A Midsummer Night's Dream

And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.'

THESEUS Merry and tragical? Tedious and brief?

That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow61.

How shall we find the concord62 of this discord?

EGEUS A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, Which is as brief as I have known a play;

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

Which makes it tedious. For in all the play

There is not one word apt, one player fitted67.

And tragical, my noble lord, it is,

For Pyramus therein doth kill himself.

Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,

Made mine eyes water, but more merry tears

The passion of loud laughter never shed.

THESEUS What are they that do play it?

EGEUS Hard-handed men that work in Athens here,

Which never laboured in their minds till now;

And now have toiled their unbreathed76 memories With this same play, against77 your nuptial.

THESEUS And we will hear it.

EGEUS No, my noble lord,

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

And it is nothing, nothing in the world;

Unless you can find sport in their intents,

Extremely stretched and conned83 with cruel pain, To do you service.

THESEUS I will hear that play.

For never anything can be amiss,

When simpleness87 and duty tender it.

Go, bring them in.-- And take your places, ladies.

[Exit Egeus]

HIPPOLYTA I love not to see wretchedness o'er-charged89

And duty in his service90 perishing.