The Tempest – Act 1 Scene 2

MIRANDA

If by your art, my dearest father, you have

If you have cast a spell, dear father, making

Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.

The ocean roar with wild waves, then calm them.

The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,

The darkened sky seems boiling tar might rain down,

But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek,

Except the sea is climbing to the clouds

Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffered

To put the lightning out. Oh, I have suffered

With those that I saw suffer: a brave vessel,

With those I witnessed suffer on the ship,

Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her,

Who had on board, no doubt, some noble person,

Dashed all to pieces. O, the cry did knock

All smashed to bits. Oh, all their crying banged

Against my very heart. Poor souls, they perished.

Against my heart. Poor people, they all perished.

Had I been any god of power, I would

If I had been a god with power, I would

Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere

Have quelled the sea into the earth before

It should the good ship so have swallowed and

It had a chance to swallow up the ship

The fraughting souls within her.

And all its people cargo.

PROSPERO

Be collected:

Be composed.

No more amazement: tell your piteous heart

Don’t stay in shock: just tell your caring heart

There's no harm done.

There’s no harm done.

MIRANDA

O, woe the day!

Oh, curse the day!

PROSPERO

No harm.

No harm.

I have done nothing but in care of thee,

I have done nothing but take care of you,

Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who

Of you, my dear child, you, my daughter, who

Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing

Does not know who you are, and doesn’t know

Of whence I am, nor that I am more better

Where I am from, nor that I am far better

Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,

Than Prospero, the owner of a shack,

And thy no greater father.

Who is your simple father.

MIRANDA

More to know

Knowing more

Did never meddle with my thoughts.

Was not something I thought about.

PROSPERO

'Tis time

It’s time

I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand,

I gave you further details. Help me out,

And pluck my magic garment from me. So:

And take my magic cloak from me. And so:

[Lays down his mantle]

Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort.

Lie there, my magic cloak. Don’t cry; relax.

The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touched

The painful shipwreck sight, which truly moved

The very virtue of compassion in thee,

The generous compassion in your heart,

I have with such provision in mine art

I ordered with instructions in my magic

So safely ordered that there is no soul –

That everyone onboard would end up safe –

No, not so much perdition as an hair

No, not even a strand of hair was lost

Betid to any creature in the vessel

By any living creature on the ship

Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. Sit down;

Who you heard scream and you saw sink. Sit down;

For thou must now know farther.

For you must now know more.

MIRANDA

You have often

Well, you have often

Begun to tell me what I am, but stopped

Begun to tell me who I am, but stopped

And left me to a bootless inquisition,

And you have left me with unanswered questions,

Concluding 'Stay: not yet.'

Stating, ‘Wait up: not yet.’

PROSPERO

The hour's now come;

But now’s the time;

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;

This moment calls for you to listen closely;

Obey and be attentive. Canst thou remember

Obey and be attentive. Can you recall

A time before we came unto this cell?

A time before we came here to this shack?

I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not

I don’t suppose you can, for you were only

Out three years old.

Just three years old.

MIRANDA

Certainly, sir, I can.

I can remember, sir.

PROSPERO

By what? By any other house or person?

You can remember what? A house? A person?

Of any thing the image tell me that

Tell me of any images that you

Hath kept with thy remembrance.

Have kept within your memory.

MIRANDA

'Tis far off

They are far off

And rather like a dream than an assurance

And dream-like, rather than reality,

That my remembrance warrants. Had I not

Those things I can remember. Did I not have

Four or five women once that tended me?

Four or five women who took care of me?

PROSPERO

Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it

You did, and more, Miranda. But how come

That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else

This memory survives? What else do you see

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

Within your distant memory of that time?

If thou remember'st aught ere thou camest here,

If you recall a thing before you came here,

How thou camest here thou mayst.

Or how you came here.

MIRANDA

But that I do not.

I do not recall that.

PROSPERO

Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since,

It’s been twelve years, Miranda, twelve years since

Thy father was the Duke of Milan and

Your father was the Duke of Milan and

A prince of power.

A prince with power.

MIRANDA

Sir, are not you my father?

Are you not my father?

PROSPERO

Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and

Your mother was an honest lady, and

She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father

She said you were my daughter; and your father

Was Duke of Milan; and thou his only heir

Was Duke of Milan; and you his only heir,

And princess no worse issued.

And born a perfect princess.

MIRANDA

O the heavens!

Oh, good heavens!

What foul play had we, that we came from thence?

What heinous crime had made us leave from there?

Or blessed was't we did?

Or were we blessed to come here?

PROSPERO

Both, both, my girl:

Both, my girl:

By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heaved thence,

The heinous crime, you call it, had us thrown out,

But blessedly holp hither.

But we are blessed to be here.

MIRANDA

O, my heart bleeds

Oh, my heart bleeds

To think o' the teen that I have turned you to,

To think of all the sorrow that I’ve brought you

Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther.

Which I’ve forgotten! Carry on, please, father.

