# Tempest (1918) Yale/Text/Act III

Notes originally placed at the bottom of each page appear below, following Act III. Where these notes gloss a word in the text, the gloss can also be found by hovering over the text.
Where these notes refer to an end note (cf. n. = confer notam; "consult note"), a link to the accompanying end note is provided from the Footnotes section. The end notes accompanying Act III begin on page 86 of the original volume.
Layout 2
ACT THIRD
Scene One
[Before Prospero's Cell]
Enter Ferdinand, bearing a log.
Fer. There be some sports are painful, and their labour Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters Point to rich ends. This my mean task 4 Would be as heavy to me as odious; but The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead And makes my labours pleasures: O! she is 7 Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed, And he's compos'd of harshness. I must remove Some thousands of these logs and pile them up, Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness 12 Had never like executor. I forget: But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours, Most busy lest, when I do it.
Enter Miranda; and Prospero [at a distance].
Mira. Alas! now, pray you, Work not so hard: I would the lightning had 16 Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile! Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns, 'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself: 20 He's safe for these three hours.
​Fer. O most dear mistress, The sun will set, before I shall discharge What I must strive to do.
Mira. If you'll sit down, I'll bear your logs the while. Pray, give me that; 24 I'll carry it to the pile.
Fer. No, precious creature: I had rather crack my sinews, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo, While I sit lazy by.
Mira. It would become me 28 As well as it does you: and I should do it With much more ease; for my good will is to it, And yours it is against.
Pro. Poor worm! thou art infected: This visitation shows it.
Mira. You look wearily. 32
Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me When you are by at night. I do beseech you— Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers— What is your name?
Mira. Miranda.—O my father! 36 I have broke your hest to say so.
Fer. Admir'd Miranda! Indeed, the top of admiration; worth What’s dearest to the world! Full many a lady I have ey'd with best regard, and many a time 40 The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues Have I lik'd several women; never any With so full soul but some defect in her 44 Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd, And put it to the foil: but you, O you! ​So perfect and so peerless, are created Of every creature's best.
Mira. I do not know 48 One of my sex; no woman's face remember, Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen More that I may call men than you, good friend, And my dear father: how features are abroad, 52 I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,— The jewel in my dower,—I would not wish Any companion in the world but you; Nor can imagination form a shape, 56 Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle Something too wildly and my father's precepts I therein do forget.
Fer. I am in my condition A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;— 60 I would not so!—and would no more endure This wooden slavery than to suffer The flesh-fly blow my mouth.—Hear my soul speak:— The very instant that I saw you, did 64 My heart fly to your service; there resides, To make me slave to it; and for your sake Am I this patient log-man.
Mira. Do you love me?
Fer. O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this sound, 68 And crown what I profess with kind event If I speak true: if hollowly, invert; What best is boded me to mischief! I, Beyond all limit of what else i' the world, 72 Do love, prize, honour you.
Mira. I am a fool To weep at what I am glad of.
​Pro. Fair encounter Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them!
Fer. Wherefore weep you? 76
Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer What I desire to give; and much less take What I shall die to want. But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself 80 The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning! And prompt me, plain and holy innocence! I am your wife, if you will marry me; If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow 84 You may deny me; but I'll be your servant Whether you will or no.
Fer. My mistress, dearest; And I thus humble ever.
Mira. My husband then?
Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing 88 As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.
Mira. And mine, with my heart in 't: and now farewell Till half an hour hence.
Fer. A thousand thousand!
Exeunt.
Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, 92 Who are surpris'd withal; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book; For yet, ere supper time, must I perform Much business appertaining. Exit.
Scene Two
[Another Part of the Island]
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.
Ste. 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. 4
Trin. 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 brained like us, the state totters. 8
Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail. 13
Ste. My man-monster hath drowned 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. 19
Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.
Ste. We'll not run, Monsieur monster.
Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither. 24
Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.
Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe. I'll not serve him, he is not valiant. 28
​Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever a man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster?
Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord? 36
Trin. 'Lord,' quoth he!—that a monster should be such a natural!
Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee. 40
Ste. 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. 44
Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd To hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?
Ste. Marry, will I; kneel, and repeat it: I will stand, and so shall Trinculo. 48
Enter Ariel, invisible.
Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.
Ari. Thou liest. 52
Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey thou; I would my valiant master would destroy thee; I do not lie.
Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth. 58
Trin. Why, I said nothing.
​Ste. Mum then and no more—[To Cali- ban.] Proceed.
Cal. 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,— 65
Ste. That's most certain.
Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it and I'll serve thee.
Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party? 69
Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee asleep, Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head.
Ari. Thou liest; thou canst not. 72
Cal. 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 76 Where the quick freshes are.
Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: in- terrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out o' doors and make a stock-fish of thee. 81
Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll go farther off.
Ste. Didst thou not say he lied? 84
Ari. Thou liest.
Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes Trin.] As you like this, give me the lie another time.
Trin. I did not give thee the lie:—Out o' your wits and hearing too?—A pox o' your ​bottle! this can sack and drinking do—A mur- rain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers! 92
Cal. Ha, ha, ha!
Ste. Now, forward with your tale.—Prithee stand further off.
Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time 96 I'll beat him too.
Ste. Stand farther.—Come, proceed.
Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him I' the afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him, Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log 100 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 104 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 109 The beauty of his daughter; he himself Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman, But only Sycorax my dam and she; 112 But she as far surpasseth Sycorax As great'st does least.
Ste. Is it so brave a lass?
Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant, And bring thee forth brave brood. 116
Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daugh- ter and I will be king and queen,—save our graces! and Trinculo and thyself shall be vice- roys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo? 120
​Trin. Excellent.
Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head. 124
Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep; Wilt thou destroy him then?
Ste. Ay, on mine honour.
Ari. This will I tell my master.
Cal. Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of pleasure. 128 Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch You taught me but while-ere?
Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. 132
Sings.
'Flout 'em, and scout 'em, And scout 'em, and flout 'em; Thought is free.'
Cal. That's not the tune.
Ariel plays the tune on a Tabor and Pipe.
Ste. What is this same? 136
Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.
Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take 't as thou list. 141
Trin. O, forgive me my sins!
Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. —Mercy upon us! 144
Cal. Art thou afeard?
Ste. No, monster, not I.
Cal. Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. 148 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 153 Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak'd, I cried to dream again.
Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me where I shall have my music for nothing.
Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.
Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story. 160
Trin. The sound is going away: let's follow it, and after do our work.
Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow.—I would I could see this taborer! he lays it on. Wilt come?
Trin. I'll follow, Stephano. Exeunt.
Scene Three
[Another Part of the Island]
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.
Gon. By'r lakin, I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here's a maze trod indeed, Through forth-rights, and meanders! by your patience, I needs must rest me.
​Alon. Old lord, I cannot blame thee, 4 Who am myself attach'd with weariness, To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest. Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it No longer for my flatterer: he is drown'd 8 Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he's so out of hope. Do not, for one repulse, forgo the purpose 12 That you resolv'd to effect.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] The next advantage Will we take throughly.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night; For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance 16 As when they are fresh.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say to-night: no more.
Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!
Gon. Marvellous sweet music!
Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these? 20
Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe That there are unicorns; that in Arabia There is one tree, the phœnix' throne; one phœnix ​At this hour reigning there.
Ant. I'll believe both; 24 And what does else want credit, come to me, And I'll be sworn 'tis true: travellers ne'er did lie, Though fools at home condemn them.
Gon. If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? If I should say I saw such islanders — 29 For, certes, these are people of the island,— Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note, Their manners are more gentle-kind than of 32 Our human generation you shall find Many, nay, almost any.
Pro. [Aside.] Honest lord, Thou hast said well; for some of you there present Are worse than devils.
Alon. I cannot too much muse 36 Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing,— Although they want the use of tongue,—a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pro. [Aside.] Praise in departing.
Fran. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb. No matter, since 40 They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.— Will 't please you to taste of what is here?
Alon. Not I.
Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, Who would believe that there were mountaineers 44 Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them ​Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find Each putter-out of five for one will bring us 48 Good warrant of.
Alon. I will stand to and feed, Although my last; no matter, since I feel The best is past—Brother, my lord the duke, Stand to and do as we. 52
Ari. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny— That hath to instrument this lower world And what is in 't,—the never-surfeited sea 55 Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing Alon., Seb., &c., draw their swords.] And even with such-like valour men hang and drown Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows 60 Are ministers of fate: the elements Of whom your swords are temper'd may as well Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish 64 One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt, Your swords are now too massy for your strengths, And will not be uplifted. But, remember,— 68 For that's my business to you,—that you three From Milan did supplant good Prospero; Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it, ​Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed 72 The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures, Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso, They have bereft; and do pronounce, by me, 76 Lingering perdition,—worse than any death Can be at once,—shall step by step attend You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from— 79 Which here in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,—is nothing but heart-sorrow And a clear life ensuing.
Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated 85 In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life And observations strange, my meaner ministers Their several kinds have done. My high charms work, 88 And these mine enemies are all knit up In their distractions: they now are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, while I visit Young Ferdinand,—whom they suppose is drown'd,— 92 And his and mine lov'd darling. [Exit above.]
Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?
Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous! ​Methought the billows spoke and told me of it; The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass. Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and 100 I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded. Exit.
Seb. But one fiend at a time, I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant. I'll be thy second.
Exeunt [Seb. and Ant.]
Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt, 104 Like poison given to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite the spirits.—I do beseech you That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly And hinder them from what this ecstasy 108 May now provoke them to.
Adr. Follow, I pray you. Exeunt omnes.
Footnotes to Act III
Scene One
​2 sets off: makes attractive 15 busy lest, when I do it; cf. n. ​32 visitation: sudden affliction (with pun on the meaning 'visit') 42 several: various 46 put . . . foil: defeated ​53 skilless: ignorant 58 Something: somewhat 59 condition: rank 70 invert: transform ​84 fellow: companion 89 bondage: one in bondage 93 withal: thereby 94 book: book of magic
Scene Two
​3 bear up: approach 10 set: fixed in a stare 19 standard: standard-bearer 20 no standard: i.e., cannot stand 23 go: walk ​30 in case: in a condition 38 natural: idiot ​73 pied: motley patch: fool 77 quick: gushing freshes: springs 81 stock-fish: dried cod ​102 wezand: windpipe 104 sot: fool ​129 catch: part-song 130 while-ere: recently 131 reason: the reasonable thing 135 S. d. Tabor: a small drum ​147 noises: sweet sounds
Scene Three
​1 By'r lakin: diminutive of 'by our Lady' 3 forth-rights: straight paths meanders: winding paths ​5 attach'd: attacked 14 throughly: thoroughly 17 S. d. top; cf. n. 21 drollery: puppet-show ​30 certes: certainly 36 muse: wonder at 39 Praise in departing; cf. n. 45 Dew-lapp'd; cf. n. ​48 putter-out . . . one: insured voyager 54 to: as 60 proper: own 65 dowle: softest feather 66 like: similarly 71 requit: requited ​82 S. d. mows: grimaces 86 good life: lifelike art 87 observations strange: rare observance 88 kinds: parts, rôles ​99 bass my trespass: proclaimed my sin in bass notes 108 ecstasy: madness