ACT 3 SCENE 1

BOTTOM Are we all met?
QUINCE Pat, pat. And here’s a marvelous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house, and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke. BOTTOM Peter Quince— QUINCE: WHAT SAYEST THOUGH BULLY BOTTOM? BOTTOM:There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? thou, bully Bottom?

SNOUT By 'r lakin, a parlous STARVELING I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done. 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. QUINCE Well. We will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six .BOTTOM: No, make it two more. Let it be written in eight and eight.

SNOUT Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?STARVELING I fear it, I promise you BOTTOM Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves. To bring in—God shield us!—a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing. For there is not a more fearful wildfowl than your lion living. And we ought to look to ’t. SNOUT :Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion. BOTTOM :Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion’s neck. And he himself must speak through, saying thus—or to the same defect—“Ladies,” or “Fair ladies,” “I would wish you” or “I would request you” or “I would entreat you” “not to fear, not to tremble, my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing. I am a man as other men are.” And there indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner

QUINCE 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 SNOUT Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?BOTTOM A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine, find out moonshine! QUINCE (takes out a book) 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. QUINCE 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.

SNOUT You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom? BOTTOM Some man or other must present Wall. And let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some roughcast about him to signify wall. And let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper. QUINCE 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: (aside) What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here, So near the cradle of the fairy queen? What, a play toward? I’ll be an auditor. An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause QUINCE Speak, Pyramus.—Thisbe, stand forth BOTTOM (as PYRAMUS) Thisbe, the flowers of odious savors sweet— QUINCE “Odors,” “odors. ”BOTTOM (as PYRAMUS)     —odors savors sweet, So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear. And by and by I will to thee appear. But hark, a voice! Stay thou but here awhile, PUCK: (aside) A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here FLUTE Must I speak now?

QUINCE Ay, marry, must you. For you must understand he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again. FLUTE (as THISBE ) Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of color like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky juvenal and eke most lovely Jew, As true as truest horse that yet would never tire. I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb. QUINCE “Ninus' tomb,” man. Why, you must not speak that yet. 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 (as PYRAMUS) If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine.

QUINCE Oh, monstrous! Oh, strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters! Fly, masters! Help! PUCK: I’ll follow you. I’ll lead you about a round Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier. Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire. And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn BOTTOM Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard. SNOUT O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee? BOTTOM What do you see? You see an ass head of your own, do you?

QUINCE Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee. Thou art translated .BOTTOM I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. (sings)  — TITANIA (waking) What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? BOTTOM (sings)  The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,  The plainsong cuckoo gray,  Whose note full many a man doth mark  And dares not answer “Nay”—

For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry “cuckoo” never so? TITANIA I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again. Mine ear is much enamored of thy note. So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape. And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee BOTTOM Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. The more the pity that some honest neighbors will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. TITANIA Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. BOTTOM Not so, neither. But if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn. TITANIA Out of this wood do not desire to go. Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate. The summer still doth tend upon my state. And I do love thee. Therefore go with me. I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee. And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, And sing while thou on pressèd flowers dost sleep. And I will purge thy mortal grossness so That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.— Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed!

PEASEBLOSSOM Ready. COBWEB  And I. MOTH   And I. MUSTARDSEED     And I. ALL Where shall we go?TITANIA Be kind and courteous to this gentleman. Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes. Feed him with apricoks and dewberries, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries. The honey bags steal from the humble-bees, And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs And light them at the fiery glowworms' eyes To have my love to bed and to arise. And pluck the wings from painted butterflies To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes. Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies

PEASEBLOSSOM Hail, mortal. COBWEB   Hail. MOTH     Hail. MUSTARDSEED       Hail. BOTTOM I cry your worships' mercy, heartily.—I beseech your worship’s name. COBWEB Cobweb .BOTTOM I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.— Your name, honest gentleman? PEASEBLOSSOM Peaseblossom BOTTOM I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.— Your name, I beseech you, sir?

BOTTOM Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well. That same cowardly, giantlike ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.



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TITANIA Come, wait upon him. Lead him to my bower. The moon methinks looks with a watery eye. And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforcèd chastity. Tie up my love’s tongue. Bring him silently