Miko: annotations

The thrush. The thrush is a large family of birds, which actually includes the common blackbird mentioned in the previous line. Bottom probably more specifically refers to the song thrush. The song thrush is known for repeating the same song phrases over and over, so that might be what Bottom means when he says “his note so true”.

The common blackbird. Some modern texts change this word to “ousel” or “ouzel”. All of these variations are now archaic.

Someone who is bankrupt. The First Folio says “bankrout”, which is just an alternative for “bankrupt”. Many modern texts change it to “bankrupt”.

try to convince you

grumpy face

Weavers had a reputation of loving to sing. That reputation traces to the 1560s when Calvinist refugees arrived from the Netherlands. Many of those refugees were weavers from the Netherlands' huge textile industry. They carried on the Calvinist traditions of singing psalms.

Shakespeare makes several references to weavers and singing. In Henry IV, Part 1, Falstaff says “I would I were a weaver, I could sing psalms”. In Twelfth Night, Sir Toby asks “Shall we rouse the night-owl in a catch that will draw three souls out of one weaver?”

transformed

“Fire” refers to will-o'-the-wisp. In its literal sense, will-o'-the-wisp is ignis fatuus, lights that appear in marshy areas because of the combustion of gas from decayed organic matter. “Ignis fatuus” is Latin for “foolish fire”. According to folklore, travelers would see ignis fatuus, which can appear as small fire balls hovering in the air, and believed the fireballs were lanterns. The travelers would then follow the lanterns and get lost. Colloquially, will-o'-the-wisp is something that tricks and deceives with quick, confusing appearances. That matches well with the way Robin confuses and leads the men astray.

This phrase could have one or both of two meanings. 1) Robin will lead the men around and around. 2) He will lead them in a roundel dance. Notice again the reference to fairies dancing in circles.

The irony here is that Bottom's first line with an ass' head is saying that he is handsome.