PUCK Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play
Intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day.
The shallowest thickskin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented in their sport,
Forsook his scene and entered in a brake,
When I did him at this advantage take:
An ass’s nole I fixed on his head. (3.2.7-17)
This is odd—and often heavily cut, I think—Puck relating exactly what he’s just done, at length, in detail, and in rhyming couplets, to Oberon. Obviously there’s comedy in it, but also a lot of laughing at Bottom and his mates just because they’re workers. Hmmm. (Actually, what it reminds me of a bit is Friar Lawrence’s long recapitulation of the events of Romeo and Juliet.) Puck sets the scene: near to her close and consecrated bower, while she was in her dull and sleeping hour—yes, she was fast asleep, in her bower, all tucked up safe and sound, just as you left her—and as luck would have it, a crew of patches, rude mechanicals that work for bread upon Athenian stalls—yes, Puck, alright, honest working men, a bit foolish, a bit raggedy, but they WORK for a living, unlike you—they were met together to rehearse a play intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day. I KNOW! A workers’ amateur dramatic club with court entertainment aspirations, would you believe it? And the shallowest thickskin of that barren sort, now that’s just rude, OK, Bottom isn’t the brightest, and he’s a bit slow on the uptake (mostly because he just won’t listen) who Pyramus presented in their sport—he had the lead, right! the big hero!—he forsook his scene and entered in a brake, exited into the bushes, when I did him at this advantage take, I spotted my opportunity right there (is the implication that Bottom was taking the opportunity to relieve himself in the thicket? not impossibly). And, AND, get this: an ass’s nole I fixed on his head. Nole is pejorative, a silly ass’s head, it’s not just about avoiding the repetition of head. Thank you, thank you, I know I’m good!
