A Midsummer Night's Dream – Act 5 Scene 1

HIPPOLYTA

'Tis strange my Theseus, that these lovers speak of.

These things these lovers speak about seem strange.

THESEUS

More strange than true: I never may believe

More strange than true: I never have believed

These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.

Old folklore nor these made-up fairy tales.

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,

Lovers’ and loonies’ minds are overactive

Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend

As both create deranged interpretations

More than cool reason ever comprehends.

Devoid of rational semblance of the truth.

The lunatic, the lover and the poet

The lunatic, the lover and the poet

Are of imagination all compact:

All share a spirited imagination:

One sees more devils than vast hell can hold,

One of them sees more devils than hell holds,

That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic,

And that’s the lunatic; the lover, frantic,

Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt:

Thinks dusky faces sweet like Helen of Troy;

The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling,

The poet always looks around the place,

Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;

And stares up at the sky, then back to earth,

And as imagination bodies forth

And as they see things with imagination

The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen

That are not real, the poet starts to write

Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing

And gives to fancies that are made of nothing,

A local habitation and a name.

A name and somewhere that they might exist.

Such tricks hath strong imagination,

These people have such strong imagination,

That if it would but apprehend some joy,

That every time that they are feeling happy,

It comprehends some bringer of that joy;

They think some other force has brought them joy;

Or in the night, imagining some fear,

Or, when at night they start feeling afraid,

How easy is a bush supposed a bear!

They think a bush is actually a bear!

HIPPOLYTA

But all the story of the night told over,

But all the tales the lovers told of last night,

And all their minds transfigured so together,

And as their stories all were told the same,

More witnesseth than fancy's images

It seems it must be true, and not a dream,

And grows to something of great constancy;

And this is strengthened by each common story,

But, howsoever, strange and admirable.

Despite how strange and dumbfounding it is.

THESEUS

Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.

Here come the lovers, joyfully good-humoured.

[ENTER LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, AND HELENA]

Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love

I wish you joy, dear friends! New days of love

Accompany your hearts!

Fill up your hearts!

LYSANDER

More than to us

I wish more joy and love

Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!

Await you in your walks, your home and bed!

THESEUS

Come now; what masques, what dances shall we have,

What entertainment, and what type of dancing

To wear away this long age of three hours

Shall we enjoy to while away three hours

Between our after-supper and bed-time?

Between the time from supper until bedtime?

Where is our usual manager of mirth?

Where is our manager of entertainment?

What revels are in hand? Is there no play,

What fun is planned? Is there no play performance

To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?

To help us make these tedious hours pass?

Call Philostrate.

Call Philostrate.

PHILOSTRATE

Here, mighty Theseus.

I’m here, strong Theseus.

THESEUS

Say, what abridgement have you for this evening?

What pastime have you planned for us this evening?

What masque? What music? How shall we beguile

What show? What music? How can we endure

The lazy time, if not with some delight?

This idle time without some entertainment?

PHILOSTRATE

There is a brief how many sports are ripe:

This is a list of shows fit to perform:

Make choice of which your highness will see first.

So, sir, please choose the one you’d like to see first.

[Giving a paper]

THESEUS

[Reads]

'The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung

‘The Battle with the Centaurs, to be sung

By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.'

By an Athenian eunuch with a harp.’

We'll none of that: that have I told my love,

We don’t want that, for I’ve told Hippolyta

In glory of my kinsman Hercules.

About my cousin Hercules’s victory.

[Reads]

'The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,

‘The Riot of the Tipsy Bacchanals,

Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.'

Who killed the Thracian singer Orpheus.’

That is an old device; and it was played

That is an old play, and it was performed

When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.

When I returned as conqueror from Thebes.

[Reads]

'The thrice three Muses mourning for the death

‘Nine Muses Mourning for the Passing Death

Of Learning, late deceased in beggary.'

Of Learning, Which Now Lies in Destitution.’

That is some satire, keen and critical,

That is a sharp critique of politics,

Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.

Not suitable for playing at a wedding.

[Reads]

'A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus

‘A Brief and Boring Scene of Pyramus

And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.'

And his Love, Thisbe; a black comedy.’

Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!

