Scene III

Another part of the island.

[Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco]

GONZALO:

[to Alonso] By'r lakin, I can go no further, sir.
My old bones ache. Here's a maze trod indeed
Through forthrights and meanders! By your patience,
I needs must rest me.

GONZALO:

Damn it, I can’t go any farther, sir;
My old bones ache: here's a well-walked maze, indeed,
Through straights and circles! Be patient,
I have to rest.

ALONSO:

Old lord, I cannot blame thee,(5)
Who am myself attached with weariness,
To th’ 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 drowned
Whom thus we stray to find, and the sea mocks(10)
Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

ALONSO:

Old lord, I can’t blame you.
I am so exhausted
My spirits are dulled; sit down and rest.
Here, I will even give up my hope, and no longer
Keep it as my flatterer: he is drowned
Whom we stray like this to find; and the sea makes fun of
Our frustrated search on land. Well, let him go.

[They sit]

ANTONIO:

[aside to Sebastian] I am right glad that he's so out
of hope.
Do not for one repulse forgo the purpose
That you resolved t'effect.(15)

ANTONIO:

I am very glad that he's
so out of hope.
Don’t, for one denial, lose the action
That you swore to do.

SEBASTIAN:

[aside to Antonio] The next advantage
Will we take throughly.

SEBASTIAN:

We will take the next
Advantage thoroughly.

ANTONIA:

[aside to Sebastian] Let it be tonight;
For now they are oppressed with travel. They
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance(20)
As when they are fresh

ANTONIA:

Let it be tonight;
Because, now they are tired from traveling, they
Won’t, or can’t, use similar care in keeping watch
As when they are fresh.

SEBASTIAN:

[aside to Antonio] I say tonight. No more.

SEBASTIAN:

I say, tonight: no more.

[Solemn and strange music]

[Enter Prospero, invisible]

ALONSO:

What harmony is this? My good friends, hark!

ALONSO:

What music is this? My good friends, listen!

GONZALO:

Marvellous sweet music!

GONZALO:

Marvelous sweet music!

[Enter several strange shapes, bringing in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King and his companions to eat, they depart]

ALONSO:

Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these?(25)

ALONSO:

Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these?

SEBASTIAN:

A living drollery. Now I will believe
That there are unicorns, that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phoenix’ throne, one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.

SEBASTIAN:

A living puppet show. Now I will believe
That there are unicorns; that in Arabia
There is one tree, the throne of the phoenix; one phoenix
Reigning there now.

ANTONIO:

I'll believe both;(30)
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 ’em.

ANTONIO:

I'll believe both;
And what else to believe, come to me,
And I’ll swear it is true: travelers never did lie,
Though fools at home condemn them.

GONZALO:

If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me’(35)
If I should say I saw such islanders?
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
Our human generation you shall find(40)
Many, nay, almost any.

GONZALO:

If I should report this now in Naples,
Would they believe me? If I should say, I saw similar islanders,—
Because, truly, these are people of the island,—
Who, though, they are of monstrous shape, yet, notice that
Their manners are more gentle than those of
Our human generation that you shall find
Many, no, almost any.

PROSP:

[aside] Honest lord,
Thou hast said well, for some of you there present
Are worse than devils.

PROSP:

Honest lord,
What you say is true, because some of you there present
Are worse than devils.

ALONSA:

I cannot too much muse.(45)
Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing—
Although they want the use of tongue, a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.

ALONSA:

I can’t think too much about
Similar shapes, similar gesture, and similar sound, expressing,—
Although they are silent,—a kind
Of excellent, wordless conversation.

PROSP:

[aside] Praise in departing.

PROSP:

Praise in departing.

FRANCISCO:

They vanished strangely.(50)

FRANCISCO:

They vanished strangely.

SEBASTIAN:

No matter, since
They have left their viands behind, for we have stomachs.
Will't please you taste of what is here?

SEBASTIAN:

It doesn’t matter, since
They have left their foods behind; because we have stomachs.—
Will you please taste what is here?

ALONSO:

Not I.

ALONSO:

Not I.

GONZALO:

Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,(55)
Who would believe that there were mountaineers
Dewlapped like bulls, whose throats had hanging at ’em
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(60)
Good warrant of.

