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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 1Scene 2
Back to the Play
"no more discretion"
Humor
Act 1,
Scene 2
Lines 63-75

An explanation of Bottom’s humorous double meaning in Act 1, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Bottom

Let me play the lion too. I will roar that I will do
any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will
make the Duke say “Let him roar again, let him roar
again.”

Quince

An you should do it too terribly you would fright
the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and
that were enough to hang us all.

All

That would hang us, every mother's son.

Bottom

I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies
out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but
to hang us, but I will aggravate my voice so that I will
roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar you
an 'twere any nightingale.

Bottom is saying that the nobles would have no other discretion (choice) but to hang the actors for their poor performance. But his statement could also be interpreted as meaning that the nobles don't have the discretion (good taste) to recognize a great performance when they see it.