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 […]

Enter Pyramus. THESEUS        Pyramus draws near the wall: silence. BOTTOM        O grim-looked night, O night, with hue so black, O night, which ever art when day is not, O night, O night, alack, alack, alack, I fear my Thisbe’s promise is forgot. And thou, O Wall, O sweet, O lovely Wall, That stand’st between her father’s ground and mine, Thou Wall, […]

THESEUS        I wonder if the lion be to speak. DEMETRIUS   No wonder, my lord. One lion may, when many asses do. SNOUT            In this same interlude it doth befall That I, one Snout by name, present a Wall; And such a Wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a crannied hole or chink, Through which the lovers […]

QUINCE          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 […]

Enter [BOTTOM as] Pyramus, [FLUTE as] Thisbe, [SNOUT as] Wall, [STARVELING as] Moonshine, and [SNUG as] Lion; [a trumpeter] before them. QUINCE          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 […]

THESEUS        This fellow doth not stand upon points. LYSANDER     He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt: he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord. It is not enough to speak, but to speak true. HIPPOLYTA   Indeed, he hath played on this prologue like a child on a recorder: a sound, but […]

Flourish of trumpets. Enter [QUINCE as] the Prologue. QUINCE          If we offend, it is with our good will. That you should think, we come not to offend, But with good will. 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 […]

THESEUS                    Trust me, sweet, Out of this silence, yet I picked a welcome; And in the modesty of fearful duty, I read as much as from the rattling tongue Of saucy and audacious eloquence. Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity In least speak most, to my capacity. [Enter PHILOSTRATE.] PHILOSTRATE           So please your grace, the Prologue is addressed. THESEUS        Let him approach.     (5.1.99-107) No, really, […]

THESEUS        Where I have come, great clerks have purposed To greet me with premeditated welcomes Where I have seen them shiver and look pale, Make periods in the midst of sentences, Throttle their practised accent in their fears, And in conclusion dumbly have broke off, Not paying me a welcome.    (5.1.93-99) Oh, this rings true of every civic welcome, every presentation for the visiting dignitary […]

THESEUS                                I will hear that play; For never anything can be amiss When simpleness and duty tender it. Go bring them in, and take your places, ladies. [Exit Philostrate.] HIPPOLYTA   I love not to see wretchedness o’ercharged, And duty in his service perishing. THESEUS        Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing. HIPPOLYTA   He says they can do nothing in this kind. […]