PROSPERO

My brother and thy uncle, called Antonio –

My brother and your uncle, called Antonio –

I pray thee, mark me – that a brother should

I urge you listen – that a brother would

Be so perfidious! – he whom next thyself

Be so unfaithful! – he whom, next to you,

Of all the world I loved and to him put

I loved with all my heart. I let him manage

The manage of my state; as at that time

All my affairs of state; for at that time,

Through all the signories it was the first

Of all the city-states, Milan was foremost,

And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed

And I was ruling duke, who was respected

In dignity, and for the liberal arts

For dignity and knowledge of the arts

Without a parallel; those being all my study,

Without compare. Because I studied hard,

The government I cast upon my brother

I let my brother run the government,

And to my state grew stranger, being transported

Withdrawing from my stately role as duke,

And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle –

Consumed in mystic studies. Your sham uncle –

Dost thou attend me?

Are you paying attention?

MIRANDA

Sir, most heedfully.

Very much so.

PROSPERO

Being once perfected how to grant suits,

Once he had mastered how to grant requests,

How to deny them, who to advance and who

Which to deny, and who should be promoted

To trash for over-topping, new created

Or culled for their ambition, recreating

The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed 'em,

Those folk loyal to me, or rather ‘changed’ them,

Or else new formed 'em; having both the key

Or else ‘reformed’ them; and with both the power

Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state

Of government and state, he made the people

To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was

Align to what he wanted; so that he now

The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

Was like the ivy on my regal tree trunk,

And sucked my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not.

That sucked the strength from me. You are not listening.

MIRANDA

O, good sir, I do.

Oh, good sir, I am.

PROSPERO

I pray thee, mark me.

I tell you, listen.

I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated

So I – neglecting ordinary life, and

To closeness and the bettering of my mind

In isolation, focused on my mind

With that which, but by being so retired,

With subjects which, aside from being alone,

O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother

Were worth more than assumed – made my fraud brother

Awaked an evil nature; and my trust,

Unearth his evil nature; and my trust,

Like a good parent, did beget of him

Just like a caring parent, then created

A falsehood in its contrary as great

A lying treachery in him that matched

As my trust was; which had indeed no limit,

My trust, which at that time, was limitless,

A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,

A confidence that had no end. Thus strengthened,

Not only with what my revenue yielded,

Not only with my wealth that he’d acquired,

But what my power might else exact, like one

But all the strengths my power gave him, like one

Who having into truth, by telling of it,

Who thinks that what he says becomes the truth,

Made such a sinner of his memory,

Forgetting all the facts that stack against it

To credit his own lie, he did believe

That prove it is a lie, he then believed

He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution

He was in fact the duke. Switched to this role,

And executing the outward face of royalty,

Portraying outwardly a duke’s façade,

With all prerogative: hence his ambition growing –

Through privilege, his own ambition grew…

Dost thou hear?

Do you hear me?

MIRANDA

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

Sir, your tale would cure deafness.

PROSPERO

To have no screen between this part he played

To lift the barrier between his faux role

And him he played it for, he needs will be

And me, the real duke, he must become

Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library

The actual Duke of Milan. But my library

Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties

Was all the dukedom I required: my roles

He thinks me now incapable; confederates –

He thought I could no longer do. He joined with –

So dry he was for sway – wi' the King of Naples

So great his thirst to rule – the King of Naples

To give him annual tribute, do him homage,

And paid him annually, to be subservient,

Subject his coronet to his crown and bend

Reporting to his crown and then subjecting

The dukedom yet unbowed – alas, poor Milan! –

Poor me – the undisputed Duke of Milan! –

To most ignoble stooping.

To bow and grovel to him.

MIRANDA

O the heavens!

Oh, good heavens!

PROSPERO

Mark his condition and the event; then tell me

Hear how he was and what he did, then tell me

If this might be a brother.

If that’s how brothers act.

MIRANDA

I should sin

I would be wrong

To think but nobly of my grandmother:

To think other than warmly of my grandma:

Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Good wombs have borne bad sons.

PROSPERO

Now the condition.

Now, his agreement.

The King of Naples, being an enemy

The King of Naples, a sworn enemy

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;

Of mine for ages, heard my brother’s plea;

Which was, that he, in lieu o' the premises

Which was the King would offer in return

Of homage and I know not how much tribute,

For my brother’s allegiance, and much money,

Should presently extirpate me and mine

To soon eradicate me and my family

Out of the dukedom and confer fair Milan

Out of the dukedom and award Milan

With all the honours on my brother: whereon,

To be led by my brother; whereupon

A treacherous army levied, one midnight

A wicked army came to us one midnight

Fated to the purpose did Antonio open

And, to help them out, Antonio opened

The gates of Milan, and, i' the dead of darkness,

The gates of Milan, and within the darkness,

The ministers for the purpose hurried thence

He had his soldiers hurry us away

Me and thy crying self.

As you and I were crying.

