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Athens, at 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, according to the scrip.
QUINCE
Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all
Athens, to play in our interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his
wedding-day at night.
BOTTOM
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on: then read the names
of the actors, and so grow to a point.
QUINCE
Marry our play is the most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of
Pyramus and Thisby.
BOTTOM
A very good piece of work I assure you, and a merry. Now good Peter
Quince, call forth your 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 gallantly for love.
BOTTOM
That will ask some tears in the true performing of it: if I do it, let the
audience look to their eyes: I will move storms; I will condole in some
measure. To the rest yet, my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could play
Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split
, ,
The rag|ing rocks;
,
2 ,
And shiv|ering shocks
,
,
Shall break | the locks
, ,
Of pris|on gates,
, ,
And Phib|bus' car
,
,
Shall shine | from far,
,
,
And make | and mar
,
,
The fool|ish Fates.
This was lofty. Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles' vein, a
tyrant's vein: a lover is more condoling.
QUINCE
Francis Flute the bellows-mender.
FLUTE
Here Peter Quince.
QUINCE
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 you may speak as small as
you will.
BOTTOM
And I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too: I'll speak in a monstrous
little voice; Thisne, Thisne, ah Pyramus lover dear, thy Thisby dear, and
lady dear.
QUINCE
No no, you must play Pyramus, and Flute, you Thisby.
BOTTOM
Well, proceed.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling the tailor.
STARVELING
Here Peter Quince.
QUINCE
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother?
Tom Snout, the tinker.
SNOUT
Here Peter Quince.
QUINCE
You, Pyramus' father; myself, Thisby's father; Snug the joiner, you, the
lion's part: and I hope here is a play fitted.
SNUG
Have you the lion's part written? pray you if it 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 do any man's heart good
to hear me. I will roar, that I will make the duke say, let him roar again,
let him roar again.
QUINCE
If you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the
ladies, that they would shriek, 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 ladies out of their
wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will
aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I
will roar and 'twere any nightingale.
QUINCE
You can play no part but Pyramus, for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man, a proper
man as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man,
therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
BOTTOM
Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in?
QUINCE
Why, what you will.
BOTTOM
I will discharge it, in either your straw-color beard, your orange-tawny
beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crown-color beard, your
perfect yellow.
QUINCE
Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play
bare-faced. But masters here are your parts, and I am to entreat you,
request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night: and meet me in
the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight, there will we
rehearse: for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and
our devices known. In the meantime, I will draw a bill of properties, such as
our play wants. I pray you fail me not.
BOTTOM
We will meet, and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.
Take pains, be perfect, adieu.
QUINCE
At the duke's oak we meet.
BOTTOM
Enough, hold or cut bow-strings.
[Exeunt]