The Tempest – Act 4 Scene 1

PROSPERO

If I have too austerely punished you,

If I have over-punished you with meanness,

Your compensation makes amends, for I

The prize I give to you makes up for it,

Have given you here a third of mine own life,

For you will take a third of all my life,

Or that for which I live; who once again

The person that I live for; who again

I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations

I give her hand in marriage to you; your pains

Were but my trials of thy love and thou

Were merely trials to prove your love and you

Hast strangely stood the test here. Afore Heaven,

Have passed those tests superbly. Before God,

I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,

I formally present this gift. Oh Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,

Don’t laugh at me for how I boast about her,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise

For you will find she exceeds any praise

And make it halt behind her.

That follows her around.

FERDINAND

I do believe it

I’d still believe it

Against an oracle.

If God’s own messenger said otherwise.

PROSPERO

Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition

Then, as my gift to you, and your reward

Worthily purchased take my daughter: but

You’ve earned with merit, wed my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

If you take her virginity before

All sanctimonious ceremonies may

All of our solemn ceremonies have been

With full and holy rite be ministered,

Presided over in a holy ritual,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall

The heavens will not shower you in blessings

To make this contract grow: but barren hate,

To make your marriage flourish, but with hatred,

Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew

Bitter disgust and conflict; and they’ll spread

The union of your bed with weeds so loathly

Revolting weeds upon your marriage bed

That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,

So that you both despise it. So, take heed

As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

So Hymen’s torch shines for you.

FERDINAND

As I hope

Since I hope

For quiet days, fair issue and long life,

For quiet days, fine children and a long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,

That’s full of love like now, a dingy den,

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion,

A place where women flirt to try to tempt me,

Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Or any lure the devil tries, won’t change

Mine honour into lust, to take away

My honour into lust that might degrade

The edge of that day's celebration

The celebrations of our wedding day

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are foundered,

I’m thinking of, or daylight’s horses fail

Or Night kept chained below.

Or nighttime never comes.

PROSPERO

Fairly spoke.

You’ve said that well.

Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.

Sit down and talk to her; for she is yours.

What, Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!

Where’s Ariel? My tireless servant, Ariel!

ARIEL

What would my potent master? Here I am.

What does my powerful master want? I’m here.

PROSPERO

Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

The last job you and all your lesser fellows

Did worthily perform; and I must use you

Did was done well; and I must use you now

In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,

For something similar. Go fetch that rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place:

Whom I appoint you leader of, and come here.

Incite them to quick motion; for I must

And jostle them along, for I’m obliged

Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple

To demonstrate to this young couple’s eyes

Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,

The beauty of my magic: it’s my promise

And they expect it from me.

To them and they expect it.

ARIEL

Presently?

Right away?

PROSPERO

Ay, with a twink.

Yes, in the twinkling of an eye.

ARIEL

Before you can say 'come' and 'go,'

Before you can say ‘come’ and ‘go,’

And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,'

And breathe twice and shout ‘so, so,’

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Each servant, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mow.

With silly faces, here will show.

Do you love me, master? No?

Do you love me, master? No?

PROSPERO

Dearly my delicate Ariel. Do not approach

I love you dearly, Ariel. Don’t enter

Till thou dost hear me call.

Until you hear me call for you.

ARIEL

Well, I conceive.

I’ve got it.

PROSPERO

Look thou be true; do not give dalliance

Maintain your chastity, don’t let temptation

Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw

Distract you: for your oath can be like straw

To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,

Against the fire in your blood. Abstain

Or else, good night your vow!

Or else forget your vows!

FERDINAND

I warrant you sir;

I promise you sir,

The white cold virgin snow upon my heart

The freezing snow that falls upon my heart

Abates the ardour of my liver.

Has quelled the passion in my organs.

PROSPERO

Well.

Well then.

Now come, my Ariel! Bring a corollary,

Come, Ariel! Bring extra spirits with you

Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly!

Instead of later needing more: chop chop!

No tongue! All eyes! Be silent.

Don’t speak! Just watch! Be silent.

