No Fear Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Act 1 Scene 2 Page 3

Original Text	Modern Text
FLUTE What is Thisbe? A wandering knight?	FLUTE Who’s Thisbe? A knight on a quest?
QUINCE It is the lady that Pyramus must love.	QUINCE Thisbe is the lady Pyramus is in love with.
FLUTE Nay, faith, let me not play a woman. I have a beard coming.	FLUTE No, come on, don’t make me play a woman. I’m growing a beard.
QUINCE 20That’s all one. You shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.	QUINCE That doesn’t matter. You’ll wear a mask, and you can make your voice as high as you want to.
BOTTOM An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too! I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice: “Thisne, Thisne!”—“Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear, thy Thisbe dear and lady dear!”	BOTTOM In that case, if I can wear a mask, let me play Thisbe too! I’ll be Pyramus first: “Thisne, Thisne!”—And then in falsetto: “Ah, Pyramus, my dear lover! I’m your dear Thisbe, your dear lady!”
QUINCE No, no. You must play Pyramus.—And Flute, you Thisbe.	QUINCE No, no. Bottom, you’re Pyramus.—And Flute, you’re Thisbe.
BOTTOM Well, proceed.	BOTTOM All right. Go on.
QUINCE Robin Starveling, the tailor?	QUINCE Robin Starveling, the tailor?
STARVELING 25Here, Peter Quince.	STARVELING Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbe’s mother.—Tom Snout, the tinker?	QUINCE Robin Starveling, you’re going to play Thisbe’s mother.—Tom Snout, the handyman.
SNOUT Here, Peter Quince.	SNOUT Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE You, Pyramus' father.—Myself, Thisbe’s father.—Snug the joiner, you, the lion’s part.—And I hope here is a play fitted.	QUINCE You’ll be Pyramus’s father—I’ll play Thisbe’s father myself—Snug, the cabinetmaker, you’ll play the part of the lion.—So that’s everyone. I hope this play is well cast now.