Gon. I’ll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as leaky as an unstanched 45 wench.
Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to sea again; lay
her off.
Enter Mariners wet.
Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
Boats. What, must our mouths be cold?
I. 1. 50 Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let’s assist them, For our case is as theirs.
Seb. I’m out of patience.
Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards: This wide-chapp’d rascal,—would thou mightst lie drowning The washing of ten tides!
Gon. He’ll be hang’d yet, 55 Though every drop of water swear against it, And gape at widest to glut him.
A confused noise within: “Mercy on us!”—“We split, we
split!”—“Farewell my wife and children!”—“Farewell,
brother!”—“We split, we split, we split!”
60 Ant. Let’s all sink with the king.
Seb. Let’s take leave of him. [Exeunt Ant. and Seb.
Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain die a 65 dry death. [Exeunt.
I. 2 S II. The island. Before P ’ cell.
Enter P and M .
Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.
The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch, But that the sea, mounting to the welkin’s cheek, 5 Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffer’d With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel, Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her, Dash’d all to pieces. O, the cry did knock Against my very heart! Poor souls, they perish’d!
10 Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere It should the good ship so have swallow’d and
The fraughting souls within her.
Pros. Be collected: No more amazement: tell your piteous heart
There’s no harm done.
Mir. O, woe the day!
Pros. 15 No harm.
I have done nothing but in care of thee, Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing Of whence I am, nor that I am more better 20 Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,
And thy no greater father.
Mir. More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts.
Pros. ’Tis time I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand,
And pluck my magic garment from me.—So:
[Lays down his mantle.
I. 2. 25 Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort.
The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch’d
The very virtue of compassion in thee,
I have with such provision in mine art So safely order’d, that there is no soul,
30 No, not so much perdition as an hair Betid to any creature in the vessel Which thou heard’st cry, which thou saw’st sink. Sit down; For thou must now know farther.
Mir. You have often Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp’d,
35
And left me to a bootless inquisition, Concluding “Stay: not yet.”
Pros. The hour’s now come; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember A time before we came unto this cell?
40 I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not Out three years old.
Mir. Certainly, sir, I can.
Pros. By what? by any other house or person?
Of any thing the image tell me that Hath kept with thy remembrance.
Mir. ’Tis far off, 45 And rather like a dream than an assurance
That my remembrance warrants. Had I not Four or five women once that tended me?
Pros. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else I. 2. 50 In the dark backward and abysm of time?
If thou remember’st ought ere thou camest here, How thou camest here thou mayst.
Mir. But that I do not.
Pros. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since,
Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and A prince of power.
Mir. 55 Sir, are not you my father?
Pros. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father
Was Duke of Milan; and his only heir And princess, no worse issued.
Mir. O the heavens!
60 What foul play had we, that we came from thence?
Or blessed was’t we did?
Pros. Both, both, my girl: By foul play, as thou say’st, were we heaved thence; But blessedly holp hither.
Mir. O, my heart bleeds To think o’ the teen that I have turn’d you to.
65 Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther.
Pros. My brother, and thy uncle, call’d Antonio,— I pray thee, mark me,—that a brother should Be so perfidious!—he whom, next thyself, Of all the world I loved, and to him put 70 The manage of my state; as, at that time, Through all the signories it was the first, And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed In dignity, and for the liberal arts Without a parallel; those being all my study, I. 2. 75 The government I cast upon my brother, And to my state grew stranger, being transported And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle—
Dost thou attend me?
Mir. Sir, most heedfully.
Pros. Being once perfected how to grant suits, 80 How to deny them, whom to advance, and whom
To trash for over-topping, new created The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed ’em, Or else new form’d ’em; having both the key Of officer and office, set all hearts i’ the state 85 To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was The ivy which had hid my princely trunk, And suck’d my verdure out on’t. Thou attend’st not.
Mir. O, good sir, I do.
Pros. I pray thee, mark me.
I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated 90 To closeness and the bettering of my mind With that which, but by being so retired, O’er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother
Awaked an evil nature; and my trust, Like a good parent, did beget of him 95 A falsehood in its contrary, as great As my trust was; which had indeed no limit, A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded, Not only with what my revenue yielded, But what my power might else exact, like one I. 2. 100 Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory, To credit his own lie, he did believe He was indeed the duke; out o’ the substitution, And executing the outward face of royalty, 105 With all prerogative:—hence his ambition growing,— Dost thou hear?
Mir. Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.
