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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 5Scene 1
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"hear...face"
Humor
Act 5,
Scene 1
Lines 188-194a

An explanation of the humor in the phrase “hear my Thisbe’s face” in Act 5, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Flute (as Thisbe)

O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans
For parting my fair Pyramus and me.
My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,
Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.

Bottom (as Pyramus)

I see a voice. Now will I to the chink
To spy an I can hear my Thisbe's face.
Thisbe?

Pyramus wants to see if he can “hear my Thisbe's face.” This humorous error is a result of either Quince's bad writing or Bottom's bad memorization.