GONZALO:

Truly, sir, you don’t need to be afraid. When we were boys,
Who would believe that there were mountaineers
Covered with dew like bulls, who had throats with pockets
Of flesh hanging from them? Or that there were similar men
Whose heads were in their chests? Now we find that
One traveler out of five will bring us
News about them.

ALONSO:

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.(65)

ALONSO:

I will obey and eat,
Although it is my last meal; it doesn’t matter, since I feel
The best is past.—Brother, my lord the duke,
Obey and do as we.

[Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio approach the table.]

[Thunder and lightning]. Enter Ariel, like a harpy, claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes]

ARIEL:

You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,
That hath to instrument this lower world
And what is in't, the never-surfeited sea
Hath caused to belch up you, and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit, you ’mongst men(70)
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad,
And even with suchlike valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves.

[Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio draw their swords]

You fools! I and my fellows(75)
Are ministers of Fate. The elements,
Of whom your swords are tempered, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowl that's in my plume. My fellow ministers(80)
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths
And will not be uplifted.

[Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio stand bewildered]

But remember,
For that's my business to you, that you three(85)
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child; for which foul deed,
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,(90)
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft, and do pronounce by me
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—(95)
Which here in this most desolate isle else falls
Upon your heads—is nothing but heart's sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.

ARIEL:

You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,
That has the power over this lower world
And what is in it,—has caused the never-satisfied sea
to spit up you; and on this island
Where man doesn’t live, you among men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you crazy:

And even with similar courage, men hang and drown
Themselves. You fools! I and my fellows
Are ministers of fate: the elements
Of which your swords are made may as well
Stab the loud winds, or with stabs to be laughed at,
Kill the still-closing waters, as to diminish
One tiny hole that's in my feathers; my fellow-ministers
Are also immune from attack. If you could hurt us,
Your swords are now too heavy for your strengths,
And won’t be lifted up. But, remember—
Because that's my business to you,—that you three
From Milan replaced good Prospero;
Exposed him and his innocent child to the sea,
Which has repaid it: for which evil deed,
The powers, delaying but not forgetting, have
Angered the seas and shores, yes, all the creatures,
Against your peace of mind. They have taken your son, Alonso,
From you; and pronounce, through me, that
Lingering suffering,—worse than any death
Can be all at once,—shall follow you and your travels
Step by step. Nothing but repenting in your hearts
And following a clear life will guard you from that anger
Which here, in this most desolate island, would fall
On your heads.

[He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the shapes again, and dance with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table]

PROSP:

Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Performed, my Ariel; a grace it had devouring.(100)
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hast to say. So, with good life
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done. My high charms work,
And these mine enemies are all knit up(105)
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 drowned,
And his and mine loved darling.

PROSP:

You have bravely performed the figure of this spirit,
My Ariel; it had a grace, devouring;
You have withheld nothing of my instruction
In what you had to say: so, my meaner ministers
Have done their different tasks
With good spirit and strange observation of my orders.
My high charms work,
And these my enemies are all caught up
In these distractions; they are now in my power;
And I leave them in these fits, while I visit
Young Ferdinand,—whom they think is drowned,—
And his and my loved darling.

[Exit above]

GONZALO:

I'th’ name of something holy sir, why stand you(110)
In this strange stare?

GONZALO:

In the name of something holy, sir, why stand you here
In this strange stare?

ALONSO:

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, pronounced(115)
The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i'th’ ooze is bedded, and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.

ALONSO:

O, it is monstrous! Monstrous!
I thought the clouds spoke and told me about it;
The winds sang it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced
The name of Prospero: it proclaimed my sin.
Therefore my son is embedded in the ooze; and
I'll seek him deeper than a piece of lead ever measured
How deep the water is, and I will lie there with him in the mud.

[Exit]

SEBASTIAN:

But one fiend at a time,(120)
I'll fight their legions o'er.

SEBASTIAN:

Give me only one evil enemy at a time, and
I'll fight their legions again and again.

ANTONIO:

I'll be thy second.

ANTONIO:

I'll be right behind you.

[Exeunt Sebastian and Antonio]

GONZALO:

All three of them are desperate. Their great guilt,
Like poison given to work a great time after,
Now ’gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you(125)
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from this ecstasy
May now provoke them to.

GONZALO:

All three of them are desperate: their great guilt,
Like a time-released poison,
Now begins to bite the spirits. I beg you,
Whose joints move easier than mine to follow them swiftly
And stop them from what this vision
May now provoke them to do.