The Tempest: Act 4, Scene 1
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,3. a third of mine own life: Why is Miranda only a third of Prospero's life? It's a topic worth discussing.
4
Or that for which I live; who once again 5
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
5. thy vexations: i.e., my hostile treatment of you.
6
Were but my trials of thy love and thou 7
Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven,
7. strangely: wonderfully well, extraordinarily.
8
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand, 9
Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
9. boast her off: i.e., praise her so highly.
10
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise 11
And make it halt behind her.
11. halt: limp.
FERDINAND
11
I do believe it 12
Against an oracle.
12. Against an oracle: even if an oracle should declare otherwise.
PROSPERO
13
Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition 14
Worthily purchased take my daughter: but 15
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before 16
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
16. sanctimonious: sacred, holy.
17
With full and holy rite be minister'd, 18
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall18. aspersion: dew, shower that promotes fertility and growth.
19
To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
19. grow: be fruitful.
20
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew 21
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
21. weeds: Instead of the flowers with which the marriage bed was supposed to be strewn. loathly: loathsome.
22
That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed, 23
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
23. As Hymen's lamps shall light you: as you shall be guided by Hymen's torches; i.e., as you desire happiness in your marriage. >>>
FERDINAND
23
As I hope 24
For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
24. fair issue: beautiful children.
25
With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den, 26
The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
27
Our worser genius can, shall never melt26-27. the strong'st suggestion / Our worser genius can: the strongest temptation our evil genius is capable of.
28
Mine honour into lust, to take away 29
The edge of that day's celebration
29. that day's celebration: i.e., the celebration of the wedding of himself and Miranda.
30
When I shall think or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
31
Or Night kept chain'd below.
30-31. or Phoebus' . . . below: either the sun-god's horses have broken down and gone lame or Night has been chained in the underworld.
PROSPERO
31
Fairly spoke. 32
Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own. 33
What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!
Enter ARIEL.
ARIEL
34
What would my potent master? here I am.
PROSPERO
35
Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service 36
Did worthily perform; and I must use you 37
In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
37. trick: ingenious stage effect. rabble: gang, band of people; i.e., the lesser spirits that help Ariel carry out his illusions.
38
O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: 39
Incite them to quick motion; for I must 40
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple 41
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise, 42
And they expect it from me.
41. vanity: show, illusion.
ARIEL
42
Presently?
42. Presently: immediately.
PROSPERO
43
Ay, with a twink.
43. with a twink: in a twinkling.
ARIEL
44
Before you can say 'come' and 'go,' 45
And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,' 46
Each one, tripping on his toe, 47
Will be here with mop and mow.
47. mop and mow: gesture and grimace.
48
Do you love me, master? no?
PROSPERO
49
Dearly my delicate Ariel. Do not approach 50
Till thou dost hear me call.
ARIEL
50
Well, I conceive.
50. conceive: understand.
Exit.
PROSPERO
51
Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
51. true: honest, true to your word.
52
Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw 53
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, 54
Or else, good night your vow!
FERDINAND
54
I warrant you sir; 55
The white cold virgin snow upon my heart 56
Abates the ardour of my liver.
56. liver: Thought to be the seat of the passions.
PROSPERO
56
Well. 57
Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,
57. corollary: extra, supernumerary.
58
Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly!
[To Ferdinand and Miranda.]
59
No tongue! all eyes! be silent.
Soft music.
Enter IRIS.
IRIS
60
Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
60. Ceres: goddess of agriculture. leas: farmland.
61
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and peas;
61. vetches: fodder plants. >>>
62
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, 63
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
63. stover: the leaves and stems left in fields after harvest of grain crops. them to keep: i.e., used to feed the sheep.
64
Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,64. pioned . . . brims: ???; see A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: THE TEMPEST.
65
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
66
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy 65. spongy: i.e., wet.
66. cold: chaste. broom: a yellow-flowered shrub.
66. cold: chaste. broom: a yellow-flowered shrub.
broom-groves, 67
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
67. dismissed bachelor: rejected suitor.
68
Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;68. pole-clipt: embraced with supporting poles.
69
And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,69. sea-marge: sea shore.
70
Where thou thyself dost air;the queen o' the sky,
70. queen o' the sky: Juno.
71
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
71. watery arch: rainbow.
72
Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace, 73
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place, 74
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:
74. peacocks: Juno's sacred birds. >>>
amain: swiftly, with full force or speed.
amain: swiftly, with full force or speed.
Juno descends.
75
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
Enter CERES.
CERES
76
Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er 77
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter; 78
Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers 79
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers, 80
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown 81
My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
81. bosky: wooded, covered with shrub. unshrubb'd down: shrubless upland.
82
Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen 83
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
IRIS
84
A contract of true love to celebrate; 85
And some donation freely to estate
85. donation: gift. estate: bestow.
86
On the blest lovers.
