SCENE II. Athens. QUINCE'S house.
Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING
QUINCE
Is all our company here?
BOTTOM
You were best to call them generally, man by man,
BOTTOM
according to the scrip.
QUINCE
Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is
QUINCE
thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our
QUINCE
interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his
QUINCE
wedding-day at night.
BOTTOM
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats
BOTTOM
on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow
QUINCE
Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and
QUINCE
most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.
BOTTOM
A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a
BOTTOM
merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your
BOTTOM
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 gallant for love.
BOTTOM
That will ask some tears in the true performing of
BOTTOM
it: if I do it, let the audience look to their
BOTTOM
eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some
BOTTOM
measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a
BOTTOM
tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to
BOTTOM
tear a cat in, to make all split.
BOTTOM
And shivering shocks
BOTTOM
Shall break the locks
BOTTOM
Shall shine from far
BOTTOM
The foolish Fates.
BOTTOM
This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
BOTTOM
This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is
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 me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.
QUINCE
That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and
QUINCE
you may speak as small as you will.
BOTTOM
An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll
BOTTOM
speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
BOTTOM
Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
QUINCE
No, no; you must play [Person 25]: and, Flute, you Thisby.
Pyramus
[PERSON 8]: No, no; you must play and, Flute, you Thisby.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling, the tailor.
STARVELING
Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.
QUINCE
Tom Snout, the tinker.
SNOUT
Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father:
QUINCE
SNUG, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I
QUINCE
hope, here is a play fitted.
SNUG
Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it
SNUG
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
BOTTOM
do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar,
BOTTOM
that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again,
BOTTOM
let him roar again.'
QUINCE
An you should do it too terribly, you would fright
QUINCE
the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek;
QUINCE
and that were enough to hang us all.
ALL
That would hang us, every mother's son.
BOTTOM
I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the
BOTTOM
ladies out of their wits, they would have no more
BOTTOM
discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my
BOTTOM
voice so that I will roar you as gently as any
BOTTOM
sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any
QUINCE
You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a
QUINCE
sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a
QUINCE
summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:
QUINCE
therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
BOTTOM
Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best
QUINCE
Why, what you will.
BOTTOM
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour
BOTTOM
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
BOTTOM
beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your
QUINCE
Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and
QUINCE
then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here
QUINCE
are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request
QUINCE
you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night;
QUINCE
and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the
QUINCE
town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if
QUINCE
we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with
QUINCE
company, and our devices known. In the meantime I
QUINCE
will draw a bill of properties, such as our play
QUINCE
wants. I pray you, fail me not.
BOTTOM
We will meet; and there we may rehearse most
BOTTOM
obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.
QUINCE
At the duke's oak we meet.
BOTTOM
Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.
