THE

TEMPEST
-ENAKSHI GUPTA
 THE TEMPEST
ACT
1 SCENE 1
SETTING: - on board a ship at sea: a storm, with thunder and lightning.

CHARACTERS PRESENT :- (IN THIS SCENE)

MASTER, BOATSWAIN, ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO

SUMMARY:-

Here a ship is tossing over the sea in the midst of severe storm with thunder and lightning.
The master of the ship commands boatswain to instruct the sailors about the safety of the passengers
some of whom are terrified and come out on the deck. Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand and
gonzalo enters and inquire him about the master. He requests them shoutly to return to their cabins as
the storm is growing furious and do not interrupt him in his duty. Gonzalo advices him to be patient
and reminds him that he is talking to the dukes very rudely. Boatswain replies that he loves himself
more than any other and if gonzalo can command the storm, thunder and lightning to calm down, then
he must proceed forward and use his authority. But if he cannot, then he must thank the god that he is
still alive. Boatswain further tells him to get ready in his cabin to meet any challenges of the fate.
Gonzalo remarks that since boatswain is destined to be hanged and not drowned, they will not perish,
the boat will never sink. But if he receives death by drowning, they all will be in disaster of sinking
down.Then again the group of royal peoples enter, and curse boatswain when he shouts on them to
return to their cabins. They all seek for the god’s blessings. Antonio comments that boatswain is not
using his brain to handle the situation, he is rather shouting on them harshly. Gonzalo feels that
boatswain will surely die by hanging even if every drop of water in this ocean gape its mouth to
swallow him. He prays god for his mercy and bids farewell to his dear family. At the end of this
scene, he wishes to have a dry death, i.e. death at the barren land than receiving death by drowning.

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS:-
Q 1 How was the first scene opened?

ANS. The first scene of tempest opens in a ship which is tossing over the sea in the midst of severe
storm accompanied with heavy thunder and lightning. The passengers are panicking. Boatswain is
given the duty to keep all the passengers inside their cabins below the deck.

Q 2 Who were all present in the ship?

ANS. The master of the ship, boatswain, mariners and a group of noble people – Alonso, Antonio,
Sebastian, gonzalo and Ferdinand are present.

Q 3 why was boatswain impatient?

ANS. The storm was growing very furious. Boatswain was given the responsibility to keep the
passengers inside their cabins below the deck and to instruct the sailors to sail the ship as per
directions. He also doesn’t know what kind of fate they are going to meet. But if he does his work
sincerely without any interference, they can tackle with the storm. However, Alonso Sebastian
Antonio gonzalo and Ferdinand again and again come out on the deck and inquire him about the
master, thus disobeying his command and interrupting in his work. He thinks that storm had nothing
to do with nobles and these people do not understand how dangerous is the storm, what difficulty they
are facing while sailing the ship and anything can happen to them anytime. Moreover, they are not
going to stop the storm, so why are they not obeying him and coming out of their cabins? This makes
boatswain impatient and he shouts on them.

Q 4 “merely cheated by our lives” explain.

ANS. When the sailors enter with laments that the ship is lost and asks them to pray to the god for
mercy as they can die anytime , Antonio in frustrations says that they are cheated of their lives just
because of the drunkard boatswain, who instead of using his brain to deal with the situation, shouts
raucously on them. Had he been using his intelligence, they would not be in such dangerous situation.

Q 5 gonzalo: - “now would I gave thousand furlongs…….a dry death.

Explain this extract.

ANS. Fearing that death can come to them anytime; gonzalo says that he will willingly exchange a
thousand furlongs of sea for only an acre of dry land, even if that barren land is covered with heather,
broom, furze or anything. He prays that may the will of the god prevail but he will be glad if he
receives a dry death, i.e., death on land rather than death by drowning.

Q 6 Sebastian: - “a plague……….uncharitable dog” at whom Sebastian was using these quotes?

ANS. Sebastian is speaking these words to boatswain, who is shouting on them to return to their
cabins when they come out and ask about the master.as only boatswain and the sailors know what
difficult situation they are facing and is annoyed when the passengers disobey him and come out on
the deck in the midst of danger and uncertainty.
 ACT 1 SCENE 2
Original Text Modern Text
Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA PROSPERO and MIRANDA enter.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

If by your art, my dearest father, you have Dear father, if you caused this terrible storm
Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them. with your magic powers, please put an end
The sky, it seems, would pour down to it. The sky’s so dark it looks like it would
stinking pitch, rain down boiling hot tar if the sea weren’t
But that the sea, mounting to th' welkin’s swelling up to the sky to put its fire out. Oh,
cheek, I suffered along with all the men I watched
Dashes the fire out. Oh, I have suffered suffer! A fine ship, with some good people
With those that I saw suffer. A brave vessel in it, I’m sure, smashed to pieces. Their
Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in dying shouts broke my heart! The poor
her people died. If I’d been a god I would’ve let
Dashed all to pieces. Oh, the cry did knock the sea sink inside the earth before it had a
Against my very heart! Poor souls, they chance to swallow up that ship and all the
perished. people it was carrying.
Had I been any god of power, I would
Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere
It should the good ship so have swallowed
and
The fraughting souls within her.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

     Be collected.No more Calm down. There’s nothing to get upset

amazement. Tell your piteous heart. about. No harm was done.

There’s no harm done.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Oh, woe the day! Oh, what a horrible day!

PROSPERO PROSPERO

      No harm. There was no harm, I’m telling you.

Everything I’ve done has been for you, my
dear daughter. You don’t know what you
I have done nothing but in care of thee, are, since you don’t know who I am or
where I come from, or that I’m better than
Of thee, my dear one—thee my daughter, merely Prospero, your humble father who
who lives in a poor little shack.

Art ignorant of what thou art, naught

knowing

Of whence I am, nor that I am more better

20Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell

And thy no greater father.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    More to know It never occurred to me to imagine there

was anything more to know.
Did never meddle with my thoughts.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

      'Tis time It’s time for you to know the whole story.
Give me a hand and help me off with this
I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand magic cloak.

And pluck my magic garment from me.

MIRANDA helps PROSPERO remove his MIRANDA helps PROSPERO remove his
mantle cloak.
      So, (to the cloak) So, lie there, my magic. (to
MIRANDA) Wipe your eyes. Take
25Lie there, my art.—Wipe thou thine eyes. comfort. I arranged the horrible sight of this
Have comfort. shipwreck, which moved you to such pity,
so carefully that not a single person was
The direful spectacle of the wrack, which hurt—no, not so much as a hair on anyone’s
touched head was destroyed in the ship that you saw
sink. Sit down. It’s time for you to know
The very virtue of compassion in thee, more. (they sit)

I have with such provision in mine art

So safely ordered that there is no soul—

30No, not so much perdition as an hair

Betid to any creature in the vessel—

Which thou heard’st cry, which thou sawst

sink. Sit down.