MIRANDA

Alack, for pity!

Oh, that’s awful!

I, not remembering how I cried out then,

I don’t remember how I cried back then,

Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint

But I will cry again: it is a story

That wrings mine eyes to't.

That brings my eyes to tears.

PROSPERO

Hear a little further

Hear some more

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

And then I’ll tell you of the current context

Which now's upon's; without the which this story

Which faces us now; which, without this story,

Were most impertinent.

Would seem irrelevant.

MIRANDA

Wherefore did they not

Why didn’t they

That hour destroy us?

Just kill us then?

PROSPERO

Well demanded, wench:

It’s fair to ask that, lady:

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not,

My story begs that question. They did not dare –

So dear the love my people bore me, nor set

Because my people loved me – leave a trace

A mark so bloody on the business, but

Of blood upon their evil plan; instead

With colours fairer painted their foul ends.

Disguising their agenda beautifully.

In few, they hurried us aboard a bark,

In short, they hurried us aboard a boat,

Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared

And took us several miles out to sea, where

A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigged,

A rotting boat was waiting, without rigging,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats

Nor ropes, nor sails, nor mast. Even the rats

Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist us,

Instinctively had jumped ship. We were cast off,

To cry to the sea that roared to us, to sigh

And cried at seas that roared back at us, sighing

To the winds whose pity, sighing back again,

At winds which, out of pity, sighed back at us,

Did us but loving wrong.

Which only made it worse.

MIRANDA

Alack, what trouble

Oh no, what trouble

Was I then to you!

I must have been to you!

PROSPERO

O, a cherubim

You were a cherub

Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile.

Who helped me to get through it. You would smile,

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

Like you had got your fortitude from heaven,

When I have decked the sea with drops full salt,

Whilst I cried salty tears into the sea,

Under my burthen groaned; which raised in me

And groaned under our circumstance; your smiles helped

An undergoing stomach, to bear up

To give me courage, helping me to face

Against what should ensue.

What might occur.

MIRANDA

How came we ashore?

How did we come ashore?

PROSPERO

By Providence divine.

With help from God.

Some food we had and some fresh water that

We had some food and also some fresh water

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

A nobleman from Naples, called Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, being then appointed

Who, through his decency – it was his job

Master of this design, did give us, with

To send us on our way – had given us

Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries,

Fine clothes and sheets and stuff that we might need,

Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness,

All things we’ve made good use of; through his kindness,

Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me

For he knew I loved books, he gave to me

From mine own library with volumes that

From my own library many books that I

I prize above my dukedom.

Value above my dukedom.

MIRANDA

Would I might

I so hope

But ever see that man!

I’ll meet that man one day!

PROSPERO

Now I arise:

Now I will stand up:

[Resumes his mantle]

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.

Sit still, and hear how our sad sea tale ended.

Here in this island we arrived; and here

We landed on this island, and whilst here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

I have become your teacher, and you’ve learnt more

Than other princesses can that have more time

Than other princesses that have more time

For vainer hours and tutors not so careful.

To waste with teachers who don’t care that much.

MIRANDA

Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, sir,

The heavens thank you for it! Now, I ask you,

For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason

For it’s still nagging me, what was your reason

For raising this sea-storm?

For mustering this storm at sea?

PROSPERO

Know thus far forth:

Know this much:

By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,

By strange mishap, the kind goddess of luck,

Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies

Who now I serve, had got my enemies

Brought to this shore; and by my prescience

And brought them to this shore; and through my foresight

I find my zenith doth depend upon

I find my greatest strength arises when

A most auspicious star, whose influence

The stars align, whose strength and influence,

If now I court not but omit, my fortunes

If left unused, will make my own good fortune

Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:

Wither away forever. No more questions:

Thou art inclined to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,

You look like you are sleepy; that’s a good thing,

And give it way: I know thou canst not choose.

So let it be – I know you cannot fight it.

[MIRANDA SLEEPS]

Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.

Come here now, servant. Come here now; I’m ready.

Approach, my Ariel, come.

Approach, my Ariel, come over here.

ARIEL

All hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come

Greetings, great master! Sir, greetings! I’ve come

To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,

To do what you desire; be it to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curled clouds, to thy strong bidding task

On floating clouds, to do whatever task

Ariel and all his quality.

You give to me and my skills.

PROSPERO

Hast thou, spirit,

Have you, spirit,

Performed to point the tempest that I bade thee?

Controlled the tempest like I told you to?

ARIEL

To every article.

Exactly as instructed.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,

I boarded the king’s ship; upon the bow,

Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,

Then midships, then the deck, in every cabin,

I flamed amazement: sometime I'ld divide,

I turned to fire, amazing them: I’d split

And burn in many places; on the topmast,

And burn in many places; on the topmast,

The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,

The masts and bowsprit, I would brightly burn,

Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the precursors

And then regroup. The lightning strikes, precursors

O' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

To dreadful claps of thunder, weren’t as short

And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks

Or quick as I was; lightning and the thunder,

Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune

That made a frightful sound, scared mighty Neptune,

Seem to besiege and make his bold waves tremble,

The god of sea, and made his large waves tremble,

Yea, his dread trident shake.

