MaximumEdge.com | | Search | | E-Mail | | News | | Weather | | Finance | | Directory | | Music | | Lottery Results | | Horoscopes | | Translation | | Games | | E-Cards | | Maps | | Jobs | | Magazines | | DVDs |

MaximumEdge.com
Shakespeare

Home > Tempest > ACT IV - SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.

Search: Tempest


< (Previous) ACT III, SCENE IIIACT V, I (Next) >

ACT IV - SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.
Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA

PROSPERO
1    If I have too austerely punish'd you,
2    Your compensation makes amends, for I
3    Have given you here a third of mine own life,
4    Or that for which I live; who once again
5    I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
6    Were but my trials of thy love and thou
7    Hast strangely stood the test here, afore Heaven,
8    I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
9    Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
10   For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise
11   And make it halt behind her.
FERDINAND
12   I do believe it
13   Against an oracle.
PROSPERO
14   Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
15   Worthily purchased take my daughter: but
16   If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
17   All sanctimonious ceremonies may
18   With full and holy rite be minister'd,
19   No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
20   To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
21   Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew
22   The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
23   That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,
24   As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
FERDINAND
25   As I hope
26   For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
27   With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,
28   The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion.
29   Our worser genius can, shall never melt
30   Mine honour into lust, to take away
31   The edge of that day's celebration
32   When I shall think: or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
33   Or Night kept chain'd below.
PROSPERO
34   Fairly spoke.
35   Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
36   What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!
Enter ARIEL

ARIEL
37   What would my potent master? here I am.
PROSPERO
38   Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
39   Did worthily perform; and I must use you
40   In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
41   O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place:
42   Incite them to quick motion; for I must
43   Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
44   Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
45   And they expect it from me.
ARIEL
46   Presently?
PROSPERO
47   Ay, with a twink.
ARIEL
48   Before you can say 'come' and 'go,'
49   And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,'
50   Each one, tripping on his toe,
51   Will be here with mop and mow.
52   Do you love me, master? no?
PROSPERO
53   Dearly my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
54   Till thou dost hear me call.
ARIEL
55   Well, I conceive.
Exit

PROSPERO
56   Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
57   Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
58   To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
59   Or else, good night your vow!
FERDINAND
60   I warrant you sir;
61   The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
62   Abates the ardour of my liver.
PROSPERO
63   Well.
64   Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,
65   Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly!
66   No tongue! all eyes! be silent.
Soft music

Enter IRIS

IRIS
67   Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
68   Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease;
69   Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
70   And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
71   Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
72   Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
73   To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom -groves,
74   Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
75   Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;
76   And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
77   Where thou thyself dost air;--the queen o' the sky,
78   Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
79   Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,
80   Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
81   To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:
82   Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
Enter CERES

CERES
83   Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
84   Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
85   Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
86   Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,
87   And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
88   My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
89   Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen
90   Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
IRIS
91   A contract of true love to celebrate;
92   And some donation freely to estate
93   On the blest lovers.
CERES
94   Tell me, heavenly bow,
95   If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
96   Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot
97   The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
98   Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
99   I have forsworn.
IRIS
100  Of her society
101  Be not afraid: I met her deity
102  Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son
103  Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
104  Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
105  Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
106  Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but vain;
107  Mars's hot minion is returned again;
108  Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
109  Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows
110  And be a boy right out.
CERES
111  High'st queen of state,
112  Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.
Enter JUNO

JUNO
113  How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
114  To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be
115  And honour'd in their issue.
They sing:

