The Tempest: Act 4, Scene 1
Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND,
and MIRANDA.
PROSPERO
1 If I have too austerely punish'd you, 2 Your compensation makes amends, for I 3 Have given you here a third of mine own life,3. a third of mine own life: Why is Miranda only a third of Prospero's life? It's a topic worth discussing.
4 Or that for which I live; who once again 5 I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
5. thy vexations: i.e., my hostile treatment of you.
6 Were but my trials of thy love and thou 7 Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven,
7. strangely: wonderfully well, extraordinarily.
8 I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand, 9 Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
9. boast her off: i.e., praise her so highly.
10 For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise 11 And make it halt behind her.
11. halt: limp.
FERDINAND
11 I do believe it 12 Against an oracle.
12. Against an oracle: even if an oracle should declare otherwise.
PROSPERO
13 Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition 14 Worthily purchased take my daughter: but 15 If thou dost break her virgin-knot before 16 All sanctimonious ceremonies may
16. sanctimonious: sacred, holy.
17 With full and holy rite be minister'd, 18 No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall18. aspersion: dew, shower that promotes fertility and growth.
19 To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
19. grow: be fruitful.
20 Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew 21 The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
21. weeds: Instead of the flowers with which the marriage bed was supposed to be strewn. loathly: loathsome.
22 That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed, 23 As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
23. As Hymen's lamps shall light you: as you shall be guided by Hymen's torches; i.e., as you desire happiness in your marriage. >>>
FERDINAND
23 As I hope 24 For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
24. fair issue: beautiful children.
25 With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den, 26 The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
27 Our worser genius can, shall never melt26-27. the strong'st suggestion / Our worser genius can: the strongest temptation our evil genius is capable of.
28 Mine honour into lust, to take away 29 The edge of that day's celebration
29. that day's celebration: i.e., the celebration of the wedding of himself and Miranda.
30 When I shall think or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
31 Or Night kept chain'd below.
30-31. or Phoebus' . . . below: either the sun-god's horses have broken down and gone lame or Night has been chained in the underworld.
PROSPERO
31 Fairly spoke. 32 Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own. 33 What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!
Enter ARIEL.
ARIEL
34 What would my potent master? here I am.
PROSPERO
35 Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service 36 Did worthily perform; and I must use you 37 In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
37. trick: ingenious stage effect. rabble: gang, band of people; i.e., the lesser spirits that help Ariel carry out his illusions.
38 O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: 39 Incite them to quick motion; for I must 40 Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple 41 Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise, 42 And they expect it from me.
41. vanity: show, illusion.
ARIEL
42 Presently?
42. Presently: immediately.
PROSPERO
43 Ay, with a twink.
43. with a twink: in a twinkling.
ARIEL
44 Before you can say 'come' and 'go,' 45 And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,' 46 Each one, tripping on his toe, 47 Will be here with mop and mow.
47. mop and mow: gesture and grimace.
48 Do you love me, master? no?
PROSPERO
49 Dearly my delicate Ariel. Do not approach 50 Till thou dost hear me call. ARIEL
50 Well, I conceive.
50. conceive: understand.
Exit.
PROSPERO
51 Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
51. true: honest, true to your word.
52 Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw 53 To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, 54 Or else, good night your vow!
FERDINAND
54 I warrant you sir; 55 The white cold virgin snow upon my heart 56 Abates the ardour of my liver.
56. liver: Thought to be the seat of the passions.
PROSPERO
56 Well. 57 Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,
57. corollary: extra, supernumerary.
58 Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly!
58. want: lack. pertly: briskly.
[To Ferdinand and Miranda.]
59 No tongue! all eyes! be silent.
Soft music.
Enter IRIS.
IRIS
60 Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
60. Ceres: goddess of agriculture. leas: farmland.
61 Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and peas;
61. vetches: fodder plants. >>>
62 Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, 63 And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
63. stover: the leaves and stems left in fields after harvest of grain crops. them to keep: i.e., used to feed the sheep.
