Quince: Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show; But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. This man is Pyramus, if you would know; This beauteous lady Thisbe is certain. This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder; And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are content To whisper. At the which let no man wonder. This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know, By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn To meet an Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name, The trusty Thisbe, coming first by night Did scare away, or rather did affright; And as she fled, her mantle she did fall, Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain. Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall, And finds his trusty Thisbe's mantle slain; Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast; And Thisbe, tarrying in mulberry shade, His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest... (5.1.126-148)

44. Sgt. Bottom's Dumbshow Apparently to impress the new forces of re-education in the Allied Occupation, Bottom has changed out of his everyday "Yamiya" clothes into the uniform of an American sergeant. Note the dark glasses and swagger stick. These props allow him to transform from samurai-in-GI-clothing (at "This man is Pyramus, if you would know" he delivers a spectacular sword slash) to a Presley wanna-be putting on the cool (at "Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall"). In this postwar environment, even the epithet "tall" can take on ironic resonance. Flute/Thisbe dresses as a prostitute for the GI forces on R & R. To meet American expectations of the erotically exotic but not-too-foreign, she poses as a Carmen stereotype. The interaction of costumes can be read with a variety of inflections. (Note that, while waiting for Pyramus, Thisbe tucks up her skirt to produce tobacco from her suspender belt - an action also reminiscent of post-war prostitutes.) Wall too, though flat chested, is eager to please, even curtseying in 'Western' fashion. Is there a suggestion of "Berlin Wall" here in this Cold War context? Lion is another peace-loving creature whose post-Hiroshima, fear-inspiring mane is signified in a cutely formal way by a large sunflower. "Give peace a chance"? There may be good reason for this Pyramus and Thisbe to be separated by a "Wall". According to documentary accounts like "Forgotten Force", Japanese local officials apparently encouraged prostitutes to fraternise with the Occupation Forces as a way of containing the sexual threat represented by the invaders. In this way daughters of good families would be less at risk. See also: > Bar 44. Dumbshow > Mask 38. Dumbshow