And made his trident weapon shake.

PROSPERO

My brave spirit!

Brave spirit!

Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Who was so brave and stoic that this uproar

Would not infect his reason?

Did not affect him?

ARIEL

Not a soul

There was nobody

But felt a fever of the mad and played

Who wasn’t crazed and mad and acted out

Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners

Of desperation. All except the sailors

Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel,

Jumped ship into the angry sea, escaping

Then all afire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand,

The ship I’d set on fire. The king’s son, Ferdinand,

With hair up-staring, – then like reeds, not hair, –

His hair on end – like reeds, rather than hair, –

Was the first man that leaped; cried, 'Hell is empty

Was first to jump ship, shouting, ‘Hell is empty

And all the devils are here.'

And all the devils are here.’

PROSPERO

Why that's my spirit!

Well, that’s my spirit!

But was not this nigh shore?

But wasn’t this near shore?

ARIEL

Close by, my master.

Close by the shore, sir.

PROSPERO

But are they, Ariel, safe?

But are they safe?

ARIEL

Not a hair perished;

Nobody lost a hair;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,

The clothes they wore not only are unblemished,

But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me,

But cleaner than before. And as you told me,

In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the isle.

I’ve split them up in groups around the island.

The king's son have I landed by himself;

I’ve kept the king’s son by himself, alone;

Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs

I left him sighing, cooling in the air,

In an odd angle of the isle and sitting,

In a strange corner of the island, sitting

His arms in this sad knot.

With his arms crossed, like this.

[ARIEL crosses his arms]

PROSPERO

Of the king's ship

Where is the king’s ship?

The mariners say how thou hast disposed

Tell me what you have done with all the sailors

And all the rest o' the fleet.

And all the other ships.

ARIEL

Safely in harbour

Safe in the harbour

Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once

Is the king’s ship; in the deep cove, where once

Thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew

You called me up at midnight to fetch dew

From the still-vexed Bermoothes, there she's hid:

From constantly tempestuous Bermuda.

The mariners all under hatches stowed;

The sailors all are safely stowed below deck,

Who, with a charm joined to their suffered labour,

Who, with a spell, combined with their exhaustion,

I have left asleep; and for the rest o' the fleet

I’ve left asleep; and all the other ships

Which I dispersed, they all have met again

That I had scattered, all have reconvened

And are upon the Mediterranean flote,

And now are on the Mediterranean Sea,

Bound sadly home for Naples,

And sailing sadly home to Naples,

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked

Believing that they saw the king’s ship wrecked

And his great person perish.

And that the king has drowned.

PROSPERO

Ariel, thy charge

Ariel, your orders

Exactly is performed: but there's more work.

You’ve carried out exactly. But there’s more work.

What is the time o' the day?

What time of day is it?

ARIEL

Past the mid season.

It is past noon.

PROSPERO

At least two glasses. The time 'twixt six and now

At least two hours past. From now till six

Must by us both be spent most preciously.

We have to spend our precious time astutely.

ARIEL

Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains,

Is there more work? As you’re giving me jobs,

Let me remember thee what thou hast promised,

Let me remind you what you promised me,

Which is not yet performed me.

Which I’ve not yet received.

PROSPERO

How now? Moody?

What? Are you moody?

What is't thou canst demand?

What is it that you want?

ARIEL

My liberty.

I want my freedom.

PROSPERO

Before the time be out? No more!

Before you’ve served your time? No way!

ARIEL

I prithee,

I beg you,

Remember I have done thee worthy service;

Remember that I’ve served you very well;

Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served

I’ve told no lies, made no mistakes, and served you

Without or grudge or grumblings: thou didst promise

Without a grudge or grumble. And you promised

To bate me a full year.

To give me back a year.

PROSPERO

Dost thou forget

Have you forgotten

From what a torment I did free thee?

The torment I released you from?

ARIEL

No.

I haven’t.

PROSPERO

Thou dost, and think'st it much to tread the ooze

You have, and think it’s too much now to walk

Of the salt deep,

Upon the muddy ocean floor,

To run upon the sharp wind of the north,

Or run into the bitter northern wind,

To do me business in the veins o' the earth

Or help me with some jobs deep in the earth

When it is baked with frost.

When it has frozen over.

ARIEL

I do not, sir.

I do not, sir.

PROSPERO

Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou forgot

You lie, you wretched thing! Have you forgotten

The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy

The foul witch Sycorax, so old and haggard,

Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?

She stooped so low, she almost made a hoop shape?

ARIEL

No, sir.

No, sir.

PROSPERO

Thou hast. Where was she born? Speak; tell me.

You have. Where was she born? Speak; tell me.

ARIEL

Sir, in Argier.

Sir, in Algiers.

