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PROLOGUE
(delivered by
QUINCE)
Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show.
But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.
This man is Pyramus, if you would know.
125This beauteous lady Thisbe is certain.
This man, with lime and roughcast, doth present
Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder.
And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are content
To whisper. At the which let no man wonder.
130This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn,
Presenteth Moonshine. For, if you will know,
By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn
To meet at Ninus' tomb—there, there to woo.
This grisly beast, which “Lion” hight by
name,
135The trusty Thisbe, coming first by night,
Did scare away, or rather did affright.
And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall,
Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.
Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall,
140And finds his trusty Thisbe’s mantle slain.
Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.
And Thisbe, tarrying in mulberry shade,
His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,
145Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain
At large discourse, while here they do remain.
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PROLOGUE
(delivered by
QUINCE) Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps
you are wondering what is going on. Well, keep wondering, until the
truth makes everything clear. This man is Pyramus, if you want to
know. This beautiful lady is definitely Thisbe. This man with the
limestone and cement is portraying Wall, that horrible wall that
kept these lovers apart. They are content to whisper through
Wall’s little hole, the poor souls, and no one should be
surprised. This man, with his lantern, dog, and thornbush, portrays
Moonshine, because, if you want to know, the lovers were not ashamed
to meet each other by moonshine at Ninus’s tomb in order
to carry on their courtship. This grisly beast, which is called
“Lion,” scared away, or rather frightened, the
faithful Thisbe when she arrived at the meeting place at night. As
she ran away from him, she dropped her cloak, which the horrible
Lion stained with his bloody mouth. Soon Pyramus comes along, a tall
and handsome young man, and finds his faithful Thisbe’s
cloak to be dead. At this point, he takes his sword, his bloody
blameful blade, and bravely breaks open his boiling bloody breast.
And Thisbe, hiding in the shade of the mulberry bushes, took his
dagger and killed herself. For the rest of the story, let Lion,
Moonshine, Wall, and the two lovers talk more about it, since
they’re standing here.
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