Happy and sad! It’s boring and it’s brief!

That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow.

That’s like saying hot ice or weird snow.

How shall we find the concord of this discord?

How can we make sense of such contradictions?

PHILOSTRATE

A play there is, my lord, some ten words long,

It is a play, my lord, just ten words long,

Which is as brief as I have known a play;

And that’s the shortest play I’ve ever known;

But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,

But though there’s just ten words, it is too long,

Which makes it tedious; for in all the play

For those ten words are boring; in the play,

There is not one word apt, one player fitted:

No word is suitable, no actor well cast:

And tragical, my noble lord, it is;

It really is quite tragic, my dear lord,

For Pyramus therein doth kill himself.

For in it, Pyramus does kill himself.

Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,

Which, when I saw rehearsals, I confess

Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears

I started crying, but these happy tears

The passion of loud laughter never shed.

Were caused by laughing like I’d never laughed.

THESEUS

What are they that do play it?

Who are the actors that perform this play?

PHILOSTRATE

Hard-handed men that work in Athens here,

They’re labourers that all work here in Athens,

Which never laboured in their minds till now,

And they have never used their minds before,

And now have toiled their unbreathed memories

And now have worked their unused memories

With this same play, against your nuptial.

To learn this play to act out at your wedding.

THESEUS

And we will hear it.

And we will watch this play.

PHILOSTRATE

No, my noble lord;

We won’t, my lord;

It is not for you: I have heard it over,

It’s not for you: I’ve watched it all the way through,

And it is nothing, nothing in the world;

And it is useless, absolutely useless;

Unless you can find sport in their intents,

Unless you find enjoyment in their keenness,

Extremely stretched and conned with cruel pain,

Their limited ability and pain,

To do you service.

To make you happy.

THESEUS

I will hear that play;

I will see this play;

For never anything can be amiss,

For nothing ever can be truly awful

When simpleness and duty tender it.

When it is simply offered out of duty.

Go, bring them in: and take your places, ladies.

Go, bring them in; and, ladies, take your seats.

HIPPOLYTA

I love not to see wretchedness o'er charged

I hate to see incompetence exploited,

And duty in his service perishing.

Humiliating those who strive to serve you.

THESEUS

Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing.

Why, darling, you won’t witness such a thing.

HIPPOLYTA

He says they can do nothing in this kind.

Philostrate said these people cannot act.

THESEUS

The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing.

Then we are kind for giving thanks for nothing.

Our sport shall be to take what they mistake:

We’ll get enjoyment watching them mess up.

And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect

And though they are unskilled, out of respect,

Takes it in might, not merit.

We’ll value them on effort, not on merit.

Where I have come, great clerks have purposed

When I go places, scholars have rehearsed

To greet me with premeditated welcomes;

To welcome me with pre-prepared oration;

Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,

That’s where I’ve seen them shiver and look pale,

Make periods in the midst of sentences,

And stumble on their words within a sentence,

Throttle their practised accent in their fears

And botch their practised accent out of fear,

And in conclusion dumbly have broke off,

And stupidly, when closing, they stop talking

Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,

And do not welcome me. Trust me, my darling,

Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome;

I’ll hear a proper welcome if they’re silent;

And in the modesty of fearful duty

And even if they’re modest due to fear,

I read as much as from the rattling tongue

I’ll understand as much as from a speaker

Of saucy and audacious eloquence.

Who’s animated, eloquent and cocky.

Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity

And so, my darling, timid, simple words

In least speak most, to my capacity.

Reveal more to me by their restraint.

PHILOSTRATE

So please your grace, the Prologue is addressed.

The speaker of the Prologue is now ready.

THESEUS

Let him approach.

Let him come forward.

PROLOGUE

If we offend, it is with our good will.

If we offend you, it’s not our intention.

That you should think, we come not to offend,

Please don’t think that we’re here to cause offence,

But with good will. To show our simple skill,

For we mean well, though we lack comprehension;

That is the true beginning of our end.

That’s how the play begins, in our defence.

Consider then we come but in despite.

Please think we’re here in spite of everything:

We do not come as minding to content you,

We have not come to make you merely cheer,

Our true intent is. All for your delight

For it’s delight and joy we’re here to bring;

We are not here. That you should here repent you,

We don’t want you regretting being here.

