THE VERY SAD COMEDY AND CRUEL DEATH OF PYRAMUS AND THISBE

FROM A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Narrator: Ladies and Gentlemen. This play is a part of the famous drama of Shakespeares: A Midsummer Nights Dream. The drama that we are going to act out was actually an entertainment for the main characters of the original play, when, after a very confusing and complicated love story, they came to a happy end. We hope you enjoy it

Scene one:

A small room above a noisy pub. Peter Quince the carpenter, Nick Bottom the weaver, Francis Flute the bellows mender, Tom Snout the tinker, Snug also a carpenter, and Robin Starveling the tailor, are making a great deal of noise. The six fellows who sat around the small table, crowded with big glasses of beer were full of excitement. They were going to do something something BIG!

Peter Quince: Is everybody here? (they fall silent) Bottom: Youd better call out all the names to check.

Quince (picking up a piece of paper):All right. The play were going to do before the duke and his queen is called The Very Sad Comedy and Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe. (they nod seriously) Quince: Now the parts in our play. Nick Bottom, youll be Pyramus. Whos he? A lover, a villain or what?

Bottom (excitedly): Quince:

Oh, hes a lover who kills himself bravely for love.

Bottom (shouting, looking thrilled): A lover! Ill make all the audience cry! Theyd better all bring their handkerchiefs. Quince: Flute: Francis Flute. Here.

Quince: Flute:

Youre Thisbe. Whos he? He? Its a she, you idiot! Shes the lady Pyramus

Quince (taking a deep breath): loves.

Flute (in desperation): Oh what! A lady? I cant play a lady, Im growing a beard! Bottom: Quince: Ill be Thisbe, Peter Quince! Let me do it! Ill be brilliant! Ah Pyramus! My darling! How can you be Pyramus and Thisbe? You cant have a conversation with yourself, can you? And what about kissing? (everyone laughs) Quince: Youre Pyramus and thats all. Flute, you can wear a mask. So dont worry about your beard. Oh well. Go on then.

Bottom (sighs and shrugs his shoulders):

Quince (looking at the sheet again): Robin Starveling, the tailor. Starveling: Quince: Snout: Quince: Here, Peter Quince. Youre Thisbes mother. Tom Snout, the tinker. Here. Youre Pyramuss father. And me, Im Thisbes father. All right, whos next? Snug the carpenter youre the lion.

Snug (slowly):What? Do I ave to say anythin? I aint too good at rememberin words. Quince: Bottom: Words? No! You just have to roar a lot. Thats all! Oh, let me be a lion, Peter Quince! Go on! (he jumps off his stool and gets down on all fours) Ill roar so well the Duke will want me roaring all night! Grrrrrrrr! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Quince (staring): No way, Bottom! Youll get all the ladies frightened, and well end up being put in jail and hanged because you scared them so much! Flute (nodding): Yes, theyd hang us for sure.

Bottom (meekly):

But Id roar as quietly as a mouse.

Quince (firmly): No! Youre Pyramus, and nobody else! Hes a handsome young fellow, brave, and very clever. (Bottom gets to his feet, and looks around proudly) Bottom: Quince: Well, Ill do it then! Here are your parts in the play. Make sure you learn them by tomorrow night. Well meet in the woods, just outside the city walls. Well be able to practise there without anybody seeing us. (gets up)

Bottom (getting up): Right! Well meet there. Make sure you know your lines. (exeunt)

Scene two:

In the corner of the large dense wood, Bottom and his friends were getting ready to practise their play. They had found a nice clearing, where they could perform just like they would before Duke Theseus on his wedding night. They had all learned their lines, and had brought their equipment with them in a couple of heavy sacks. Everything was ready for them to start practising.

Bottom (not looking happy): Peter Quince, there are a few things in this play that the fine people wont like. (the others gather around) Bottom: First of all this Pyramus pulls out his sword to kill himself, doesnt he? So what?

