A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1 Scene 2 runs 101 lines of dialogue, spoken by 7 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 240 lines. This scene is part of Act 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Full Dialogue
Quince ♂
Is all our company here?
Bottom ♂
You were best to call them generally, man by man,
according to the scrip.
according to the scrip.
Quince ♂
Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is
thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our
interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his
wedding-day at night.
thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our
interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his
wedding-day at night.
Bottom ♂
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats
on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow
to a point.
on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow
to a point.
Quince ♂
Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and
most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.
most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.
Bottom ♂
A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a
merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your
actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.
merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your
actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.
Quince ♂
Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver.
Bottom ♂
Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.
Quince ♂
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.
Bottom ♂
What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?
Quince ♂
A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.
Bottom ♂
That will ask some tears in the true performing of
it: if I do it, let the audience look to their
eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some
measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a
tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to
tear a cat in, to make all split.
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
The foolish Fates.
This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is
more condoling.
it: if I do it, let the audience look to their
eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some
measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a
tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to
tear a cat in, to make all split.
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
The foolish Fates.
This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is
more condoling.
Quince ♂
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.
Flute ♂
Here, Peter Quince.
Quince ♂
Flute, you must take Thisby on you.
Flute ♂
What is Thisby? a wandering knight?
Quince ♂
It is the lady that Pyramus must love.
Flute ♂
Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.
Quince ♂
That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and
you may speak as small as you will.
you may speak as small as you will.
Bottom ♂
An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll
speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
and lady dear!'
speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
and lady dear!'
Quince ♂
No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.
Bottom ♂
Well, proceed.
Quince ♂
Robin Starveling, the tailor.
Starveling ♂
Here, Peter Quince.
Quince ♂
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.
Tom Snout, the tinker.
Tom Snout, the tinker.
Snout ♂
Here, Peter Quince.
Quince ♂
You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father:
Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I
hope, here is a play fitted.
Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I
hope, here is a play fitted.
Snug ♂
Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it
be, give it me, for I am slow of study.
be, give it me, for I am slow of study.
Quince ♂
You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.
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.'
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.
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 that 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.
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.
Quince ♂
You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a
sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a
summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:
therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a
summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man:
therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
Bottom ♂
Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best
to play it in?
to play it in?
Quince ♂
Why, what you will.
Bottom ♂
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your
perfect yellow.
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your
perfect yellow.
Quince ♂
Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and
then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here
are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request
you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night;
and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the
town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if
we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with
company, and our devices known. In the meantime I
will draw a bill of properties, such as our play
wants. I pray you, fail me not.
then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here
are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request
you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night;
and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the
town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if
we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with
company, and our devices known. In the meantime I
will draw a bill of properties, such as our play
wants. I pray you, fail me not.
Bottom ♂
We will meet; and there we may rehearse most
obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.
obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.
Quince ♂
At the duke's oak we meet.
Bottom ♂
Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.
101 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom | 51 | 50.5% |
| Quince | 42 | 41.6% |
| Flute | 3 | 3.0% |
| Snug | 2 | 2.0% |
| Snout | 1 | 1.0% |
| All | 1 | 1.0% |
| Starveling | 1 | 1.0% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 51 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 14 lines.
Total speakers on stage
7 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 1
This is Scene 2 of 2 in Act 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Scene length vs. play average
At 101 lines, this scene is shorter than the A Midsummer Night's Dream average scene in A Midsummer Night's Dream (~240 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 1 Scene 1 · Next: Act 2 Scene 1
About Act 1 Scene 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Who carries Act 1 Scene 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Bottom, with 51 lines — about 50% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 7 speakers and the lead holding 50% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.