A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1
Enter the Clowns [QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM,
FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING].
BOTTOM
1
Are we all met?
QUINCE
2
Pat, pat; and here's a marvailes convenient
3
place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall
4. brake: thicket. tiring-house: dressing room, hence back stage.
4
be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-
5
house; and we will do it in action as we will
6
do it before the duke.
BOTTOM
7
Peter Quince,
QUINCE
8. bully: a friendly term meaning "good fellow, jolly fellow, or fine fellow."
8
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?
BOTTOM
9
There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and
10
Thisby that will never please. First, Pyramus must
11
draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies
12
cannot abide. How answer you that?
SNOUT
13. By'r lakin: by our ladykin, i.e., the Virgin Mary. parlous: perilous.
13
By'r lakin, a parlous fear.
STARVELING
14-15. when all is done: after all; i.e., when all is said and done.
14
I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is
15
done.
BOTTOM
16
Not a whit: I have a device to make all well.
17. Write me: i.e., write at my suggestion. (Me is the ethical dative).
17
Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to
18
say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that
19
Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more
20
better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not
21
Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them
22
out of fear.
QUINCE
23
Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be
24. eight and six: the common ballad measure of alternating eight-syllable and six-syllable lines.
24
written in eight and six.
BOTTOM
25
No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and
26
eight.
30. lion among ladies: It has been suggested . . . more 32. fearful: (1) dreadful, fear-inspiring (as referring to a lion); (2) full of fear (as referring to a bird). your: The indefinite use, meaning "that everyone is familiar with."
SNOUT
27
Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
STARVELING
28
I fear it, I promise you.
BOTTOM
29
Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to
30
bring inGod shield us!a lion among ladies, is a
31
most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful
32
wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to
33
look to 't.
SNOUT
34
Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a
35
lion.
BOTTOM
36
Nay, you must name his name, and half his face
37
must be seen through the lion's neck: and he
38
himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the
39. defect: Bottom's blunder for effect.
39
same defect,"Ladies,"or "Fair-ladiesI would
40
You,"wish or "I would request you,"or "I
41-42. my life for yours: I pledge my life in defense of yours.
41
would entreat you,not to fear, not to tremble: my
42
life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion,
43. were pity of my life: would endanger my life.
43
it were pity of my life: no I am no such thing; I
44
am a man as other men are;" and there indeed let him
45
name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the
46
joiner.
QUINCE
47
Well it shall be so. But there is two hard things;
48
that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber;
49
for, you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by
50
moonlight.
SNOUT
51
Doth the moon shine that night we play our
52
play?
BOTTOM
53
A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanac; find
54
out moonshine, find out moonshine.
QUINCE
55
Yes, it doth shine that night.
BOTTOM
56
Why, then may you leave a casement of the great
57
chamber window, where we play, open, and the moon
58
may shine in at the casement.
QUINCE
59. bush of thorns: Peasants saw "the man in the moon" as bearing a bundle of sticks. lanthorn: lantern. 60. disfigure: Quince's blunder for prefigure. 61. present: represent.
59
Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns
60
and a lanthorn, and say he comes to disfigure, or to
61
present, the person of Moonshine. Then, there is
62
another thing: we must have a wall in the great
63
chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby says the story,
64
did talk through the chink of a wall.
SNOUT
65
You can never bring in a wall. What say you,
66
Bottom?
BOTTOM
67
Some man or other must present Wall: and let him
68. rough-cast: plaster mixed with pebbles for coating the outside of buildings.
68
have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast
69
about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his
70
fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus
71
and Thisby whisper.
QUINCE
72
If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down,
73
every mother's son, and rehearse your parts.
74
Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your
75
speech, enter into that brake: and so every one
76
according to his cue.
Enter ROBIN [PUCK, behind].
PUCK
77. hempen home-spuns: uncouth rustics (literally, persons wearing home-spun cloth made of hemp). swagg'ring: blustering about. 79. toward: about to take place.
77
What hempen home-spuns have we swagg'ring here,
78
So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
79
What, a play toward! I'll be an auditor;
80
An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.
QUINCE
81
Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth.
BOTTOM
82. odious: blunder for odorous. Dogberry makes the reverse error in
Much Ado, III.v.16: "Comparisons are odorous."
82
"Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,
QUINCE
83
Odours, odours.
BOTTOM
84
"odours savours sweet"
85
So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.
86
But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile,
87
And by and by I will to thee appear."
Exit.
PUCK
88. here: i.e., here in this theatre or here on earth (?).
88
A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here.
[Exit.]
FLUTE
89
Must I speak now?
QUINCE
90
Ay, marry, must you; for you must understand
91
he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to
92
come again.
FLUTE
93
"Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
94
Of color like the red rose on triumphant brier,
95. brisky juvenal: lively youth. eke: also. Jew: Probably suggested by the first syllable of juvenal and used to provide a rhyme.
95
Most brisky juvenal and eke most lovely Jew,
96
As true as truest horse that yet would never tire,
97
I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb."
