First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Quince, Flute, Thisbie, Snout, and Starueling. | Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling | | MND IV.ii.1 | |
| Quin. | QUINCE | | | |
| Haue you sent to Bottomes house? Is he come | Have you sent to Bottom's house? Is he come | | MND IV.ii.1 | |
| home yet? | home yet? | | MND IV.ii.2 | |
| Staru. | STARVELING | | | |
| He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt hee is | He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is | | MND IV.ii.3 | |
| transported. | transported. | transported (adj.) carried off, taken away | MND IV.ii.4 | |
| This. | FLUTE | | | |
| If he come not, then the play is mar'd. It goes not | If he come not, then the play is marred. It goes not | | MND IV.ii.5 | |
| forward, doth it? | forward. Doth it? | | MND IV.ii.6 | |
| Quin. | QUINCE | | | |
| It is not possible: you haue not a man in all | It is not possible. You have not a man in all | | MND IV.ii.7 | |
| Athens, able to discharge Piramus but he. | Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he. | discharge (v.)play, perform, execute | MND IV.ii.8 | |
| This. | FLUTE | | | |
| No, hee hath simply the best wit of any handy-craft | No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft | wit (n.)intelligence, wisdom, good sense, mental ability | MND IV.ii.9 | |
| man in Athens. | man in Athens. | | MND IV.ii.10 | |
| Quin. | QUINCE | | | |
| Yea, and the best person too, and hee is a very | Yea and the best person, too; and he is a very | person (n.)fine figure, personality | MND IV.ii.11 | |
| Paramour, for a sweet voyce. | paramour for a sweet voice. | paramour (n.)malapropism for ‘paragon’ | MND IV.ii.12 | |
| This. | FLUTE | | | |
| You must say, Paragon. A Paramour is (God blesse | You must say ‘ paragon.’ A paramour is – God bless | | MND IV.ii.13 | |
| vs) a thing of nought. | us – a thing of naught. | naught, nought (n.)wickedness, immorality, sinfulness | MND IV.ii.14 | |
| Enter Snug the Ioyner. | Enter Snug the joiner | | MND IV.ii.15 | |
| Snug. | SNUG | | | |
| Masters, the Duke is comming from the Temple, and | Masters, the Duke is coming from the temple, and | | MND IV.ii.15 | |
| there is two or three Lords & Ladies more married. If | there is two or three lords and ladies more married. If | | MND IV.ii.16 | |
| our sport had gone forward, we had all bin made men. | our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men. | made (adj.)with success assured, with fortune made | MND IV.ii.17 | |
| | sport (n.)recreation, amusement, entertainment | | |
| This. | FLUTE | | | |
| O sweet bully Bottome: thus hath he lost sixepence | O, sweet Bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence | bully (n./adj.)[especially as a warm form of address] fine fellow, good friend | MND IV.ii.18 | |
| a day, during his life; he could not haue scaped sixpence | a day during his life. He could not have scaped sixpence | scape, 'scape (v.)escape, avoid | MND IV.ii.19 | |
| a day. And the Duke had not giuen him sixpence a day for | a day. An the Duke had not given him sixpence a day for | and, an (conj.)if, whether | MND IV.ii.20 | |
| playing Piramus, Ile be hang'd. He would haue deserued | playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged. He would have deserved | | MND IV.ii.21 | |
| it. Sixpence a day in Piramus, or nothing. | it. Sixpence a day in Pyramus, or nothing. | | MND IV.ii.22 | |
| Enter Bottome. | Enter Bottom | | MND IV.ii.23.1 | |
| Bot. | BOTTOM | | | |
| Where are these Lads? Where are these hearts? | Where are these lads? Where are these hearts? | heart (n.)(plural) grand-hearted lads, fine companions | MND IV.ii.23 | |
| Quin. | QUINCE | | | |
| Bottome, ô most couragious day! O most happie | Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy | | MND IV.ii.24 | |
| houre! | hour! | | MND IV.ii.25 | |
| Bot. | BOTTOM | | | |
| Masters, I am to discourse wonders; but ask me | Masters, I am to discourse wonders – but ask | discourse (v.)relate, talk about, recount | MND IV.ii.26 | |
| not what. For if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I | me not what; for if I tell you, I am not true Athenian. – I | | MND IV.ii.27 | |
| will tell you euery thing as it fell out. | will tell you everything, right as it fell out! | right (adv.)just, precisely | MND IV.ii.28 | |
| Qu. | QUINCE | | | |
| Let vs heare, sweet Bottome. | Let us hear, sweet Bottom! | | MND IV.ii.29 | |
| Bot. | BOTTOM | | | |
| Not a word of me: all that I will tell you, is, that | Not a word of me! All that I will tell you is – that | | MND IV.ii.30 | |
| the Duke hath dined. Get your apparell together, good | the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good | apparel (n.)clothes, clothing, dress | MND IV.ii.31 | |
| strings to your beards, new ribbands to your pumps, | strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps. | | MND IV.ii.32 | |
| meete presently at the Palace, euery man looke ore his | Meet presently at the palace. Every man look o'er his | presently (adv.)immediately, instantly, at once | MND IV.ii.33 | |
| part: for the short and the long is, our play is preferred: | part. For the short and the long is, our play is preferred. | prefer (v.)promote, advance, recommend | MND IV.ii.34 | |
| In any case let Thisby haue cleane linnen: and let not him | In any case, let Thisbe have clean linen; and let not him | | MND IV.ii.35 | |
| that playes the Lion, paire his nailes, for they shall hang out | that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out | | MND IV.ii.36 | |
| for the Lions clawes. And most deare Actors, eate no Onions, | for the lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions | | MND IV.ii.37 | |
| nor Garlicke; for wee are to vtter sweete breath, and I doe | nor garlic; for we are to utter sweet breath, and I do | utter (v.)emit, exhale, discharge | MND IV.ii.38 | |
| not doubt but to heare them say, it is a sweet Comedy. No | not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy. No | | MND IV.ii.39 | |
| more words: away, go away. | more words. Away – go, away! | | MND IV.ii.40 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt Bottom and his fellows | | MND IV.ii.40 | |