For thou must now know farther.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

     You have often You’ve often started to tell me who I am,

but then suddenly stopped, leaving me
Begun to tell me what I am, but stopped asking questions that never get answered,
telling me, “Wait. Not yet.”
35And left me to a bootless inquisition,

Concluding, “Stay. Not yet.”

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     The hour’s now come. Well, the time has come. This is the
moment for you to listen hard and pay close
The very minute bids thee ope thine ear. attention. Can you remember the time
before you came to live in this shack? I
Obey and be attentive. Canst thou remember doubt it, since you weren’t even three at the
time.
A time before we came unto this cell?

40I do not think thou canst, for then thou

wast not

Out three years old.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Certainly, sir, I can. Sure I can, father.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

By what? By any other house or person? What do you remember? A house, a

person? Tell me anything you remember.
Of anything the image tell me that

Hath kept with thy remembrance.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

     'Tis far off, My memory is hazy, more like a dream than

a recollection. Didn’t I use to have four or
45And rather like a dream than an assurance five women taking care of me?

That my remembrance warrants. Had I not

Four or five women once that tended me?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is Indeed you did, and more besides, Miranda.
it But how is it possible that you still
remember this, through all the darkness of
That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou the past? If you remember your life before
else you came here, you may also remember
how you got here.
50In the dark backward and abysm of time?

If thou rememberest aught ere thou camest

here,

How thou camest here thou mayst.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

      But that I do not. No, that I don’t remember.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year Twelve years ago, Miranda, twelve years
since, ago your father was the Duke of Milan, a
powerful prince.
Thy father was the Duke of Milan and

55A prince of power.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Sir, are not you my father? Aren’t you my father?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Thy mother was a piece of virtue and Your mother was extremely virtuous, and
she said you were my daughter. And your
She said thou wast my daughter. And thy father was Duke of Milan, and you were his
father heir, a princess.

Was Duke of Milan, and thou his only heir

And princess no worse issued.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

     Oh, the heavens! Good lord! What evil things were done to
us that we were driven here? Or was it a
60What foul play had we that we came from blessing that we came here?
thence?

Or blessè was ’t we did?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Both, both, my girl. Both, both, my girl. We were pushed out of

power by evil deeds, as you call them. But
By foul play, as thou sayst, were we heaved we were blessed in being helped toward this
thence, island.

But blessedly holp hither.

MIRANDA MIRANDA
    Oh, my heart bleeds Oh, it breaks my heart to think how painful
it must be for you to recall all this, things
To think o' th' teen that I have turned you to, that I can’t remember. But please tell me
more.
65Which is from my remembrance! Please
you, farther.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

My brother and thy uncle, called Antonio— My brother, your uncle Antonio—just listen
to this (I still can’t believe a brother could
I pray thee, mark me (that a brother should be so disloyal!)—My brother whom—aside
from you—I loved more than anyone else in
Be so perfidious!)—he whom next thyself the world, I trusted to run my state, which at
that time was the strongest in the land, and
Of all the world I loved and to him put Prospero the number one duke, famous for
my dignity and my education. Since I was
70The manage of my state, as at that time so drawn to studying things like logic,
grammar, geometry, and astronomy, I let
Through all the signories it was the first, my control of the government slide a bit,
being too wrapped up in my occult books.
And Prospero the prime duke, being so Your disloyal uncle—are you paying
reputed attention?

In dignity, and for the liberal arts

Without a parallel. Those being all my

study,

75The government I cast upon my brother

And to my state grew stranger, being

transported

And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle—

Dost thou attend me?

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Sir, most heedfully. I’m hanging on every word.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Being once perfected how to grant suits, Once Antonio got the knack of granting
certain requests, denying others, promoting
80How to deny them, who t' advance and some officials and keeping down those who
who were getting too ambitious, he won over the
people who used to be mine, or changed
To trash for overtopping, new created them—remade them, you might say. Since
he had control over the whole government
The creatures that were mine, I say—or and everyone in it, he soon made everyone
changed 'em, sing his own song—whichever song he
happened to like. He became like the ivy
Or else new formed 'em—having both the that sticks to the side of the tree, and sucked
key my vitality out of me.—You’re not paying
attention.
Of officer and office, set all hearts i' th' state

85To what tune pleased his ear, that now he

was

The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

And sucked my verdure out on ’t. Thou

attend’st not.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

O, good sir, I do. Oh, yes I am, father.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    I pray thee, mark me. Please listen to me carefully. As I neglected

practical matters, being totally dedicated to
I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all solitude and to improving my mind with
dedicated subjects more valuable than most people
imagine, I was so shut away from the world
90To closeness and the bettering of my that I unwittingly stirred up evil wishes in
mind my disloyal brother. My deep trust in him
made him deeply untrustworthy, arousing in
With that which, but by being so retired, him a treachery as big as my trust was—my
trust which had no limit, an infinite
O'erprized all popular rate, in my false confidence. With Antonio possessing such
brother powers and wealth, coming not only from
my income but also from his ability to take
Awaked an evil nature. And my trust, whatever my authority allowed him to take,
Antonio started to believe that he was the
Like a good parent, did beget of him duke, like some liar who begins to believe
in his own lie. He put on the face of royalty,
95A falsehood in its contrary as great with all the rights that go along with it.
With his ambition growing like this—do
As my trust was, which had indeed no limit, you hear what I’m saying?

A confidence sans bound. He being thus

lorded,

Not only with what my revenue yielded

But what my power might else exact, like

one
100Who having into truth, by telling of it,

Made such a sinner of his memory

To credit his own lie—he did believe

He was indeed the duke, out o' th'

substitution

And executing th' outward face of royalty,

105With all prerogative. Hence his ambition

growing—

Dost thou hear?

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Your tale, sir, would cure What you’re saying could cure deafness,
deafness. father. Of course I hear it.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

To have no screen between this part he To make his political performance

played absolutely perfect, he simply had to become
the Duke of Milan himself. My library was
And him he played it for, he needs will be a large enough dukedom for me. So, now
Antonio judges me incapable of carrying
Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library out my duties. He’s so power-hungry that
he allies himself with the King of Naples,
110Was dukedom large enough. Of agreeing to pay him a regular annual sum,
temporal royalties swear subservience to him, and put the
dukedom of Milan—never subservient to
He thinks me now incapable, confederates— anyone before!—under the humiliating
control of Naples.
So dry he was for sway—wi' th' King of
Naples

To give him annual tribute, do him homage,

Subject his coronet to his crown and bend

115The dukedom yet unbowed—alas, poor

Milan!—

To most ignoble stooping.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Oh, the heavens! Good heavens!

