A Midsummer Night's Dream — Act 3, Scene 1

original text and modern English, side by side

The Wood · Bottom, Quince, Starveling, Puck, Pyramus, Thisbe, Titania, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, All

Quince's company gather in the wood to rehearse "Pyramus and Thisbe," fretting that the sword-fight and the lion will frighten the ladies and inventing prologues to reassure them. Puck finds them, claps an ass's head on Bottom, and scatters the terrified actors. Bottom, unaware of his transformation, sings to prove he isn't afraid — and wakes the drugged Titania, who instantly falls in love with him and orders her fairies to wait on him.

The Queen of Fairies still lying asleep.

Enter Bottom, Quince, Snout, Starveling, Snug and Flute.

Bottom

Are we all met?

Are we all here?

Quince

Pat, pat;

Right on the dot.

and here’s a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal.

And here's a marvellously convenient spot for our rehearsal.

This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our

tiring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the

Duke.

This patch of grass will be our stage, this hawthorn thicket our dressing room, and we'll act it out exactly as we'll do it in front of the Duke.

Bottom

Peter Quince?

Quince

What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

What is it, big man?

Bottom

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never

please.

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never go down well.

First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the

ladies cannot abide.

First, Pyramus has to draw a sword to kill himself, and ladies can't stand that.

How answer you that?

What's your answer to that?

SNOUT

By’r lakin, a parlous fear.

SNOUT: By our lady, that's a perilous worry.

Starveling

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

I think when all's said and done we'll have to cut the killing.

Bottom

Not a whit;

Not a bit of it.

I have a device to make all well.

I have a scheme that fixes everything.

Write me a prologue, and

let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords, and

that Pyramus is not killed indeed;

Write me a prologue, and let the prologue say that we'll do no real damage with our swords and that Pyramus isn't actually killed.

and for the more better assurance,

tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus but Bottom the weaver.

And for even better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not really Pyramus but Bottom the weaver.

This

will put them out of fear.

That'll take away their fear.

Quince

Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight

and six.

Very well, we'll have a prologue like that, and it'll be written in eight-and-six.

Bottom

No, make it two more;

No, make it two more —

let it be written in eight and eight.

write it in eight and eight.

SNOUT

Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?

SNOUT: Won't the ladies be frightened of the lion?

Starveling

I fear it, I promise you.

I'm afraid they will, I promise you.

Bottom

Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves, to bring in (God shield

us!) a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing.

Gentlemen, you ought to think this through for yourselves: bringing a lion — God protect us — in among ladies is a most dreadful business.

For there is not a

more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to

it.

There isn't a more fearful wild fowl alive than your lion, and we ought to see to it.

SNOUT

Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.

SNOUT: So another prologue will have to explain he isn't a lion.

Bottom

Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the

lion’s neck;

No — you have to say his actual name, and half his face has to show through the lion's neck.

and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the

same defect:

And he has to speak through it himself, saying this, or something to the same defect:

‘Ladies,’ or, ‘Fair ladies, I would wish you,’ or, ‘I

would request you,’

"Ladies" — or "Fair ladies, I would wish you" — or "I would request you"

or, ’I would entreat you, not to fear, not to

tremble:

— or "I would beg you not to be afraid, not to tremble.

my life for yours.

I'd stake my life on your safety.

If you think I come hither as a lion, it

were pity of my life.

If you think I've come here as a lion, my life wouldn't be worth living.

No, I am no such thing;

No, I'm nothing of the sort.

I am a man as other men

are’:

I'm a man just like other men."

and there, indeed, let him name his name, and tell them plainly

he is Snug the joiner.

And right there let him say his name and tell them straight out that he's Snug the joiner.

Quince

Well, it shall be so.

All right, that's how we'll do it.

But there is two hard things: that is, to bring

the moonlight into a chamber, for you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by

moonlight.

But there are two hard problems. One is getting moonlight into an indoor room — because you know Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

SNOUT

Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

SNOUT: Does the moon shine on the night we perform?

Bottom

A calendar, a calendar!

Look in the almanack;

Look in the almanac.

find out moonshine, find

out moonshine.

Find moonshine, find moonshine.

Quince

Yes, it doth shine that night.

Yes, it does shine that night.

Bottom

Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window, where

we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement.

Well then, you can leave one pane of the great chamber window open where we're performing, and the moon can shine in through the casement.

Quince

Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and

say he comes to disfigure or to present the person of Moonshine.

Yes — or else somebody has to come in carrying a bundle of thorns and a lantern and say he's come to disfigure, or to represent, the character of Moonshine.

Then

there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for

Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, did talk through the chink of a

wall.

Then there's the other thing: we need a wall in the great chamber, because the story says Pyramus and Thisbe talked through a crack in a wall.

SNOUT

You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?

SNOUT: You can't possibly bring in a wall. What do you say, Bottom?

Bottom

Some man or other must present Wall.

Somebody or other has to play Wall.

And let him have some plaster, or

some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him

hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe

whisper.

Let him have some plaster or clay or rough plaster smeared on him to signify wall, and let him hold his fingers like this — and Pyramus and Thisbe can whisper through that gap.

