ACT 1
Scene 2

...and back again.
Enter Quince the carpenter, and Snug the joiner, and Bottom the weaver, and Flute the bellows-mender, and Snout the tinker, and Starveling the tailor.
Is all our company here?

...to the scrip.
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.

...to a point.
Marry, our play is The most lamentable
comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and
Thisbe.

...Masters, spread yourselves.
Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver.

...for, and proceed.
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

...or a tyrant?
A lover that kills himself most gallant for love.

...is more condoling.
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.

...Here, Peter Quince.
Flute, you must take Thisbe on you.

...Thisbe—a wand’ring knight?
It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

...a beard coming.
That’s all one. You shall play it in a mask, and
you may speak as small as you will.

...and lady dear!”
No, no, you must play Pyramus—and, Flute,
you Thisbe.

... Well, proceed.
Robin Starveling, the tailor.

...Here, Peter Quince.
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbe’s
mother.—Tom Snout, the tinker.

...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.

...slow of study.
You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but
roaring.

...him roar again!”
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.
That would hang us, every mother’s son.

...’twere any nightingale.
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 gentlemanlike
man. Therefore you must needs play
Pyramus.

...play it in?
Why, what you will.

...your perfit yellow.
Some of your French crowns have no hair at
all, and then you will play barefaced. But, masters,
here are your parts, giving out the parts,
and I am
to entreat you, request you, and desire you to con
them by tomorrow 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.

...Be perfit. Adieu.
At the Duke’s Oak we meet.

...or cut bowstrings.
They exit.

ACT 3
Scene 1

...I’ll find immediately.
With Titania still asleep onstage, enter the Clowns, Bottom, Quince, Snout, Starveling, Snug, and Flute.

...we all met?
Pat, pat. And here’s a marvels 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.

... Peter Quince?
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

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

...Snug the joiner.
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.

...find out moonshine.
Quince takes out a book.
Yes, it doth shine that night.

...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.

...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.

...I see cause.
Speak, Pyramus.—Thisbe, stand forth.

...odious savors sweet—
Odors, odors!

...I speak now?
Ay, marry, must you, for you must understand
he goes but to see a noise that he heard and is to
come again.

...at Ninny’s tomb.
“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.”

...were only thine.
O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray,
masters, fly, masters! Help!
Quince, Flute, Snout, Snug, and Starveling exit.

...own, do you?
Enter Quince.
Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art
translated!
He exits.

ACT 4
Scene 2

...at her death.
Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.
Have you sent to Bottom’s house? Is he come
home yet?

...forward, doth it?
It is not possible. You have not a man in all
Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.

...handicraftman in Athens.
Yea, and the best person too, and he is a very
paramour for a sweet voice.

...are these hearts?
Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy
hour!

...it fell out.
Let us hear, sweet Bottom.

...Away! Go, away!
They exit.

ACT 5
Scene 1

...Let him approach.
Enter the Prologue.

If we offend, it is with our goodwill.

That you should think we come not to offend,

But with goodwill. To show our simple skill,

That is the true beginning of our end.

Consider, then, we come but in despite.

We do not come, as minding to content you,

Our true intent is. All for your delight

We are not here. That you should here repent
you,

The actors are at hand, and, by their show,

You shall know all that you are like to know.
Prologue exits.

...Who is next?
Enter Pyramus (Bottom), and Thisbe (Flute), and Wall (Snout), and Moonshine (Starveling), and Lion (Snug), and Prologue (Quince).
as Prologue

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 roughcast doth present

“Wall,” that vile wall which did these lovers
sunder;

And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are
content

To whisper, at the which let no man wonder.

This man, with lantern, 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 broached 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.

...many asses do.
Lion, Thisbe, Moonshine, and Prologue exit.