PROSPERO

O, was she so? I must

Oh, was she so? I must

Once in a month recount what thou hast been,

Remind you once a month what you have been,

Which thou forget'st. This damned witch Sycorax,

Which you’ve forgotten. Sycorax, that damn witch,

For mischiefs manifold and sorceries terrible

Because of awful things and wretched spells

To enter human hearing, from Argier,

Too terrible to hear, was, from Algiers,

Thou know'st, was banished: for one thing she did

Banished, you know. There only was one reason

They would not take her life. Is not this true?

They didn’t kill her. Now, is that not true?

ARIEL

Ay, sir.

Yes, sir.

PROSPERO

This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child

This pregnant, puffy-eyed old witch was brought here

And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave,

And left here by the sailors. You, my slave,

As thou report'st thyself, wast then her servant;

As you have said yourself, was then her servant;

And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate

And as you were too sensitive a spirit

To act her earthy and abhorred commands,

To carry out her evil work on earth,

Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee,

Refusing her commands, she locked you up –

By help of her more potent ministers

With help from her most powerful assistants

And in her most unmitigable rage,

And in her most almighty, angry rage –

Into a cloven pine; within which rift

Within a fractured pine tree. In that gap

Imprisoned thou didst painfully remain

You then remained imprisoned painfully

A dozen years; within which space she died

For twelve years; then within that time, she died

And left thee there; where thou didst vent thy groans

And left you there, where you would groan as often

As fast as mill-wheels strike. Then was this island –

As waterwheel paddles strike. This island

Save for the son that she did litter here,

Back then – except her son delivered here,

A freckled whelp hag-born – not honoured with

A freckled wolf cub of a child – was not blessed

A human shape.

With humans.

ARIEL

Yes, Caliban her son.

Only, Caliban, her son.

PROSPERO

Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban

I’ve said that, dullard; him, that Caliban

Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know'st

Who now is in my service. You know well

What torment I did find thee in; thy groans

The pain I found you in; your wretched groans

Did make wolves howl and penetrate the breasts

Made wolves howl and they even stirred the hearts

Of ever angry bears: it was a torment

Of always-angry bears. It was a torment

To lay upon the damned, which Sycorax

For people damned to hell, which Sycorax

Could not again undo: it was mine art,

Could not reverse. It was my magic spell,

When I arrived and heard thee, that made gape

When I arrived and heard you, that broke open

The pine and let thee out.

The pine tree and released you.

ARIEL

I thank thee, master.

Thank you, master.

PROSPERO

If thou more murmur'st, I will rend an oak

If you complain again, I’ll find an oak tree

And peg thee in his knotty entrails till

And tie you up within its knotty branches

Thou hast howled away twelve winters.

Until you’ve yelped for twelve years.

ARIEL

Pardon, master;

Sorry, master.

I will be correspondent to command

I’ll be obedient and do my tasks

And do my spiriting gently.

A gentle spirit.

PROSPERO

Do so, and after two days

Do so; after two days

I will discharge thee.

I’ll set you free.

ARIEL

That's my noble master!

That’s decent of you, master!

What shall I do? Say what; what shall I do?

What shall I do? Tell me: what shall I do?

PROSPERO

Go make thyself like a nymph o' the sea: be subject

Disguise yourself to be a sea nymph; only

To no sight but thine and mine, invisible

Be visible to me and you, invisible

To every eyeball else. Go take this shape

To everybody else. Go, get disguised

And hither come in't: go, hence with diligence!

And then come back as it; go, do it well!

[EXIT ARIEL]

Awake, dear heart, awake! Thou hast slept well;

Wake up, my dear, wake up! You have slept well;

Awake!

Wake up!

MIRANDA

The strangeness of your story put

The strangeness of your story made me

Heaviness in me.

Feel drowsy.

PROSPERO

Shake it off. Come on;

Shake it off. Now, come along;

We'll visit Caliban my slave, who never

We’ll visit Caliban, my slave, who never

Yields us kind answer.

Speaks kindly to us.

MIRANDA

'Tis a villain, sir,

He’s a villain, sir,

I do not love to look on.

Who I don’t like to look at.

PROSPERO

But, as 'tis,

Even so,

We cannot miss him: he does make our fire,

We cannot do without him; he builds fires,

Fetch in our wood and serves in offices

Collects our wood and does odd jobs for us

That profit us. What, ho! Slave! Caliban!

That help us out. Hello, slave! Caliban!

Thou earth, thou! Speak.

You pile of dirt! Speak up.

CALIBAN

[Within]

There's wood enough within.

There’s wood inside.

PROSPERO

Come forth, I say! There's other business for thee:

Come out, I say! I’ve other jobs for you:

Come, thou tortoise! When?

Come out, you tortoise! When will you come out?

[RE-ENTER ARIEL LIKE A WATER-NYMPH]

Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel,

Oh, you look wonderful! Dear Ariel,

Hark in thine ear.

