The Tempest
Act III, Scene 2
Another part of the island.
Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban plot to kill Prospero. Stephano is to marry Miranda and become sole monarch. Ariel enters, and entices the three to follow him. They yield to Ariel's charms, having first consented to delay the execution of the plot.
Caliban
Lawson Wood, circa 1904
- Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.
Stephano
1 - 3- 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.
Trinculo
4 - 6- Servant-monster? The folly of this island! They say there’s
- but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if th’ other
- two be brain’d like us, the state totters.
Stephano
7 - 8- Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee. Thy eyes are almost
- set in thy head.
Trinculo
9 - 10- Where should they be set else? He were a brave monster
- indeed if they were set in his tail.
Stephano
11 - 14- My man-monster hath drown’d 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 standard.
Trinculo
15- Your lieutenant if you list, he’s no standard.
Stephano
16- We’ll not run, Monsieur Monster.
Trinculo
17 - 18- Nor go neither; but you’ll lie like dogs, and yet say
- nothing neither.
Stephano
19 - 20- Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good
- moon-calf.
Caliban
21 - 22- How does thy honor? Let me lick thy shoe. I’ll not serve
- him, he is not valiant.
Trinculo
23 - 27- Thou liest, most ignorant monster, I am in case to justle a
- constable. Why, thou debosh’d fish thou, was there ever man
- a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I today? Wilt thou
- tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a
- monster?
Caliban
28- Lo, how he mocks me! Wilt thou let him, my lord?
Trinculo
29- “Lord,” quoth he? That a monster should be such a natural!
Caliban
30- Lo, lo again. Bite him to death, I prithee.
Stephano
31 - 33- Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head. If you prove a
- mutineer—the next tree! The poor monster’s my subject, and
- he shall not suffer indignity.
Caliban
34 - 35- I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas’d to hearken once
- again to the suit I made to thee?
Stephano
36 - 37- Marry, will I; kneel, and repeat it. I will stand, and so
- shall Trinculo.
- Enter Ariel, invisible.
Caliban
38 - 40- As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant,
- A sorcerer, that by his cunning hath
- Cheated me of the island.
Ariel
41- Thou liest.
Caliban
42 - 44- Thou liest, thou jesting monkey thou!
- I would my valiant master would destroy thee.
- I do not lie.
Stephano
45 - 46- Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in ’s tale, by this
- hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.
Trinculo
47- Why, I said nothing.
Stephano
48- Mum then, and no more.—Proceed.
Caliban
49 - 52- I say by sorcery he got this isle;
- From me he got it. If thy greatness will
- Revenge it on him—for I know thou dar’st,
- But this thing dare not—
From: The Tempest, arranged for representation at the Princess's Theatre
First performed on Wednesday, July 1, 1857
John K. Chapman and Co., 1857
Stephano
53- That’s most certain.
Caliban
54- Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee.
Stephano
55 - 56- How now shall this be compass’d? Canst thou bring me to the
- party?
Caliban
57 - 58- Yea, yea, my lord. I’ll yield him thee asleep,
- Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head.
Ariel
59- Thou liest, thou canst not.
Caliban
60 - 64- 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.
Stephano
65 - 67- 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.
Trinculo
68- Why, what did I? I did nothing. I’ll go farther off.
Stephano
69- Didst thou not say he lied?
Ariel
70- Thou liest.
Stephano
71 - 72- Do I so? Take thou that.
- Beats Trinculo.
- As you like this, give me the lie another time.
Trinculo
73 - 75- I did not give the lie. Out o’ your wits, and hearing too? A
- pox o’ your bottle! This can sack and drinking do. A murrain
- on your monster, and the devil take your fingers!
Caliban
76- Ha, ha, ha!
Stephano
77- Now forward with your tale.—Prithee stand further off.
Caliban
78 - 79- Beat him enough. After a little time
- I’ll beat him too.
Stephano
80- Stand farther.—Come, proceed.
Caliban
81 - 97- Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him
- I’ th’ afternoon to sleep. There thou mayst brain him,
- Having first seiz’d 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
- 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
- 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.
Stephano
98- Is it so brave a lass?
Caliban
99 - 100- Ay, lord, she will become thy bed, I warrant,
- And bring thee forth brave brood.
Stephano
101 - 103- 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, Trinculo?
The Tempest, Act III, Scene 2, as performed at His Majesty's Theatre
Arthur C. Michael, circa 1901
Trinculo
104- Excellent.
Stephano
105 - 106- Give me thy hand. I am sorry I beat thee; but while thou
- liv’st keep a good tongue in thy head.
Caliban
107 - 108- Within this half hour will he be asleep.
- Wilt thou destroy him then?
Stephano
109- Ay, on mine honor.
Ariel
110- This will I tell my master.
Caliban
111 - 113- Thou mak’st me merry; I am full of pleasure,
- Let us be jocund. Will you troll the catch
- You taught me but while-ere?
Stephano
114 - 118- 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.”
Caliban
119- That’s not the tune.
- Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.
Stephano
120- What is this same?
Trinculo
121 - 122- This is the tune of our catch, play’d by the picture of
- Nobody.
Stephano
123 - 124- If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness. If thou
- beest a devil, take’t as thou list.
Trinculo
125- O, forgive me my sins!
Stephano
126- He that dies pays all debts. I defy thee. Mercy upon us!
Caliban
127- Art thou afeard?
Stephano
128- No, monster, not I.
Caliban
129 - 137- 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 wak’d after long sleep,
- 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 wak’d
- I cried to dream again.
Stephano
138 - 139- This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my
- music for nothing.
Caliban
140- When Prospero is destroy’d.
Stephano
141- That shall be by and by. I remember the story.
Trinculo
142 - 143- The sound is going away. Let’s follow it, and after do our
- work.
Stephano
144 - 145- Lead, monster, we’ll follow. I would I could see this
- taborer; he lays it on.
Trinculo
146- Wilt come? I’ll follow Stephano.
- Exeunt.
Trinculo, Stephano, Ariel, and Caliban
Mr. Lionel Brough as Trinculo, Mr. Louis Calvert as Stephano, Viola Tree as Ariel, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Caliban
Frederick Henry Townsend, circa 1904