5

Bottom (as Pyramus)

O wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame,
Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear? —
Which is —
[Bottom is subtly interrupted by Quince who mouths something to him]
                    no, no, which was the fairest dame
That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with cheer.
Come tears, confound.
Out sword, and wound
The pap of Pyramus.
Ay, that left pap,
Where heart doth hop.
Thus die I: thus, thus, thus.
[He stabs himself]
Now am I dead,
Now am I fled,
My soul is in the sky.
Tongue, lose thy light;
Moon, take thy flight.
[Exit Moonshine]
Now die, die, die, die, die.

Bottom (as Pyramus)

Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams.
I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright;
For by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams
I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.
[Seeing Thisbe's bloody cloak on the ground]
But stay! O spite!
But mark, poor night,
What dreadful dole is here?
Eyes, do you see?
How can it be?
O dainty duck, O dear!

Bottom (as Pyramus)

Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams.
I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright;
For by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams
I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.
[Seeing Thisbe's bloody cloak on the ground]
But stay! O spite!
But mark, poor night,
What dreadful dole is here?
Eyes, do you see?
How can it be?
O dainty duck, O dear!

Starveling (as Moonshine)

This lantern doth the hornèd moon present,
Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be —

Theseus

This is the greatest error of all the rest. The man
should be put into the lantern. How is it else the
"man i' the moon"?

Demetrius

He dares not come there for the candle; for
you see it is already in snuff.

Hippolyta

I am aweary of this moon. Would he would
change.

Snug (as Lion)

You, ladies, you whose gentle hearts do fear
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,
May now perchance both quake and tremble here
When lion, rough in wildest rage, doth roar.
Then know that I, as Snug the joiner, am
A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam;
For if I should as Lion come in strife
Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

Theseus

A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience.

Demetrius

The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I
saw.

Lysander

This lion is a very fox for his valor.

Theseus

True, and a goose for his discretion.

Demetrius

Not so, my lord, for his valor cannot carry
his discretion, and the fox carries the goose.

Theseus

His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valor,
for the goose carries not the fox; it is well. Leave
it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.

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