LYSANDER
Proceed, Moon.
Continue, Moon.
MOONSHINE
All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the
All I have to say is that the
lanthorn is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this
lantern is the moon, I am the man in the moon,
thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.
this bush of thorns is mine, and this dog is mine.
DEMETRIUS
Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for all
Well all of these things should be inside the lantern then,
these are in the moon. But, silence! here comes Thisbe.
since they are in the moon. But wait! here comes Thisbe.
Enter Thisbe
THISBE
This is old Ninny's tomb. Where is my love?
This is old Ninny’s tomb, but where is Pyramus, my love?
LION
[Roaring] Oh--
Roar!
Thisbe runs off
DEMETRIUS
Well roared, Lion.
Great roaring, Lion.
THESEUS
Well run, Thisbe.
Great running, Thisbe.
HIPPOLYTA
Well shone, Moon. Truly, the moon shines with a
Great shining, Moon. Really, the moon shines
good grace.
very beautifully.
The Lion shakes Thisbe's mantle
THESEUS
Well moused, Lion.
Well shaken, like a cat shaking a mouse, Lion.
DEMETRIUS
And then came Pyramus.
And now Pyramus enters.
Enter Pyramus
LYSANDER
And so the lion vanished.
And the lion is gone.
Exit Lion
PYRAMUS
Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams;
Dear Moon, thank you for your bright beams,
I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright;
Thank you for shining so brightly right now,
For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams,
Because by your golden and shimmering beams
I trust to take of truest Thisby sight.
I can see Thisby even better.
But stay, O spite!
But wait, Oh no!
But mark, poor knight,
What is this, poor me,
What dreadful dole is here!
What is this awful thing!
Eyes, do you see?
Eyes, do you see what it is?
How can it be?
How is it possible?
O dainty duck! O dear!
Oh dainty duck! Oh dear!
Thy mantle good,
Your good cloak
What, stain'd with blood!
is what, it is stained with blood!
Approach, ye Furies fell!
Come you Furies, and avenge me!
O Fates, come, come,
Come you Fates, come,
Cut thread and thrum;
And cut the thread of my life,
Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!
Crush, finish, kill!
THESEUS
This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would
Such passion of an actor, next to the death of a close friend,
go near to make a man look sad.
could make someone very sad while watching this.
HIPPOLYTA
Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.
I blame my heart, but I actually feel sorry for this man.
PYRAMUS
O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame?
Oh Nature, why did you create lions?
Since lion vile hath here deflower'd my dear:
An evil lion has eaten my love
Which is--no, no--which was the fairest dame
Who is – no – who was the most beautiful woman
That lived, that loved, that liked, that look'd with cheer.
Who lived, loved, and was happy.
Come, tears, confound;
Come out tears, and overflow;
Out, sword, and wound
Come out sword, and hurt
The pap of Pyramus;
My chest –
Ay, that left pap,
Yes, the left part of the chest
Where heart doth hop:
Where my heart beats.
Stabs himself
Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
This is how I will die, like this, like this.
Now am I dead,
Now I am dead
Now am I fled;
And running from this life.
My soul is in the sky:
My soul is already in heaven.
Tongue, lose thy light;
Tongue, it is time to stop talking.
Moon take thy flight:
Moon, leave me in the dark.
Exit Moonshine
Now die, die, die, die, die.
Now I die, die, die, die, die.
Dies
DEMETRIUS
No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one.
We may not have dice around, but he is a die with a single dot, since he is only one person.
LYSANDER
Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.
Less than that even: since he is dead, he has no dots, he is nothing.
THESEUS
With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and
A doctor could perhaps help him and bring him back as
prove an ass.
a donkey.
HIPPOLYTA
How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes
Why is the Moon gone before Thisbe returns
back and finds her lover?
and finds Pyramus? How will she find him?
THESEUS
She will find him by starlight. Here she comes; and
By starlight, I suppose. Here she comes, and
her passion ends the play.
the play ends with her passion.
Re-enter Thisbe
HIPPOLYTA
Methinks she should not use a long one for such a
I dont think Thisbe should grieve too long for such a ridiculous
Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.
Pyramus, and I hope that she is quick.
DEMETRIUS
A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which
So far it is even as to whether Pyramus
Thisbe, is the better; he for a man, God warrant us;
or Thisbe is better. God help us if he is a better man,
she for a woman, God bless us.
and God help us if she is a better woman.
LYSANDER
She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.
She has already seen him with those pretty eyes.
DEMETRIUS
And thus she means, videlicet:--
And, as follows, she will––
THISBE
Asleep, my love?
My love, are you asleep?
What, dead, my dove?
Or are you dead?
O Pyramus, arise!
Pyramus get up!
Speak, speak. Quite dumb?
Please speak, can you not speak?
Dead, dead? A tomb
Are you really dead? In a tomb
Must cover thy sweet eyes.
You should be placed then, your beautiful eyes closed.
These My lips,
These lips of yours that were mine,
This cherry nose,
Your red nose
These yellow cowslip cheeks,
And your yellow cheeks like cowslip flowers,
Are gone, are gone:
Are gone!
Lovers, make moan:
Lovers, cry with me.
His eyes were green as leeks.
&nbs
p; His eyes were green, like leeks.
O Sisters Three,
O Fates, the three Sisters,
Come, come to me,
Come to me
With hands as pale as milk;
With your pale hands
Lay them in gore,
And place them in the red gore of his body
Since you have shore
Since you have cut
With shears his thread of silk.
His life’s thread with your scissors.
Tongue, not a word:
Tongue, be silent,
Come, trusty sword;
Come, sword of Pyramus,
Come, blade, my breast imbrue:
Come, blade, and enter my chest.
