A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

James Cagney: Bottom - the Weaver

Photos 

Quotes 

• Bottom : We will meet and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.

• Bottom : I must to the barber's, monsieur; for I feel I'm marvellous hairy about the face - and I'm such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.

• Bottom : I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream; past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Methought I was - -man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was - -and methought I had - -man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say

  [chuckling] 

  Bottom : what methought I was and what methought I had.

  [He breaks into uncontrollable laughter and suddenly brays like a jackass] 

• Bottom : To say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

• Quince, the Carpenter : Nick Bottom, the weaver.

  Bottom : Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.

  Quince, the Carpenter : Nick Bottom you are set down for - Pyramus.

  Bottom : I play Pyramus. I play Pyramus. I play Pyramus! What is Pyramus? A lover, or a tyrant?

  Quince, the Carpenter : A lover - that kills himself most gallantly for love. A lover.

  Bottom : A lover. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms.

• Quince, the Carpenter : Flute, you must take Thisby on you.

  Flute, the Bellows-Mender : Thisby? What is Thisby? A wandering knight?

  Quince, the Carpenter : A wandering knight! It is the lady that Pyramus must love. A lady!

  Flute, the Bellows-Mender : Nay, faith, let me not play a woman.

  Quince, the Carpenter : Flute!

  Flute, the Bellows-Mender : Nay, I have a beard coming.

  Quince, the Carpenter : That's all one: you shall play it in a mask and you may speak as small as you will.

  [high pitched voice] 

  Quince, the Carpenter : Pyramus.

  [regular voice] 

  Quince, the Carpenter : As small as you will.

  Bottom : If I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too,

  Quince, the Carpenter : No.

  Bottom : I'll speak in a monstrous little voice.

  Quince, the Carpenter : No.

  Bottom : Listen. Listen.

  [high pitched voice] 

  Bottom : 'Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear!

  Quince, the Carpenter : No.

  Bottom : 'Thy Thisby dear and lady dear!'

  Quince, the Carpenter : No, no!

  Flute, the Bellows-Mender : No.

  Quince, the Carpenter : You must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby!

  Bottom : Well, proceed.

• Quince, the Carpenter : Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted.

  Snug - the Joiner : Have you the lion's part written? Pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

  Quince, the Carpenter : You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.

  Bottom : Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me! I will roar and I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again! Let him roar again!'

  Quince, the Carpenter : If you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.

  Bottom : But I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale!

  Quince, the Carpenter : You can play no part but Pyramus!

  Bottom : Pyramus!

  Quince, the Carpenter : For Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man: therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

  Bottom : Well, I will undertake it.

• Bottom : Why do they run away? I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me! To fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they will. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

  [sings] 

  Bottom : The ousel cock so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true...

• Bottom : I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was: methought I was, - and methought I had - Man is but an ass.

• Bottom : [performing as Pyramus]  Kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.

  Flute, the Bellows-Mender : [performing as Thisby]  I kiss the wall. Not your lips at all.

• Quince, the Carpenter : Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. And we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke. Pyramus, you begin.

  Bottom : Well, I begin. Oh, Thisny!

  Quince, the Carpenter : And when you have spoken your speech...

  Bottom : Then I stop.

  Quince, the Carpenter : No, no.

  Bottom : Well, then I go on.

  Quince, the Carpenter : No, no! Then you enter into that brake; and so everyone according to his cue. Thisby! Stand forth. Speak, Pyramus.

  Bottom : Oh, Thisny, the flowers -...

  Quince, the Carpenter : "Oh, Thisby."

  Bottom : This-nee.

  Quince, the Carpenter : This-bee!

  Bottom : Nay!

  Quince, the Carpenter : Ay!

  Bottom : Nay!

  Quince, the Carpenter : Ay!

  Bottom : This

  [he pulls his copy of the script from his waist] 

  Bottom : ... This

  [he reads the scroll and scowls] 

  Bottom : ... This... neebay. "The flowers of odious - -"

  Quince, the Carpenter : Odorous, odorous!

  Bottom : Odorous, odorous. The flowers odi - - the flowers odorous savors sweet. "Oh, Thisby, the flowers of odorous savors sweet; so have thy breath...

  [He gets a whiff of Flute's breath and recoils] 

  Bottom : Oh, Thisby, my dearest Thisby dear. But hark!"

  [Flute erupts into a coughing fit. Bottom throws down his scroll, storms off, and is led back by Quince. He points accusatively at Flute] 

  Bottom : Thisny!

  Quince, the Carpenter : [handing back Bottom's scroll]  Thisby.

  Bottom : "But hark, a voice! Stay you but here a while, and by and by I will to you appear."

  [He exits the wrong way] 

  Quince, the Carpenter : Into that brake!