flute

Nay, faith, let not me play a woman: I have a beard coming.

That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

Bottom

And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. I'll 45 speak in a monstrous little voice: 'Thisne, Thisne!- 'Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisbe dear, and lady dear.’

No, no; you must play Pyramus; and Flute, you Thisbe

Bottom

Well, proceed.

Robin Starveling, the tailor?

Starveling

Here, Peter Quince.

Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbe's mother. Tom Snout, the tinker?

Snout

Here, Peter Quince.

You, Pyramus' father; myself, Thisbe'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.

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!'

And 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. 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!

At the duke's oak we meet.

Bottom

Are we all met?

Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal.

Bottom

Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and for the more better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear.

Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.

Snout

Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion

Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

Bottom

A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac-find out moonshine, find out moonshine!

Yes, it doth shine that night.

Bottom

Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.

Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present the person of Moonshine. Then there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

Bottom

Some man or other must present Wall; and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him to signify Wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.

If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin. When you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake, and so everyone according to his cue.

Puck

What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here So near the cradle of the fairy queen? What, a play?

Speak, Pyramus! Thisbe, stand forth!

Flute

Must I speak now? Most radiant Pyramus, most lily white of hue, I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at ninny’s tomb.

'Ninus tomb', man!-Why, you must not speak that yet; 85 that you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter-your cue is past. It is 'never tire.

Bottom

If I were fair, fair Thisbe, I were only thine.

O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted! Pray, masters, fly, masters! Help!

Bottom

Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

enter

Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated!

Bottom

Where are these lads? Where are these hearts?

Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!

Theseus

Let them approach.

exceunt

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