64 Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,64. pioned . . . brims: ???; see A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: THE TEMPEST.
65 Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
66 To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy 65. spongy: i.e., wet.
66. cold: chaste. broom: a yellow-flowered shrub.
66. cold: chaste. broom: a yellow-flowered shrub.
broom-groves, 67 Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
67. dismissed bachelor: rejected suitor.
68 Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;68. pole-clipt: embraced with supporting poles.
69 And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,69. sea-marge: sea shore.
70 Where thou thyself dost air;—the queen o' the sky,
70. queen o' the sky: Juno.
71 Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
71. watery arch: rainbow.
72 Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace, 73 Here on this grass-plot, in this very place, 74 To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:
74. peacocks: Juno's sacred birds. >>>
amain: swiftly, with full force or speed.
amain: swiftly, with full force or speed.
Juno descends.
75 Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
75. rich: bountiful. entertain: receive as a guest.
Enter CERES.
CERES
76 Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er 77 Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter; 78 Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers 79 Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers, 80 And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown 81 My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
81. bosky: wooded, covered with shrub. unshrubb'd down: shrubless upland.
82 Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen 83 Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
IRIS
84 A contract of true love to celebrate; 85 And some donation freely to estate
85. donation: gift. estate: bestow.
86 On the blest lovers. CERES
86 Tell me, heavenly bow,
86. bow: i.e., rainbow.
87 If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
87. son: Cupid.
88 Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot 89 The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
89. The means . . . got: the means by which dark Pluto kidnapped my daughter Proserpine.
90 Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
90. blind boy: Cupid. scandal'd: scandalous.
91 I have forsworn. IRIS
91 Of her society 92 Be not afraid: I met her deity 93 Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son
93. Paphos: a town on the island of Cyprus, sacred to Venus.
94 Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
94-95. Dove-drawn: Venus' chariot was drawn by her sacred doves. Here . . . maid: They meant to cast a lust-charm on Ferdinand and Miranda.
95 Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
96 Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid 97 Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain;
97. Hymen: God of marriage.
98 Mars's hot minion is returned again;
98. Mars's hot minion: lustful mistress. Venus and Mars were lovers. returned: i.e., to Paphos.
99 Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
99. waspish-headed: peevish.
100 Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows
100. sparrows: Like doves, sacred to Venus.
101 And be a boy right out.
101. right out: outright.
[JUNO alights.]
CERES
101 High'st queen of state,
101. High'st queen of state: most majestic queen.
102 Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.
102. her gait: her manner of walking; i.e., her queenly bearing.
JUNO
103 How does my bounteous sister? Go with me104 To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be105 And honour'd in their issue.
They sing:
JUNO
106 Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,107 Long continuance, and increasing,108 Hourly joys be still upon you!
108. still: always.
109 Juno sings her blessings upon you.
CERES
110 Earth's increase, foison plenty,
110. foison plenty: plentiful harvest, abundance.
111 Barns and garners never empty,112 Vines with clustering bunches growing,113 Plants with goodly burden bowing;114 Spring come to you at the farthest115 In the very end of harvest!
114-115. Spring . . . harvest: i.e., For you, the latest that spring will come is at the very end of harvest, so that you will never experience winter at all.
116 Scarcity and want shall shun you;117 Ceres' blessing so is on you. FERDINAND
118 This is a most majestic vision, and119 Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
119. charmingly: magically.
120 To think these spirits?
PROSPERO
120 Spirits, which by mine art121 I have from their confines call'd to enact122 My present fancies.
FERDINAND
122 Let me live here ever;123 So rare a wonder'd father and a wife124 Makes this place Paradise.
123. wonder'd: Prospero is "wonder'd" because he perfroms wonders; Miranda is "wonder'd" because she is herself a wonder.
Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on
employment.
