A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 4, Scene 2

    comedy

    Athens. QUINCE'S house.

    Scene Summary

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    Quince and the other craftsmen are distraught — Bottom has disappeared and without him the play cannot go on, since all the best parts were his. Bottom suddenly returns and hurries them to get ready. They are to perform at the Duke's wedding that night.

    Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING
    QUINCE
    Have you sent to Bottom's house ? is he come home yet?
    STARVELING
    He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is
    transported.
    FLUTE
    If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes
    not forward, doth it?
    QUINCE
    It is not possible: you have not a man in all
    Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.
    FLUTE
    No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft
    man in Athens.
    QUINCE
    Yea and the best person too; and he is a very
    paramour for a sweet voice.
    FLUTE
    You must say 'paragon:' a paramour is, God bless us,
    a thing of naught.
    Enter SNUG
    SNUG
    Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and
    there is two or three lords and ladies more married:
    if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made
    men.
    FLUTE
    O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a
    day during his life; he could not have 'scaped
    sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him
    sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged;
    he would have deserved it: sixpence a day in
    Pyramus, or nothing.
    Enter BOTTOM
    BOTTOM
    Where are these lads? where are these hearts?
    QUINCE
    Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!
    BOTTOM
    Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not
    what; for if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I
    will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.
    QUINCE
    Let us hear, sweet Bottom.
    BOTTOM
    Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that
    the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together,
    good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your
    pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look
    o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our
    play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have
    clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion
    pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the
    lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions
    nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I
    do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet
    comedy. No more words: away! go, away!
    Exeunt