PROSPERO PROSPERO
Mark his condition and the event. Then tell Think about that, and about what followed
me afterward. Then tell me if Antonio can be
called a brother.
If this might be a brother.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

    I should sin It would be wrong for me to think poorly of

my grandmother. Good women sometimes
To think but nobly of my grandmother. give birth to bad sons.

120Good wombs have borne bad sons.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     Now the condition. Now listen to the agreement they made. The
king of Naples, my arch-enemy, listens to
The King of Naples, being an enemy my brother’s request, which was that the
king, in exchange for the respect and money
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother’s paid to him, would get rid of me and make
suit, my brother Duke of Milan instead. A
treacherous army was gathered, and one
Which was that he, in lieu o' th' premises fateful night at midnight, Antonio opened
the gates of Milan, and in the pitch black
Of homage and I know not how much had his officers rush out me and you, my
tribute, dear daughter. You were crying.

125Should presently extirpate me and mine

Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan

With all the honors on my brother.

Whereon,

A treacherous army levied, one midnight

Fated to th' purpose did Antonio open

130The gates of Milan, and, i' th' dead of

darkness,

The ministers for th' purpose hurried thence

Me and thy crying self.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Alack, for pity! How awful! I can’t remember how I cried

then, but I’ll cry all over again. This story
I, not remembering how I cried out then, breaks my heart.
Will cry it o'er again. It is a hint

135That wrings mine eyes to ’t.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Hear a little further Just listen a little more, and I’ll bring you
up to date about the present situation, which
And then I’ll bring thee to the present is the whole reason I’m telling you this
business story in the first place.

Which now ’s upon ’s, without the which

this story

Were most impertinent.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Wherefore did they not Why didn’t they just kill us that night?

That hour destroy us?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Well demanded, wench. Good question, my girl. My story does raise

that question. The answer, my dear, is that
140My tale provokes that question. Dear, they didn’t dare, because the people of
they durst not, Milan loved me too much. They had to
disguise their bloody intentions. So, to
So dear the love my people bore me, nor set make a long story short, they hurried us
onto a ship and carried us a number of miles
A mark so bloody on the business, but out to sea, where they prepared a rotten
carcass of a boat, with no sails or masts or
With colors fairer painted their foul ends. ropes, which even the rats had abandoned.
They tossed us in the water to cry to the sea
In few, they hurried us aboard a bark, that roared back at us, to sigh into the winds
that sighed right back at us in pity.
145Bore us some leagues to sea, where they
prepared

A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast. The very rats

Instinctively had quit it. There they hoist us

To cry to th' sea that roared to us, to sigh

150To th' winds whose pity, sighing back

again,

Did us but loving wrong.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Alack, what trouble God, what a burden on you I must have

been!
Was I then to you!
PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Oh, a cherubim No, my dear, you were a little angel who

kept me going. You smiled with a strength
Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst you must have gotten from heaven, while I
smile cried salty tears into the salty sea, and
groaned at our situation. Your smile
Infusèd with a fortitude from heaven, sustained my spirits against whatever would
come our way.
155When I have decked the sea with drops
full salt,

Under my burthen groaned; which raised in

me

An undergoing stomach to bear up

Against what should ensue.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

How came we ashore? How did we manage to get ashore?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    By providence divine. With God’s help. We had a little food and
fresh water that a nobleman from Naples,
160Some food we had and some fresh water Gonzalo, had given us out of the kindness
that of his heart. He had been chosen to carry
out the plan of putting us to sea. He also
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, gave us clothes, linen, and other necessities
that have been of great help. Knowing how
Out of his charity, who being then appointed much I loved my books, he gave me some
books from my library that I value more
Master of this design, did give us, with than my dukedom.

Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and

necessaries,

165Which since have steaded much. So, of

his gentleness,

Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me

From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Would I might I wish I could see that man someday!

But ever see that man!

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Now I arise. Now I’ll stand up. (he stands and puts on
his magic cloak) Sit still and listen to the
170 (stands and puts on his mantle) last of our sad sea adventures. We arrived
here on this island, where I, acting as your
Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. teacher, have given you a better education
than most princesses get, princesses who
Here in this island we arrived, and here have less careful tutors, who spend their
time instead on empty fun.
Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more
profit

Than other princesses can that have more

time

175For vainer hours and tutors not so

careful.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

Heavens thank you for ’t! And now, I pray May God thank you for it. But please,
you, sir— father—the question is still nagging at me
—why did you conjure up this storm?
For still ’tis beating in my mind—your
reason

For raising this sea storm?

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Know thus far forth: You should know this: much luck is on my
side, and my enemies have happened to
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune wreck their ship on this island. As I see it,
my fate hangs on this lucky event, and if I
180(Now my dear lady) hath mine enemies handle it wrong, I’ll suffer for the rest of
my life. Now, no more questions.
Brought to this shore. And by my prescience

I find my zenith doth depend upon

A most auspicious star, whose influence

If now I court not but omit, my fortunes

185Will ever after droop. Here cease more

questions.
Thou art inclined to sleep. 'Tis a good You look sleepy. It’s a nice hazy feeling, so
dullness, give in to it. I know you have no choice.

And give it way. I know thou canst not  

choose.
MIRANDA sleeps MIRANDA falls asleep.
Come away, servant, come. I am ready now. Come on, servant, come. I’m ready now.
Come here, Ariel.
Approach, my Ariel, come.
Enter ARIEL ARIEL enters.
ARIEL ARIEL

190All hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I Humble greetings, great master! Worthy sir,
come greetings! Your wish is my command,
whatever you want. If you want me to fly,
To answer thy best pleasure, be ’t to fly, to swim, to jump into fire, to ride the clouds
in the sky, Ariel will get right to the task.
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curled clouds. To thy strong bidding,

task

Ariel and all his quality.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Hast thou, spirit, Spirit, did you carry out the storm just as I
ordered?
195Performed to point the tempest that I
bade thee?
ARIEL ARIEL

To every article. Down to the last detail. I boarded the king’s

ship, and in every corner of it, from the
I boarded the king’s ship. Now on the beak, deck to the cabins, I made everyone
astonished and terrified. Sometimes I
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, appeared in many places at once. On the top
sail and main mast I flamed in different
I flamed amazement. Sometime I’d divide, spots, then I came together into a single
flame. I flashed about faster than lightning.
200And burn in many places. On the The fire and deafening cracks seemed to
topmast, overwhelm even the god of the sea himself,
making him tremble underwater.
The yards, and bowsprit would I flame
distinctly,

Then meet and join. Jove’s lightning, the

precursors

O' th' dreadful thunderclaps, more

momentary

And sight-outrunning were not. The fire and

cracks

205Of sulfurous roaring the most mighty

Neptune

Seem to besiege and make his bold waves

tremble,

Yea, his dread trident shake.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     My brave spirit! Good spirit! Who could ever be so steady

and strong that a disturbance like that
Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil wouldn’t make him crazy?

