Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.
Women were not allowed to act on the stage in Shakespeare's day so women's parts were usually played by children. Flute was the youngest of the group so he is protesting that he is old enough to play a man's part because he is growing a beard.
Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.
Bottom is obviously a capable actor and knows more than Quince. Why does he report to him? Pay attention to Bottom's failures and think about why they occur. It certainly is not for lack of talent.
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your 350perfect yellow.
Again, Bottom is displaying his knowledge of acting. Hair, specifically beards, were dyed a certain color to integrate and represent the part or mood of the actor. This insight seems to either go completely over Quince's head or he completely ignores its value.
I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the 335ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale.
Bottom is displaying his knowledge of royal society along with acting. Seems like Bottom wishes he was not a weaver.
That will ask some tears in the true performing of 285it: if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split. 290The raging rocks And shivering shocks Shall break the locks Of prison gates; And Phibbus' car 295Shall shine from far And make and mar The foolish Fates. This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is 300more condoling.
During Shakespeare's day, Bottom was played by Kempe, a premier actor. Having Kempe, a good actor, play Bottom is interesting because Nick Bottom should be a good actor, but he fails to perform well in the play; making a fool of himself.
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow to a point.
Bottom's lines display his fluency in all things acting. He knows how a play should be announced and how the actors should be given their parts. Bottom believes he is superior in his skills than these "mechanicals" who he thinks are less than fit to put on a play for royalty. It seems like Shakespeare is parodying earlier plays and styles through the character of Bottom. Keep an eye on that as you read this scene and the rest of the play. Especially when Puck sees him acting (poorly) and curses him with a Donkey head, and when their play is a flop and Bottom comes out of character to talk with Theseus mid-scene.