The actors are at hand and by their show

The actors are all ready for their show,

You shall know all that you are like to know.

And soon you’ll know all that you need to know.

THESEUS

This fellow doth not stand upon points.

This chap does not adhere to punctuation.

LYSANDER

He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knows

He read his prologue like he was riding a wild horse; he doesn’t

not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not

know to stop it, nor where the stops are. The moral is, my lord,

enough to speak, but to speak true.

you can’t just speak, but must speak accurately.

HIPPOLYTA

Indeed he hath played on his prologue like a child

Indeed, he has read the prologue like a child

on a recorder; a sound, but not in government.

playing the recorder; there’s sound, but no control.

THESEUS

His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing

His speech was like a tangled chain; it wasn’t

impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?

broken, but just in a mess. Who is next?

PROLOGUE

Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show;

Perhaps you wonder what this show’s about;

But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.

Well, keep on wondering, till all is told.

This man is Pyramus, if you would know;

This man is Pyramus, as you’ll find out;

This beauteous lady Thisbe is certain.

This gorgeous lady’s Thisbe you behold.

This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present

This man, in plaster cast, is representing

Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder;

The Wall, the horrid Wall that splits the lovers;

And through Wall's chink, poor souls, they are content

And through a gap in Wall, these folk, lamenting,

To whisper. At the which let no man wonder.

Must whisper. Don’t be shocked when one discovers.

This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn,

This man, with lantern, dog, and thorny bush

Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know,

Is playing Moonshine; you know we’re purporting

By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn

By moonlight, lovers didn’t need a push

To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo.

To meet at Ninus’ tomb to start their courting.

This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name,

This gruesome beast, who has the name of Lion,

The trusty Thisbe, coming first by night,

Did, unto Thisbe, who arrived here first,

Did scare away, or rather did affright;

Make her run off in fear, fearing the worst.

And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall,

And, as she fled, she dropped her sleeveless cloak,

Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.

Which Lion bit, to leave a blood-soaked stain.

Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall,

Soon Pyramus arrives, a sweet, tall bloke,

And finds his trusty Thisbe's mantle slain:

Then Thisbe’s cloak he finds, and thinks she’s slain.

Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade,

At that he drew a bloody, blameful blade,

He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast;

And bravely butchered his own beating breast;

And Thisbe, tarrying in mulberry shade,

Then Thisbe, hiding in the woodland shade,

His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,

Then dies, stabbed with his dagger. For the rest,

Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain

Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers two

At large discourse, while here they do remain.

Reveal the detail, while they’re here with you.

THESEUS

I wonder if the lion be to speak.

I wonder if the lion will be speaking.

DEMETRIUS

No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do.

No wonder: if these asses talk, one lion may.

WALL

In this same interlude it doth befall

In this part of the play, it does befall

That I, one Snout by name, present a wall;

On me – I’m Snout! – to act out as a wall;

And such a wall, as I would have you think,

And this specific wall, I’ll have you think,

That had in it a crannied hole or chink,

Had in it a small hole or narrow chink,

Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe,

Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe

Did whisper often very secretly.

Did often whisper very secretly.

This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show

This sun-dried clay and rough-cut stone I hold

That I am that same wall; the truth is so:

Shows that I am that wall that you behold:

And this the cranny is, right and sinister,

And here’s the narrow, aforementioned crack

Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

Which lovers whisper through then whisper back.

THESEUS

Would you desire lime and hair to speak better?

Could you envisage a rough wall ever speaking better?

DEMETRIUS

It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard

It is the smartest wall that I’ve ever heard

discourse, my lord.

speaking, my lord.

THESEUS

Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!

Pyramus is approaching the wall: be quiet!

PYRAMUS

O grim-looked night! O night with hue so black!

Oh, scary night! Oh night, all black you show!

O night, which ever art when day is not!

Oh night, you’re always here once day has shined!

O night, O night! Alack, alack, alack,

Oh night, oh night! Oh no, oh no, oh no,

I fear my Thisbe's promise is forgot!

I fear my Thisbe might have changed her mind!

