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| <title>SCENE II. Athens. QUINCE'S house. | |
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| <tr><td class="play" align="center">A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
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| | <A href="/Shakespeare/midsummer/">Midsummer Night's Dream</A> | |
| | Act 1, Scene 2 | |
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| <H3>SCENE II. Athens. QUINCE'S house.</h3> | |
| <p><blockquote> | |
| <i>Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING</i> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech1><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=1>Is all our company here?</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech2><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=2>You were best to call them generally, man by man,</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=3>according to the scrip.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech3><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=4>Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=5>thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=6>interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=7>wedding-day at night.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech4><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=8>First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=9>on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=10>to a point.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech5><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=11>Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=12>most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech6><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=13>A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=14>merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=15>actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech7><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=16>Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech8><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=17>Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech9><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=18>You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech10><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=19>What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech11><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=20>A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech12><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=21>That will ask some tears in the true performing of</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=22>it: if I do it, let the audience look to their</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=23>eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=24>measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=25>tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=26>tear a cat in, to make all split.</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=27>The raging rocks</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=28>And shivering shocks</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=29>Shall break the locks</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=30>Of prison gates;</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=31>And Phibbus' car</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=32>Shall shine from far</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=33>And make and mar</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=34>The foolish Fates.</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=35>This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=36>This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=37>more condoling.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech13><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=38>Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech14><b>FLUTE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=39>Here, Peter Quince.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech15><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=40>Flute, you must take Thisby on you.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech16><b>FLUTE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=41>What is Thisby? a wandering knight?</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech17><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=42>It is the lady that Pyramus must love.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech18><b>FLUTE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=43>Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech19><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=44>That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=45>you may speak as small as you will.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech20><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=46>An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=47>speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=48>Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=49>and lady dear!'</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech21><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=50>No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech22><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=51>Well, proceed.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech23><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=52>Robin Starveling, the tailor.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech24><b>STARVELING</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=53>Here, Peter Quince.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech25><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=54>Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=55>Tom Snout, the tinker.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech26><b>SNOUT</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=56>Here, Peter Quince.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech27><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=57>You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father:</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=58>Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=59>hope, here is a play fitted.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech28><b>SNUG</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=60>Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=61>be, give it me, for I am slow of study.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech29><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=62>You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech30><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=63>Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=64>do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar,</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=65>that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again,</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=66>let him roar again.'</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech31><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=67>An you should do it too terribly, you would fright</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=68>the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek;</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=69>and that were enough to hang us all.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech32><b>ALL</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=70>That would hang us, every mother's son.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech33><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=71>I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=72>ladies out of their wits, they would have no more</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=73>discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=74>voice so that I will roar you as gently as any</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=75>sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=76>nightingale.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech34><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=77>You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=78>sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=79>summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=80>therefore you must needs play Pyramus.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech35><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=81>Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=82>to play it in?</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech36><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=83>Why, what you will.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech37><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=84>I will discharge it in either your straw-colour</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=85>beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=86>beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=87>perfect yellow.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech38><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=88>Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=89>then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=90>are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=91>you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night;</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=92>and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=93>town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=94>we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=95>company, and our devices known. In the meantime I</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=96>will draw a bill of properties, such as our play</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=97>wants. I pray you, fail me not.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech39><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=98>We will meet; and there we may rehearse most</A><br> | |
| <A NAME=99>obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech40><b>QUINCE</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=100>At the duke's oak we meet.</A><br> | |
| </blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=speech41><b>BOTTOM</b></a> | |
| <blockquote> | |
| <A NAME=101>Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.</A><br> | |
| <p><i>Exeunt</i></p> | |
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