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The Tempest: Act IV, Scene 1

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The Tempest
Act IV, Scene 1

Scene 1

Before Prospero’s cell.

Prospero agrees to the betrothal of Ferdinand and Miranda. Following some fatherly advice to the Miranda, he furnishes, for their entertainment, a masque, enacted by Ariel and Ariel's fellows, in which all the blessings of Ceres, Iris, and Juno are promised to the loving pair. The masque concludes with a speech by Prospero. Ariel enters to say that Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban are now on their way, still intent on their murderous project, and have come to the filthy-mantled pool. At Prospero's command, Ariel places upon a line some ‘trumpery’ taken from Prospero’s wardrobe, to catch, as he says, these thieves. Having entered, the drunken three now load themselves with the trumpery. Prospero sends after them his servant sprites, disguised as hounds, eventually driving the thieves into a stagnant pool.
  1. Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

Prospero

1 - 11
  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 - 13
  1.                              I do believe it
  2. Against an oracle.

Prospero

14 - 24
  1. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
  2. Worthily purchas’d, take my daughter. But
  3. If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
  4. All sanctimonious ceremonies may
  5. With full and holy rite be minist’red,
  6. No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
  7. To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
  8. Sour-ey’d disdain, and discord shall bestrew
  9. The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
  10. That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed,
  11. As Hymen’s lamps shall light you.

Ferdinand

25 - 33
  1.                                   As I hope
  2. For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
  3. With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den,
  4. The most opportune place, the strong’st suggestion
  5. Our worser genius can, shall never melt
  6. Mine honor into lust, to take away
  7. The edge of that day’s celebration,
  8. When I shall think or Phoebus’ steeds are founder’d
  9. Or Night kept chain’d below.

Prospero

34 - 36
  1.                              Fairly spoke.
  2. Sit then and talk with her, she is thine own.
  3. What, Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!
  1. Enter Ariel.

Ariel

37
  1. What would my potent master? Here I am.

Prospero

38 - 45
  1. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
  2. Did worthily perform; and I must use you
  3. In such another trick. Go bring the rabble
  4. ( o’er whom I give thee pow’r) here to this place.
  5. Incite them to quick motion, for I must
  6. Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
  7. Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise,
  8. And they expect it from me.

Ariel

46
  1.                             Presently?

Prospero

47
  1. Ay, with a twink.

Ariel

48 - 52
  1. Before you can say “come” and “go,”
  2. And breathe twice, and cry “so, so,”
  3. Each one, tripping on his toe,
  4. Will be here with mop and mow.
  5. Do you love me, master? No?

Prospero

53 - 54
  1. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
  2. Till thou dost hear me call.

Ariel

55
  1.                              Well; I conceive.
  1. Exit.

Prospero

56 - 59
  1. Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
  2. Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw
  3. To th’ fire i’ th’ blood. Be more abstenious,
  4. Or else good night your vow!

Ferdinand

60 - 62
  1.                              I warrant you, sir,
  2. The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
  3. Abates the ardor of my liver.
Trinculo

Trinculo

Robert Anning Bell, circa 1900

Prospero

63 - 66
  1.                               Well.
  2. Now come, my Ariel, bring a corollary,
  3. Rather than want a spirit. Appear, and pertly!
  4. No tongue! All eyes! Be silent.
  1. Soft music.
  1. Enter Iris.

Iris

67 - 82
  1. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
  2. Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and pease;
  3. Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
  4. And flat meads thatch’d with stover, them to keep;
  5. Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
  6. Which spungy April at thy hest betrims,
  7. To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom-groves,
  8. Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
  9. Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard,
  10. And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
  11. Where thou thyself dost air—the Queen o’ th’ sky,
  12. Whose wat’ry arch and messenger am I,
  13. Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign Grace,
  14. Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
  15. To come and sport. Her peacocks fly amain.
  16. Juno descends slowly in her car.
  17. Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
  1. Enter Ceres.

Ceres

83 - 90
  1. Hail, many-colored messenger, that ne’er
  2. Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
  3. Who with thy saffron wings upon my flow’rs
  4. Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing show’rs,
  5. And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
  6. My bosky acres and my unshrubb’d down,
  7. Rich scarf to my proud earth—why hath thy Queen
  8. Summon’d me hither, to this short-grass’d green?

Iris

91 - 93
  1. A contract of true love to celebrate,
  2. And some donation freely to estate
  3. On the bless’d lovers.