Quince (nodding): Bottom:

Well, the ladies wont like that, will they? (everyone nods)

Starveling (scratching his head):

Wed better leave that out.

Bottom (patting Starveling on the back): No way! Just write me a short speech telling them not to be afraid because Pyramus isnt really dead and, in fact, isnt really Pyramus at all, but me, Bottom the weaver that should do the trick! (taking a step back) Well?

All others:

Brilliant! But what about the lion? Wont the ladies be scared

Snout (wearing a troubled look): of it too? Starveling: Yeah, right.

Snout (stroking his chin):

Another speech Bottom?

Bottom (after a while): Brothers, its a tricky problem. After all, ladies are more afraid of lions than anything else, arent they? But I know just what to do! (walks up to Snug) Snug, youve got to show half your face, and when you come on the stage, youd better say something like Ladies, please dont be afraid. Im not really a lion. Im a man like other men. My name is Snug the carpenter. (the others slap Bottom on the back) Snout: Quince: Whatd we be without you? Right. Lets to that. But brother, (scratches his head) how are we going to get moonlight into the Dukes palace you know Pyramus and Thisbe met by moonlight, dont you? (they all scratch their heads or chins) Bottom: Maybe we could keep a big window open. Then the moon could shine in.

Quince (uncertainly): Yes, but what if its raining and theres no moon? (they all stare blankly) Quince (excited): How about that! Someone can stand in the Dukes hall with a lantern on a long stick and he can be moonlight! (they all nod) Bottom: Quince: Well done, Peter! But what about the walls, brothers? We cant put a new wall in the palace, can we? I mean, the Dukes not gonna be very impressed if we stick a new wall in the middle of the room, is he? And Pyramus and Thisbe have to talk through a hole in the wall. (they all look hopefully at Bottom)

Bottom:

Someone will have to dress up as a wall and hold his fingers like this. (he holds his thumb and forefinger in a circle) And then Pyramus and Thisbe can whisper to each other through the hole. Great idea!

All others:

Quince (grinning): All right then, brothers. (claps his hands) sooooooooothats everything sorted out. Now lets get busy! Well all sit down and practise our parts. Lets move. (and one by one they leave the stage)

Scene three:

The golden moment has finally arrived. The actors are ready in Duke Theseuss palace to perform in from of the audience. Everyone is seated. Peter Quince enters

Quince (extremely nervous, trembling): Lordsandladies. Here is ourplay. This is verysimple play. We, you, enjoyhope this. Becausethis is very simple play. All we want to do is tototo make youmake you veryverysad. The actors are ready. By our showyou will know. All thatall that youyou need to know. (coughs) (One by one the actors climb onto the stage. Snub, dressed up as a lion and not looking where he is going, bumps into Flute. Starveling trips over Bottoms foot and falls.) Quince: This man is Pyramus. (he points at Bottom, who bows) And this lovely lady is Thisbe. (points at Flute, who bows, and hic-coughs. Quince frowns) And this man made of stone is Wall, the same cruel wall that kept the lovers apart. (Snout bows) This man (points at Starveling, who is holding a lantern) is Moon, who watched the lovers as they met secretly. And this (pointing at Snug), this horrible animal is the ferocious Lion who scared away poor Thisbe at night and chewed her cloak. (Snub bows)

Quince (continues): Pyramus comes to the wall and sees the lion eating Thisbes cloak, so he stabs himself with a bloody blade and then, Thisbe, who was actually hiding in a bush, comes out and sees him dead and takes his blade and stabs herself. This is our story. No let Lion, Wall, Moon and the lovers tell you more. (Snout comes forward and the others leave the stage) Snout (stammering): D-dear lords, an-an-and f-fair ladies, p-please imagine that I, Snout, am the wall, that the two lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe whispered

through secretly. (he holds up his fingers in a circle) A-and th-this is the hhole through which the lovers s-spoke their words of love. (enter Bottom) Bottom: Oh, black night! (waves his arms) Oh night! Oh night! You are so black! Im afraid Thisbe will not come! (walks over to Snout) Oh wall! Oh sweet wall! You keep her from me, wall, show me a hole my eye can look through. (Snout stands still, lost in his own thoughts) Bottom (shouts): Show me a hole my eye can look through! (still, he remains still) Bottom (at the top of his voice): THROUGH! SHOW ME A HOLE MY EYE CAN LOOK

(Snout comes to his senses) Bottom (angrily): Thanks, kind wall!