I’ll whisper in your ear.

ARIEL

My lord it shall be done.

It shall be done, sir.

PROSPERO

Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself

You poisonous slave, fathered by the devil

Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!

Upon your wicked mother, come out here!

CALIBAN

As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed

I wish a poison dew – like mother gathered

With raven's feather from unwholesome fen

From boggy swamps, using a raven’s feather –

Drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye

Would fall upon you both! A south-west wind

And blister you all o'er!

Will cover you in blisters!

PROSPERO

For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have cramps,

For saying this, tonight you’ll suffer cramp,

Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins

And stitches that will stop you breathing; urchins

Shall, for that vast of night that they may work,

Will work on you throughout the drawn-out night,

All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinched

And exercise on you, so you’ll be stung

As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging

Like bees in honeycomb, each sting more painful

Than bees that made 'em.

Than actual bee stings.

CALIBAN

I must eat my dinner.

I must eat my dinner.

This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,

My mother, Sycorax, left me this island

Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first,

Which you have taken from me. When you first came,

Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me

You petted and fussed over me; you’d give me

Water with berries in't, and teach me how

Water with berries in it, and you’d teach me

To name the bigger light, and how the less,

The sun’s name, and by night, you’d name the moon:

That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee

They shine by day and night. And then I loved you

And showed thee all the qualities o' the isle,

And showed you all the best parts of the island:

The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:

Fresh water springs, saltwater pits, the best spots.

Cursed be I that did so! All the charms

I curse myself for doing that! The spells

Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!

Of Sycorax – toads, beetles, bats – be on you!

For I am all the subjects that you have,

For I’m the only person that you rule,

Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me

Where I ruled first; you lock me in a pigsty,

In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me

In this hard rock, preventing me from going

The rest o' the island.

Around the island.

PROSPERO

Thou most lying slave,

You’re a lying slave,

Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee,

Who acts when whipped, not cared for! I have treated

Filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee

You kindly, even though you’re filth, and kept you

In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate

In my own home, until you tried to rape

The honour of my child.

My honourable daughter.

CALIBAN

O ho, O ho! Would't had been done!

Ha ha! I wish I’d done it!

Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else

You stopped me; if you hadn’t, I’d have fathered

This isle with Calibans.

This island full of Calibans.

PROSPERO

Abhorred slave,

Obscene slave,

Which any print of goodness wilt not take,

No act of kindness will rub off on you,

Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,

For all you do is hurt! I pitied you,

Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour

Worked hard to help you speak, taught you for hours

One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage,

On many topics. When you didn’t know, brute,

Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like

How to express yourself, but gabbled on like

A thing most brutish, I endowed thy purposes

A violent thug, I taught you self-expression

With words that made them known. But thy vile race,

With words one could decipher. But your vile race,

Though thou didst learn, had that in't which good natures

Although you learnt, had traits in it good people

Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou

Could never tolerate, and you were therefore

Deservedly confined into this rock,

Deservedly confined into this cave,

Who hadst deserved more than a prison.

Which is more fitting for you than a prison.

CALIBAN

You taught me language; and my profit on't

You taught me how to speak; I’ve benefitted

Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you

By knowing how to curse. May plague destroy you

For learning me your language!

For teaching me your language!

PROSPERO

Hag-seed, hence!

Get out, witch-spawn!

Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou'rt best,

Fetch us some firewood. Be quick. You have

To answer other business. Shrug'st thou, malice?

More work. Why are you shrugging, spiteful beast?

If thou neglect'st or dost unwillingly

If you neglect or don’t do willingly

What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps,

What I command, I’ll leave you racked with cramp,

Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar

Make all your bones ache, forcing you to roar

That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

In pain that frightens animals.

CALIBAN

No, pray thee.

No, please don’t.

[Aside]

I must obey: his art is of such power,

I must obey him: he has such strong witchcraft,

It would control my dam's god, Setebos,

It would control the god my mother prayed to,

And make a vassal of him.

So Setebos would work for him.

PROSPERO

So, slave; hence!

Leave, slave!

ARIEL

[Sings]

Come unto these yellow sands,

Come onto these yellow sands,

And then take hands:

And then hold hands:

Courtsied when you have and kissed

When you’ve curtsied and you’ve kissed

The wild waves whist,

The wild waves will desist,

Foot it featly here and there;

Then tread lightly here and there

And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear.

And, sweet spirits, the burden bear.

Hark, hark!

Listen, listen!

SPIRITS

[Dispersedly, within – sung from various places offstage]

Bow-wow.

Woof woof.

ARIEL

The watch-dogs bark!

The guard dogs bark!

SPIRITS

[Dispersedly, within – sung from various places offstage]

Bow-wow.

Woof woof.

ARIEL

Hark, hark! I hear

Listen, listen! I can hear

The strain of strutting chanticleer

The rooster crowing loud and clear

Cry, Cock-a-diddle-dow.

Cry, cock-a-doodle-doo.