QUINCE
98. Ninus: mythical founder of Nineveh; his wife, Semiramis. reputedly erected Babylon, the location of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.
98
"Ninus' tomb," man: why, you must not speak that
99
yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your
100
part at once, cues and all. Pyramus enter: your cue
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103. fair: handsome. were: would be.
106. about a round: roundabout.
101
is past; it is, "never tire."
FLUTE
102
O,"As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire."
[Enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass's head.]
BOTTOM
103
"If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine."
QUINCE
104
O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray,
105
masters! fly, masters! Help!
[Exeunt QUINCE, SNUG, FLUTE, SNOUT,
and STARVELING.]
PUCK
106
I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round,
107
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:
108
Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,
109. fire: will-o'-the-wisp atmospheric ghost light fig. a thing (rarely a person) that deludes or misleads by means of fugitive appearances.
109
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
110
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
111
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.
Exit.
116-117. an ass-head of your own: i.e., something dreamed up inside your own asinine head.
BOTTOM
112
Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them
113
to make me afeard.
Enter SNOUT.
SNOUT
114
O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on
115
thee?
BOTTOM
116
What do you see? you see an asshead of your
117
own, do you?
[Exit SNOUT.]
Enter QUINCE.
QUINCE
118
Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art
119. translated: transformed.
119
translated.
Exit.
BOTTOM
120
I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me;
121
to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir
122
from this place, do what they can: I will walk up
123
and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear
124
I am not afraid.
[Sings.]
125. woosel cock: male ousel or ouzel, blackbird.
125
The woosel cock so black of hue,
126
With orange-tawny bill,
127. throstle: song thrush.
127
The throstle with his note so true,
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135. give a bird the lie: call a bird a liar.
136. never so: i.e., ever so much, continually.
128
The wren with little quill,
TITANIA [Awaking.]
129
What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?
BOTTOM [Sings.]
130
The finch, the sparrow and the lark,
131
The plain-song cuckoo gray,
132
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
133
And dares not answer nay;
134
for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish
135
a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry
136
"cuckoo" never so?
TITANIA
137
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
138
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;
139
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
140. thy fair virtue's force: the power of your beauty.
140
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me
141
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.
BOTTOM
142
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason
143-144. to say the truth, reason / and love keep little company together now-a-days: Once again Shakespeare's clown cuts staight to the truth of the matter. 145. the more the pity: expresses regret about a fact just stated. 146. gleek: scoff, gibe, jest.
143
for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason
144
and love keep little company together now-a-days;
145
the more the pity that some honest neighbours will
146
not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon
147
occasion.
TITANIA
148
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
BOTTOM
149
Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get
150-151. serve mine / own turn: answer my purpose.
150
out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine
151
own turn.
TITANIA
152
Out of this wood do not desire to go:
153
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
154. rate: value, worth.
154
I am a spirit of no common rate;
155. still: ever, always. doth tend upon my state: serves me, as part of my royal retinue.
155
The summer still doth tend upon my state;
156
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
157
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
158
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
159
And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;
160. grossness: corporeal nature.
160
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
161
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
162. Moth: Pronounced mote or mot . . . more
162
Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!
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Enter four Fairies [PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB,
MOTH, and MUSTARDSEED].
PEASEBLOSSOM
163
Ready.
COBWEB
163
And I.
MOTH
163
And I.
MUSTARDSEED
163
And I.
ALL
163
Where shall we go?
TITANIA
164
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
165
Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;
166. apricocks: apricots.
166
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
167
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
168
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
169
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs
170
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
171. have: i.e., attend (with lights).
171
To have my love to bed and to arise;
172
And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies
173
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
174
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
PEASEBLOSSOM
175
Hail, mortal!
COBWEB
176
Hail!
MOTH
177
Hail!
MUSTARDSEED
178
Hail!
BOTTOM
179. cry your worship's mercy: beg pardon of your honors.
179
I cry your worship's mercy, heartily: I beseech your
180
worship's name.
COBWEB
181
Cobweb.
BOTTOM
182. of more acquaintance: to be better acquainted with me. 183-184. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you: Cobwebs were applied to cuts to inhibit bleeding.
182
I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master
183
Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with
184
you. Your name, honest gentleman?
PEASEBLOSSOM
185
Peaseblossom.
BOTTOM
186. commend me: give my regards. Squash: unripe pea pod. 187. Peascod: mature pea pod.
186
I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your
187
mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good
188
Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more
189
acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?
MUSTARDSEED
190
Mustardseed.
BOTTOM
191
Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience
192. patience: calmness in suffering.
192
well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath
193
devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise
194
you your kindred had made my eyes water ere now.
195
I desire your more acquaintance, good Master
196
Mustardseed.
TITANIA
197
Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.
198
The moon methinks looks with a watery eye;
199. she weeps: i.e., she causes dew.
199
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
200. enforced: forced, violated; or, possibly, constrained (since Titania at this moment is hardly concerned about chastity).
200
Lamenting some enforced chastity.
201
Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently.
Exeunt.