Act III
Scene I
The wood. Titania lying asleep.
Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. | |
Bottom | Are we all met? |
Quince | Pat, pat; and here’s a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke. |
Bottom | Peter Quince— |
Quince | What sayest thou, bully Bottom? |
Bottom | There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? |
Snout | By’r lakin, a parlous fear. |
Starveling | I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done. |
Bottom | Not a whit: I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear. |
Quince | Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six. |
Bottom | No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. |
Snout | Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? |
Starveling | I fear it, I promise you. |
Bottom | Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in—God shield us!—a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to’t. |
Snout | Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion. |
Bottom | Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion’s neck: and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect—“Ladies,”—or, “Fair ladies—I would wish you,”—or, “I would request you,”—or, “I would entreat you—not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: no, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are;” and there indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner. |
Quince | Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight. |
Snug | Doth the moon shine that night we play our play? |
Bottom | A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanac; find out moonshine, find out moonshine. |
Quince | Yes, it doth shine that night. |
Bottom | Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement. |
Quince | Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of Moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall. |
Snug | You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom? |
Bottom | Some man or other must present Wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. |
Quince | If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother’s son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake: and so everyone according to his cue. |
Enter Puck behind. | |
Puck |
What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here,
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Quince | Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth. |
Bottom | Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet— |
Quince | Odours, odours. |
Bottom |
—odours savours sweet:
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Puck | A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here. Exit. |
Flute | Must I speak now? |
Quince | Ay, marry, must you; for you must understand he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again. |
Flute |
Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
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Quince | “Ninus’ tomb,” man: why, you must not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter: your cue is past; it is, “never tire.” |
Flute | O—As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire. |
Re-enter Puck, and Bottom with an ass’s head. | |
Bottom | If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine. |
Quince | O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! Help! Exeunt Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. |
Puck |
I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round,
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Bottom | Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard. |
Re-enter Snout. | |
Snout | O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? |
Bottom | What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you? Exit Snout. |
Re-enter Quince. | |
Quince | Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. Exit. |
Bottom |
I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. Sings.
|
Titania | Awaking. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? |
Bottom |
Sings.
for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry “cuckoo” never so? |
Titania |
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
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Bottom | Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days; the more the pity that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. |
Titania | Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. |
Bottom | Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn. |
Titania |
Out of this wood do not desire to go:
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Enter Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed. | |
Peaseblossom | Ready. |
Cobweb | And I. |
Moth | And I. |
Mustardseed | And I. |
All | Where shall we go? |
Titania |
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
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Peaseblossom | Hail, mortal! |
Cobweb | Hail! |
Moth | Hail! |
Mustardseed | Hail! |
Bottom | I cry your worships mercy, heartily: I beseech your worship’s name. |
Cobweb | Cobweb. |
Bottom | I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman? |
Peaseblossom | Peaseblossom. |
Bottom | I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir? |
Mustardseed | Mustardseed. |
Bottom | Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed. |
Titania |
Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.
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Scene II
Another part of the wood.
Enter Oberon. | |
Oberon |
I wonder if Titania be awaked;
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Enter Puck. | |
Here comes my messenger.
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Puck |
My mistress with a monster is in love.
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Oberon |
This falls out better than I could devise.
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Puck |
I took him sleeping—that is finish’d too—
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Enter Hermia and Demetrius. | |
Oberon | Stand close: this is the same Athenian. |
Puck | This is the woman, but not this the man. |
Demetrius |
O, why rebuke you him that loves you so?
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Hermia |
Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
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Demetrius |
So should the murder’d look, and so should I,
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Hermia |
What’s this to my Lysander? where is he?
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Demetrius | I had rather give his carcass to my hounds. |
Hermia |
Out, dog! out, cur! thou drivest me past the bounds
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Demetrius |
You spend your passion on a misprised mood:
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Hermia | I pray thee, tell me then, that he is well. |
Demetrius | And if I could, what should I get therefore? |
Hermia |
A privilege never to see me more.