Quince

If that may be, then all is well.

If that can be done, we're all set.

Come, sit down, every mother’s son,

and rehearse your parts.

Come on, sit down, every last one of you, and rehearse your parts.

Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your

speech, enter into that brake;

Pyramus, you start: when you've finished your speech, go off into that thicket.

and so everyone according to his cue.

And everyone else the same, on their cues.

Enter Puck behind.

Puck

What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here,

So near the cradle of the Fairy Queen?

What rough homespun louts are these, swaggering about so close to the Fairy Queen's cradle?

What, a play toward?

A play in the works?

I’ll be an auditor;

An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

I'll be an audience — and an actor too, perhaps, if I see a reason.

Quince

Speak, Pyramus.—Thisbe, stand forth.

Speak, Pyramus. Thisbe, step forward.

Pyramus

_Thisbe, the flowers of odious savours sweet_

Thisbe, the flowers of odious savours sweet —

Quince

Odours, odours.

Odours, odours!

Pyramus

_. . . odours savours sweet.

— odours savours sweet.

So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.

So is your breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.

But hark, a voice!

But listen — a voice!

Stay thou but here awhile,

And by and by I will to thee appear._

Wait here a moment, and I'll be back with you shortly.

Exit.

Puck

A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here!

That's the strangest Pyramus ever played on any stage.

Exit.

Thisbe

Must I speak now?

Do I speak now?

Quince

Ay, marry, must you,

Yes, of course you do.

For you must understand he goes but to see a noise

that he heard, and is to come again.

You have to understand that he's only gone off to see about a noise he heard, and he's coming back.

Thisbe

_Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,

Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,

Most brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew,

As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire,

I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb._

Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of face, coloured like the red rose on the triumphant briar, most lively youth and also most lovely Jew, as true as the truest horse that never yet grew tired — I'll meet you, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quince

Ninus’ tomb, man!

Ninus's tomb, man!

Why, you must not speak that yet.

And you mustn't say that yet

That you answer to

Pyramus.

— that's your answer to Pyramus.

You speak all your part at once, cues, and all.

You're rattling off your whole part at once, cues and all.

—Pyramus enter!

Pyramus, come in!

Your cue is past; it is ‘never tire.’

You've missed your cue; it's "never tire."

Thisbe

Oh.

_As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire._

As true as the truest horse that never yet grew tired.

Enter Puck and Bottom with an ass’s head.

Pyramus

_If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine._

If I were handsome, Thisbe, I would be yours alone.

Quince

O monstrous!

Monstrous!

O strange!

Horrible!

We are haunted.

We're haunted.

Pray, masters, fly, masters!

Run, gentlemen, run!

Help!

Exeunt Clowns.

Puck

I’ll follow you.

I'll come after you.

I’ll lead you about a round,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;

I'll lead you round and round through bog and bush and thicket and briar.

Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;

Sometimes I'll be a horse, sometimes a hound, a hog, a headless bear, sometimes a flame —

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

and I'll neigh and bark and grunt and roar and burn, turning into horse, hound, hog, bear and fire at every turn.

Exit.

Bottom

Why do they run away?

Why are they running away?

This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

This is a trick of theirs to frighten me.

Enter Snout.

Bottom

SNOUT

O Bottom, thou art changed!

SNOUT: Oh, Bottom, you're changed!

What do I see on thee?

What's that I see on you?

Bottom

What do you see?

You see an ass-head of your own, do you?

You see an ass's head of your own, that's what.

Exit Snout.

Enter Quince.

Quince

Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee!

Bless you, Bottom, bless you!

Thou art translated.

You've been transformed.

Exit.

Bottom

I see their knavery.

I see through their trick.

This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if

they could.

They mean to make an ass of me, to frighten me if they can.

But I will not stir from this place, do what they can.

But I won't budge from this spot whatever they do.

will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am

not afraid.

I'll walk up and down here and sing, so they can hear I'm not afraid.

Sings.

Bottom

The ousel cock, so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill.

The blackbird, so black of feather, with his orange-brown bill; the thrush with his note so true; the wren with his little pipe —

Waking.

Titania

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

What angel is waking me from my bed of flowers?

Sings.

Bottom

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay.

The finch, the sparrow and the lark, the grey cuckoo with his one plain note, which many a man hears and doesn't dare contradict —

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?

indeed, who'd bother arguing with such a foolish bird?

Who would give

a bird the lie, though he cry ‘cuckoo’ never so?

Who'd call a bird a liar, however often it cries "cuckoo"?

Titania

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.

Please, gentle mortal, sing again.

Mine ear is much enamour’d of thy note.

So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape;

My ear is quite in love with your voice, and my eye is just as captivated by your shape.

And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me,

On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

The sheer force of your fine qualities compels me, at first sight, to say — to swear — that I love you.

Bottom

Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that.

It seems to me, madam, that you have very little reason for that.

And yet, to

say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

And yet, to tell the truth, reason and love don't keep much company these days.

The more the pity that some honest neighbours will not make them

friends.