Stabs herself
And, farewell, friends;
Goodbye friends,
Thus Thisby ends:
Thus Thisby dies,
Adieu, adieu, adieu.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
Dies
THESEUS
Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.
So Moonshine and Lion must bury the bodies.
DEMETRIUS
Ay, and Wall too.
Yes, and Wall.
BOTTOM
[Starting up] No assure you; the wall is down that
No, really: the wall that parted them
parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the
was taken down. Would you like to hear
epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance between two
the epilogue, or hear and watch a dance from two
of our company?
of our group?
THESEUS
No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no
Please, no epilogue, the play doesn’t need
excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all
an excuse. There’s no point, anyway: since everyone
dead, there needs none to be blamed. Marry, if he
is dead, no one needs to be blamed. Actually, if you
that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself
had written that Pyramus had hanged himself
in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine
with Thisbe’s belt, then it would have been a great
tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably
tragedy. Anyway, it was still very well
discharged. But come, your Bergomask: let your
done. Now, your dance – leave your
epilogue alone.
epilogue alone.
A dance
The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:
The bell is ringing out that it is midnight,
Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time.
So lovers, head to your beds. It’s time for the fairies to come out.
I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn
I am worried that we will sleep in and miss the morning
As much as we this night have overwatch'd.
Since we have been awake so late tonight.
This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled
This incredibly awful play has given a light air
The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.
To the heaviness of the night. My friends, let us go to bed.
A fortnight hold we this solemnity,
We will continue this ceremony for two weeks,
In nightly revels and new jollity.
With nightly parties and new entertainments.
Exeunt
Enter PUCK
PUCK
Now the hungry lion roars,
Now the hungry lion roars
And the wolf behowls the moon;
And the wolf howls at the moon,
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
While the fat farmer snores
All with weary task fordone.
Tired from his work.
Now the wasted brands do glow,
The used up firewood glows in the fireplace
Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
While the owl, screeching loudly,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
Reminds the man who is sick
In remembrance of a shroud.
Of the shroud of impending death.
Now it is the time of night
Now is the time of the night
That the graves all gaping wide,
When the graves open
Every one lets forth his sprite,
And out of every one comes a ghost
In the church-way paths to glide:
To glide along the paths of the graveyard.
And we fairies, that do run
And we fairies, who follow
By the triple Hecate's team,
Hecate the goddess of magic,
From the presence of the sun,
And must run from the sun
Following darkness like a dream,
To follow darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic: not a mouse
Want to frolic. But for now not a single mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:
Will disturb this special house.
I am sent with broom before,
I was sent with a broom
To sweep the dust behind the door.
To clean up everything for the king and queen.
Enter OBERON and TITANIA with their train
OBERON
Through the house give gathering light,
The house has a little light still
By the dead and drowsy fire:
From the dying fire.
Every elf and fairy sprite
All the elves and fairies with us,
Hop as light as bird from brier;
Walk lightly, like a bird stepping around thorns,
And this ditty, after me,
And sing this song with me,
Sing, and dance it trippingly.
Sing and dance joyfully.
TITANIA
First, rehearse your song by rote
First, rehearse your song by remembering
To each word a warbling note:
Each word and the note that goes with it.
Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Now, join hands, and with the grace of fairies
Will we sing, and bless this place.
We will sing while we bless this house.
Song and dance
OBERON
Now, until the break of day,
Now, until morning,
Through this house each fairy stray.
Go through all the corners of the house.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Titania and I will go to the bed of Hippolyta and Theseus
Which by us shall blessed be;
And bless it,
And the issue there create
And the children conceived there
Ever shall be fortunate.
Will always be fortunate and lucky.
So shall all the couples three
In fact, all three couples will be fortunate
Ever true in loving be;
And always faithful to each other.
And the blots of Nature's hand
The flaws that Nature sometimes produces
Shall not in their issue stand;
Will not exist in their children:
Never mole, hare lip, nor scar,
No moles, no cleft lips or scars,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
No abnormal markings that are
Despised in nativity,
So ugly and hated at birth
Shall upon their children be.
Will ever appear on their children.
With this field-dew consecrate,
Take this dew from the fields,
Every fairy take his gait;
Each one of you,
And each several chamber bless,
And bless each room
Through this palace, with sweet peace;
Throughout the palace with peace.
And the owner of it blest
And the palace owner will be blessed
Ever shall in safety rest.
With safety.
Trip away; make no stay;
Go along and don’t take too long,
Meet me all by break of day.
And meet me again at dawn.
Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and train
PUCK
If we shadows have offended,
If we fairies have offended you,
Think but this, and all is mended,
Then it will help you to think
That you have but slumber'd here
That you have fallen asleep here
While these visions did appear.
When you saw these visions.
And this weak and idle theme,
Consider this weak story
No more yielding but a dream,
Only a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
Gentlemen and ladies, and do not be upset with me.
if you pardon, we will mend:
Forgive us and we will fix everything,
And, as I am an honest Puck,
And, since I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
If we have the good fortune
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
Not to be hissed at,
We will make amends ere long;
We will make it up to you before long –
Else the Puck a liar call;
Or, you can call me a liar.
So, good night unto you all.
Goodnight to you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
If you are friends, clap for me,
And Robin shall restore amends.
And I will make it all up to you.
DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.
DON JOHN, his bastard Brother.
CLAUDIO, a young Lord of Florence.
BENEDICK, a young Lord of Padua.
LEONATO, Governor of Messina.
ANTONIO, his Brother.
BALTHAZAR, Servant to Don Pedro.
BORACHIO, follower of Don John.
CONRADE, follower of Don John.
DOGBERRY, a Constable.
VERGES, a Headborough.
FRIAR FRANCIS.
A Sexton.
A Boy.
HERO, Daughter to Leonato
BEATRICE, Niece to Leonato
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 323