FERDINAND

Where should this music be? I' the air or the earth?

Where is that music from? The sky or earth?

It sounds no more: and sure, it waits upon

It’s stopped: I’m sure it’s playing on the orders

Some god o' the island. Sitting on a bank,

Of some god on the island. On a sandbank

Weeping again the king my father's wreck,

I wept about the king my father’s shipwreck,

This music crept by me upon the waters,

And then this music came across the ocean,

Allaying both their fury and my passion

And calmed the angry waves and calmed my sorrow

With its sweet air: thence I have followed it,

With its relaxing sound: I followed it,

Or it hath drawn me rather. But 'tis gone.

Or rather, it seduced me. But it’s gone now.

No, it begins again.

No, it’s begun again.

ARIEL

[Sings]

Full fathom five thy father lies;

Your father lies at thirty feet;

Of his bones are coral made;

His bones are coral now;

Those are pearls that were his eyes:

His eyes have turned to pearls, complete;

Nothing of him that doth fade

He’s just the same somehow,

But doth suffer a sea-change

But the sea has made him change

Into something rich and strange.

Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his death-bell.

SPIRITS

[Within]

Ding-dong.

Ding-dong.

ARIEL

Hark! Now I hear them, –

Listen! I can hear them now.

SPIRITS

[Within]

Ding-dong, bell.

Ding-dong, bell.

FERDINAND

The ditty does remember my drowned father.

That little song refers to my drowned father.

This is no mortal business, nor no sound

It wasn’t sung by mere mortals, nor

That the earth owes. I hear it now above me.

By anyone on earth. I hear it up there.

PROSPERO

The fringed curtains of thine eye advance

Open your eyes and look out in the distance

And say what thou seest yond.

And say what you can see.

MIRANDA

What is't? A spirit?

Is it a spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,

It’s looking all around! Believe me, sir,

It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit.

It looks magnificent. But it’s a spirit.

PROSPERO

No, wench; it eats and sleeps and hath such senses

No, girl; it eats and sleeps and has the senses

As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest

That we all have. This brave man that you see

Was in the wreck; and, but he's something stained

Was in the shipwreck; and, although he’s tainted

With grief that's beauty's canker, thou mightst call him

By grief that damages one’s beauty, you might

A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows

Say he’s attractive. He has lost his friends

And strays about to find 'em.

And wanders looking for them.

MIRANDA

I might call him

I might say

A thing divine, for nothing natural

He is divine, for I’ve seen nothing living

I ever saw so noble.

That looked so noble.

PROSPERO

[Aside]

It goes on, I see,

Everything’s occurring

As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free thee

Exactly as I planned. Spirit, I’ll free you

Within two days for this.

Within two days for this.

FERDINAND

Most sure, the goddess

This is the goddess

On whom these airs attend! Vouchsafe my prayer

For whom the music plays! Answer my prayers,

May know if you remain upon this island;

So I know if you live upon this island;

And that you will some good instruction give

And hopefully you’ll give some indication

How I may bear me here: my prime request,

Of how I must behave. My primary question,

Which I do last pronounce, is, O you wonder!

Which I’ll ask last, is – Oh, you are a wonder! –

If you be maid or no?

Are you a girl or not?

MIRANDA

No wonder, sir;

I am no wonder,

But certainly a maid.

But certainly a girl.

FERDINAND

My language! Heavens!

She speaks my language!

I am the best of them that speak this speech,

I am the top-ranked man that speaks this language,

Were I but where 'tis spoken.

If only I was where it’s spoken.

PROSPERO

How? The best?

Top-ranked?

What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

Who would you be if the King of Naples heard you?

FERDINAND

A single thing, as I am now, that wonders

The same as I am now, who is amazed

To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me;

To hear you speak of Naples. He can hear me,

And that he does I weep: myself am Naples,

And that is why I weep; I’m King of Naples,

Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld

For I have seen, with eyes that still are crying,

The king my father wrecked.

The king, my father, shipwrecked.

MIRANDA

Alack, for mercy!

Oh, that’s awful!

FERDINAND

Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan

His lords all perished; plus the Duke of Milan

And his brave son being twain.

Along with his brave son.

PROSPERO

[Aside]

The Duke of Milan

The real Duke – me! –

And his more braver daughter could control thee,

And my far braver daughter could control you,

If now 'twere fit to do't. At the first sight

Now if the time was right. At their first sight

They have changed eyes. Delicate Ariel,

They shared flirtatious eyes. Soft Ariel,

I'll set thee free for this.

I’ll set you free for doing this.

[To FERDINAND]

A word, good sir;

A word, sir:

I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.

I fear you are mistaken. Just a quick word.

MIRANDA

Why speaks my father so ungently? This

Why is my father speaking rudely? This is

Is the third man that e'er I saw, the first

The third man I have ever seen, and first man

That e'er I sighed for: pity move my father

I’ve ever craved. I hope he sympathises

To be inclined my way!