And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,

And you, oh wall, you sweet and lovely wall,

That stand'st between her father's ground and mine!

You split her father’s land and mine, you do it!

Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,

You wall, oh wall, you sweet and lovely wall,

Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!

Show me your crack so that I can look through it!

[Wall holds up his fingers]

Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this!

Thanks, kind wall: now may God bless you for this!

But what see I? No Thisbe do I see.

What can I see? No Thisbe can I see!

O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss!

Oh wicked wall, I can’t see any bliss!

Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!

I’ll curse your stones because you’ve cheated me!

THESEUS

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

I think, because the wall is smart, it should curse back at him.

PYRAMUS

[Bottom steps out of character]

No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me'

In truth, sir, no he shouldn’t. ‘Cheated me’

is Thisbe's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to

is Thisbe’s cue to come on: she will enter now and I will

spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will

spy on her through the wall. You will see that it will

fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.

unfold exactly as I’ve told you. Here she comes now.

THISBE

O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans,

Oh wall, so many times you’ve heard my moans,

For parting my fair Pyramus and me!

For blocking Pyramus’ and my affair!

My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,

My rosy lips have often kissed your stones,

Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.

Your plaster stones made up of lime and hair.

PYRAMUS

I see a voice: now will I to the chink,

I see a voice: I’ll head back to the chink,

To spy an I can hear my Thisbe's face.

To hear Thisbe’s face while undercover.

Thisbe!

Thisbe!

THISBE

My love thou art, my love I think.

You are my love, my love I think.

PYRAMUS

Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace;

Think what you will, I am your gracious lover;

And, like Limander, am I trusty still.

And, like Limander, I’m forever true.

THISBE

And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.

And like Helen of Troy, I’ll stick with you.

PYRAMUS

Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.

Now Shafalus was not as true to Procrus…

THISBE

As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.

…as I’m to you, with love, like them, I focus.

PYRAMUS

O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall!

Oh kiss me through the hole in this vile wall!

THISBE

I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.

I kiss the hole, but not your lips at all.

PYRAMUS

Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?

Will you meet me at Ninny’s grave right now?

THISBE

'Tide life, 'tide death, I come without delay.

Not life, nor death can stop me anyhow.

WALL

Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so;

And just like that have I, Wall, played my part;

And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.

And, now completed, Wall will just depart.

THESEUS

Now is the mural down between the two neighbours.

The wall between the two neighbours is now gone.

DEMETRIUS

No remedy, my lord, when walls are so wilful to hear

That won’t help, my lord, because this wall was keen to

without warning.

eavesdrop on their conversation.

HIPPOLYTA

This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

This is the silliest play I’ve ever seen.

THESEUS

The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst

The best plays are merely a reflection of reality; and the worst

are no worse, if imagination amend them.

plays aren’t so bad if you let your imagination run free.

HIPPOLYTA

It must be your imagination then, and not theirs.

Then your imagination is the strength, not their acting skills.

THESEUS

If we imagine no worse of them than they of

If we imagine these actors are as good as they think

themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here

they are, we’ll consider them excellent. Here

come two noble beasts in, a man and a lion.

come two noble creatures, a man and a lion.

LION

You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear

You ladies who are terrified to see

The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,

A tiny little mouse creep on the floor,

May now perchance both quake and tremble here,

Are likely now to shake, with knocking knee,

When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.

When hearing this ferocious lion roar.

Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am

But know that it’s just Snug the joiner here,

A lion-fell, nor else no lion's dam;

Who’s not a lion nor a lioness;

For, if I should as lion come in strife

For if a real lion did appear,

Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

I would be killed, alas, I must confess.

THESEUS

A very gentle beast, of a good conscience.

This is a gentle, kind-hearted beast.

DEMETRIUS

The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I saw.

I’ve never seen an actor play a beast better, my lord.

LYSANDER

This lion is a very fox for his valour.

This lion is more like a sly fox than a brave lion.

THESEUS

True; and a goose for his discretion.

True; and as subtle as a honking goose.

DEMETRIUS

Not so, my lord; for his valour cannot carry his

Not true, my lord; for his bravery cannot disguise his

discretion; and the fox carries the goose.

subtlety; and the goose still honks in the fox’s mouth.

