The first scene of Act IV ends with a short soliloquy by Bottom. Oberon’s magic has worked. When Bottom awakens, he believes that all of the events of the night have been just a dream. Bottom is naturally confused when he awakens, and he thinks that his fellow artisans have left him alone in the forest. Bottom then begins to think about the night’s activities.
Shakespeare includes some wonderful comic lines in the speech. For example, Bottom states, “Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream” (201-02). This means that a man is foolish or silly if he tries to explain the dream. Of course, not only is there the pun on the word “ass” – which contributes to the humor – but then Bottom tries to explain his dream anyway.
Bottom is so much charmed by his dream that he will ask Peter Quince to make a song or ballad out of it. And Bottom decides the ballad “shall be called ‘Bottom’s Dream’ because it hath no bottom” (208-09). There is a triple-pun with the word bottom:
Of course, the dream does have a Bottom in it, namely Bottom the Weaver; but it does seem to be without any meaning. Bottom cannot understand it. But since Bottom cannot understand it, he will not be able to give his ballad any structure or support. Thus, the ballad will also become meaningless.
Bottom concludes his soliloquy with the thought that the best time for him to sing his ballad will be immediately after the death of Thisbe at the close of the artisan’s performance before Duke Theseus. Thus Bottom hopes that, following the tragic demise of Thisbe, the artisans’ performance will conclude with the meaningless ballad performed by Bottom himself.