The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 1
A tempestuous noise of thunder
and lightning heard. Enter a
SHIP-MASTER and a BOATSWAIN.
BOATSWAIN: He's the petty officer who supervises the work of the crew.
Master
1 Boatswain! Boatswain
2 Here, master: what cheer?2. Here: Short for "I'm right here." What cheer? This is a traditional greeting; here it means "How we doing?"
Master
3 Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely,3. Good: Short for "Good man." Here, it's a term of respect. yarely: smartly, nimbly.
4 or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Exit.
Enter MARINERS.
Boatswain
5 Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! 6 yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the6. Tend: mind, pay attention to. 
7-8. Blow . . . if room enough: —The Boatswain is yelling at the storm, telling it that his ship can ride out the storm so long as it has sea-room in which to maneuver without running aground.
7-8. Blow . . . if room enough: —The Boatswain is yelling at the storm, telling it that his ship can ride out the storm so long as it has sea-room in which to maneuver without running aground.
7 master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, 8 if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO,
FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others.
ALONSO
9 Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? 10 Play the men.10. Play the men: whistle orders to the sailors. —It is ironic that Alonso is so panicked that he doesn't realize that the men are already following the orders being given via the master's whistle.
Boatswain
11 I pray now, keep below. ANTONIO
12 Where is the master, boatswain? Boatswain
13 Do you not hear him? You mar our labor: keep your 14 cabins: you do assist the storm. GONZALO
15 Nay, good, be patient. 15. good: Short for "good man." Here it's a bit condescending.
Boatswain
16 When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers
16. roarers: waves and winds. —Also, "roaring boy" was a term for a swaggering bully.
17 for the name of king? To cabin: silence! 18 trouble us not. GONZALO
19 Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.19. remember . . . aboard: Gonzalo believes the boatswain ought to be more respectful to Alonso, a king, and Antonio, a duke.
Boatswain
20 None that I more love than myself. You are a 21 counsellor; if you can command these elements to
21. counsellor: member of the King's council, and therefore a person of authority. 22. work the peace of the present: bring calm to our present circumstances. 23. hand: handle.
22 silence, and work the peace of the present, we will 23 not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you 24 cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make 25 yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of 26 the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out
26. hap: happen.
27 of our way, I say. Exit.
GONZALO
28 I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he
28-30. he hath . . . gallows: Alluding to the proverb "He that is born to be hanged need fear no drowning." 29. complexion: temperament. 31-32. make the rope . . . gallows: make the rope that will hang him our anchor chain, since our actual one now does us little good.
29 hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is 30 perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his 31 hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, 32 for our own doth little advantage. If he be not 33 born to be hanged, our case is miserable.33. our case is miserable: our circumstances are desperate.
Exeunt.
Enter BOATSWAIN.
Boatswain
34 Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring
34-35. Bring her to try with main-course: Keep her close to the wind by means of the mainsail. If the ship is "close to the wind" (sailing as much as possible toward direction that the wind comes from), it has a chance of riding over the waves, but if the ship gets crosswise to the wind it is likely to capsize.
35 her to try with main-course. (A cry within.)
36 A plague upon this howling! they are louder than 37 the weather or our office.
37. office: duties. The Boatswain means that his passengers are making so much noise that it drowns out the orders he is giving to the sailors.
Enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO.
38 Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er 39 and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
38. give o'er: give up.
SEBASTIAN
40 A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, 41 incharitable dog! Boatswain
42 Work you then. ANTONIO
43 Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker! 44 We are less afraid to be drowned than 45 thou art. GONZALO
46 I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were
46. warrant him for drowning: guarantee that he will never be drowned.
47 no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an 48 unstanched wench.
48. unstanched: not watertight. wench: girl, young woman, female servant, wanton woman. >>>
Boatswain
49 Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to
49. a-hold: a-hull, close to the wind. courses: points of the compass. off to sea: offshore; out into open water.
50 sea again; lay her off. Enter MARINERS wet.
Mariners
51 All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all 52 lost! [Exeunt.]
Boatswain
53 What, must our mouths be cold?
53. must our mouths be cold?: must we die?
GONZALO
54 The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them, 55 For our case is as theirs. SEBASTIAN
55 I'm out of patience. ANTONIO
56 We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
56. merely: simply.
57 This wide-chapp'd rascal—would thou mightst lie
57. wide-chapp'd: big-mouthed, loud-mouthed. 57‑58. lie . . . ten tides! Pirates were hanged at the low water mark and left there until three tides had washed over them.
drowning 58 The washing of ten tides! GONZALO
58 He'll be hang'd yet, 59 Though every drop of water swear against it 60 And gape at widest to glut him.
60. gape at widest to glut him: open its mouth to the widest in order to gulp him down.
A confused noise within:
60 'Mercy on us!'— 61 'We split, we split!'—'Farewell, my wife and children!'—
61. split: break apart.
62 'Farewell, brother!'—'We split, we split, we split!'. [Exit Boatswain]
ANTONIO
63 Let's all sink with the king. SEBASTIAN
64 Let's take leave of him.
64. take leave of him: say goodbye (and save ourselves).
Exit [with Antonio]
GONZALO
65 Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for 65. furlongs: about 220 yards.
66 an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze,
66. heath: heather. furze: gorse. Both plants grow in scrubland that is no good for farming.
67 any thing. The wills above be done! but I would 68 fain die a dry death.
68. fain: rather.
Exit.