Pros. To have no screen between this part he play’d And him he play’d it for, he needs will be Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library 110 Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable; confederates, So dry he was for sway, wi’ the King of Naples
To give him annual tribute, do him homage, Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend 115 The dukedom, yet unbow’d,—alas, poor Milan!— To most ignoble stooping.
Mir. O the heavens!
Pros. Mark his condition, and th’ event; then tell me
If this might be a brother.
Mir. I should sin
To think but nobly of my grandmother: Good wombs have borne bad sons.
Pros. 120 Now the condition.
This King of Naples, being an enemy To me inveterate, hearkens my brother’s suit; Which was, that he, in lieu o’ the premises, Of homage and I know not how much tribute, I. 2. 125 Should presently extirpate me and mine Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan, With all the honours, on my brother: whereon,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open 130 The gates of Milan; and, i’ the dead of darkness, The ministers for the purpose hurried thence Me and thy crying self.
Mir. Alack, for pity!
I, not remembering how I cried out then,
Will cry it o’er again: it is a hint That wrings mine eyes to’t.
Pros. 135 Hear a little further, And then I’ll bring thee to the present business Which now’s upon ’s; without the which, this story
Were most impertinent.
Mir. Wherefore did they not That hour destroy us?
Pros. Well demanded, wench: 140 My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, So dear the love my people bore me; nor set A mark so bloody on the business; but With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few, they hurried us aboard a bark, 145 Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg’d, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats Instinctively have quit it: there they hoist us, To cry to the sea that roar’d to us; to sigh I. 2. 150 To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again, Did us but loving wrong.
Mir. Alack, what trouble
Was I then to you!
Pros. O, a cherubin Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven, 155 When I have deck’d the sea with drops full salt, Under my burthen groan’d; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up Against what should ensue.
Mir. How came we ashore?
Pros. By Providence divine.
160 Some food we had, and some fresh water, that A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity, who being then appointed Master of this design, did give us, with Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries, 165 Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness, Knowing I loved my books, he furnish’d me
From mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedom.
Mir. Would I might But ever see that man!
Pros. Now I arise: [Resumes his mantle.
170 Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arrived; and here Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit Than other princesses can, that have more time For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.
I. 2. 175 Mir. Heavens thank you for’t! And now, I pray you, sir, For still ’tis beating in my mind, your reason For raising this sea-storm?
Pros. Know thus far forth.
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune, Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies 180 Brought to this shore; and by my prescience
I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star, whose influence If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions: 185 Thou art inclined to sleep; ’tis a good dulness, And give it way: I know thou canst not choose. [Miranda sleeps.
Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.
Approach, my Ariel, come.
Enter A .
Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come 190 To answer thy best pleasure; be’t to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curl’d clouds, to thy strong bidding task Ariel and all his quality.
Pros. Hast thou, spirit, Perform’d to point the tempest that I bade thee?
195 Ari. To every article.
I boarded the king’s ship; now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flamed amazement: sometime I’ld divide, And burn in many places; on the topmast, I. 2. 200 The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, Then meet and join. Jove’s lightnings, the precursors O’ the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary And sight-outrunning were not: the fire and cracks Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune 205 Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, Yea, his dread trident shake.
Pros. My brave spirit!
Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil
Would not infect his reason?
Ari. Not a soul But felt a fever of the mad, and play’d 210 Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners Plunged in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel, Then all afire with me: the king’s son, Ferdinand, With hair up-staring,—then like reeds, not hair,— Was the first man that leap’d; cried, “Hell is empty, And all the devils are here.”
Pros. 215 Why, that’s my spirit!
But was not this nigh shore?
Ari. Close by, my master.
Pros. But are they, Ariel, safe?
Ari. Not a hair perish’d; On their sustaining garments not a blemish, But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me, 220 In troops I have dispersed them ’bout the isle.
The king’s son have I landed by himself; Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,
His arms in this sad knot.
Pros. Of the king’s ship I. 2. 225 The mariners, say how thou hast disposed, And all the rest o’ the fleet.
Ari. Safely in harbour Is the king’s ship; in the deep nook, where once Thou call’dst me up at midnight to fetch dew From the still-vex’d Bermoothes, there she’s hid: 230 The mariners all under hatches stow’d; Who, with a charm join’d to their suffer’d labour, I have left asleep: and for the rest o’ the fleet, Which I dispersed, they all have met again,
And are upon the Mediterranean flote, 235 Bound sadly home for Naples; Supposing that they saw the king’s ship wreck’d, And his great person perish.
Pros. Ariel, thy charge Exactly is perform’d: but there’s more work.
What is the time o’ the day?
Ari. Past the mid season.
