A Midsummer Night's Dream

ROBIN A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here.

[Exit]

THISBE [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.

THISBE [FLUTE] Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,

Most brisky juvenal and eke most lovely Jew85, As true as truest horse that yet would never tire,

I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

QUINCE 'Ninus88' tomb', man! Why, you must not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part89 at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter: your cue is past; it is,

'never tire'.

THISBE [FLUTE] O --

As true as truest horse that yet would never tire.

Enter [Robin and] Pyramus [Bottom] with the ass head

PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] If I were fair93, Thisbe, I were only thine.

QUINCE O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray,

masters! Fly, masters! Help!

The Clowns all exit

ROBIN I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round96, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier.

Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire99, And neigh and bark and grunt and roar and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

Exit

If Bottom exited with the other clowns, he re-enters here

BOTTOM Why do they run away? This is a knavery102

of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snout

SNOUT O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?

BOTTOM What do you see? You see an asshead of your own, do you?

[Exit Snout]

Enter Quince

QUINCE Bless thee, Bottom! Bless thee! Thou art