Would not infect his reason?

ARIEL ARIEL

     Not a soul Everyone there got a little crazy and pulled

some desperate stunts. Everyone except the
210But felt a fever of the mad and played sailors dove into the sea, leaving behind the
ship that I had set on fire. The king’s son,
Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners Ferdinand, with his hair standing straight up
—it looked like reeds, not hair—was the
Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the first person to jump, shouting, “Hell is
vessel, empty, and all the devils are here!”

Then all afire with me. The king’s son,

Ferdinand,

With hair up-staring—then, like reeds, not

hair—

215Was the first man that leaped, cried,

“Hell is empty

And all the devils are here.”

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     Why, that’s my spirit! Good job! But was this near the shore?

But was not this nigh shore?

ARIEL ARIEL

     Close by, my master. Very near, my master.

PROSPERO PROSPERO
But are they, Ariel, safe?
But are they all safe, Ariel?
ARIEL ARIEL

    Not a hair perished. Nobody was hurt in the slightest. Even their
clothes are unstained, and look fresher than
On their sustaining garments not a blemish, before the storm. I’ve separated them into
groups around the island, just as you
220But fresher than before. And, as thou ordered. I sent the king’s son off by himself
badest me, to a faraway nook on the island, where he’s
sitting now sighing, with his arms crossed
In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the like this. (he folds his arms.)
isle.

The king’s son have I landed by himself,

Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs

In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,

225His arms in this sad knot.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Of the king’s ship, Tell me what you did with the king’s ship,
the sailors, and the other ships.
The mariners, say how thou hast disposed,

And all the rest o' th' fleet.

ARIEL ARIEL

    Safely in harbor The king’s ship is safely in the harbor,

hidden in that deep cove where you once
Is the king’s ship. In the deep nook where summoned me to bring back dew from the
once stormy Bermuda islands.

Thou called’st me up at midnight to fetch

dew

230From the still-vexed Bermoothes, there

she’s hid.
The mariners all under hatches stowed, The sailors are all below deck, sleeping
both from their labor and from a magic
Who, with a charm joined to their suffered spell I cast over them. As for the rest of the
labor, ships, I scattered them, and they’ve
gathered again in the Mediterranean, sailing
I have left asleep. And for the rest o' th' sadly home to Naples, believing that they
fleet, witnessed the shipwreck and death of their
great king.
Which I dispersed, they all have met again

235And are upon the Mediterranean float,

Bound sadly home for Naples,

Supposing that they saw the king’s ship

wracked

And his great person perish.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Ariel, thy charge Ariel, you’ve done your work exactly as I

ordered. But there’s more work to be done.
Exactly is performed. But there’s more What time is it?
work.

240What is the time o' th' day?

ARIEL ARIEL

    Past the mid season. Past noon.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

At least two glasses. The time ’twixt six and At least two hours past. We can’t waste
now time between now and six o'clock.

Must by us both be spent most preciously.

ARIEL ARIEL

Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me Is there more work to do? Since you’re
pains, giving me new assignments, let me remind
you what you promised me but haven’t
Let me remember thee what thou hast come through with yet.
promised,

245Which is not yet performed me.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     How now? Moody? What? You’re in a bad mood? What could

you possibly ask for?
What is ’t thou canst demand?
ARIEL ARIEL

     My liberty. My freedom.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Before the time be out? No more! Before your sentence has been completed?
Don’t say anything else.
ARIEL ARIEL

     I prithee, I beg you, remember the good work I’ve

done for you, and how I’ve never lied to
Remember I have done thee worthy service, you, never made mistakes, and never
grumbled in my work. You promised to
Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, take a full year off my sentence.
served

250Without or grudge or grumblings. Thou

didst promise

To bate me a full year.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Dost thou forget Have you forgotten the torture I freed you
from?
From what a torment I did free thee?
ARIEL ARIEL

No. No.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

Thou dost, and think’st it much to tread the You have forgotten, and you think it’s a
ooze burden when I ask you to walk through the
ocean, or run on the north wind, or do
255Of the salt deep, business for me underground when the
earth’s frozen solid.
To run upon the sharp wind of the north,

To do me business in the veins o' th' earth

When it is baked with frost.

ARIEL ARIEL

     I do not, sir. No, I don’t, sir.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou You lie, you nasty, ungrateful thing! Have
forgot you forgotten the horrid witch Sycorax,
stooped over with old age and ill will? Have
260The foul witch Sycorax, who with age you forgotten her?
and envy

Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot

her?
ARIEL ARIEL

No, sir. No, sir.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Thou hast. Where was she born? Speak. Tell You have. Where was she born? Speak. Tell
me. me.
ARIEL ARIEL

Sir, in Argier. In Algiers, sir.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

   Oh, was she so? I must Oh, was she now? I’ll have to tell the story
again every month, since you seem to forget
265Once in a month recount what thou hast it. This damned witch Sycorax was kicked
been, out of Algiers for various witching crimes
too terrible for humans to hear about. But
Which thou forget’st. This damned witch for one reason they refused to execute her.
Sycorax, Isn’t that true?