PROSPERO
124 Sweet, now, silence!124. Sweet, now, silence: Probably addressed to Miranda.
125 Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;126 There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,127 Or else our spell is marr'd.
IRIS
128 You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks,
128. windring: winding and wandering? Either Shakespeare made up this word or it's a misprint for 'winding'.
129 With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
129. ever-harmless: ever-innocent.
130 Leave your crisp channels and on this green land
130. crisp: curled, rippling.
131 Answer your summons; Juno does command:132 Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
132. temperate: chaste.
133 A contract of true love; be not too late.
Enter certain NYMPHS.
134 You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,135 Come hither from the furrow and be merry:136 Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on137 And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
137. fresh: young and beautiful. encounter: meet.
138 In country footing.
138. 
properly habited: in the traditional garb of harvesters.
starts: makes an agitated movement.
heavily: sadly, gracelessly.country footing: country dancing.
properly habited: in the traditional garb of harvesters.
starts: makes an agitated movement.
heavily: sadly, gracelessly.
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.]
139 I had forgot that foul conspiracy140 Of the beast Caliban and his confederates141 Against my life: the minute of their plot142 Is almost come.
[To the Spirits.]
142 Well done! avoid; no more!
142. avoid: depart, withdraw, be gone.
FERDINAND
143 This is strange: your father's in some passion144 That works him strongly.
144. works: affects, agitates.
MIRANDA
144 Never till this day145 Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
145. distemper'd: unrestrained.
PROSPERO
146 You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
146. mov'd sort: troubled state.
147 As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.148 Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
148. revels: festivity, entertainment.
149 As I foretold you, were all spirits and150 Are melted into air, into thin air:151 And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
151. baseless fabric: structure without a physical foundation.
152 The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,153 The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
153. the great globe itself: all the world. >>>
154 Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
154. all which it inherit: all who live on it.
155 And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
155. insubstantial: without material substance.
156 Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
156. rack: wisp of cloud driven before the wind.
157 As dreams are made on, and our little life158 Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd;
158. rounded: surrounded.
159 Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.160 Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:161 If you be pleased, retire into my cell162 And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,163 To still my beating mind.
FERDINAND, MIRANDA
163 We wish your peace.
PROSPERO
[To Ariel.]
164 Come with a thought.
164. Come with a thought: i.e., Let my thinking of you make you come to me at once.
[To Ferdinand and Miranda.]
164 I thank thee. Exeunt [Ferdinand and Miranda.]
164 Ariel! come. Enter ARIEL.
ARIEL
165 Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?
PROSPERO
165 Spirit,166 We must prepare to meet with Caliban. ARIEL
167 Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
168 I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd169 Lest I might anger thee.
PROSPERO
170 Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
170. varlets: ruffians, rascals.
ARIEL
171 I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;172 So full of valor that they smote the air173 For breathing in their faces; beat the ground174 For kissing of their feet; yet always bending175 Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour;
174-175. bending / Towards their project: pursuing their purpose (which was the murder of Prospero).
176 At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
176. unback'd: never ridden.
177 Advanc'd their eyelids, lifted up their noses
177. Advanc'd: raised.
178 As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears
178. As: as if.
179 That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through180 Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,
180. goss: gorse, a prickly shrub
181 Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them182 I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
182. filthy-mantled: covered with dirty scum.
183 There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake184 O'erstunk their feet.
PROSPERO
184 This was well done, my bird.
184. bird: A term of endearment.
185 Thy shape invisible retain thou still:186 The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
186. trumpery: cheap, showy finery (the "glistering apparel" of the stage direction following line 193).
187 For stale to catch these thieves.
187. stale: decoy, bait.
ARIEL
187 I go, I go.
Exit.
PROSPERO
188 A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
188. A devil, a born devil: Prospero is describing Caliban.
189 Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,190 Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;191 And as with age his body uglier grows,192 So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
192. cankers: becomes malignant.
193 Even to roaring.
Enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering
apparel, etc.193 Come, hang them on this line.
Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and
TRINCULO, all wet.
CALIBAN
194 Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
194. mole: Moles were thought to have sensitive hearing.
195 Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.
STEPHANO
196 Monster, your fairy, which you say is197 a harmless fairy, has done little better than198 played the Jack with us.
198. played the Jack: done a mean trick.
TRINCULO
199 Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at199. I do smell all horse-piss: I smell like horse-piss. (There are horses on the island?)
200 which my nose is in great indignation.
STEPHANO
201 So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take202 a displeasure against you, look you,—
TRINCULO
203 Thou wert but a lost monster.
CALIBAN
204 Good my lord, give me thy favour still.205 Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to206 Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.
206. hoodwink: make you blind to (a hawking term); i.e., make up for.
207 All's hush'd as midnight yet.
TRINCULO
208 Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,—
STEPHANO
209 There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,210 monster, but an infinite loss.
TRINCULO
211 That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your212 harmless fairy, monster.
STEPHANO
213 I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears214 for my labor.
CALIBAN
215 Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,216 This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.217 Do that good mischief which may make this island218 Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,219 For aye thy foot-licker.
STEPHANO
220 Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody221 thoughts.
TRINCULO
222 O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look
222. peer: a noble, a member of the peerage.
223 what a wardrobe here is for thee!
CALIBAN
224 Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
TRINCULO
225 O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery.
225. frippery: a collection of fancy clothes.
226 O king Stephano!
STEPHANO
227 Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have228 that gown.
TRINCULO
229 Thy grace shall have it.
CALIBAN
230 The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
230. dropsy: a morbid condition characterized by the accumulation of watery fluid in the body.
231 To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone
231. luggage: heavy trash to be lugged away. Let's alone: let it alone.
232 And do the murder first: if he awake,233 From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,234 Make us strange stuff.
STEPHANO
235 Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not236 this my jerkin?
236. jerkin: a kind of jacket made of leather.
[Takes the jerkin down from the line.]
236 Now is the jerkin under the line: now,
under the line: Sailors who went "under the line," south of the equator, could lose their hair from scurvy, which was caused by lack of fresh food on the long voyage.
237 jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald238 jerkin.
TRINCULO
239 Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like
239. Do, do: i.e., "bravo." by line and level: with plumb-line and carpenter's level; i.e., with professional skill. an't like: if it please.
240 your grace.
STEPHANO
241 I thank thee for that jest;
[Takes a garment from the line and hands it to Trinculo.]
241 here's a garment for't:242 wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this243 country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent244 pass of pate; there's another garment for't.
244. pass of pate: witty thrust.
TRINCULO
245 Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers,
245. lime: birdlime, a sticky substance; thieves were jokingly said to have lime on their fingers.
246 and away with the rest.
CALIBAN
247 I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,248 And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
249 With foreheads villanous low.
STEPHANO
250 Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this251 away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you252 out of my kingdom: go to, carry this.
252. go to: i.e., stop being stupid, let's go. carry this: Stephano hands Caliban some shiny piece of clothing that he has just taken off the clothes line.
TRINCULO
253 And this.
STEPHANO
254 Ay, and this.
A noise of hunters heard. Enter diverse
SPIRITS, in shape of dogs and hounds,
hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel
setting them on.
PROSPERO
255 Hey, Mountain, hey!
ARIEL
256 Silver! there it goes, Silver!
PROSPERO
257 Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!
255-257. Mountain . . . Silver . . . Fury . . . Tyrant: These are typical names of ferocious hounds.
[Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are
driven out.]
258 Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints259 With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews259. dry convulsions: dry heaves?
260 With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them260. aged cramps: cramps like old people have.
261 Than pard or cat o' mountain.
261. pard: panther or leopard. cat o' mountain: catamount, wildcat.
ARIEL
261 Hark, they roar!
PROSPERO
262 Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour263 Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:264 Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou265 Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little266 Follow, and do me service. Exeunt.