THESEUS

His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour;

His subtlety, I am sure, cannot make him brave;

for the goose carries not the fox. It is well:

much like a goose won’t catch a fox. Never mind though:

leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.

let’s let him be subtle and hear what the moon has to say.

MOONSHINE

This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; –

This lantern represents a crescent moon…

DEMETRIUS

He should have worn the horns on his head.

The crescent looks like horns that show he’s jilted.

THESEUS

He is no crescent, and his horns are

He’s not shaped like a crescent, so his horn shape

invisible within the circumference.

is invisible within his full moon shape.

MOONSHINE

This lanthorn doth the horned moon present;

This lantern represents a crescent moon…

Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be.

Man in the moon I now appear to be.

THESEUS

This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man

This is the biggest mistake of them all: the man

should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else the

should be put inside the lantern. How else can he appear

man i' the moon?

to be the man in the moon?

DEMETRIUS

He dares not come there for the candle; for, you

He dare not go inside the lantern because there’s a candle

see, it is already in snuff.

in it, which needs to be put out first.

HIPPOLYTA

I am aweary of this moon: would he would change!

I’m fed up with this moon: I wish he’d wax or wane offstage!

THESEUS

It appears, by his small light of discretion, that

Due to the limited light he is giving off, it appears

he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all

that he is waning; but out of courtesy, we have

reason, we must stay the time.

to wait to see what happens next.

LYSANDER

Proceed, Moon.

Carry on, Moon.

MOONSHINE

[Robin Starveling steps out of character]

All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the

All I have to tell you is that the

lanthorn is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this

lantern is the moon; I am the man in the moon; this

thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.

thornbush is my thornbush; and this dog is my dog.

DEMETRIUS

Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for all

Well, all these things should be in the lantern then, for they’re

these are in the moon. But, silence! Here comes Thisbe.

all part of the moon. But, quiet! Here comes Thisbe.

THISBE

This is old Ninny's tomb. Where is my love?

This is old Ninny’s grave. Where is my lover?

LION

[Roaring]

Oh –

Oh…

DEMETRIUS

Well roared, Lion.

Well roared, Lion.

THESEUS

Well run, Thisbe.

Well run off, Thisbe.

HIPPOLYTA

Well shone, Moon. Truly, the moon shines with a

Well shone, Moon. It’s true the moon shines

good grace.

rather well.

THESEUS

Well moused, Lion.

Well shaken, like a cat shakes a mouse, Lion.

LYSANDER

And so the lion vanished.

So then the lion disappeared.

DEMETRIUS

And then came Pyramus.

Then Pyramus arrives.

PYRAMUS

Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams;

Sweet Moon, I thank you for your sunny rays;

I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright;

I thank you, Moon, for shining now so bright;

For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams,

Because your gracious, golden, glittering blaze

I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.

Allows for Thisbe to be in my sight.

But stay, O spite!

But wait there, spite!

But mark, poor knight,

Observe, poor knight!

What dreadful dole is here!

What awful thing is here!

Eyes, do you see?

Eyes, do you see?

How can it be?

How can it be?

O dainty duck! O dear!

Oh no, my darling dear!

Thy mantle good,

This lovely cloak

What, stained with blood!

This blood does soak!

Approach, ye Furies fell!

Come, Furies, fierce and scary!

O Fates, come, come,

Come, fateful strife,

Cut thread and thrum;

Cut thread of life;

Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!

Destroy this adversary!

THESEUS

This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would

If a dear friend of yours had just died, the passion

go near to make a man look sad.

this actor is showing might almost make you sad.

HIPPOLYTA

Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.

Curse my heart, but I have some sympathy for the man.

PYRAMUS

O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame?

Oh, Mother Nature: lions – why d’you bother?

Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear:

For awful lions have devoured my dear:

Which is – no, no – which was the fairest dame

She is – oh, no – she was a gorgeous lover

That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with cheer.

That finest ever lived, or loved with cheer.

Come, tears, confound;

Tears, make a vow,

Out, sword, and wound

Sword, hurt me now

The pap of Pyramus;

Through the breast of Pyramus;

Ay, that left pap,

Yes, left of breast,

Where heart doth hop:

Make heartbeat rest:

[STABS HIMSELF]

Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

And so I die, like this, like this, like this.