For mischiefs manifold and sorceries

terrible

To enter human hearing, from Argier,

Thou know’st, was banished. For one thing

she did

270They would not take her life. Is not this

true?
ARIEL ARIEL

Ay, sir. Yes, sir.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with This sunken-eyed hag was brought here
child pregnant and left by the sailors. You, my
slave, were her servant at the time, as you
And here was left by th' sailors. Thou, my admit yourself. You were too delicate to
slave, carry out her horrible orders, and you
refused. In a fit of rage she locked you up in
As thou report’st thyself, wast then her a hollow pine tree, with the help of her
servant. powerful assistants, and left you there for
twelve years. During that time she died, and
275And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate you were trapped, moaning and groaning as
fast as the blades of a mill wheel strike the
To act her earthy and abhorred commands, water. At that time there were no people
here. This island was not honored with a
Refusing her grand hests, she did confine human being—except for the son that
thee, Sycorax gave birth to here, a freckled baby
born of an old hag.
By help of her more potent ministers
And in her most unmitigable rage,

280Into a cloven pine, within which rift

Imprisoned thou didst painfully remain

A dozen years; within which space she died

And left thee there, where thou didst vent

thy groans

As fast as mill wheels strike. Then was this

island—

285Save for the son that she did litter here,

A freckled whelp hag-born—not honored

with

A human shape.
ARIEL ARIEL

   Yes, Caliban, her son. Yes, Caliban, her son.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Dull thing, I say so. He, that Caliban That’s right, you stupid thing. Caliban, who
now serves me. You know better than
Whom now I keep in service. Thou best anyone how tortured you were when I
know’st found you. Your groans made wolves howl,
and even made bears feel sorry for you.
290What torment I did find thee in. Thy Nobody but the damned souls of hell
groans deserves the spell that Sycorax put on you
and couldn’t undo. It was my magic that
Of ever angry bears. It was a torment saved you when I arrived on the island and
heard you, making the pine tree open and
Did make wolves howl and penetrate the let you out.
breasts

To lay upon the damned, which Sycorax

Could not again undo. It was mine art,

295When I arrived and heard thee, that

made gape

The pine and let thee out.

ARIEL ARIEL

     I thank thee, master. Thank you, master.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak If you complain any more, I’ll split an oak
tree and lock you up in it till you’ve howled
And peg thee in his knotty entrails till for twelve years.

Thou hast howled away twelve winters.

ARIEL ARIEL

      Pardon, master. Please forgive me, master. I’ll be obedient

and do all my tasks without complaining.
300I will be correspondent to command

And do my spiriting gently.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

 Do so, and after two days Do that, and I’ll set you free in two days.

I will discharge thee.

ARIEL ARIEL

    That’s my noble master! That’s noble of you, master. What shall I do

for you? Just tell me. What shall I do?
What shall I do? Say, what? What shall I
do?
PROSPERO PROSPERO

Go make thyself like a nymph o' th' sea. Be Go disguise yourself as a sea nymph. Be
subject invisible to everyone except yourself and
me. Take this garment, put it on, and then
305To no sight but thine and mine, invisible come back here. Hurry, go!

To every eyeball else. Go take this shape

And hither come in ’t. Go hence with

diligence.
Exit ARIEL ARIEL exits.
(to MIRANDA) (to MIRANDA) Wake up, my dear. Wake
up. You’ve slept well. Wake up.
Awake, dear heart, awake! Thou hast slept
well.

310Awake!
MIRANDA MIRANDA

(waking) The strangeness of your story put (waking up)Your strange story made me
groggy.
Heaviness in me.
PROSPERO PROSPERO
    Shake it off. Come on.
Shake off your sleepiness. Come on. We’ll
We’ll visit Caliban, my slave who never go visit Caliban, my slave who always talks
to us so nastily.
Yields us kind answer.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

    'Tis a villain, sir, He’s an evil one, father. I don’t like him.

315I do not love to look on.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    But as ’tis, But even so, we can’t do without him. He

builds our fires, gets our firewood, and does
We cannot miss him. He does make our fire, all kinds of useful things for us.—Hey!
Caliban! Pile of dirt! Say something.
Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices

That profit us.—What, ho! Slave! Caliban!

Thou earth, thou! Speak.

CALIBAN CALIBAN

(within)    There’s wood enough (offstage) You’ve got enough firewood

within. already.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

320Come forth, I say! There’s other Come out, I order you. There’s other work
business for thee. for you to do. Come on, you turtle!

Come, thou tortoise! When?

Enter ARIEL, like a water nymph ARIEL enters disguised as a water nymph.
Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel, What a fine sight! My dear clever Ariel,
listen carefully. (he whispers to ARIEL)
Hark in thine ear. (whispers to ARIEL)
ARIEL ARIEL

    My lord it shall be done. My lord, I’ll do it right away.

Exit ARIEL ARIEL exits.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

(to CALIBAN) Thou poisonous slave, got (to CALIBAN) You horrible slave, with a
by the devil himself wicked hag for a mother and the devil
himself for a father, come out!
325Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!
Enter CALIBAN CALIBAN enters.
CALIBAN CALIBAN
As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed I hope you both get drenched with a dew as
evil as what my mother used to collect with
With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen a crow’s feather from the poison swamps.
May a hot southwest wind blow on you and
Drop on you both! A southwest blow on ye cover you with blisters all over.

And blister you all o'er!

PROSPERO PROSPERO

330For this, be sure, tonight thou shalt have I’ll give you cramps for saying that—
cramps, horrible pains in your sides that will keep
you from breathing. I’ll send goblins out at
Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up. night to work their nasty deeds on you.
Urchins You’ll be pricked all over, and it’ll sting
like bees.
Shall, forth at vast of night that they may
work,

All exercise on thee. Thou shalt be pinched

As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more

stinging

335Than bees that made 'em.

CALIBAN CALIBAN

    I must eat my dinner. I have to eat my dinner now. This island
belongs to me because Sycorax, my mother,
This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, left it to me. But you’ve taken it from me.
When you first got here, you petted me and
Which thou takest from me. When thou took care of me, you would give me water
camest first, with berries in it, and you taught me the
names for the sun and the moon, the big
Thou strok’st me and made much of me, light and the smaller light that burn in
wouldst give me daytime and nighttime. I loved you back
then. I showed you all the features of the
Water with berries in ’t, and teach me how island, the freshwater springs, the saltwater
pits, the barren places and the fertile ones. I
340To name the bigger light, and how the curse myself for doing that! I wish I could
less, use all the magic spells of Sycorax against
you and plague you with toads, beetles, and
That burn by day and night. And then I bats. I’m the only subject you have in your
loved thee kingdom, and you were my first king, and
you pen me up in this cave and don’t let me
And showed thee all the qualities o' th' isle, go anywhere else on the island.

The fresh springs, brine pits, barren place

and fertile.
Cursed be I that did so! All the charms

345Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on

you!

For I am all the subjects that you have,

Which first was mine own king. And here

you sty me

In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from

me

The rest o' th' island.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    Thou most lying slave, You liar, you respond better to the whip
than to kindness! I took good care of you—
350Whom stripes may move, not kindness! piece of filth that you are—and let you stay
I have used thee, in my own hut until you tried to rape my
daughter.
Filth as thou art, with human care, and
lodged thee

In mine own cell till thou didst seek to

violate

The honor of my child.