240 Pros. At least two glasses. The time ’twixt six and now Must by us both be spent most preciously.
Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, Let me remember thee what thou hast promised, Which is not yet perform’d me.
Pros. How now? moody?
What is’t thou canst demand?
Ari. 245 My liberty.
Pros. Before the time be out? no more!
Ari. I prithee, Remember I have done thee worthy service;
Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served Without or grudge or grumblings: thou didst promise To bate me a full year.
Pros. I. 2. 250 Dost thou forget From what a torment I did free thee?
Ari. No.
Pros. Thou dost; and think’st it much to tread the ooze Of the salt deep, To run upon the sharp wind of the north, 255 To do me business in the veins o’ the earth When it is baked with frost.
Ari. I do not, sir.
Pros. Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou forgot The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy Was grown into a hoop? hast thou forgot her?
Ari. No, sir.
Pros. 260 Thou hast. Where was she born? speak; tell me.
Ari. Sir, in Argier.
Pros. O, was she so? I must Once in a month recount what thou hast been, Which thou forget’st. This damn’d witch Sycorax, For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible 265 To enter human hearing, from Argier, Thou know’st, was banish’d: for one thing she did They would not take her life. Is not this true?
Ari. Ay, sir.
Pros. This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child, 270 And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave, As thou report’st thyself, wast then her servant; And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate To act her earthy and abhorr’d commands,
Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee, I. 2. 275 By help of her more potent ministers,
And in her most unmitigable rage,
Into a cloven pine; within which rift Imprison’d thou didst painfully remain A dozen years; within which space she died, 280 And left thee there; where thou didst vent thy groans As fast as mill-wheels strike. Then was this island— Save for the son that she did litter here, A freckled whelp hag-born—not honour’d with A human shape.
Ari. Yes, Caliban her son.
285 Pros. Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban, Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know’st What torment I did find thee in; thy groans Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the breasts Of ever-angry bears: it was a torment 290 To lay upon the damn’d, which Sycorax Could not again undo: it was mine art, When I arrived and heard thee, that made gape The pine, and let thee out.
Ari. I thank thee, master.
Pros. If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak, 295 And peg thee in his knotty entrails, till Thou hast howl’d away twelve winters.
Ari. Pardon, master:
I will be correspondent to command, And do my spiriting gently.
Pros. Do so; and after two days I will discharge thee.
Ari. That’s my noble master!
I. 2. 300 What shall I do? say what; what shall I do?
Pros. Go make thyself like a nymph o’ the sea: Be subject to no sight but thine and mine; invisible To every eyeball else. Go take this shape, And hither come in’t: go, hence with diligence! [Exit Ariel.
305 Awake, dear heart, awake! thou hast slept well; Awake!
Mir. The strangeness of your story put Heaviness in me.
Pros. Shake it off. Come on;
We’ll visit Caliban my slave, who never
Yields us kind answer.
Mir. ’Tis a villain, sir, I do not love to look on.
Pros. 310 But, as ’tis, We cannot miss him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices That profit us. What, ho! slave! Caliban!
Thou earth, thou! speak.
Cal. [within] There’s wood enough within.
315 Pros. Come forth, I say! there’s other business for thee:
Come, thou tortoise! when?
Re-enter A like a water-nymph.
Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel, Hark in thine ear.
Ari. My lord, it shall be done. [Exit.
Pros. Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself 320 Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!
Enter C .
Cal. As wicked dew as e’er my mother brush’d With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen
Drop on you both! a south-west blow on ye And blister you all o’er!
I. 2. 325 Pros. For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have cramps, Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins Shall, for that vast of night that they may work, All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinch’d As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging Than bees that made ’em.
Cal. 330 I must eat my dinner.
This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me, and madest much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in’t; and teach me how 335 To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee, And show’d thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile: Curs’d be I that did so! All the charms 340 Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest o’ th’ island.
Pros. Thou most lying slave, 345 Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodged thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child.
Cal. O ho, O ho! would ’t had been done!
I. 2. 350 Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else This isle with Calibans.
Pros. Abhorred slave, Which any print of goodness wilt not take,
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour 355 One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like A thing most brutish, I endow’d thy purposes With words that made them known. But thy vile race, Though thou didst learn, had that in’t which good natures 360 Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou
Deservedly confined into this rock, Who hadst deserved more than a prison.
Cal. You taught me language; and my profit on’t Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language!
Pros. 365 Hag-seed, hence!
Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou’rt best, To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, malice?
If thou neglect’st, or dost unwillingly What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps, 370 Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar, That beasts shall tremble at thy din.
