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The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe
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The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe

English play
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Quick Summary

"The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe" is a play performed by the "rude mechanicals" in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This play-within-a-play is a farcical version of the ancient Babylonian love story of Pyramus and Thisbe.12

In the original story, Pyramus and Thisbe are lovers from feuding families who communicate through a crack in a wall. They arrange to elope but are tragically separated by a misunderstanding involving a lion and a dropped veil, leading both to commit suicide.2

In Shakespeare's comedy, Nick Bottom, a weaver, plays the role of Pyramus. The mechanicals' performance is hilariously inept, with Bottom's character even breaking the fourth wall. The story is a parody of tragic theater, transforming potential pathos into farce.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Pyramus and Thisbe
  2. Nick Bottom

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