What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost?

They realize that Bottom was not a merely a clown. Flute and the others agree that it would be impossible to continue with the play if Bottom does not return from the woods and that Bottom is the only man in Athens that can play Pyramus. Indeed, Bottom's absence affects the craftsmen view of him. They proclaim that Bottom was " the wittiest, most intelligent, and best person in all of Athens."