Act I, Scene ii

[Enter SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, QUINCE, and STARVELING.]

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 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 gallantly 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 not me 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, my 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 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 dogg'd 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.]