Cal. No, pray thee. [Aside] I must obey: his art is of such power,
It would control my dam’s god, Setebos, And make a vassal of him.
Pros. So, slave; hence! [Exit Caliban.
Re-enter A , invisible, playing and singing; F
following.
A ’ song.
I. 2. 375 Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Courtsied when you have and kiss’d
The wild waves whist:
Foot it featly here and there;
380 And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear.
Burthen [dispersedly]. Hark, hark!
Bow-wow.
The watch-dogs bark:
Bow-wow.
Ari. Hark, hark! I hear
385 The strain of strutting chanticleer
Cry, Cock-a-diddle-dow.
Fer. Where should this music be? i’ th’ air or th’ earth?
It sounds no more: and, sure, it waits upon Some god o’ th’ island. Sitting on a bank, 390 Weeping again the king my father’s wreck,
This music crept by me upon the waters, Allaying both their fury and my passion With its sweet air: thence I have follow’d it.
Or it hath drawn me rather. But ’tis gone.
395 No, it begins again.
A sings.
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
I. 2. 400 But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Burthen: Ding-dong.
Ari. Hark! now I hear them,—Ding-dong, bell.
405 Fer. The ditty does remember my drown’d father.
This is no mortal business, nor no sound That the earth owes:—I hear it now above me.
Pros. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance, And say what thou seest yond.
Mir. What is’t? a spirit?
410 Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir, It carries a brave form. But ’tis a spirit.
Pros. No, wench; it eats and sleeps and hath such senses
As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest Was in the wreck; and, but he’s something stain’d 415 With grief, that’s beauty’s canker, thou mightst call him A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows, And strays about to find ’em.
Mir. I might call him
A thing divine; for nothing natural I ever saw so noble.
Pros. [Aside] It goes on, I see, 420 As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I’ll free thee Within two days for this.
Fer. Most sure, the goddess On whom these airs attend! Vouchsafe my prayer May know if you remain upon this island; And that you will some good instruction give I. 2. 425 How I may bear me here: my prime request, Which I do last pronounce, is, O you wonder!
If you be maid or no?
Mir. No wonder, sir; But certainly a maid.
Fer. My language! heavens!
I am the best of them that speak this speech, Were I but where ’tis spoken.
Pros. 430 How? the best?
What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?
Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me; And that he does I weep: myself am Naples, 435 Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld The king my father wreck’d.
Mir. Alack, for mercy!
Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan
And his brave son being twain.
Pros. [Aside] The Duke of Milan And his more braver daughter could control thee, 440 If now ’twere fit to do’t. At the first sight They have changed eyes. Delicate Ariel, I’ll set thee free for this. [To Fer.] A word, good sir; I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.
Mir. Why speaks my father so ungently? This 445 Is the third man that e’er I saw; the first That e’er I sigh’d for: pity move my father To be inclined my way!
Fer. O, if a virgin, And your affection not gone forth, I’ll make you The queen of Naples.
Pros. Soft, sir! one word more.
I. 2. 450 [Aside] They are both in either’s powers: but this swift business I must uneasy make, lest too light winning Make the prize light. [To Fer.] One word more; I charge thee That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp The name thou owest not; and hast put thyself 455 Upon this island as a spy, to win it
From me, the lord on’t.
Fer. No, as I am a man.
Mir. There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a temple: If the ill spirit have so fair a house, Good things will strive to dwell with’t.
Pros. Follow me.
460 Speak not you for him; he’s a traitor. Come; I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together: Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be The fresh-brook muscles, wither’d roots, and husks Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.
Fer. No; 465 I will resist such entertainment till
Mine enemy has more power.
[Draws, and is charmed from moving.
Mir. O dear father,
Make not too rash a trial of him, for He’s gentle, and not fearful.
Pros. What! I say, My foot my tutor? Put thy sword up, traitor; 470 Who makest a show, but darest not strike, thy conscience Is so possess’d with guilt: come from thy ward; For I can here disarm thee with this stick And make thy weapon drop.
Mir. Beseech you, father.
Pros. Hence! hang not on my garments.
Mir. Sir, have pity; I’ll be his surety.
Pros. I. 2. 475 Silence! one word more Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!
An advocate for an impostor! hush!
Thou think’st there is no more such shapes as he, Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!
480 To the most of men this is a Caliban, And they to him are angels.
Mir. My affections Are, then, most humble; I have no ambition To see a goodlier man.
Pros. Come on; obey:
Thy nerves are in their infancy again, And have no vigour in them.
Fer. 485 So they are: My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