IRIS

Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas

Ceres, goddess of farming: your rich field

Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease;

Of wheat, rye, barley, plants, oats, peas they yield;

Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,

Your grassy hills that feed the nibbling sheep,

And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep;

And meadows spread with straw that livestock keep;

Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,

Your riverbanks with fences made from hedges

Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

Which rainy April trims back round the edges

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom-groves,

And nymphs make crowns from; and the yellow groves

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,

Whose colour the sad bachelor just loves,

Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;

For he’s alone; your pole-tied pruned vineyard;

And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,

And your mixed seashore, lifeless, rocky, hard,

Where thou thyself dost air; – the queen o' the sky,

Where you flew first time; – and queen of the sky,

Whose watery arch and messenger am I,

Whose rainbow and whose messenger am I,

Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,

Has asked you leave from here and, through her grace,

Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

Here on this grassy spot and very place,

To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:

To come and play. Her peacocks pull her coach;

Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

She hopes you’ll entertain her, and approach.

CERES

Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne'er

Hail, rainbow-coloured messenger, who you know

Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Obeys the wife of Jupiter, that Juno;

Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers

Who, with your golden wings above my flowers,

Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,

Drops honeydew with her refreshing showers,

And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown

And, with all colours of your rainbow, crown

My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down,

My wooded forests and my barren down,

Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen

To make a lovely scarf; why has your queen

Summoned me hither, to this short-grassed green?

Asked me to come here, to this well-kept green?

IRIS

A contract of true love to celebrate;

To celebrate two lovers tie the knot;

And some donation freely to estate

And offer up a gift from what you’ve got

On the blest lovers.

To bless them both.

CERES

Tell me, heavenly bow,

Then tell me, heavenly rainbow,

If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,

If Venus or her son, Cupid, as you know,

Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot

Are with the queen now? Since they both had planned

The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,

That nasty Pluto stole my daughter’s hand,

Her and her blind boy's scandaled company

That hers or her blind son’s foul company

I have forsworn.

I’ve sworn I’ll never join.

IRIS

Of her society

When you’re with her

Be not afraid: I met her deity

Don’t be afraid; our meeting did occur

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son

When Venus flew to Paphos with her son

Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done

Pulled on a cart by doves. They thought they’d done

Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,

Some lusty magic on a man and maid,

Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid

Whose vows said neither of them could be laid

Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but vain;

Till married; but it failed anyway;

Mars's hot minion is returned again;

So, Venus left for Paphos on that day;

Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,

And her son Cupid smashed up all his arrows,

Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows

And swore he’d shoot no more, but play with sparrows

And be a boy right out.

And be a child again.

CERES

High'st queen of state,

High queen of state,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

Great Juno’s here; I recognise her gait.

JUNO

How does my bounteous sister? Go with me

How is my lovely sister? Come with me

To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be

To bless this couple with prosperity

And honoured in their issue.

And children of their own

[They sing:]

JUNO

Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,

Honour, wealth, and wedding blessing,

Long continuance, and increasing,

Endless love keeps coalescing,

Hourly joys be still upon you!

And hourly brings happiness!

Juno sings her blessings upon you.

Juno sings you words that bless.

CERES

Earth's increase, foison plenty,

May the harvest bring you plenty,

Barns and garners never empty,

Barns and silos never empty,

Vines and clustering bunches growing,

Vines with wine-grape bunches growing,

Plants with goodly burthen bowing;

Lovely fruit leaves branches bowing;

Spring come to you at the farthest

And may the start of spring come farthest

In the very end of harvest!

From the very end of harvest!

Scarcity and want shall shun you;

Scarcity and need will shun you,

Ceres' blessing so is on you.

Ceres’ blessing be upon you.

FERDINAND

This is a most majestic vision, and

This is a sight fit for a king, and also

Harmoniously charming. May I be bold

Presented charmingly. Can I be bold

To think these spirits?

Suggesting these are spirits?

PROSPERO

Spirits, which by mine art

By my magic,

I have from their confines called to enact

I’ve called them from their dwellings to perform

My present fancies.

My tricks for you.

FERDINAND

Let me live here ever;

Let me live here forever;

So rare a wondered father and a wife

A father and wife so rare and lovely

Makes this place Paradise.

Makes this place Paradise.

PROSPERO

Sweet, now, silence!

My dear, be silent!

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,

There’s something else they have to do: be quiet

Or else our spell is marred.

Or else our spell is broken.

IRIS

You nymphs, called Naiads, of the windring brooks,

You nymphs, called Naiads, from the winding brooks

With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,

With crowns of grass and inoffensive looks,

Leave your crisp channels and on this green land

Leave from your streams and then on this green land

Answer your summons; Juno does command:

Do as you’re told, as Juno does command.

Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate

Come, virgin nymphs, and help to celebrate

A contract of true love; be not too late.

A contract of true love; and don’t be late.