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Demetrius |
There is no following her in this fierce vein:
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Oberon |
What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite
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Puck |
Then fate o’er-rules, that, one man holding troth,
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Oberon |
About the wood go swifter than the wind,
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Puck |
I go, I go; look how I go,
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Oberon |
Flower of this purple dye,
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Re-enter Puck. | |
Puck |
Captain of our fairy band,
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Oberon |
Stand aside: the noise they make
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Puck |
Then will two at once woo one;
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Enter Lysander and Helena. | |
Lysander |
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
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Helena |
You do advance your cunning more and more.
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Lysander | I had no judgment when to her I swore. |
Helena | Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er. |
Lysander | Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you. |
Demetrius |
Awaking. O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
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Helena |
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
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Lysander |
You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so;
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Helena | Never did mockers waste more idle breath. |
Demetrius |
Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none:
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Lysander | Helen, it is not so. |
Demetrius |
Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
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Re-enter Hermia. | |
Hermia |
Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,
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Lysander | Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? |
Hermia | What love could press Lysander from my side? |
Lysander |
Lysander’s love, that would not let him bide,
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Hermia | You speak not as you think: it cannot be. |
Helena |
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
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Hermia |
I am amazed at your passionate words.
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Helena |
Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
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Hermia | I understand not what you mean by this. |
Helena |
Ay, do, persever, counterfeit sad looks,
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Lysander |
Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse:
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Helena | O excellent! |
Hermia | Sweet, do not scorn her so. |
Demetrius | If she cannot entreat, I can compel. |
Lysander |
Thou canst compel no more than she entreat:
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Demetrius | I say I love thee more than he can do. |
Lysander | If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too. |
Demetrius | Quick, come! |
Hermia | Lysander, whereto tends all this? |
Lysander | Away, you Ethiope! |
Demetrius |
No, no; he’ll
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Lysander |
Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose,
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Hermia |
Why are you grown so rude? what change is this,
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Lysander |
Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out!
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Hermia | Do you not jest? |
Helena | Yes, sooth; and so do you. |
Lysander | Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee. |
Demetrius |
I would I had your bond, for I perceive
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Lysander |
What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?
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Hermia |
What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
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Lysander |
Ay, by my life;
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Hermia |
O me! you juggler! you cankerblossom!
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Helena |
Fine, i’ faith!
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Hermia |
Puppet! why so? ay, that way goes the game.
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Helena |
I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,
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Hermia | Lower! hark, again. |
Helena |
Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.
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Hermia | Why, get you gone: who is’t that hinders you? |
Helena | A foolish heart, that I leave here behind. |
Hermia | What, with Lysander? |
Helena | With Demetrius. |
Lysander | Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena. |
Demetrius | No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part. |
Helena |
O, when she’s angry, she is keen and shrewd!
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Hermia |
“Little” again! nothing but “low” and “little”!
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Lysander |
Get you gone, you dwarf;
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Demetrius |
You are too officious
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Lysander |
Now she holds me not;
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Demetrius | Follow! nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jole. Exeunt Lysander and Demetrius. |
Hermia |
You, mistress, all this coil is ’long of you:
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Helena |
I will not trust you, I,
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Hermia | I am amazed, and know not what to say. Exit. |
Oberon |
This is thy negligence: still thou mistakest,
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Puck |
Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
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Oberon |
Thou see’st these lovers seek a place to fight:
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Puck |
My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,
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Oberon |
But we are spirits of another sort:
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Puck |
Up and down, up and down,
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Re-enter Lysander. | |
Lysander | Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now. |
Puck | Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou? |
Lysander | I will be with thee straight. |
Puck |
Follow me, then,
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Re-enter Demetrius. | |
Demetrius |
Lysander! speak again:
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Puck |
Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
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Demetrius | Yea, art thou there? |
Puck | Follow my voice: we’ll try no manhood here. Exeunt. |
Re-enter Lysander. | |
Lysander |
He goes before me and still dares me on:
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Re-enter Puck and Demetrius. | |
Puck | Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why comest thou not? |
Demetrius |
Abide me, if thou darest; for well I wot
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Puck | Come hither: I am here. |
Demetrius |
Nay, then, thou mock’st me. Thou shalt buy this dear,
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Re-enter Helena. | |
Helena |
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
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Puck |
Yet but three? Come one more;
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Re-enter Hermia. | |
Hermia |
Never so weary, never so in woe,
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Puck |
On the ground
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