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Titania and Bottom, Lines 1-44
Performance Videos
Act 4,
Scene 1
Lines 1-44

A performance of lines 1-44 by Titania and Bottom in Act 4, Scene 1 of myShakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

myShakespeare | Midsummer Night's Dream 4.1 Performance: Titania and Bottom Lines 1-44

[Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius are asleep at the back of the stage. Enter the Fairy Queen Titania, Bottom with his ass's head, and the fairy attendants Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed.]

Titania

Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick muskroses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

Bottom

Where's Peaseblossom?

Peaseblossom

Ready.

Bottom

Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. Where's
Monsieur Cobweb?

Cobweb

Ready.

Bottom

Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur, get you your
weapons in your hand and kill me a red-hipped bumble-bee
on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, 
bring me the honeybag. Do not fret yourself too much in the
action, monsieur; and, good monsieur, have a care 
the honeybag break not. I would be loath to have you
overflown with a honeybag, signor.
[Exit Cobweb]
Where's Monsieur Mustardseed?

Mustardseed

Ready.

Bottom

Give me your neaf, Monsieur Mustardseed. Pray
you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur.

Mustardseed

What's your will?

Bottom

Nothing, good monsieur, but to help Cavaliery
Peaseblossom to scratch. I must to the barber's,
monsieur, for methinks I am marvellous hairy about
the face; and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do
but tickle me I must scratch.

Titania

What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love?

Bottom

I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have
the tongs and the bones.
[Rural music plays]

Titania

Or say, sweet love, what thou desir’st to eat.

Bottom

Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your
good dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a
bottle of hay. Good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.

Titania

I have a venturous fairy that shall seek
The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee off new nuts.

Bottom

I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas.
But I pray you, let none of your people stir me. I have an
exposition of sleep come upon me.

Titania

Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
Fairies, begone, and be always away.
[Exit fairies]
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist; the female ivy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
O how I love thee, how I dote on thee!