No Fear Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 3, Scene 1, Page 3
Original Text |
Modern Text |
|
|
SNOUT
Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?
|
SNOUT
Will the moon be shining on the night we’re performing
our play?
|
|
|
BOTTOM
A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine,
find out moonshine!
|
BOTTOM
We need a calendar! Look in the almanac. Look up moonshine, look
up moonshine!
|
|
|
QUINCE
(takes out a book) Yes, it doth
shine that night.
|
QUINCE
(he takes out a book) Yes, the moon
will shine that night.
|
|
|
20 |
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.
|
BOTTOM
Well then, you can leave one of the windows open in the big hall
where we’ll be performing, and the moon can shine in
through the window.
|
|
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. 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.
|
QUINCE
Yes, or else someone will have to come in carrying a bundle of
sticks and a lantern and say he’s come to disfigure, or represent, the character of Moonshine, because the man in
the moon is supposed to carry sticks and a lantern. But
there’s still another problem: we need to have a wall in
the big hall, because according to the story, Pyramus and Thisbe
talked through a little hole in a wall.
|
|
|
SNOUT
You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?
|
SNOUT
You’ll never be able to bring in a wall. What do you
think, Bottom?
|
|
|
BOTTOM
Some man or other must present Wall. And let him have some
plaster, or some loam, or some roughcast about him to signify wall.
And let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall
Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.
|
BOTTOM
Someone should play the part of Wall. He can have some plaster or
clay or limestone or something on him to show the audience
he’s a wall. He can hold his fingers in a V-shape like
this, and Pyramus and Thisbe can whisper to each other through that
little crack.
|
|
|
QUINCE
If that may be then all is well. Come, sit down, every
mother’s son, and rehearse your
parts.—Pyramus, you begin. When you have spoken your
speech, enter into that brake.—And so everyone according
to his cue.
|
QUINCE
If we can do that, everything will be all right. Now sit down,
everybody, and rehearse your parts—Pyramus, you start.
When you have said your lines, go hide in that
bush.—Everyone else, go there too when you’re
not onstage.
|
