Act I, Scene 2

Athens. QUINCE’S house.

[Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

• Quince. Is all our company here? 265

• Bottom. You were best to call them generally, man by man,
  according to the scrip.

• Quince. Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is
  thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our
  interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his 270
  wedding-day at night.

• Bottom. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats
  on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow
  to a point.

• Quince. Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and 275
  most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.

• Bottom. A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a
  merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your
  actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.

• Quince. Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. 280

• Bottom. Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.

• Quince. You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

• Bottom. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?

• Quince. A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.

• Bottom. That will ask some tears in the true performing of 285
  it: if I do it, let the audience look to their
  eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some
  measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a
  tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to
  tear a cat in, to make all split. 290
  The raging rocks
  And shivering shocks
  Shall break the locks
  Of prison gates;
  And Phibbus' car 295
  Shall shine from far
  And make and mar
  The foolish Fates.
  This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
  This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is 300
  more condoling.

• Quince. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.

• Flute. Here, Peter Quince.

• Quince. Flute, you must take Thisby on you.

• Flute. What is Thisby? a wandering knight? 305

• Quince. It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

• Flute. Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.

• Quince. That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and
  you may speak as small as you will.

• Bottom. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll 310
  speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
  Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
  and lady dear!'

• Quince. No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.

• Bottom. Well, proceed. 315

• Quince. Robin Starveling, the tailor.

• Starveling. Here, Peter Quince.

• Quince. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.
  Tom Snout, the tinker.

• Snout. Here, Peter Quince. 320

• Quince. You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father:
  Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I
  hope, here is a play fitted.

• Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it
  be, give it me, for I am slow of study. 325

• Quince. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.

• Bottom. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will
  do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar,
  that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again,
  let him roar again.' 330

• Quince. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright
  the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek;
  and that were enough to hang us all.

• All. That would hang us, every mother's son.

• Bottom. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the 335
  ladies out of their wits, they would have no more
  discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my
  voice so that I will roar you as gently as any
  sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any
  nightingale. 340

• Quince. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a
  sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a
  summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:
  therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

• Bottom. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best 345
  to play it in?

• Quince. Why, what you will.

• Bottom. I will discharge it in either your straw-colour
  beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
  beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your 350
  perfect yellow.

• Quince. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and
  then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here
  are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request
  you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; 355
  and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the
  town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if
  we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with
  company, and our devices known. In the meantime I
  will draw a bill of properties, such as our play 360
  wants. I pray you, fail me not.

• Bottom. We will meet; and there we may rehearse most
  obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.

• Quince. At the duke's oak we meet.

• Bottom. Enough; hold or cut bow-strings. 365

[Exeunt]