Ceres

94 - 99
  1.                        Tell me, heavenly bow,
  2. If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
  3. Do now attend the Queen? Since they did plot
  4. The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
  5. Her and her blind boy’s scandall’d company
  6. I have forsworn.

Iris

100 - 110
  1.                  Of her society
  2. Be not afraid. I met her Deity
  3. Cutting the clouds towards Paphos; and her son
  4. Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
  5. Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
  6. Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
  7. Till Hymen’s torch be lighted; but in vain,
  8. Mars’s hot minion is return’d again;
  9. Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
  10. Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,
  11. And be a boy right out.
  1. Juno alights.

Ceres

111 - 112
  1.                         Highest Queen of state,
  2. Great Juno, comes, I know her by her gait.

Juno

113 - 115
  1. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
  2. To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
  3. And honor’d in their issue.
  1. They sing.

Juno

116 - 119
  1. Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
  2. Long continuance, and increasing,
  3. Hourly joys be still upon you!
  4. Juno sings her blessings on you.

Ceres

120 - 127
  1. Earth’s increase, foison plenty,
  2. Barns and garners never empty;
  3. Vines with clust’ring bunches growing,
  4. Plants with goodly burden bowing;
  5. Spring come to you at the farthest
  6. In the very end of harvest!
  7. Scarcity and want shall shun you,
  8. Ceres’ blessing so is on you.
The Tempest, arranged for representation at the Princess's Theatre

From: The Tempest, arranged for representation at the Princess's Theatre

First performed on Wednesday, July 1, 1857

John K. Chapman and Co., 1857

Ferdinand

128 - 130
  1. This is a most majestic vision, and
  2. Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
  3. To think these spirits?

Prospero

131 - 133
  1.                         Spirits, which by mine art
  2. I have from their confines call’d to enact
  3. My present fancies.

Ferdinand

134 - 136
  1.                     Let me live here ever;
  2. So rare a wond’red father and a wise
  3. Makes this place Paradise.
  1. Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.

Prospero

137 - 140
  1.                            Sweet now, silence!
  2. Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;
  3. There’s something else to do. Hush and be mute,
  4. Or else our spell is marr’d.

Iris

141 - 151
  1. You nymphs, call’d Naiades, of the windring brooks,
  2. With your sedg’d crowns and ever-harmless looks,
  3. Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
  4. Answer your summons; Juno does command.
  5. Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
  6. A contract of true love; be not too late.
  7. Enter certain Nymphs.
  8. You sunburn’d sicklemen, of August weary,
  9. Come hither from the furrow and be merry.
  10. Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on,
  11. And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
  12. In country footing.
  1. Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the
  2. Nymphs in a graceful dance, towards the end whereof Prospero
  3. starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange,
  4. hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Prospero

152 - 156
  1. Aside.
  2. I had forgot that foul conspiracy
  3. Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
  4. Against my life. The minute of their plot
  5. Is almost come.
  6. To the Spirits.
  7.                 Well done, avoid; no more.

Ferdinand

157 - 158
  1. This is strange. Your father’s in some passion
  2. That works him strongly.

Miranda

159 - 160
  1.                          Never till this day
  2. Saw I him touch’d with anger, so distemper’d.

Prospero

161 - 178
  1. You do look, my son, in a mov’d sort,
  2. As if you were dismay’d; be cheerful, sir.
  3. Our revels now are ended. These our actors
  4. (As I foretold you) were all spirits, and
  5. Are melted into air, into thin air,
  6. And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
  7. The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
  8. The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
  9. Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
  10. And like this insubstantial pageant faded
  11. Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
  12. As dreams are made on; and our little life
  13. Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex’d;
  14. Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled.
  15. Be not disturb’d with my infirmity.
  16. If you be pleas’d, retire into my cell,
  17. And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk
  18. To still my beating mind.

Both Ferdinand and Miranda

179
  1.                           We wish your peace.

Prospero

180 - 182
  1. To Ariel.
  2. Come with a thought.
  3. To Ferdinand and Miranda.
  4.                      I thank thee.
  5. Exeunt Ferdinand and Miranda.
  6.               Ariel! Come.
  1. Enter Ariel.

Ariel

183
  1. Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?

Prospero

184 - 185
  1.                                                Spirit,
  2. We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ariel

186 - 188
  1. Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres,
  2. I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear’d
  3. Lest I might anger thee.
Enter certain Reapers, properly habited

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited

Arthur Rackham, circa 1926

Prospero

189
  1. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlots?