CERES
86
Tell me, heavenly bow,
86. bow: i.e., rainbow.
87
If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
87. son: Cupid.
88
Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot 89
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
89. The means . . . got: the means by which dark Pluto kidnapped my daughter Proserpine.
90
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
90. blind boy: Cupid. scandal'd: scandalous.
91
I have forsworn.
IRIS
91
Of her society 92
Be not afraid: I met her deity 93
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son
93. Paphos: a town on the island of Cyprus, sacred to Venus.
94
Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
94-95. Dove-drawn: Venus' chariot was drawn by her sacred doves. Here . . . maid: They meant to cast a lust-charm on Ferdinand and Miranda.
95
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
96
Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid 97
Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain;
97. Hymen: God of marriage.
98
Mars's hot minion is returned again;
98. Mars's hot minion: lustful mistress. Venus and Mars were lovers. returned: i.e., to Paphos.
99
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
99. waspish-headed: peevish.
100
Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows
100. sparrows: Like doves, sacred to Venus.
101
And be a boy right out.
101. right out: outright.
[JUNO alights.]
CERES
101
High'st queen of state,
101. High'st queen of state: most majestic queen.
102
Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.
JUNO
103
How does my bounteous sister? Go with me104
To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be105
And honour'd in their issue.
They sing:
JUNO
106
Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,107
Long continuance, and increasing,108
Hourly joys be still upon you!
108. still: always.
109
Juno sings her blessings upon you.
CERES
110
Earth's increase, foison plenty,
110. foison plenty: plentiful harvest, abundance.
111
Barns and garners never empty,112
Vines with clustering bunches growing,113
Plants with goodly burden bowing;114
Spring come to you at the farthest115
In the very end of harvest!
114-115. Spring . . . harvest: i.e., For you, the latest that spring will come is at the very end of harvest, so that you will never experience winter at all.
116
Scarcity and want shall shun you;117
Ceres' blessing so is on you.
FERDINAND
118
This is a most majestic vision, and119
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
119. charmingly: magically.
120
To think these spirits?
PROSPERO
120
Spirits, which by mine art121
I have from their confines call'd to enact122
My present fancies.
FERDINAND
122
Let me live here ever;123
So rare a wonder'd father and a wife124
Makes this place Paradise.
123. wonder'd: Prospero is "wonder'd" because he perfroms wonders; Miranda is "wonder'd" because she is herself a wonder.
Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on
employment.
PROSPERO
124
Sweet, now, silence!124. Sweet, now, silence: Probably addressed to Miranda.
125
Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;126
There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,127
Or else our spell is marr'd.
IRIS
128
You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks,
128. windring: winding and wandering? Either Shakespeare made up this word or it's a misprint for 'winding'.
129
With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
129. ever-harmless: ever-innocent.
130
Leave your crisp channels and on this green land
130. crisp: curled, rippling.
131
Answer your summons; Juno does command:132
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
132. temperate: chaste.
133
A contract of true love; be not too late.
Enter certain NYMPHS.
134
You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,135
Come hither from the furrow and be merry:136
Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on137
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
137. fresh: young and beautiful. encounter: meet.
138
In country footing.
138. country footing: country dancing.
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.]
139
I had forgot that foul conspiracy140
Of the beast Caliban and his confederates141
Against my life: the minute of their plot142
Is almost come.
[To the Spirits.]
142
Well done! avoid; no more!
142. avoid: depart, withdraw, be gone.
FERDINAND
143
This is strange: your father's in some passion144
That works him strongly.
144. works: affects, agitates.
MIRANDA
144
Never till this day145
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
145. distemper'd: unrestrained.
PROSPERO
146
You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
146. mov'd sort: troubled state.
147
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.148
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
148. revels: festivity, entertainment.
149
As I foretold you, were all spirits and150
Are melted into air, into thin air:151
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
151. baseless fabric: structure without a physical foundation.
152
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,153
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
153. the great globe itself: all the world. >>>
154
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
154. all which it inherit: all who live on it.
155
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
155. insubstantial: without material substance.
156
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
156. rack: wisp of cloud driven before the wind.
157
As dreams are made on, and our little life158
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd;
158. rounded: surrounded.
159
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.160
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:161
If you be pleased, retire into my cell162
And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,163
To still my beating mind.
FERDINAND, MIRANDA
163
We wish your peace.
PROSPERO
[To Ariel.]
164
Come with a thought.
164. Come with a thought: i.e., Let my thinking of you make you come to me at once.
[To Ferdinand and Miranda.]
164
I thank thee.
Exeunt [Ferdinand and Miranda.]
164
Ariel! come.
Enter ARIEL.
ARIEL
165
Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?
PROSPERO
165
Spirit,166
We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
ARIEL
167
Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
168
I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd169
Lest I might anger thee.
PROSPERO
170
Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
170. varlets: ruffians, rascals.
