The Tempest

by William Shakespeare

Act III

Scene I. Before Prospero’s cell.

Enter Ferdinand, bearing a log.

Fer. There be some sports are painful, and their labour

Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness

Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters

Point to rich ends. This my mean task

5Would be as heavy to me as odious, but

The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,

And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is

Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed.

And he’s composed of harshness. I must remove

10 Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,

Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress

Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such baseness

Had never like executor. I forget:

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,

Most busy lest, when I do it.

Enter Miranda; and Prospero at a distance, unseen.

Mir.

15 Alas, now, pray you,

Work not so hard: I would the lightning had

Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin’d to pile!

Pray, set it down, and rest you: when this burns,

’Twill weep for having wearied you. My father

20 Is hard at study; pray, now, rest yourself;

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He’s safe for these three hours.

Fer.

O most dear mistress,

The sun will set before I shall discharge

What I must strive to do.

Mir.

If you’ll sit down,

I’ll bear your logs the while: pray, give me that;

I’ll carry it to the pile.

Fer.

III. 1. 25 No, precious creature;

I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,

Than you should such dishonour undergo,

While I sit lazy by.

Mir.

It would become me

As well as it does you: and I should do it

30 With much more ease; for my good will is to it,

And yours it is against.

Pros.

Poor worm, thou art infected!

This visitation shows it.

Mir.

You look wearily.

Fer. No, noble mistress; ’tis fresh morning with me

When you are by at night. I do beseech you,—

35Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,—

What is your name?

Mir.

Miranda.—O my father,

I have broke your hest to say so!

Fer.

Admired Miranda!

Indeed the top of admiration! worth

What’s dearest to the world! Full many a lady

40 I have eyed with best regard, and many a time

The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage

Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues

Have I liked several women; never any

With so full soul, but some defect in her

45 Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed,

And put it to the foil: but you, O you,

So perfect and so peerless, are created

Of every creature’s best!

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Mir.

I do not know

One of my sex; no woman’s face remember,

III. 1. 50 Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen

More that I may call men than you, good friend,

And my dear father: how features are abroad,

I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,

The jewel in my dower, I would not wish

55 Any companion in the world but you;

Nor can imagination form a shape,

Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle

Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts

I therein do forget.

Fer.

I am, in my condition,

60 A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;

I would, not so!—and would no more endure

This wooden slavery than to suffer

The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:

The very instant that I saw you, did

65 My heart fly to your service; there resides,

To make me slave to it; and for your sake

Am I this patient log-man.

Mir.

Do you love me?

Fer. O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,

And crown what I profess with kind event,

70 If I speak true! if hollowly, invert

What best is boded me to mischief! I,

Beyond all limit of what else i’ the world,

Do love, prize, honour you.

Mir.

I am a fool

To weep at what I am glad of.

Pros.

Fair encounter

III. 1. 75 Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace

On that which breeds between ’em!

Fer.

Wherefore weep you?

Mir. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer

What I desire to give; and much less take

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What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;

80 And all the more it seeks to hide itself,

The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!

And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!

I am your wife, if you will marry me;

If not, I’ll die your maid: to be your fellow

85 You may deny me; but I’ll be your servant,

Whether you will or no.

Fer.

My mistress, dearest;

And I thus humble ever.

Mir.

My husband, then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e’er of freedom: here’s my hand.

90Mir. And mine, with my heart in’t: and now farewell

Till half an hour hence.

Fer.

A thousand thousand!

Exeunt Fer. and Mir. severally.

Pros. So glad of this as they I cannot be,

Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing

At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book;

95 For yet, ere supper-time, must I perform

Much business appertaining. Exit.

III. 2 Scene II. Another part of the island.

Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.

Ste. Tell not me;—when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board ’em. Servant-monster, drink to me.

Trin. Servant-monster! the folly of this island! They 5 say there’s but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if th’ other two be brained like us, the state totters.

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Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave 10 monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues off and on. By this light, thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my 15 standard.

Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he’s no standard.

Ste. We’ll not run, Monsieur Monster.

Trin. Nor go neither; but you’ll lie, like dogs, and yet say nothing neither.

20Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe. I’ll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case III. 2. 25 to justle a constable. Why, thou debauched fish, thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster?

Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?

30Trin. ‘Lord,’ quoth he! That a monster should be such a natural!

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee.

Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer,—the next tree! The poor monster’s my 35 subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased to hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?

Ste. Marry, will I: kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

46

Enter Ariel, invisible.

40Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.

Ari. Thou liest.

Cal.

Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou:

I would my valiant master would destroy thee!

I do not lie.

45Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in’s tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

Ste. Mum, then, and no more. Proceed.

Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle;

III. 2. 50 From me he got it. If thy greatness will

Revenge it on him,—for I know thou darest,

But this thing dare not,—

Ste. That’s most certain.

Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee.

55Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party?

Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I’ll yield him thee asleep,

Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head.

Ari. Thou liest; thou canst not.

60Cal. What a pied ninny’s this! Thou scurvy patch!

I do beseech thy Greatness, give him blows,

And take his bottle from him: when that’s gone,

He shall drink nought but brine; for I’ll not show him

Where the quick freshes are.

65Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I’ll turn my mercy out o’ doors, and make a stock-fish of thee.

Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing. I’ll go farther off.

70Ste. Didst thou not say he lied?

Ari. Thou liest.

Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Beats him.] As you like this, give me the lie another time.

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Trin. I did not give the lie. Out o’ your wits, and III. 2. 75 hearing too? A pox o’ your bottle! this can sack and drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers!

Cal. Ha, ha, ha!

Ste. Now, forward with your tale.—Prithee, stand farther 80 off.

Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time, I’ll beat him too.

Ste. Stand farther. Come, proceed.

