THESEUS        The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.

BOTTOM        No, in truth, sir, he should not. ‘Deceiving me’ is Thisbe’s cue. She is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see it will fall. (Enter Thisbe.) Pat as I told you: yonder she comes.

FLUTE O Wall, full often hast thou heard my moans

For parting my fair Pyramus and me.

My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,

Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.         (5.1.181-190)

A little joke from Theseus with which Snout might well agree: the wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again; some push-back from the wall after all those insults would be entirely expected, yes. But Bottom seizes the opportunity to explain How Theatre Works; it doesn’t matter that it’s the Duke making a bitchy aside, it’s Bottom’s show and he wants everyone to understand what’s going on; it’s inclusive as well as admonitory. No, in truth, sir, he should not. The wall doesn’t have anything more to say, and, besides, ‘Deceiving me’ is Thisbe’s cue. You know what a CUE is, yes? Good. She is to enter now—on CUE—and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see it will fall, just wait, it’ll all happen exactly as it’s meant to. And here’s Thisbe/Flute, being pushed on, well, look at that, pat as I told you, right on cue: yonder she comes. Flute is primed, ready, it’s his big, big moment, and he too gets to address the wall… O Wall, full often hast thou heard my moans for parting my fair Pyramus and me. I’ve lamented, oh yes, cried my little heart out up against the wall. And my cherry lips, painted and everything, Flute has gone all in on the acting experience, full glow-up, absolutely, have often kissed thy stones—ah, bit rude that, did s/he just say stones, as in, well, testicles? Yes, thy stones, repeating it to make sure everyone has heard, with lime and hair knit up in thee. A plastered wall. Made from stones, which I’ve kissed. Often. Mwah.