Is all our company here?

You were best to call them generally, man by 271man, according to the script.

Here is the scroll of every man's name which 273is thought fit through all Athens to play in our 274interlude before the duke and the duchess on his wedding 275day at night.

First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats 277on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow on 278to a point.

Marry, our play is "The Most Lamentable 280Comedy, and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisby.

A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a 282merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors 283by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.

Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the 285weaver.

Ready! Name what part I am for and 287proceed.

You, Nick Bottom, are set down for 289Pyramus.

What is Pyramus? A lover, or a tyrant?

A lover that kills himself most gallantly for 292love.

That will ask some tears in the true 294performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. 295I will move storms; I will condole in some measure. 296To the rest yet, my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could 297play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all298 split.

1.2.21 This 301was lofty. Now name the rest of the players. This 302is Ercles' vein, a tyrants vein. A lover is more 303condoling.

Francis Flute the bellows mender.

Here, Peter Quince.

You must take Thisby on you.

What is Thisby? A wandering knight?

It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

Nay, faith, let not me play a woman! I have a 310beard coming.

That's all one; you shall play it in a mask, and 312you may speak as small as you will.

And I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too! 314I'll speak in a monstrous little voice: "Thisne, Thisne!" "Ah, 315Pyramus, my lover dear, thy Thisby dear, and lady 316dear!"

No, no! You must play Pyramus, and Flute, you 318Thisby.

Well, proceed.

Robin Starveling the tailor.

Here, Peter Quince.

Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's 323mother. 324Tom Snout, the tinker.

Here, Peter Quince.

You, Pyramus' father; myself, Thisby's father; 327Snug the joiner, you the lion's part. And I hope there 328is a play fitted.

Have you the lion's part written? Pray you, if 330be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

You may do it extempore, for it is nothing 332but roaring.

Let me play the lion too! I will roar that I 334will do any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar 335that I will make the duke say, "Let him roar again! Let 336him roar again!

If you should do it too terribly you would 338fright the duchesse and the ladies that they would 339shriek, and that were enough to hang us all.

That would hang us, every mother's son.

I grant you, friends, if that you should 342fright the ladies out of their wits, they would 343have no more discretion but to hang us. But I will 344aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as 345any sucking dove. I will roar and 'twere any 346nightingale.

You can play no part but Pyramus! For 348Pyramus is a sweet faced man, a proper man as one shall see in 349a summer's day, a most lovely gentleman-like man. 350Therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I 352best to play it in?

Why, what you will.

I will discharge it in either your straw-color 355beard, your orange tawny beard, your purple-in-graine 356beard, or your French-crown colored beard, your 357perfect yellow.

Some of your French crowns have no hair 359at all, and then you will play bare-faced. But masters, here 360are your parts, and I am to entreat you, request you, and 361desire you to con them by tomorrow night, and meet 362me in the palace wood, a mile without the town by 363moonlight, there we will rehearse. For if we meet in 364the city, we shall be dogged with company and our 365devices known. In the mean time, I will draw a bill of 366 properties such as our play wants. I pray you fail me not.

We will meet, and there we may rehearse 368more obscenely and courageously. Take pains, be 369perfect. Adieu.

At the duke's oak we meet.

Enough! Hold or cut bow-strings.