Bottom (continues): But where is my Thisbe? You wicked wall, you lied to me! (Flute enters, nervous, trips and falls. His wig falls off. He gets up, and puts the wig back on, wrong side front. Then turns it around.) Flute: Oh wall! Youve heard my cries so many times. You keep me from my dear Pyramus!

Bottom (excitedly addressing the audience): I see a voice! Now I will look through the hole to see if I can hear Thisbes face! Bottom (shouts): Flute (also shouts): Bottom: Flute: Bottom: Thisbe! Pyramus, my love!

Yes, it is! I! Pyramus, your love. I will always love you. YesI will always love youtoo. Kiss me, sweet Thisbe. Kiss me through this walls hole!

(Flute moves his face forwards, but his wig falls off. He picks it up and puts it on his head)

Flute: Bottom:

Im kissing the walls hole, not your lips! GET LOST, YOU DIRTY FILTHY STINKIN WALL! Hey, thats not your line! It isnt?

Flute (surprised): Bottom: Flute:

No. Well, anyway, will you meet me at Ninnys tomb in ten minutes time? I will, I will, oh, love, I will! (exeunt Bottom and Flute)

Snout:

Well, Ive done my bit. I must go then. (he leaves) (enter Snug(lion) and Starveling(moon))

Snug (slowly):Please ladies, I know you are afraid of lions, but do not scream even if I roar, because I am not a lionI am Snug, the carpenter. If I were a real lion and came into this fine hall, I could not come in here because all the brave soldiers would have been sure to kill me! Starveling: Im the man in the moon. Well, all I have to say is that this lantern is the moon and Im the man in the moon. (they waited. No one entered) Starveling: And again: Pssssssss! Psssssssssssss! (Flute came running in) Flute: Here is Ninnys tomb. Where is Pyramus, my love? (Snug comes forward) Snug: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! (Flute screams and runs, dropping his cloak. Snug tears it apart.) (Bottom enters) Bottom: Thank you moon, for your beautiful bright beams, which beam so brightly! Soon by your beams I will see my beautiful Thisbe.

(he sees the torn cloak) Bottom: Oh woe! Oh woe! What is this? Oh, Thisbe, this is your cloak! Blood! (he runs his finger over it) Thisbes Blood! Oh no! oh no! oh no! (he pulls his hair and rocks from side to side) oh, why did nature make lions? For a lion has eaten my sweet Thisbe! (pulls out a knife) Oh heart, beat no more! (stabs himself) aaaaaaargh! And so I die! And so! And so! (lies down) And now I die! Now I am no more! Go away, cold Moon!Now I die, die, die, die! (lies down still. Then raises his head) Now Im dead! (and falls again) (enter Flute) Flute: Bottom: Flute: My love, are you asleep? Wake up! Your Thisbes here! (shakes Bottom with a punch) Ow! Man! That hurts! Are you dead! (to the audience) he was so fine! Gone, gone, gone! (picks up the knife) Come, friendly knife! Come, cut my breast, and make me bleed! (stabs himself) Goodbye, my friends! Here Thisbe ends! Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye! (falls down)

Narrator:

You know what? You two may get up now. Anyway, dear audience, that was the comical tragedy: THE VERY SAD COMEDY AND CRUEL DEATH OF PYRAMUS AND THISBE, brought to you by Class IX C White. We hope you enjoyed it. (everyone comes on stage and bows)

(exeunt)