William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

ACT V 1. SCENE I. Athens. An Apartment in the Palace of THESEUS. (continued)

[Enter THISBE.]

THISBE
This is old Ninny's tomb. Where is my love?

LION
Oh!

[The LION roars.--THISBE runs off.]

DEMETRIUS
Well roared, lion.

THESEUS
Well run, Thisbe.

HIPPOLYTA
Well shone, moon.--Truly, the moon shines with a good grace.

[The LION tears THISBE'S Mantle, and exit.]

THESEUS
Well moused, lion.

DEMETRIUS
And so comes Pyramus.

LYSANDER
And then the lion vanishes.

[Enter PYRAMUS.]

PYRAMUS
Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams;
  I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright:
For, by thy gracious golden, glittering streams,
  I trust to take of truest Thisby's sight.
     But stay;--O spite!
     But mark,--poor knight,
    What dreadful dole is here!
     Eyes, do you see?
     How can it be?
   O dainty duck! O dear!
     Thy mantle good,
     What! stained with blood?
   Approach, ye furies fell!
     O fates! come, come;
     Cut thread and thrum;
   Quail, rush, conclude, and quell!

THESEUS
This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go
near to make a man look sad.

HIPPOLYTA
Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.

PYRAMUS
O wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame?
  Since lion vile hath here deflower'd my dear;
Which is--no, no--which was the fairest dame
  That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik'd, that look'd with cheer.
     Come, tears, confound;
     Out, sword, and wound
   The pap of Pyramus:
     Ay, that left pap,
     Where heart doth hop:--
   Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
     Now am I dead,
     Now am I fled;
   My soul is in the sky:
     Tongue, lose thy light!
     Moon, take thy flight!
   Now die, die, die, die, die.

[Dies. Exit MOONSHINE.]