CALIBAN CALIBAN

Oh ho, oh ho! Would ’t had been done! Oh ho, oh ho! I wish I had! You stopped
me. If you hadn’t, I would have filled this
355Thou didst prevent me. I had peopled island with a race of Calibans.
else

This isle with Calibans.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    Abhorrèd slave, You horrid slave, you can’t be trained to be

good, and you’re capable of anything evil! I
Which any print of goodness wilt not take, pitied you, worked hard to teach you to
speak, and taught you some new thing
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, practically every hour. When you didn’t
know what you were saying, and were
Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee babbling like an animal, I helped you find
each hour words to make your point understandable.
But you had bad blood in you, no matter
360One thing or other. When thou didst not, how much you learned, and good people
savage, couldn’t stand to be near you. So you got
Know thine own meaning, but wouldst what you deserved, and were locked up in
gabble like this cave, which is more fitting for the likes
of you than a prison would be.
A thing most brutish, I endowed thy
purposes

With words that made them known. But thy

vile race,

Though thou didst learn, had that in ’t which

good natures

365Could not abide to be with. Therefore

wast thou

Deservedly confined into this rock,

Who hadst deserved more than a prison.

CALIBAN CALIBAN

You taught me language, and my profit on ’t You taught me language, and all I can do
with it is curse. Damn you for teaching me
Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid your language!
you

370For learning me your language!

PROSPERO PROSPERO

     Hag-seed, hence! Get out of here, you son of a bitch! Bring us

wood, and be quick about it. Are you
Fetch us in fuel. And be quick, thou 'rt best, shrugging and making faces, you evil thing?
If you neglect my orders or do them
To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, grudgingly, I’ll double you up with pains
malice? and cramps, and make all your bones ache,
and make you scream so loud that the wild
If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly animals will tremble when they hear you.

What I command, I’ll rack thee with old

cramps,

375Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee

roar

That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

CALIBAN CALIBAN

      No, pray thee. No, please. (to himself) I have to obey. He’s
got such strong magic powers that he could
(aside) I must obey. His art is of such conquer and enslave the god, Setebos, that
power, my mother used to worship.

It would control my dam’s god, Setebos,

And make a vassal of him.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    So, slave, hence! Go then, slave.

Exit CALIBAN CALIBAN exits.
Enter FERDINAND and ARIEL, invisible, FERDINAND enters with ARIEL, who is
playing and singing invisible and playing music and singing.
ARIEL ARIEL

380 (sings) (singing)

 Come unto these yellow sands,  Come onto these yellow sands,

 And then take hands.  And we’ll join hands,

 Curtsied when you have, and kissed  When you’ve curtsied and kissed

 The wild waves whist.  The waves into silence.

 Foot it featly here and there,  Prance lightly here and there,

 And, sweet sprites, bear  And the sweet spirits bear

 The burden. Hark, hark!  The burden. Listen, listen!

SPIRITS SPIRITS

(dispersedly, within) Bow-wow. (refrain of the song is heard offstage, from

different places, not in unison) Bow-wow.
ARIEL ARIEL

The watchdogs bark. The watchdogs bark.

(within) Bow-wow. SPIRITS

(offstage) Bow-wow.
ARIEL ARIEL

Hark, hark! I hear Listen, listen! I hear

385The strain of strutting chanticleer The tune of the strutting rooster

Cry “Cock-a-diddle-dow.” Who cries cock-a-doodle-doo.

FERDINAND FERDINAND

Where should this music be? I' th' air or th' Where’s that music coming from? From the
earth? earth, or the air? It’s stopped now—it must
be played for some local god of the island.
It sounds no more, and sure, it waits upon As I sat on the shore crying over my
father’s shipwreck, I heard the music creep
Some god o' th' island. Sitting on a bank, over the wild waves, calming their fury and
soothing my own grief with its sweet
390Weeping again the king my father’s melodies. I followed it here, or I should say
wrack, it dragged me here. But now it’s stopped.
No, there it is again.
This music crept by me upon the waters,

Allaying both their fury and my passion

With its sweet air. Thence I have followed

it,

Or it hath drawn me rather. But ’tis gone.

395No, it begins again.

ARIEL ARIEL

(sings) (singing)

 Full fathom five thy father lies.  Your father lies five whole fathoms
below,
 Of his bones are coral made.
 His bones have turned to coral now.
 Those are pearls that were his eyes.
 His eyes have turned to pearls.
 Nothing of him that doth fade,
 There’s nothing left of him,
 But doth suffer a sea-change
 He’s undergone a complete sea change
 Into something rich and strange.
 And become something rich and strange.
 Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell
 Sea nymphs ring his death bell every
hour.
SPIRITS SPIRITS

(within) Ding-dong. (refrain, offstage)Ding-dong.

ARIEL ARIEL

Hark, now I hear them. Listen, I hear them.

SPIRITS SPIRITS

(within)  Ding-dong, bell. Ding dong, bell.

FERDINAND FERDINAND
The ditty does remember my drowned This song’s about my dead father. It
father. couldn’t be sung by mere mortals. I hear it
now overhead.
400This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes. I hear it now above me.

PROSPERO  PROSPERO

(to MIRANDA) The fringèd curtains of (to MIRANDA) Raise the curtains of your
thine eye advance eyelids and go take a peek at what you can
see out there.
And say what thou seest yond.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

    What is ’t? A spirit? What is it? A spirit? Lord, it’s glancing

every which way! How handsome it is. It
Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir, must be a spirit.

405It carries a brave form. But ’tis a spirit.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

No, wench! It eats and sleeps and hath such No, girl! It eats and sleeps and has the same
senses five senses we do. The gentleman you see
now was in the shipwreck, and if he weren’t
As we have, such. This gallant which thou a little spoiled by grief, which always ruins
seest good looks, you could call him handsome.
He’s lost his comrades and is wandering
Was in the wrack. And, but he’s something around looking for them.
stained

With grief that’s beauty’s canker, thou

mightst call him

410A goodly person. He hath lost his

fellows

And strays about to find 'em.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    I might call him I could imagine he’s divine, since I never
saw anything so noble-looking on earth
A thing divine, for nothing natural before.

