A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Act 5 Scene 1

Original Text	Modern Text
PYRAMUS Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover’s grace. 190And like Limander am I trusty still.	PYRAMUS I’m your love, no matter what you think. And I’m still faithful to you, just like the famous Limander Bottom means the mythical Greek hero Leander. who loved Hero. Limander .
THISBE And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.	THISBE And I’ll be as faithful to you as Helen of Troy This is funny not only because Leander loved Hero rather than Helen, but also because Helen was famous for being unfaithful to her husband. Helen of Troy , until the day I die.
PYRAMUS Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.	PYRAMUS Not even Shafalus was as faithful to his lover Procrus as I am to you.
THISBE As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.	THISBE Me too, I’m as faithful as Shafalus to Procrus They mean to say Cephulus and Procris, two steadfast lovers in Greek mythology. Shafalus to Procrus .
PYRAMUS Oh, kiss me through the hole of this vile wall!	PYRAMUS Oh, kiss me through the hole in this nasty wall.
THISBE 195I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all.	THISBE But I’m only kissing the wall’s hole, not your lips at all.
PYRAMUS Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me straightway?	PYRAMUS Will you meet me right away at Ninny’s grave?
THISBE Tide life, tide death, I come without delay.	THISBE Neither death nor life will stop me from coming.
Exeunt PYRAMUS and THISBE	PYRAMUS and THISBE exit.
WALL Thus have I, Wall, my part dischargèd so. And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.	WALL I, Wall, have done my part. Now that I’m done, Wall can go away.
Exit WALL	WALL exits.