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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 3Scene 1
Back to the Play
“Odors”
Humor
Act 3,
Scene 1
Lines 76-80

An explanation of the humorous exchange about “odors” in Act 3, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Quince

Speak, Pyramus. Thisbe, stand forth.

Bottom (as Pyramus)

Thisbe, the flowers of odious savors sweet.

Quince

Odors, odorous!

Bottom (as Pyramus)

Odors savors sweet.
So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.

Bottom describes the sweet scent of the flowers as "odious" (disgusting) instead of "odorous (aromatic). Quince tries to correct him, explaining that the correct word is the adjective "odorous" which comes from the noun "odors." But Bottom still gets it wrong by using the noun instead of the adjective.