I ever saw so noble.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

(aside)    It goes on, I see, (to himself) It’s all happening according to
plan, just as my soul wanted it to happen.
As my soul prompts it.—Spirit, fine spirit! (to ARIEL) Spirit, you fine spirit, I’ll set
I’ll free thee you free in two days for doing such a good
job here.
415Within two days for this.
FERDINAND FERDINAND

(seeing MIRANDA)  Most sure, the (seeing MIRANDA) This must surely be
goddess the goddess that the music is being played
for!—Please, I beg you to answer me, tell
On whom these airs attend!—Vouchsafe my me if you live on this island, and tell me
prayer how I should behave here. My main
question, which I save for the last, is—Oh,
May know if you remain upon this island, you marvelous creature!—are you a maiden
or a goddess?
And that you will some good instruction
give

420How I may bear me here. My prime

request,

Which I do last pronounce, is—O you

wonder!—

If you be maid or no.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

  No wonder, sir, I’m not marvelous, sir, but I’m certainly a
maiden.
But certainly a maid.
FERDINAND FERDINAND

  My language! Heavens, She speaks my language! My God, I’m the

highest-ranking person who speaks this
I am the best of them that speak this speech, language—if only we were back where it’s
spoken.
425Were I but where ’tis spoken.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

   How? The best? What’s that? The highest-ranking? What

would the King of Naples do if he heard
What wert thou if the King of Naples heard you say that?
thee?
FERDINAND FERDINAND

A single thing, as I am now, that wonders He would just see me for what I am, a
person amazed to hear you talking about
To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear Naples. He does hear me, and that makes
me, me cry. I myself am the King of Naples,
since I saw with my own eyes—these eyes
that haven’t been dry since—my father
And that he does I weep. Myself am Naples, killed in a shipwreck.

430Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb,

beheld

The king my father wracked.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

   Alack, for mercy! Ah, how pitiful!

FERDINAND FERDINAND

Yes, faith, and all his lords, the Duke of Yes, indeed, and all the King’s men, the
Milan Duke of Milan and his fine son too.

And his brave son being twain.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

(aside)   The Duke of Milan (to himself) The real Duke of Milan and his
far finer daughter could beat you in a
And his more braver daughter could control heartbeat, if it were the right time. They’ve
thee fallen in love at first sight!—Wonderful
Ariel, I’ll set you free for doing such good
435If now ’twere fit to do ’t! At the first work here. (to FERDINAND) Could I have
sight a word with you, sir? I’m afraid you’ve
made a mistake. Just a word.
They have changed eyes.—Delicate Ariel,

I’ll set thee free for this.

(to FERDINAND)

  A word, good sir.

I fear you have done yourself some wrong.

A word.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

440 (aside) Why speaks my father so (to herself) Why is my father speaking to
ungently? This him so rudely? This is the third man I’ve
ever seen in my life, and the first one I’ve
Is the third man that e'er I saw, the first felt romantic feelings for. I hope my father
takes pity on me and treats him well for my
That e'er I sighed for. Pity move my father sake!

To be inclined my way!
FERDINAND FERDINAND

(to MIRANDA) Oh, if you’re a virgin, and you haven’t

given your heart to another man, then I’ll
    Oh, if a virgin, make you the queen of Naples.

445And your affection not gone forth, I’ll

make you

The queen of Naples.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

  Soft, sir! One word more. Hang on, sir! Just a moment. (to himself)
They’re both in love. But I need to cause a
(aside) little trouble between them, or else they’ll
never appreciate the value of their love. (to
They are both in either’s powers, but this FERDINAND) I need a word with you, sir.
swift business I order you to listen to me. You’re calling
yourself by a name that doesn’t belong to
I must uneasy make lest too light winning you. You’ve come onto this island as a spy,
to snatch it away from me—I’m the rightful
450Make the prize light. lord of it.

(to FERDINAND)

   One word more. I charge thee

That thou attend me. Thou dost here usurp

The name thou owest not, and hast put

thyself

Upon this island as a spy to win it

455From me, the lord on ’t.

FERDINAND FERDINAND

No, as I am a man! No, I swear, that’s not true!

MIRANDA MIRANDA

There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a A man as handsome as that can’t have
temple. anything evil in him. If the devil had such a
beautiful house as his body, then good
If the ill spirit have so fair a house, things would fight to live in it.

Good things will strive to dwell with ’t.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

460 (to FERDINAND)   Follow me. (to FERDINAND) Follow me. (to

MIRANDA) Don’t defend him. He’s a
(to MIRANDA) Speak not you for him. traitor. (to FERDINAND) Come on, I’ll
He’s a traitor. chain your neck and feet together, and I’ll
give you sea water to drink. Your food will
(to FERDINAND)    Come, be slugs, dry roots, and acorn shells. Come
on.
I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together.

Seawater shalt thou drink. Thy food shall be

465The fresh-brook mussles, withered roots,

and husks

Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

FERDINAND FERDINAND

    No. No, I’ll have to decline that offer—at least

as long as I’m stronger than you are.
I will resist such entertainment till

Mine enemy has more power.

FERDINAND draws his sword, and is FERDINAND takes out his sword, but
charmed from moving PROSPERO casts a spell on him that
freezes him in place.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

     O dear father, Oh, dear father, don’t judge him too
quickly. He’s a good man, and brave too.
Make not too rash a trial of him, for

470He’s gentle and not fearful.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

    What, I say? What’s that? The daughter knows more

than the father?—Put away your sword,
My foot my tutor?—Put thy sword up, traitor. You make quite a show there, but
traitor, you’re too scared to strike at me, since you
feel too guilty. Get out of that position,
Who makest a show but darest not strike, because I can disarm you with my magic
thy conscience wand and make your sword drop.

Is so possessed with guilt. Come from thy

ward,

For I can here disarm thee with this stick

475And make thy weapon drop.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

     Beseech you, father. Please, father, I beg you.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

Hence! Hang not on my garments. Let go of me! Don’t tug on my clothes.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

      Sir, have pity, Father, take pity on him. I’ll guarantee his
goodness myself.
I’ll be his surety.
PROSPERO PROSPERO

  Silence! One word more Quiet! If you say one more word, I’ll
punish you, maybe even hate you. You’re
Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. defending an impostor? Be quiet. You think
What, he’s special, since you’ve only ever seen
him and Caliban. Foolish girl, in the eyes of
An advocate for an imposter? Hush, most people this man’s a Caliban, and
compared to him, they’re angels.
480Thou think’st there is no more such
shapes as he,

Having seen but him and Caliban. Foolish

wench,

To th' most of men this is a Caliban

And they to him are angels.

MIRANDA MIRANDA

    My affections Then my love is humble. I don’t feel any

urge to see a more handsome man than this
Are then most humble. I have no ambition one.