Now am I dead,

Now I am dead,

Now am I fled;

Now I have fled;

My soul is in the sky:

My soul is in the sky:

Tongue, lose thy light;

Tongue, do not shine;

Moon take thy flight:

Moon, speak no line:

[EXIT MOONSHINE]

Now die, die, die, die, die.

Now die, die, die, die, die.

DEMETRIUS

No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one.

Not dice, he’s just a single die that’s rolled a one.

LYSANDER

Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.

Not even one, man, because he is dead, and therefore nothing.

THESEUS

With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and

With the help of a surgeon he might still recover, and

prove an ass.

turn into an ass.

HIPPOLYTA

How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes

What’s the chance Moonshine leaves before Thisbe returns

back and finds her lover?

to find her lover?

THESEUS

She will find him by starlight. Here she comes; and

She’ll find him by the starlight. Here she comes; and

her passion ends the play.

her heartbreak will be the end of the play.

HIPPOLYTA

Methinks she should not use a long one for such a

I don’t think she should mourn very long for someone like

Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.

Pyramus: I hope she’ll get on with it.

DEMETRIUS

A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which

A speck of dust will tip the scales between whether Pyramus

Thisbe, is the better; he for a man, God warrant us;

or Thisbe is the better person; if it’s the man, God bless us;

she for a woman, God bless us.

if it’s the woman, God bless us too.

LYSANDER

She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.

She’s now seen him with those sweet eyes.

DEMETRIUS

And thus she means, videlicet: –

And now she’ll start to moan, no doubt…

THISBE

Asleep, my love?

You sleeping, love?

What, dead, my dove?

You’re dead, my dove?

O Pyramus, arise!

Oh Pyramus, arise!

Speak, speak. Quite dumb?

Speak up. You’re dumb?

Dead, dead? A tomb

Dead? Then a tomb

Must cover thy sweet eyes.

Must cover your sweet eyes.

These lilly lips,

These lily-white lips,

This cherry nose,

This cherry-red nose,

These yellow cowslip cheeks,

These yellow marigold cheeks,

Are gone, are gone:

Are gone, they’re gone.

Lovers, make moan:

Lovers will moan:

His eyes were green as leeks.

His eyes were green as leeks.

O Sisters Three,

You Fates, all three,

Come, come to me,

Now come to me,

With hands as pale as milk;

With hands as pale as milk

Lay them in gore,

In blood them put,

Since you have shore

Since you have cut

With shears his thread of silk.

His life, with shears, through silk.

Tongue, not a word:

Don’t say a word:

Come, trusty sword;

Now, trusty sword,

Come, blade, my breast imbrue:

Blade, penetrate my breast;

[STABS HERSELF]

And, farewell, friends;

And goodbye, friends;

Thus Thisbe ends:

My life here ends:

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

Goodbye to all the rest.

THESEUS

Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

Moonshine and Lion have survived to bury the dead.

DEMETRIUS

Ay, and Wall too.

Yes, and Wall too.

BOTTOM

[Starting up]

No, I assure you; the wall is down that

No, I assure you the wall has been taken down that

parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the

once separated their fathers. Would you like to see the

epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance between two

epilogue, or see a rustic dance from Bergamo by two

of our company?

of our actors?

THESEUS

No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no

No epilogue, I beg you; for your play needs no further

excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all

explanation. You don’t need excuses, for when all the actors

dead, there needs none to be blamed. Marry, if he

are dead, no one needs to be blamed. Indeed, if the man

that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself

that wrote it had played Pyramus and hanged himself

in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine

in Thisbe’s stockings, it would have made an excellent

tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably

tragedy. And, in truth, that’s what it is; and remarkably well

discharged. But come, your Bergomask: let your

performed. But come on, let’s see your rustic Bergamo dance;

epilogue alone.

you can leave your epilogue out.

[A DANCE]

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:

The iron clock-hand shows it’s midnight now:

Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time.

Lovers, to bed; it’s nearly fairy time.

I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn

I fear we’ll oversleep when morning comes,

As much as we this night have overwatched.

