READ STUDY GUIDE: Act IV, scene i |
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Act IV, Scene i:
Before PROSPERO'S cell
Before PROSPERO'S cell
| [Enter PROSPERO! FERDINAND, and MIRANDA] |
| PROSPERO : |
| If I have too austerely punish'd you, |
| Your compensation makes amends: for |
| Have given you here a third of mine own life, |
| Or that for which I live; who once again |
| I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations |
| Were but my trials of thy love, and thou |
| Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven, |
| I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand! |
| Do not smile at me that I boast her off, |
| For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise, |
| And make it halt behind her. |
| FERDINAND : |
| I do believe it |
| Against an oracle. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition |
| Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but |
| If thou dost break her virgin knot before |
| All sanctimonious ceremonies may |
| With full and holy rite be minister'd, |
| No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall |
| To make this contract grow; but barren hate, |
| Sour-ey'd disdain, and discord, shall bestrew |
| The union of your bed with weeds so loathly |
| That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed, |
| As Hymen's lamps shall light you. |
| FERDINAND : |
| As I hope |
| For quiet days, fair issue, and long life, |
| With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den, |
| The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion |
| Our worser genius can, shall never melt |
| Mine honour into lust, to take away |
| The edge of that day's celebration, |
| When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, |
| Or Night kept chain'd below. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Fairly spoke: |
| Sit, then, and talk with her, she is thine own. |
| What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel! |
| [Enter ARIEL] |
| ARIEL : |
| What would my potent master? here I am. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service |
| Did worthily perform; and I must use you |
| In such another trick. Go bring the rabble, |
| O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place; |
| Incite them to quick motion; for I must |
| Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple |
| Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise, |
| And they expect it from me. |
| ARIEL : |
| Presently? |
| PROSPERO : |
| Ay, with a twink. |
| ARIEL : |
| Before you can say 'Come' and 'Go,' |
| And breathe twice; and cry 'so, so,' |
| Each one, tripping on his toe, |
| Will be here with mop and mow. |
| Do you love me, master? no? |
| PROSPERO : |
| Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach |
| Till thou dost hear me call. |
| ARIEL : |
| Well, I conceive. |
| [Exit] |
| PROSPERO : |
| Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance |
| Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw |
| To th' fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, |
| Or else good night your vow! |
| FERDINAND : |
| I warrant you, sir; |
| The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart |
| Abates the ardour of my liver. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Well.— |
| Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary, |
| Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly. |
| No tongue! all eyes! be silent. |
| [Soft music] |
| [A Masque. Enter IRIS] |
| IRIS : |
| Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas |
| Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; |
| Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, |
| And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep; |
| Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims, |
| Which spongy April at thy hest betrims, |
| To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves, |
| Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, |
| Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard; |
| And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard, |
| Where thou thyself dost air: the Queen o' the sky, |
| Whose watery arch and messenger am I, |
| Bids thee leave these; and with her sovereign grace, |
| Here on this grass-plot, in this very place, |
| To come and sport; her peacocks fly amain: |
| Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain. |
| [Enter CERES] |
| CERES : |
| Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er |
| Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter; |
| Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers |
| Diffusest honey drops, refreshing showers: |
| And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown |
| My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down, |
| Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen |
| Summon'd me hither to this short-grass'd green? |
| IRIS : |
| A contract of true love to celebrate, |
| And some donation freely to estate |
| On the blest lovers. |
| CERES : |
| Tell me, heavenly bow, |
| If Venus or her son, as thou dost know, |
| Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot |
| The means that dusky Dis my daughter got, |
| Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company |
| I have forsworn. |
| IRIS : |
| Of her society |
| Be not afraid. I met her deity |
| Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son |
| Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done |
| Some wanton charm upon this man and maid, |
| Whose vows are, that no bed-rite shall be paid |
| Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain. |
| Mars's hot minion is return'd again; |
| Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, |
| Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, |
| And be a boy right out. |
| CERES : |
| Highest Queen of State, |
| Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait. |
| [Enter JUNO.] |
| JUNO : |
| How does my bounteous sister? Go with me |
| To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, |
| And honour'd in their issue. |
| SONG |
| JUNO : |
| Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, |
| Long continuance, and increasing, |
| Hourly joys be still upon you! |
| Juno sings her blessings on you. |
| CERES : |
| Earth's increase, foison plenty, |
| Barns and gamers never empty; |
| Vines with clust'ring bunches growing; |
| Plants with goodly burden bowing; |
| Spring come to you at the farthest, |
| In the very end of harvest! |
| Scarcity and want shall shun you; |
| Ceres' blessing so is on you. |
| FERDINAND : |
| This is a most majestic vision, and |
| Harmonious charmingly; may I be bold |
| To think these spirits? |
| PROSPERO : |
| Spirits, which by mine art |
| I have from their confines call'd to enact |
| My present fancies. |
| FERDINAND : |
| Let me live here ever: |
| So rare a wonder'd father and a wise, |
| Makes this place Paradise. |
| [JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment.] |
| PROSPERO : |
| Sweet now, silence! |
| Juno and Ceres whisper seriously, |
| There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, |
| Or else our spell is marr'd. |
| IRIS : |
| You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks, |
| With your sedg'd crowns and ever-harmless looks, |
| Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land |
| Answer your summons: Juno does command. |
| Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate |
| A contract of true love: be not too late. |
| [Enter certain NYMPHS] |
| You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary, |
| Come hither from the furrow, and be merry: |
| Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on, |
| And these fresh nymphs encounter every one |
| In country footing. |
| [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] I had forgot that foul conspiracy |
| Of the beast Caliban and his confederates |
| Against my life: the minute of their plot |
| Is almost come.[To the Spirits.]Well done! avoid; no |
| more! |
| FERDINAND : |
| This is strange: your father's in some passion |
| That works him strongly. |
| MIRANDA : |
| Never till this day |
| Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd. |
| PROSPERO : |
| You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort, |
| As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir: |
| Our revels now are ended. These our actors, |
| As I foretold you, were all spirits and |
| Are melted into air, into thin air: |
| And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, |
| The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, |
| The solemn temples, the great globe itself, |
| Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve |
| And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, |
| Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff |
| As dreams are made on, and our little life |
| Is rounded with a sleep.—Sir, I am vex'd: |
| Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled. |
| Be not disturb'd with my infirmity. |
| If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell |
| And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk, |
| To still my beating mind. |
| FERDINAND, MIRANDA. |
| We wish your peace. |
| [Exeunt.] |
| PROSPERO : |
| Come, with a thought.—[To them.]I thank thee: |
| Ariel, come! |
| [Enter ARIEL.] |
| ARIEL : |
| Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure? |
| PROSPERO : |
| Spirit, |
| We must prepare to meet with Caliban. |
| ARIEL : |
| Ay, my commander; when I presented Ceres, |
| I thought to have told thee of it: but I fear'd |
| Lest I might anger thee. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? |
| ARIEL : |
| I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; |
| So full of valour that they smote the air |
| For breathing in their faces; beat the ground |
| For kissing of their feet; yet always bending |
| Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor; |
| At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears, |
| Advanc'd their eyelids, lifted up their noses |
| As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears, |
| That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through |
| Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns, |
| Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them |
| I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell, |
| There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake |
| O'erstunk their feet. |
| PROSPERO : |
| This was well done, my bird. |
| Thy shape invisible retain thou still: |
| The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither |
| For stale to catch these thieves. |
| ARIEL : |
| I go, I go. |
| [Exit] |
| PROSPERO : |
| A devil, a born devil, on whose nature |
| Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, |
| Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost; |
| And as with age his body uglier grows, |
| So his mind cankers. I will plague them all, |
| Even to roaring. |
| [Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.] |
| Come, hang them on this line. |
| [PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet] |
| CALIBAN : |
| Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not |
| Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell. |
| STEPHANO : |
| Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless |
| fairy, has done little better than played the |
| Jack with us. |
| TRINCULO : |
| Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at which my |
| nose is in great indignation. |
| STEPHANO : |
| So is mine.—Do you hear, monster? If I should |
| take a displeasure against you, look you,— |
| TRINCULO : |
| Thou wert but a lost monster. |
| CALIBAN : |
| Good my lord, give me thy favour still: |
| Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to |
| Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly; |
| All's hush'd as midnight yet. |
| TRINCULO : |
| Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!— |
| STEPHANO : |
| There is not only disgrace and dishonour in |
| that, monster, but an infinite loss. |
| TRINCULO : |
| That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is |
| your harmless fairy, monster. |
| STEPHANO : |
| I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er |
| ears for my labour. |
| CALIBAN : |
| Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here, |
| This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter. |
| Do that good mischief which may make this island |
| Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban, |
| For aye thy foot-licker. |
| STEPHANO : |
| Give me thy hand: I do begin to have bloody |
| thoughts. |
| TRINCULO : |
| O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! |
| Look what a wardrobe here is for thee! |
| CALIBAN : |
| Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash. |
| TRINCULO : |
| O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a |
| frippery.—O King Stephano! |
| STEPHANO : |
| Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll |
| have that gown. |
| TRINCULO : |
| Thy Grace shall have it. |
| CALIBAN : |
| The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean |
| To dote thus on such luggage? Let's along, |
| And do the murder first. If he awake, |
| From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches; |
| Make us strange stuff. |
| STEPHANO : |
| Be you quiet, monster.—Mistress line, is not |
| this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, |
| jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald |
| jerkin. |
| TRINCULO : |
| Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like |
| your Grace. |
| STEPHANO : |
| I thank thee for that jest: here's a garment |
| for't: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of |
| this country: 'Steal by line and level,' is an excellent |
| pass of pate: there's another garmet for't. |
| TRINCULO : |
| Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, |
| and away with the rest. |
| CALIBAN : |
| I will have none on't. We shall lose our time, |
| And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes |
| With foreheads villainous low. |
| STEPHANO : |
| Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this |
| away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out |
| of my kingdom. Go to; carry this. |
| TRINCULO : |
| And this. |
| STEPHANO : |
| Ay, and this. |
| [A noise of hunters beard. Enter divers Spirits, in shape of hounds, and hunt them about; PROSPERO and ARIEL setting them on] |
| PROSPERO : |
| Hey, Mountain, hey! |
| ARIEL : |
| Silver! there it goes, Silver! |
| PROSPERO : |
| Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! hark, hark! |
| [CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO are driven out.] |
| Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints |
| With dry convulsions; shorten up their sinews |
| With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them |
| Than pard, or cat o' mountain. |
| ARIEL : |
| Hark, they roar. |
| PROSPERO : |
| Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour |
| Lies at my mercy all mine enemies; |
| Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou |
| Shalt have the air at freedom;for a little |
| Follow, and do me service. |
| [Exeunt] |
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