485To see a goodlier man.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

(to FERDINAND)   Come on. Obey. (to FERDINAND) Come on. Obey my

orders. Your muscles are all limp and
Thy nerves are in their infancy again lifeless.

And have no vigor in them.

FERDINAND FERDINAND

    So they are. That’s true, they are. My strength is all

gone, as if in a dream. The death of my
My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up. father, my physical weakness, the loss of all
my friends, the threats of this man who’s
490My father’s loss, the weakness which I taken me prisoner—all that would be easy
feel, for me to take, if only I could look through
my prison windows once a day and see this
The wrack of all my friends, nor this man’s girl. I don’t need any more freedom than
threats, that. A prison like that would give me
enough liberty.
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,

Might I but through my prison once a day

Behold this maid. All corners else o' th'

earth

495Let liberty make use of. Space enough

Have I in such a prison.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

(aside)  It works! (to himself) It’s working! (to

FERDINAND) Come on. (to himself)
(to FERDINAND)    Come on. You’ve done well, Ariel. (to FERDINAND)
Follow me. (to ARIEL) Listen to what
(aside) Thou hast done well, fine Ariel! you’ll do for me next.

(to FERDINAND)    Follow me.

500 (to ARIEL) Hark what thou else shalt

do me.
MIRANDA MIRANDA

(to FERDINAND)  Be of comfort. (to FERDINAND) Don’t worry, my

father’s kinder than his words just now
My father’s of a better nature, sir, make him sound. What he said didn’t sound
like him at all.
Than he appears by speech. This is
unwonted

Which now came from him.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

505 (to ARIEL)  Thou shalt be free (to ARIEL) You’ll be free as a bird. But
you have to do exactly what I order.
As mountain winds. But then exactly do

All points of my command.

ARIEL ARIEL

To th' syllable. Down to the last detail.

PROSPERO PROSPERO

(to FERDINAND) Come, follow. (to FERDINAND) Come, follow me. (to
MIRANDA) Don’t defend him.
510 (to MIRANDA)—Speak not for him.
Exeunt They exit.
Q 1:- why Miranda was requesting her father to calm the waves?

ANS. Miranda, the daughter of Prospero, has a sensitive mind and soft n kind
heart and gets disturbed by the sorry plight of the passengers of a royal, ill-fated
ship in the horrible tempest created by her father. She tells him that royal ship
along with its noblemen is going to be wrecked. She pleads with him to stop the
storm as the cries of the passengers tear her heart. Had she been a powerful god,
she would have driven the sea into the depths of the earth before the sea could
have devoured that beautiful ship and its passengers.
***Q2:- why Prospero asks the Miranda to calm down?

ANS. Prospero, a loving father, wipes Miranda’s tears as she has been deeply
moved by the sight of the ship wreck and assures her that none of the
passengers is hurt. He asks Miranda to calm down as He has created the tempest
in a controlled and protected manner that will not harm anyone.
***Q3:- what was the secret which Prospero wanted to share?

ANS. Prospero wanted to tell Miranda that twelve years ago, when Miranda was
3 years old, he was the duke of Milan and she was a princess. But At one
gloomy midnight, they were carried away from Milan hastily in an ill equipped
boat with no mast, sail or ropes and the boat was pushed into the sea.
Q4:- What made Prospero to lose his dukedom?

ANS. In the kingdom of Milan, Prospero was superior to all others in dignity.
Since he was more indulged in the study of the liberal arts, he had handover the
responsibility of governing the country to his younger brother, Antonio. He was
totally devoted to solitude and to advancing his intellect through studies which
were more valuable to him than the praises received from his people. This made
him lost all contact with the state affairs and made Antonio overambitious.
Gradually, Antonio pushed him into the background and became a traitor. He
replaced the old faithful officials with his own selected people, started
collecting money by force, gained the support of people and regarded himself as
the duke of Milan. He entered into a contract with Alonso the king of Naples
which was that on payment of an annual tribute by him, Alonso would drive
Prospero and Miranda out of Milan. One midnight, his agents carried both the
father and daughter away from there hastily, put them in an ill equipped boat
and pushed the boat into the sea. Thus, Prospero’s unlimited trust on his brother
was betrayed and he lost his dukedom.
Q5:- Who was the culprit and with whom he had an agreement?

ANS. Antonio was the culprit and he had an agreement with Alonso, the king
of Naples.

Alonso, the sworn enemy of Prospero, responded favourably to Antonio’s

request of driving Prospero and Miranda out of Milan immediately .after that,
Antonio would be made the duke of Milan with all the dignities of the post, in
return of which he would pay an annual tribute of money to Alonso. They
gathered a band of treacherous men and one midnight; Antonio opened the gates
of the city and carried Prospero and Miranda away from Milan swiftly.
Q6:- what reply did Prospero give to Miranda for not killing them?

ANS. When Miranda asked Prospero that why Antonio not killed them,
Prospero replied that they did not dare to kill them because the people of Milan
loved him very much. They could not kill them and show open violence as that
would lead to their downfall. Thus they had to disguise their bloody intensions.
They hurried Prospero and Miranda onto a ship and carried them a number of
miles out to sea where they prepared a rotten boat with no sails or masts or
ropes and which was sure to get wrecked in the sea. In this way they left them to
die in the sea.
Q7:- how both Prospero and Miranda reach the shore?

ANS. Though Antonio put Prospero and Miranda in a rotten boat with no
equipment like ropes, sail or mast, nature showed sympathy on their pathetic
situation and the wind started blowing which helped the boat to propel forward
towards the shore. Moreover, gonzalo, the nobleman from Naples, had given
them a little food and fresh water out of kindness of his heart. He also gave
them clothes, linen, and other necessities that helped them on their way.
Knowing how much Prospero loved his books, he gave him some books from
his library.
Q8:- Who infused the courage in Prospero?

ANS. Prospero’s daughter Miranda infused courage in him. Prospero addressed

her as an angel who saved him from death and despair. She kept on smiling as if
the heaven filled her with courage while Prospero cried and groaned at their
situation. She was the one who gave meaning to his life. Her smile boosted his
morale and gave him the necessary strength and courage to face the coming
misfortunes.
Q9:- what reply did Prospero give to Miranda for raising the storm?

ANS. When Miranda asked prospero why he raised the storm ,prospero replied
that his luck had brought his enemies to his island. He found it as an opportunity
to deal with his enemies and made them realise about their evil deeds. He said
that his fate depends on this lucky event . if he grab this opportunity he shall
prosper but if he handle wrong, he will suffer for the rest of his life.
Q10:- why Prospero made Miranda to sleep through his magical powers? Give reasons.

ANS. On rough notebook