[ENTER CERTAIN NYMPHS]

You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,

You sunburnt farmers, from the harvest, weary,

Come hither from the furrow and be merry:

Come from the fields to here and then be merry.

Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on

Have some time off; and put your straw hats on

And these fresh nymphs encounter every one

And come and meet these youthful nymphs, each one

In country footing.

Will dance.

PROSPERO

[Aside]

I had forgot that foul conspiracy

I did forget about that evil plan

Of the beast Caliban and his confederates

That Caliban, the monster, and his friends

Against my life: the minute of their plot

Intend to kill me: and the time he plans it

Is almost come.

Is almost here.

[To the Spirits]

Well done! Avoid; no more!

Well done! Now that’s enough!

FERDINAND

This is strange: your father's in some passion

Now this is strange: your father seems upset

That works him strongly.

By something bothering him.

MIRANDA

Never till this day

I’ve never seen him

Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.

So overwhelmed with anger and distemper.

PROSPERO

You do look, my son, in a moved sort,

You look a bit concerned, my son-in-law,

As if you were dismayed: be cheerful, sir.

As if you are dismayed: be cheerful, sir.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

Our celebrations are complete. These actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

As I have told you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

Have simply disappeared into thin air.

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

And, like the lack of substance in that show,

The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The towers in the clouds, the palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

The solemn temples, and the world itself,

Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve

Yes, everything we own, will disappear,

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

And, as the memories of our story fade,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

We’ll leave nothing behind. For we are only

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Made up of dreams, and our lives are bookended

Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed;

With sleep pre-birth and post-death. I’m upset;

Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled:

Bear with me in my weakness, for I’m troubled.

Be not disturbed with my infirmity:

Don’t be upset by my infirmity.

If you be pleased, retire into my cell

If you would like to, go into my room

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,

And rest yourself. I’ll take a gentle stroll

To still my beating mind.

To calm my active mind.

FERDINAND & MIRANDA

We wish your peace.

We hope you find peace.

PROSPERO

Come with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel: come.

I’m thinking of you, Ariel: please come here.

ARIEL

Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?

Your thoughts are my commands. What’s up?

PROSPERO

Spirit,

Now, Spirit,

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

ARIEL

Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,

Yes, sir: while I performed the show with Ceres,

I thought to have told thee of it, but I feared

I thought I should have told you of it, but feared

Lest I might anger thee.

That I might make you angry.

PROSPERO

Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

Tell me again, where did you leave those villains?

ARIEL

I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;

I told you, sir, they all were drunk from drinking;

So full of valour that they smote the air

They felt so brave that they all stabbed the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground

For blowing in their faces; beat the ground

For kissing of their feet; yet always bending

Because it touched their feet; yet they stayed focused

Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour;

On killing you. But then I beat my drum;

At which, like unbacked colts, they pricked their ears,

At which their ears pricked up, much like young horses,

Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses

And raised their eyes and lifted up their noses

As they smelt music: so I charmed their ears

As if to smell the tune. I charmed their ears,

That calf-like they my lowing followed through

So they, like calves, then traced my lowing sounds

Toothed briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,

Through spikey bushes, spiny shrubs and thorns,

Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them

Which scratched their frail legs. At last I left them

I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,

In the algae-covered pond behind you,

There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake

Dancing up to their chins in the rotten water

O'erstunk their feet.

Which covered up their smelly feet.

PROSPERO

This was well done, my bird.

Well done, bird.

Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

Retain your state where you’re invisible:

The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,

Go fetch those glitzy clothes from in my house,

For stale to catch these thieves.

To use as bait to catch the thieves.

ARIEL

I go, I go.

I’ll go now.

PROSPERO

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature

He is a devil, born and bred, whose nature

Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,

Cannot be changed; the kindness that I showed him,

Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;

All done sincerely is completely lost;

And as with age his body uglier grows,

And as he’s looking uglier with age,

So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,

His mind gets uglier as well. I’ll curse them

Even to roaring.

Until they roar.

[RE-ENTER ARIEL, LOADEN WITH GLISTERING APPAREL, ETC]

Come, hang them on this line.

Come, hang them on this line.

CALIBAN

Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Come on, tread carefully, so that a mole won’t

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Hear a footstep. We are near his cave.

STEPHANO

Monster, your fairy, which you say is

Monster, that fairy that you told us is

a harmless fairy, has done little better than

harmless has done nothing more than

played the Jack with us.

play tricks on us.

TRINCULO

Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at

Monster, I stink of horse-piss, and

which my nose is in great indignation.

my nose doesn’t like it at all.