More's the pity that some honest neighbours won't make friends of them.

Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Look at that — I can make a joke when the occasion calls for it.

Titania

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

You're as wise as you are beautiful.

Bottom

Not so, neither;

Not really either.

but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I

have enough to serve mine own turn.

But if I had wit enough to find my way out of this wood, I'd have enough to get by on.

Titania

Out of this wood do not desire to go.

Don't wish yourself out of this wood.

Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.

You'll stay here whether you want to or not.

I am a spirit of no common rate.

The summer still doth tend upon my state;

I'm no ordinary spirit — summer itself is in permanent attendance on me.

And I do love thee: therefore, go with me.

And I love you, so come with me.

I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing, while thou on pressèd flowers dost sleep.

I'll give you fairies to wait on you, and they'll fetch you jewels from the deep sea and sing while you sleep on a bed of crushed flowers.

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—

And I'll purge away your heavy mortal body so that you can move like a spirit made of air.

Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! Mustardseed!

Enter four Fairies.

Peaseblossom

Ready.

Cobweb

And I.

Moth

And I.

Mustardseed

And I.

All

Where shall we go?

Titania

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.

Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;

Skip along beside him as he walks and dance before his eyes.

Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,

With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;

Feed him apricots and dewberries, purple grapes, green figs and mulberries.

The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,

And for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs,

And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s eyes,

To have my love to bed and to arise;

Steal the honey-bags from the bumblebees, cut off their waxy legs for candles, light them at a glow-worm's burning eyes, and use them to see my love to bed and up again.

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,

To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.

Pull the wings off painted butterflies to fan the moonbeams off his sleeping eyes.

Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

Bow to him, elves, and treat him with respect.

Peaseblossom

Hail, mortal!

Greetings, mortal!

Cobweb

Hail!

Greetings!

Moth

Hail!

Greetings!

Mustardseed

Hail!

Greetings!

Bottom

I cry your worships mercy, heartily.

I beg your worships' pardon, most sincerely.

—I beseech your worship’s name.

May I ask your worship's name?

Cobweb

Cobweb.

Bottom

I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb.

I hope to know you better, good Master Cobweb.

If I cut

my finger, I shall make bold with you.

If I cut my finger, I'll make free with you.

—Your name, honest gentleman?

And your name, honest gentleman?

Peaseblossom

Peaseblossom.

Bottom

I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master

Peascod, your father.

Please give my regards to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father.

Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of

more acquaintance too.

Good Master Peaseblossom, I look forward to knowing you better too.

—Your name, I beseech you, sir?

And your name, sir, if you please?

Mustardseed

Mustardseed.

Bottom

Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well.

Good Master Mustardseed, I know all about your patience.

That same cowardly

giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house.

That cowardly, giant-sized ox-beef has devoured many a gentleman of your family.

promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now.

I promise you, your relatives have made my eyes water before now.

I desire you

of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

I hope to know you better, good Master Mustardseed.

Titania

Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.

Come, attend to him; take him to my bower.

The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye,

And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,

Lamenting some enforced chastity.

The moon looks watery-eyed to me tonight, and when she weeps every little flower weeps with her, mourning some virginity that was taken by force.

Tie up my love’s tongue, bring him silently.

Tie up my love's tongue and bring him in silence.

Exeunt.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 1 summary

Who appears in this scene

Bottom, Quince, Starveling, Puck, Pyramus, Thisbe, Titania, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, All — The Wood.

Famous lines in A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 1, explained

“Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! Thou art translated.” (line 100): Quince's horrified greeting is the moment Bottom's transformation is named, and "translated" means changed into another form entirely. The word is doing double duty: Bottom has been translated into an ass, and the play keeps translating things — Lysander's love, Titania's taste, a group of workmen into actors. It is also the play's funniest use of dramatic irony, since Bottom is the only person on stage who has no idea anything has happened to him.
“reason and love keep little company together nowadays.” (line 122): Bottom, wearing an ass's head, tells the Fairy Queen that she has no good reason to love him — and he is completely right. It is the sharpest observation anyone in the play makes, delivered by its least intelligent character and immediately dropped. Shakespeare gives the diagnosis of the whole comedy to a man who cannot see that he is standing inside the illustration of it.
“Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.” (line 125): Titania's compliment to a weaver with a donkey's head shows exactly how total the flower's effect is: she isn't merely attracted to him, she believes him admirable in every way. The line is the fairy plot's mirror of the lovers' plot, where Lysander and Demetrius will swear that reason itself endorses their new passions. Enchantment here doesn't suspend judgment; it counterfeits it.

Keep reading

About this translation: the original text follows the public-domain Project Gutenberg Globe edition; the modern English translation was written in-house for Polytranslator and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (last revised August 2026). Free to print and photocopy for classroom use. Cite as: “A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Scene 1. Polytranslator side-by-side translation, polytranslator.com/shakespeare/midsummer-nights-dream/act-3-scene-1.”

Studying the language itself? Our Shakespearean English course teaches thou/thee, the verbs, and the meter — free through Unit 2. Or try the Shakespearean English translator.