The Play of Pyramus and Thisbe, without [Exeunt Prologue, Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshine .] commentary, from William WALL: In this same interlude it doth befall Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; And such a wall, as I would have you think, Dream That had in it a crannied hole or chink, Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, DRAMATIS PERSONAE Did whisper often very secretly. Narrator/Prologue This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show Pyramus (man) That I am that same wall; the truth is so: Thisby (woman) And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Wall (person in rag shirt with pieces of plaster or Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper. drywall stuck on it.) PYRAMUS: O grim-look’d night! O night with hue Moonshine (with lantern, dog and a branch of so black! something) O night, which ever art when day is not! Lion (wearing a kids Halloween-style lion-mane O night, O night! alack, alack, alack, (rug hook) hood, whiskers painted on.) I fear my Thisby’s promise is forgot! And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall, Properties – a piece of veil or shawl, blunt dagger That stand’st between her father’s ground and mine! (tonto), Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine PROLOGUE: Gentles, perchance you wonder at eyne! this show; [Wall holds up his fingers .] But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for This man is Pyramus, if you would know; this! This beauteous lady Thisby is certain. But what see I? No Thisby do I see. This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss! Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder; Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me! (wall looks mildly offended) [Enter Thisbe .] And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are THISBE: O wall, full often hast thou heard my content (wall shows circle of fingers) moans, To whisper. At the which let no man wonder. For parting my fair Pyramus and me! This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn, My cherry lips have often kiss’d thy stones, Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know, Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee. (looks By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn mildly nauseous viewing Wall) To meet at Ninus’ tomb, there, there to woo. PYRAMUS: I see a voice: now will I to the chink, This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name, To spy an I can hear my Thisby’s face. The trusty Thisby, coming first by night, Thisby! Did scare away, or rather did affright; THISBE: My love thou art, my love I think. And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall, PYRAMUS: Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover’s Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain. (all grace; look at Lion, who shrugs) And, like Limander, am I trusty still. Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall, THISBE: And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill. And finds his trusty Thisby’s mantle slain: PYRAMUS: Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true. Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, THISBE: As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you. He bravely broach’d is boiling bloody breast; PYRAMUS: O kiss me through the hole of this vile And Thisby, tarrying in mulberry shade, wall! His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, THISBE: I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all. Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain PYRAMUS: Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me At large discourse, while here they do remain. straightway? THISBE: ‘Tide life, ‘tide death, I come without Out, sword, and wound delay. The pap of Pyramus; [Exeunt Pyramus and Thisbe .] Ay, that left pap, WALL: Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so; Where heart doth hop: And, being done, thus Wall away doth go. [Exit .] [Stabs himself .] [Enter Lion and Moonshine .] Thus die I, thus, thus, thus. LION: You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear Now am I dead, The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, Now am I fled; May now perchance both quake and tremble here, My soul is in the sky: When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. Tongue, lose thy light; Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am Moon take thy flight: A lion-fell, nor else no lion’s dam; [Exit Moonshine.] For, if I should as lion come in strife Now die, die, die, die, die. Into this place, ‘twere pity on my life. [Dies.] MOONSHINE: This lanthorn doth the horned moon [Re-enter Thisbe .] present; THISBE: Asleep, my love? Myself the man i’ the moon do seem to be. What, dead, my dove? This thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my O Pyramus, arise! dog. Speak, speak. Quite dumb? [Enter Thisbe .] Dead, dead? A tomb THISBE: This is old Ninny’s tomb. Where is my Must cover thy sweet eyes. love? These My lips, LION: [ Roaring ] Oh— This cherry nose, [Thisbe runs off .] These yellow cowslip cheeks, [The Lion shakes Thisbe’s mantle, and exit .] Are gone, are gone: [Enter Pyramus .] Lovers, make moan: PYRAMUS: Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy His eyes were green as leeks. sunny beams; O Sisters Three, I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright; Come, come to me, For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams, With hands as pale as milk; I trust to take of truest Thisby sight. Lay them in gore, But stay, O spite! Since you have shore But mark, poor knight, With shears his thread of silk. What dreadful dole is here! Tongue, not a word: Eyes, do you see? Come, trusty sword; How can it be? Come, blade, my breast imbrue: O dainty duck! O dear! [Stabs herself .] Thy mantle good, And, farewell, friends; What, stain’d with blood! Thus Thisby ends: Approach, ye Furies fell! Adieu, adieu, adieu. O Fates, come, come, [Dies .] Cut thread and thrum; [FINIS .] Quail, crush, conclude, and quell! O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame? Since lion vile hath here deflower’d my dear: Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame That lived, that loved, that liked, that look’d with cheer. Come, tears, confound;