| Act 1 Scene 2After (Quince)Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby’s mother.Tom Snout, the tinker. | Here, Peter Quince. |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Bottom)There are things in this comedy of Pyramus andThisby that will never please. First, Pyramus mustdraw a sword to kill himself; which the ladiescannot abide. How answer you that? | By’r lakin, a parlous fear. |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Bottom)No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. | Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Bottom)Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: tobring in–God shield us!–a lion among ladies, is amost dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearfulwild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought tolook to ‘t. | Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion. |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Quince)Well it shall be so. But there is two hard things;that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for,you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight. | Doth the moon shine that night we play our play? |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Quince)Then, there isanother thing: we must have a wall in the greatchamber; for Pyramus and Thisby says the story, didtalk through the chink of a wall. | You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom? |
| Act 3 Scene 1After (Bottom with ass’ head)Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them tomake me afeard. | O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? |
| Act 5 Scene 1After (Demetrius)No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do. | (As wall)In this same interlude it doth befallThat I, one Snout by name, present a wall;And such a wall, as I would have you think,That had in it a crannied hole or chink,Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby,Did whisper often very secretly.This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth showThat I am that same wall; the truth is so:And this the cranny is, right and sinister,Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper. |
| Act 5 Scene 1After (Flute as Thisbe)’Tide life, ‘tide death, I come without delay.(He exits) | Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so;And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.(Exit) |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Snout Lines
July 27, 2019