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"This man"
Folklore
Act 5,
Scene 1
Lines 135-136

An explanation of a folklore reference in Act 5, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Quince (as Prologue)

This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn,
Presenteth Moonshine. For if you will know,

Some folkloric traditions suggest that the moon’s surface resembled a man with a dog and a thorny branch. It’s possible this image comes from the folkloric tradition associating the moon with Cain, doomed to wander the earth (Genesis 4:10) carrying a bush of thorns.