ARIEL
171
I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;172
So full of valor that they smote the air173
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground174
For kissing of their feet; yet always bending175
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour;
174-175. bending / Towards their project: pursuing their purpose (which was the murder of Prospero).
176
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
176. unback'd: never ridden.
177
Advanc'd their eyelids, lifted up their noses
177. Advanc'd: raised.
178
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears
178. As: as if.
179
That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through180
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,
180. goss: gorse, a prickly shrub
181
Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them182
I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
182. filthy-mantled: covered with dirty scum.
183
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake184
O'erstunk their feet.
PROSPERO
184
This was well done, my bird.
184. bird: A term of endearment.
185
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:186
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
186. trumpery: cheap, showy finery (the "glistering apparel" of the stage direction following line 193).
187
For stale to catch these thieves.
187. stale: decoy, bait.
ARIEL
187
I go, I go.
Exit.
PROSPERO
188
A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
188. A devil, a born devil: Prospero is describing Caliban.
189
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,190
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;191
And as with age his body uglier grows,192
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
193
Even to roaring.
Enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering
apparel, etc.193
Come, hang them on this line.
Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and
TRINCULO, all wet.
CALIBAN
194
Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
194. mole: Moles were thought to have sensitive hearing.
195
Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.
STEPHANO
196
Monster, your fairy, which you say is197
a harmless fairy, has done little better than198
played the Jack with us.
198. played the Jack: done a mean trick.
TRINCULO
199
Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at199. I do smell all horse-piss: I smell like horse-piss. (There are horses on the island?)
200
which my nose is in great indignation.
STEPHANO
201
So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take202
a displeasure against you, look you,
TRINCULO
203
Thou wert but a lost monster.
CALIBAN
204
Good my lord, give me thy favour still.205
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to206
Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.
206. hoodwink: make you blind to (a hawking term); i.e., make up for.
207
All's hush'd as midnight yet.
TRINCULO
208
Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,
STEPHANO
209
There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,210
monster, but an infinite loss.
TRINCULO
211
That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your212
harmless fairy, monster.
STEPHANO
213
I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears214
for my labor.
CALIBAN
215
Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,216
This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.217
Do that good mischief which may make this island218
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,219
For aye thy foot-licker.
STEPHANO
220
Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody221
thoughts.
TRINCULO
222
O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look
222. peer: a noble, a member of the peerage.
223
what a wardrobe here is for thee!
CALIBAN
224
Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
TRINCULO
225
O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery.
226
O king Stephano!
STEPHANO
227
Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have228
that gown.
TRINCULO
229
Thy grace shall have it.
CALIBAN
230
The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
230. dropsy: a morbid condition characterized by the accumulation of watery fluid in the body.
231
To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone
231. luggage: heavy trash to be lugged away. Let's alone: let it alone.
232
And do the murder first: if he awake,233
From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,234
Make us strange stuff.
STEPHANO
235
Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not236
this my jerkin?
236. jerkin: a kind of jacket made of leather.
[Takes the jerkin down from the line.]
236
Now is the jerkin under the line: now,
under the line: Sailors who went "under the line," south of the equator, could lose their hair from scurvy, which was caused by lack of fresh food on the long voyage.
237
jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald238
jerkin.
TRINCULO
239
Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like
239. Do, do: i.e., "bravo." by line and level: with plumb-line and carpenter's level; i.e., with professional skill. an't like: if it please.
240
your grace.
STEPHANO
241
I thank thee for that jest;
[Takes a garment from the line and
hands it to Trinculo.]
241
here's a garment for't:242
wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this243
country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent244
pass of pate; there's another garment for't.
244. pass of pate: witty thrust.
TRINCULO
245
Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers,
245. lime: birdlime, a sticky substance; thieves were jokingly said to have lime on their fingers.
246
and away with the rest.
CALIBAN
247
I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,248
And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
249
With foreheads villanous low.
STEPHANO
250
Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this251
away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you252
out of my kingdom: go to, carry this.
252. go to: i.e., stop being stupid, let's go. carry this: Stephano hands Caliban some shiny piece of clothing that he has just taken off the clothes line.
TRINCULO
253
And this.
STEPHANO
254
Ay, and this.
A noise of hunters heard. Enter diverse
SPIRITS, in shape of dogs and hounds,
hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel
setting them on.
PROSPERO
255
Hey, Mountain, hey!
ARIEL
256
Silver! there it goes, Silver!
PROSPERO
257
Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!
255-257. Mountain . . . Silver . . . Fury . . . Tyrant: These are typical names of ferocious hounds.
[Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are
driven out.]
258
Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints259
With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews259. dry convulsions: dry heaves?
260
With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them260. aged cramps: cramps like old people have.
261
Than pard or cat o' mountain.
261. pard: panther or leopard. cat o' mountain: catamount, wildcat.
ARIEL
261
Hark, they roar!
PROSPERO
262
Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour263
Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:264
Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou265
Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little266
Follow, and do me service.
Exeunt.