Ariel

190 - 203
  1. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking,
  2. So full of valor that they smote the air
  3. For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
  4. For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
  5. Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
  6. At which like unback’d colts they prick’d their ears,
  7. Advanc’d their eyelids, lifted up their noses
  8. As they smelt music. So I charm’d their ears
  9. That calf-like they my lowing follow’d through
  10. Tooth’d briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
  11. Which ent’red their frail shins. At last I left them
  12. I’ th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
  13. There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake
  14. O’erstunk their feet.

Prospero

204 - 207
  1.                       This was well done, my bird.
  2. Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
  3. The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
  4. For stale to catch these thieves.

Ariel

208
  1.                                   I go, I go.
  1. Exit.

Prospero

209 - 215
  1. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
  2. Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
  3. Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
  4. And as with age his body uglier grows,
  5. So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
  6. Even to roaring.
  7. Enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, etc.
  8. Come, hang them on this line.
  1. Prospero and Ariel remain, invisible.
  1. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Caliban

216 - 217
  1. Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not
  2. Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell.

Stephano

218 - 219
  1. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has
  2. done little better than play’d the Jack with us.

Trinculo

220 - 221
  1. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is in
  2. great indignation.

Stephano

222 - 223
  1. So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a
  2. displeasure against you, look you—

Trinculo

224
  1. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Caliban

225 - 228
  1. Good my lord, give me thy favor still.
  2. Be patient, for the prize I’ll bring thee to
  3. Shall hoodwink this mischance; therefore speak softly,
  4. All’s hush’d as midnight yet.

Trinculo

229
  1. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool—

Stephano

230 - 231
  1. There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that, monster,
  2. but an infinite loss.

Trinculo

232 - 233
  1. That’s more to me than my wetting; yet this is your harmless
  2. fairy, monster!

Stephano

234 - 235
  1. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears for my
  2. labor.

Caliban

236 - 240
  1. Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,
  2. This is the mouth o’ th’ cell. No noise, and enter.
  3. Do that good mischief which may make this island
  4. Thine own forever, and I, thy Caliban,
  5. For aye thy foot-licker.

Stephano

241
  1. Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trinculo

242 - 243
  1. O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! Look what a
  2. wardrobe here is for thee!

Caliban

244
  1. Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.

Trinculo

245 - 246
  1. O, ho, monster! We know what belongs to a frippery. O King
  2. Stephano!

Stephano

247 - 248
  1. Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll have that
  2. gown.

Trinculo

249
  1. Thy Grace shall have it.

Caliban

250 - 254
  1. The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
  2. To dote thus on such luggage? Let’t alone
  3. And do the murder first. If he awake,
  4. From toe to crown he’ll fill our skins with pinches,
  5. Make us strange stuff.
The Tempest - 2007 Pendley Shakespeare Festival

The Tempest - 2007 Pendley Shakespeare Festival

Tom Attwood, 2007

Stephano

255 - 257
  1. Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin?
  2. Now is the jerkin under the line. Now, jerkin, you are like
  3. to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.

Trinculo

258
  1. Do, do; we steal by line and level, and’t like your Grace.

Stephano

259 - 262
  1. I thank thee for that jest; here’s a garment for’t. Wit
  2. shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country.
  3. ’Steal by line and level’ is an excellent pass of pate;
  4. there’s another garment for’t.

Trinculo

263 - 264
  1. Monster, come put some lime upon your fingers, and away with
  2. the rest.

Caliban

265 - 267
  1. I will have none on’t. We shall lose our time,
  2. And all be turn’d to barnacles, or to apes
  3. With foreheads villainous low.

Stephano

268 - 270
  1. Monster, lay-to your fingers. Help to bear this away where
  2. my hogshead of wine is, or I’ll turn you out of my kingdom.
  3. Go to, carry this.

Trinculo

271
  1. And this.

Stephano

272
  1. Ay, and this.
  1. A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits in shape of
  2. dogs and hounds, hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel
  3. setting them on.

Prospero

273
  1. Hey, Mountain, hey!

Ariel

274
  1. Silver! There it goes, Silver!

Prospero

275 - 279
  1. Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!
  2. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are driven out.
  3. Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints
  4. With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews
  5. With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
  6. Than pard or cat o’ mountain.

Ariel

280
  1.                               Hark, they roar!

Prospero

281 - 285
  1. Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
  2. Lies at my mercy all mine enemies.
  3. Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou
  4. Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little
  5. Follow, and do me service.
  1. Exeunt.
Costume design for Juno

Costume design for Juno

19th century

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