Cal. Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him

I’ th’ afternoon to sleep: there thou mayst brain him,

85 Having first seized his books; or with a log

Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,

Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember

First to possess his books; for without them

He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not

90 One spirit to command: they all do hate him

As rootedly as I. Burn but his books.

He has brave utensils,—for so he calls them,—

Which, when he has a house, he’ll deck withal.

And that most deeply to consider is

95 The beauty of his daughter; he himself

Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman,

But only Sycorax my dam and she;

But she as far surpasseth Sycorax

As great’st does least.

Ste.

Is it so brave a lass?

III. 2. 100Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant,

And bring thee forth brave brood.

Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen,—save our Graces!—and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, 105 Trinculo?

Trin. Excellent.

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Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep:

Wilt thou destroy him then?

Ste.

110 Ay, on mine honour.

Ari. This will I tell my master.

Cal. Thou makest me merry; I am full of pleasure:

Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch

You taught me but while-ere?

115Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason. —Come on. Trinculo, let us sing. Sings.

Flout ’em and scout ’em, and scout ’em and flout ’em;

Thought is free.

Cal. That’s not the tune.

Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.

120Ste. What is this same?

Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.

Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take’t as thou list.

III. 2. 125Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us!

Cal. Art thou afeard?

Ste. No, monster, not I.

130Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,

Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments

Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,

That, if I then had waked after long sleep,

135 Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,

The clouds methought would open, and show riches

Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,

I cried to dream again.

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Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I 140 shall have my music for nothing.

Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.

Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story.

Trin. The sound is going away; let’s follow it, and after do our work.

145Ste. Lead, monster; we’ll follow. I would I could see this taborer; he lays it on.

Trin. Wilt come? I’ll follow, Stephano. Exeunt.

III. 3 Scene III. Another part of the island.

Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.

Gon. By’r lakin, I can go no further, sir;

My old bones ache: here’s a maze trod, indeed,

Through forth-rights and meanders! By your patience,

I needs must rest me.

Alon.

Old lord, I cannot blame thee,

5 Who am myself attach’d with weariness,

To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest.

Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it

No longer for my flatterer: he is drown’d

Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks

10 Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he’s so out of hope.

Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose

That you resolved to effect.

Seb. [Aside to Ant.]

The next advantage

Will we take throughly.

Ant. [Aside to Seb.]

Let it be to-night;

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15 For, now they are oppress’d with travel, they

Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance

As when they are fresh.

Seb. [Aside to Ant.]

I say, to-night: no more.

Solemn and strange music.

Alon. What harmony is this?—My good friends, hark!

Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

Enter Prospero above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, &c. to eat, they depart.

20Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens!—What were these?

Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe

That there are unicorns; that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phœnix’ throne; one phœnix

At this hour reigning there.

Ant.

I’ll believe both;

III. 3. 25 And what does else want credit, come to me,

And I’ll be sworn ’tis true: travellers ne’er did lie,

Though fools at home condemn ’em.

Gon.

If in Naples

I should report this now, would they believe me?

If I should say, I saw such islanders,—

30 For, certes, these are people of the island,—

Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,

Their manners are more gentle-kind than of

Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

Pros. [Aside]

Honest lord,

35 Thou hast said well; for some of you there present

Are worse than devils.

Alon.

I cannot too much muse

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing—

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Although they want the use of tongue—a kind

Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pros. [Aside]

Praise in departing.

Fran. They vanish’d strangely.

Seb.

40 No matter, since

They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.—

Will’t please you taste of what is here?

Alon.

Not I.

Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,

Who would believe that there were mountaineers

45 Dew-lapp’d like bulls, whose throats had hanging at ’em

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find

Each putter-out of five for one will bring us

Good warrant of.

Alon.

I will stand to, and feed,

III. 3. 50 Although my last: no matter, since I feel

The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke,

Stand to, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,—

That hath to instrument this lower world

55 And what is in’t,—the never-surfeited sea

Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island,

Where man doth not inhabit,—you ’mongst men

Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;

And even with such-like valour men hang and drown

Their proper selves. Alon., Seb. &c. draw their swords.

60 You fools! I and my fellows

Are ministers of Fate: the elements,

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Of whom your swords are temper’d, may as well

Wound the loud winds, or with bemock’d-at stabs

Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

65 One dowle that’s in my plume: my fellow-ministers

Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,

Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,

And will not be uplifted. But remember,—

For that’s my business to you,—that you three

70 From Milan did supplant good Prospero;

Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,

Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed

The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have

Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,

III. 3. 75 Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,

They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:

Lingering perdition—worse than any death

Can be at once—shall step by step attend

You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from,—

80 Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls

Upon your heads,—is nothing but heart-sorrow

And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table.

Pros. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

Perform’d, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:

85 Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated

In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life

And observation strange, my meaner ministers

Their several kinds have done. My high charms work,

And these mine enemies are all knit up

90 In their distractions: they now are in my power;

And in these fits I leave them, while I visit

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Young Ferdinand,—whom they suppose is drown’d,—

And his and mine loved darling. Exit above.

Gon. I’ the name of something holy, sir, why stand you

In this strange stare?

Alon.

95 O, it is monstrous, monstrous!

Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it;

The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,

That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced

The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.

III. 3. 100 Therefore my son i’ th’ ooze is bedded; and

I’ll seek him deeper than e’er plummet sounded,

And with him there lie mudded. Exit.

Seb.

But one fiend at a time,

I’ll fight their legions o’er.

Ant.

I’ll be thy second.

Exeunt Seb. and Ant.

Gon. All three of them are desperate: their great guilt,

105 Like poison given to work a great time after,

Now ’gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you,

That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,

And hinder them from what this ecstasy

May now provoke them to.

Adr.

Follow, I pray you.

Exit