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The Tempest (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editors: Brent Whitted, Paul Yachnin
Peer Reviewed
1650[4.1]
Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.
Prospero If I have too austerely punished you,
Your compensation makes amends, for I
Have given you here a third of mine own life,
1655Or that for which I live, who once again
I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
1660Do not smile at me that I boast of her,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise
And make it halt behind her.
Ferdinand
I do believe it
Against an oracle.
1665Prospero Then as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter. But
If thou dost break her virgin knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be ministered,
1670No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain, and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed
1675As Hymen's lamp shall light you.
Ferdinand
As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue, and long life
With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,
The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
1680Our worser genius can, shall never melt
Mine honor into lust to take away
The edge of that day's celebration
When I shall think or Phoebus' steeds are foundered,
Or night kept chained below.
1685Prospero
Fairly spoke.
Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
What, Ariel! My industrious servant Ariel!
Enter Ariel.
Ariel What would my potent master? Here I am.
Prospero Thou and thy meaner fellows, your last service
1690Did worthily perform, and I must use you
In such another trick: go bring the rabble
(O'er whom I give thee power) here to this place.
Incite them to quick motion, for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
1695Some vanity of mine art; it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.
Ariel
Presently?
Prospero Ay, with a twink.
Ariel Before you can say "come" and "go",
1700And breathe twice and cry "so, so",
Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do you love me, master, no?
Prospero Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
1705Till thou dost hear me call.
Ariel
Well I conceive.
Exit [Ariel].
Prospero [To Ferdinand] Look thou be true: do not give dalliance
Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw
To th'fire i'th'blood. Be more abstemious,
1710Or else good night your vow.
Ferdinand
I warrant you, sir,
The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardor of my liver.
Prospero
Well.
1715Now come, my Ariel. Bring a corollary
Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly! Soft music
No tongue -- all eyes -- be silent!
Enter Iris.
Iris Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;
1720Thy turfy mountains where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with pionèd and twillèd brims,
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broomgroves,
1725Whose shadow the dismissèd bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipped vineyard
And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air: the Queen o'th'sky,
Whose watry arch and messenger am I,
1730Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace Juno descends [slowly in her chariot].
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport. Here peacocks fly amain.
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
Enter [Ariel as] Ceres.
Ceres Hail, many-colored messenger, that ne'er
1735Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down,
1740Rich scarf to my proud earth: why hath thy queen
Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?
Iris A contract of true love to celebrate,
And some donation freely to estate
On the blessed lovers.
1745Ceres
Tell me, heavenly bow,
If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandaled company
1750I have forsworn.
Iris
Of her society
Be not afraid -- I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
1755Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain,
Mars's hot minion is returned again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
1760Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows
And be a boy right out.
[Juno alights.]
Ceres
Highest Queen of state,
Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.
Juno How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
1765To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be
And honored in their issue.
They sing.
Juno and Ceres Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
1770Juno sings her blessings on you.
Earth's increase, foison plenty,
Barns and garners never empty,
Vines with clustering bunches growing,
Plants with goodly burthen bowing;
1775Spring come to you at the farthest
In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.
Ferdinand This is a most majestic vision, and
1780Harmonious charmingly -- may I be bold
To think these spirits?
Prospero
Spirits, which by mine art
I have from their confines called to enact
My present fancies.
1785Ferdinand
Let me live here ever --
So rare a wondered father and a wise
Makes this place paradise.
Prospero
Sweet, now silence;
Juno and Ceres whisper seriously.
1790There's something else to do: hush and be mute
Or else our spell is marred.
Juno and Ceres whisper and send Iris on employment.
Iris You nymphs called naiads of the windering brooks,
With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks:
1795Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
Answer your summons, Juno does command.
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love -- be not too late. Enter certain nymphs.
1800You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary:
Come hither from the furrow and be merry --
Make holiday! Your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.
1805
Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance, towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly and speaks, after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.
Prospero [Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
1810Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
Against my life; the minute of their plot
Is almost come. [To the spirits] Well done: avoid. No more.
Ferdinand This is strange -- your father's in some passion
That works him strongly.
1815Miranda
Never till this day
Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.
Prospero You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismayed. Be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
1820As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air -- into thin air --
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
1825Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed,
1830Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
If you be pleased, retire into my cell
And there repose. A turn or two I'll walk
To still my beating mind.
1835Ferdinand and Miranda
We wish your peace.
Prospero
[To Ariel] Come with a thought. [To Ferdinand and Miranda] I thank thee. Exit [Ferdinand and Miranda].
Ariel: come.
Enter Ariel.
Ariel Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure?
Prospero Spirit, we must prepare to meet with Caliban.
1840Ariel Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres
I thought to have told thee of it, but I feared
Lest I might anger thee.
Prospero Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
Ariel I told you, sir; they were red-hot with drinking,
1845So full of valor that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces, beat the ground
For kissing of their feet, yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
At which like unbacked colts they pricked their ears,
1850Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
As they smelt music -- so I charmed their ears
That calf-like they my lowing followed through
Toothèd briars, sharp furze, pricking gorse and thorns,
Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them
1855I'th'filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th'chins that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.
Prospero
This was well done, my bird.
Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
1860The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither
For stale to catch these thieves.
Ariel
I go, I go.
Exit.
Prospero A devil -- a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost!
1865And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all
Even to roaring. Come: hang them on this line.
Enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, etc. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.
1870Caliban Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not hear a footfall; we now are near his cell.
Stephano Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has done little better than played the jack with us.
Trinculo Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which 1875my nose is in great indignation.
Stephano So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look you --
Trinculo Thou wert but a lost monster.
Caliban Good my Lord, give me thy favor still.
1880Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
Shall hoodwink this mischance; therefore speak softly --
All's hushed as midnight yet.
Trinculo Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!
Stephano There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that, 1885monster, but an infinite loss.
Trinculo That's more to me than my wetting, yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.
Stephano I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for my labor.
1890Caliban Prithee, my King, be quiet. Seest thou here;
This is the mouth o'th'cell -- no noise, and enter.
Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever and I, thy Caliban,
For aye thy foot-licker.
1895Stephano
Give me thy hand --
I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
Trinculo O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano, look what a wardrobe here is for thee!
Caliban Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
1900Trinculo Oh ho, monster! We know what belongs to a frippery. O King Stephano!
Stephano Put off that gown, Trinculo! By this hand, I'll have that gown.
Trinculo Thy grace shall have it.
1905Caliban The dropsy drown this fool. What do you mean
To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone
And do the murder first -- if he awake,
From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
Make us strange stuff.
1910Stephano Be you quiet, monster. Mistress Line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line. Now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin.
Trinculo Do, do! We steal by line and level, an't like your grace.
1915Stephano I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't. Wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country. "Steal by line and level" is an excellent pass of pate -- there's another garment for't.
Trinculo Monster, come put some lime upon your 1920fingers, and away with the rest.
Caliban I will have none on't -- we shall lose our time
And all be turned to barnacles or to apes
With foreheads villainous low.
Stephano Monster, lay to your fingers: help to bear this 1925away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom. Go to; carry this.
Trinculo And this.
Stephano Ay, and this.
A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers spirits in shape 1930of dogs and hounds hunting them about, Prospero and Ariel setting them on.
Prospero
Hey, Mountain, hey!
Ariel
Silver -- there it goes -- Silver!
Prospero Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!
1935Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints
With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews
With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
Than pard or cat o'mountain.
Ariel
Hark, they roar!
1940Prospero Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
Lies at my mercy all mine enemies.
Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little,
Follow, and do me service.
Exeunt.