With how I feel!

FERDINAND

O, if a virgin,

Oh, if you are a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you

And not in love with someone else, I’ll make you

The queen of Naples.

The queen of Naples.

PROSPERO

Soft, sir! One word more.

Wait, sir! One more word.

[Aside]

They are both in either's powers; but this swift business

They’re both enraptured; but their smitten swiftness

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning

I must disrupt, or else this easy victory

Make the prize light.

Will undermine the prize.

[To FERDINAND]

One word more; I charge thee

One word: I tell you

That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp

You must obey me: you are here to steal

The name thou owest not; and hast put thyself

The title you don’t own; and you have come here

Upon this island as a spy, to win it

Upon this island as a spy to claim it

From me, the lord on't.

From me, the island’s lord.

FERDINAND

No, as I am a man.

I swear I haven’t.

MIRANDA

There's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple:

Such evil cannot live in one so gorgeous:

If the ill spirit have so fair a house,

For if the devil dwelt somewhere so lovely,

Good things will strive to dwell with't.

Good things would fight to live there.

PROSPERO

Follow me.

Follow me.

Speak not you for him; he's a traitor. Come;

Don’t speak for him; he is a traitor. Come here:

I'll manacle thy neck and feet together:

I’ll shackle up your neck and feet together;

Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be

You’ll drink the saltwater; your food will be

The fresh-brook muscles, withered roots and husks

Fresh-water mussels, rotten roots and shells

Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

Of acorns. Follow me.

FERDINAND

No;

No, I will not;

I will resist such entertainment till

I will resist your fractious antics till

Mine enemy has more power.

My foe can overpower me.

MIRANDA

O dear father,

Dear father,

Make not too rash a trial of him, for

Don’t force a harsh ordeal on him, because

He's gentle and not fearful.

He’s gentle and he’s brave.

PROSPERO

What? I say,

You what? You think

My foot my tutor? Put thy sword up, traitor;

That you are now my teacher? Sheathe your sword, thief;

Who makest a show but darest not strike, thy conscience

You flaunt your strength, but you won’t dare to strike me

Is so possessed with guilt: come from thy ward,

Because you’re overwhelmed with guilt. Stand down,

For I can here disarm thee with this stick

Because I can disarm you with this wand

And make thy weapon drop.

And make your weapon drop.

MIRANDA

Beseech you, father.

I beg you, father.

PROSPERO

Hence! Hang not on my garments.

Get off! Don’t grab my clothes.

MIRANDA

Sir, have pity;

Sir, have some pity;

I'll be his surety.

I’ll guarantee he’s good.

PROSPERO

Silence! One word more

Quiet! One more word

Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!

Will make me scold you, maybe hate you. What,

An advocate for an imposter! Hush!

Are you supporting this imposter? Quiet!

Thou think'st there is no more such shapes as he,

You think there’s no one else who looks like him,

Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!

For you’ve seen only him and Caliban: fool!

To the most of men this is a Caliban

To most men, he just looks like Caliban

And they to him are angels.

And they seem angels next to him.

MIRANDA

My affections

My love is

Are then most humble; I have no ambition

Most humble then, for I have no desire

To see a goodlier man.

To see a finer man.

PROSPERO

Come on; obey:

Come on; obey me:

Thy nerves are in their infancy again

Your muscles are all childlike again

And have no vigour in them.

And have no strength in them.

FERDINAND

So they are;

You’re right, they are;

My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.

My powers, like in a dream, no longer work.

My father's loss, the weakness which I feel,

My father’s death, the weakness that I feel,

The wreck of all my friends, nor this man's threats,

The death of all my friends, nor this man’s threats,

To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,

Who’s cast a spell on me, are nothing to me

Might I but through my prison once a day

If I can look out of my prison daily

Behold this maid: all corners else o' the earth

And see this girl. All other spots on earth

Let liberty make use of; space enough

Are free to use; for I’ll have all the space

Have I in such a prison.

I need in prison.

PROSPERO

[Aside]

It works.

It has worked.

[To FERDINAND]

Come on.

Come on.

[To ARIEL]

Thou hast done well, fine Ariel!

You have done well, fine Ariel!

[To FERDINAND]

Follow me.

Follow me.

[To ARIEL]

Hark what thou else shalt do me.

Listen for further orders.

MIRANDA

Be of comfort;

Take some comfort;

My father's of a better nature, sir,

My father is a better-natured man, sir,

Than he appears by speech: this is unwonted

Than he appears when speaking. It’s unusual

Which now came from him.

For him to speak like this.

PROSPERO

Thou shalt be free

You will be free

As mountain winds: but then exactly do

As mountain wind: but then perform exactly

All points of my command.

As I instruct you.

ARIEL

To the syllable.

I will, to the letter.

PROSPERO

[To FERDINAND]

Come, follow.

Come, follow me.

[To MIRANDA]

Speak not for him.

Do not try to defend him.