STEPHANO

So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take

So is mine. Do you hear me, monster? If I get

a displeasure against you, look you, –

annoyed with you, you’d better look out…

TRINCULO

Thou wert but a lost monster.

You would be just a lost monster.

CALIBAN

Good my lord, give me thy favour still.

Now, please, my lord, keep faith with me for now.

Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

Be patient, for the prize that I will bring you

Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.

Will wipe out our misfortune: so speak quietly.

All's hushed as midnight yet.

It’s quiet as midnight here.

TRINCULO

Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool, –

Yes, but we lost our wine bottles in the pond…

STEPHANO

There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,

That is not only disgraceful and dishonourable,

monster, but an infinite loss.

monster, but an incurable loss.

TRINCULO

That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your

That hurts me more than getting wet, but you told us this

harmless fairy, monster.

fairy of yours was harmless, monster.

STEPHANO

I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears

I will get my bottle back, even if I have to submerge my head

for my labour.

in the pond to get it

CALIBAN

Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,

Now please, my king, be quiet. See this here,

This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.

This is the entrance to the cave: go in, hushed.

Do that good mischief which may make this island

Then do the dirty deed to make this island

Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

Your own forever, and me, Caliban

For aye thy foot-licker.

Will kiss your feet.

STEPHANO

Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Give me your hand. I’m starting to think about murder.

TRINCULO

O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! Look

Oh, king Stephano! Oh noble, worthy Stephano! Look

what a wardrobe here is for thee!

at all these clothes here for you!

CALIBAN

Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

Leave them alone, you fool; it’s merely rubbish.

TRINCULO

O, ho, monster! We know what belongs to a frippery.

Oh come on, monster! We know what belongs in a jumble sale.

O king Stephano!

Oh king Stephano!

STEPHANO

Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have

Put that gown down, Trinculo; I swear that I’ll have

that gown.

that gown.

TRINCULO

Thy grace shall have it.

Your grace can have it then.

CALIBAN

The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean

May illness kill this fool! What are you thinking

To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone

To value all this junk? Leave it alone

And do the murder first: if he awake,

And do the murder first. If he awakens,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,

He’s going to punish us from head to toe

Make us strange stuff.

And make us look atrocious.

STEPHANO

Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line,

Be quiet, monster. Mrs Clothesline,

is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under

isn’t this my jacket? Now the jacket is hanging under

the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your

the line: now, jacket, you are likely to lose your

hair and prove a bald jerkin.

fur and become a bald jacket.

TRINCULO

Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like your grace.

Go on, steal it like a carpenter, if you like, your grace.

STEPHANO

I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't:

I thank you for the joke; here’s a garment for it:

wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this

good jokes won’t go unrewarded while I am king of this

country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent

country. ‘Steal it like a carpenter’ is an excellent,

pass of pate; there's another garment for't.

witty line. Here’s another garment for it.

TRINCULO

Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and

Monster, put some sticky birdlime on your fingers, and

away with the rest.

carry all the other garments away.

CALIBAN

I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,

I will not do it; we are losing time,

And all be turned to barnacles, or to apes

And we’ll be turned to barnacles or apes

With foreheads villanous low.

With foul, low-hanging foreheads.

STEPHANO

Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this

Monster, pull your finger out: help us carry these garments

away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you

to where my barrel of wine is, or else I’ll kick you

out of my kingdom: go to, carry this.

out of my kingdom. Come on, carry this.

TRINCULO

And this.

And this.

STEPHANO

Ay, and this.

Yes, and this.

PROSPERO

Hey, Mountain, hey!

Hey, Mountain, hey!

ARIEL

Silver! There it goes, Silver!

Silver! It’s over there, Silver!

PROSPERO

Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark! Hark!

Fury, Fury! They’re over there, Tyrant! Listen! Listen!

[CALIBAN, STEPHANO AND TRINCULO ARE DRIVEN OUT]

Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints

Order my goblins they must make their joints grind

With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews

With spasms, and then make their muscles tighten

With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them

To give them cramp; then pinch to give more bruises

Than pard or cat o' mountain.

Than leopards or mountain lions have spots.

ARIEL

Hark, they roar!

They’re roaring!

PROSPERO

Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour

Make sure they’re hunted down. And at this time,

Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:

Let all my enemies lie at my mercy:

Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou

Soon all my work is over, and then you

Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little

Will have your liberty; but for a short while,

Follow, and do me service.

Do some more work for me.