Much like we’ve overwatched this play tonight.

This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled

This tragedy has kept us entertained

The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.

And kept the sleepy night at bay. It’s bedtime.

A fortnight hold we this solemnity,

We’ll celebrate for two more weeks like this,

In nightly revels and new jollity.

With nightly parties and a new found bliss.

PUCK

Now the hungry lion roars,

Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon;

And the wolf howls at the moon;

Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

Whilst the tired farmer snores,

All with weary task fordone.

Exhausted from the work he’s done.

Now the wasted brands do glow,

Embers glow where they were laid,

Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,

Whilst the owl hoots aloud

Puts the wretch that lies in woe

To make the sleeping man afraid

In remembrance of a shroud.

Of being buried in a shroud.

Now it is the time of night

Now it is the time of night

That the graves all gaping wide,

That the graves all open wide,

Every one lets forth his sprite,

And the spirits take to flight,

In the church-way paths to glide:

Down the churchyard paths they glide.

And we fairies, that do run

And we fairies that do run

By the triple Hecate's team,

Like the goddess of the night,

From the presence of the sun,

From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,

Following night’s dark delight,

Now are frolic: not a mouse

Not a noise and not a mouse

Shall disturb this hallowed house:

Shall disturb this special house;

I am sent with broom before,

With a broom, I’m sent before

To sweep the dust behind the door.

To sweep the dust behind the door.

OBERON

Through the house give gathering light,

Let the house be lightly lit,

By the dead and drowsy fire:

By the embers of the fire:

Every elf and fairy sprite

Every elf and each spirit

Hop as light as bird from brier;

Jump like birds from twigs or wire,

And this ditty, after me,

And join me as we sing this song,

Sing, and dance it trippingly.

And dance as we all sing along.

TITANIA

First, rehearse your song by rote

Memorise this song by heart,

To each word a warbling note:

Each note and word, right from the start:

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

And all join hands with fairy’s grace,

Will we sing, and bless this place.

And we’ll all sing and bless this place.

OBERON

Now, until the break of day,

From now until the break of day,

Through this house each fairy stray.

Each fairy through this house will stray.

To the best bride-bed will we,

Then unto the lovers’ bed,

Which by us shall blessed be;

We’ll place blessings on their head;

And the issue there create

And the children they create

Ever shall be fortunate.

Shall be ever fortunate.

So shall all the couples three

All three couples get the same

Ever true in loving be;

Everlasting love to claim;

And the blots of Nature's hand

And, too, Mother Nature’s flaws

Shall not in their issue stand;

Will not on their children cause;

Never mole, hare lip, nor scar,

A mole, a hare lip, nor a scar,

Nor mark prodigious, such as are

Nor a birthmark, for they are

Despised in nativity,

Unliked when baby’s life’s begun,

Shall upon their children be.

So their children will have none.

With this field-dew consecrate,

This holy dew upon the field,

Every fairy take his gait;

Every fairy has to wield;

And each several chamber bless,

Upon each bedroom with a blessing,

Through this palace, with sweet peace;

Throughout this home, with peace expressing;

And the owner of it blest

And the people who are blessed

Ever shall in safety rest.

Ever shall in safety rest.

Trip away; make no stay;

Get to work now; do not stay;

Meet me all by break of day.

Meet me at the break of day.

PUCK

If we shadows have offended,

If we ghosts have caused offence,

Think but this, and all is mended,

Think of this as recompense:

That you have but slumbered here

You’ve been merely sleeping here

While these visions did appear.

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

And this poor and silly tale

No more yielding but a dream.

Was merely just a dreamy veil.

Gentles, do not reprehend:

Folks, if you don’t tell us off,

If you pardon, we will mend:

We’ll resolve if you don’t scoff.

And, as I am an honest Puck,

And, as I’m an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck

If you grant us unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

To escape your boos and hisses,

We will make amends ere long;

We will fix our faults and misses.

Else the Puck a liar call;

Else, call me Puck the liar, do;

So, good night unto you all.

So, goodnight to each of you.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

Join hands if we’re still friends tonight,

And Robin shall restore amends.

And Robin Puck shall put it right.