JUNO
116  Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
117  Long continuance, and increasing,
118  Hourly joys be still upon you!
119  Juno sings her blessings upon you.
CERES
120  Earth's increase, foison plenty,
121  Barns and garners never empty,
122  Vines and clustering bunches growing,
123  Plants with goodly burthen bowing;
124  Spring come to you at the farthest
125  In the very end of harvest!
126  Scarcity and want shall shun you;
127  Ceres' blessing so is on you.
FERDINAND
128  This is a most majestic vision, and
129  Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold
130  To think these spirits?
PROSPERO
131  Spirits, which by mine art
132  I have from their confines call'd to enact
133  My present fancies.
FERDINAND
134  Let me live here ever;
135  So rare a wonder'd father and a wife
136  Makes this place Paradise.
PROSPERO
137  Sweet, now, silence!
138  Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;
139  There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,
140  Or else our spell is marr'd.
IRIS
141  You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks,
142  With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
143  Leave your crisp channels and on this green land
144  Answer your summons; Juno does command:
145  Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
146  A contract of true love; be not too late.
Enter certain Nymphs
147  You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,
148  Come hither from the furrow and be merry:
149  Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on
150  And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
151  In country footing.
PROSPERO
Aside
152   I had forgot that foul conspiracy
153  Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
154  Against my life: the minute of their plot
155  Is almost come.
To the Spirits
156  Well done! avoid; no more!
FERDINAND
157  This is strange: your father's in some passion
158  That works him strongly.
MIRANDA
159  Never till this day
160  Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
PROSPERO
161  You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
162  As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.
163  Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
164  As I foretold you, were all spirits and
165  Are melted into air, into thin air:
166  And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
167  The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
168  The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
169  Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
170  And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
171  Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
172  As dreams are made on, and our little life
173  Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd;
174  Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled:
175  Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:
176  If you be pleased, retire into my cell
177  And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
178  To still my beating mind.
FERDINAND
179  We wish your peace.
Exeunt

PROSPERO
180  Come with a thought I thank thee, Ariel: come.
Enter ARIEL

ARIEL
181  Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?
PROSPERO
182  Spirit,
183  We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
ARIEL
184  Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
185  I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd
186  Lest I might anger thee.
PROSPERO
187  Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
ARIEL
188  I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
189  So fun of valour that they smote the air
190  For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
191  For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
192  Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour;
193  At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd
194  their ears,
195  Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
196  As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears
197  That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through
198  Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,
199  Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them
200  I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
201  There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
202  O'erstunk their feet.
PROSPERO
203  This was well done, my bird.
204  Thy shape invisible retain thou still:
205  The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
206  For stale to catch these thieves.
ARIEL
207  I go, I go.
Exit

PROSPERO
208  A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
209  Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
210  Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
211  And as with age his body uglier grows,
212  So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
213  Even to roaring.
Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c
214  Come, hang them on this line.
CALIBAN
215  Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
216  Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.
STEPHANO
217  Monster, your fairy, which you say is
218  a harmless fairy, has done little better than
219  played the Jack with us.
TRINCULO
220  Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at
221  which my nose is in great indignation.
STEPHANO
222  So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take
223  a displeasure against you, look you,--
TRINCULO
224  Thou wert but a lost monster.
CALIBAN
225  Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
226  Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
227  Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.
228  All's hush'd as midnight yet.
TRINCULO
229  Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,--
STEPHANO
230  There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,
231  monster, but an infinite loss.
TRINCULO
232  That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your
233  harmless fairy, monster.
STEPHANO
234  I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears
235  for my labour.
CALIBAN
236  Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,
237  This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.
238  Do that good mischief which may make this island
239  Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,
240  For aye thy foot-licker.
STEPHANO
241  Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
TRINCULO
242  O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look
243  what a wardrobe here is for thee!
CALIBAN
244  Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
TRINCULO
245  O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery.
246  O king Stephano!
STEPHANO
247  Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have
248  that gown.
TRINCULO
249  Thy grace shall have it.
CALIBAN
250  The dropsy drown this fool I what do you mean
251  To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone
252  And do the murder first: if he awake,
253  From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
254  Make us strange stuff.
STEPHANO
255  Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line,
256  is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under
257  the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your
258  hair and prove a bald jerkin.
TRINCULO
259  Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like your grace.
STEPHANO
260  I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't:
261  wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this
262  country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent
263  pass of pate; there's another garment for't.
TRINCULO
264  Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and
265  away with the rest.
CALIBAN
266  I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,
267  And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
268  With foreheads villanous low.
STEPHANO
269  Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this
270  away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you
271  out of my kingdom: go to, carry this.
TRINCULO
272  And this.
STEPHANO
273  Ay, and this.
PROSPERO
274  Hey, Mountain, hey!
ARIEL
275  Silver I there it goes, Silver!
PROSPERO
276  Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!
277  Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints
278  With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews
279  With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
280  Than pard or cat o' mountain.
ARIEL
281  Hark, they roar!
PROSPERO
282  Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
283  Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:
284  Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
285  Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little
286  Follow, and do me service.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT III, SCENE IIIACT V, I (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • EPILOGUE

  • ©1999-. All rights reserved.Contact
    Part of the MaximumEdge.com Network.Add Bookmark