Home > The Tempest Text > Act IV, Scene I - Page 2

PROSP:

[aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban and his confederates(155)
Against my life. The minute of their plot
Is almost come. [to the spirits] Well done! Avoid;
no more!

PROSP:

I had forgotten about that evil conspiracy
Against my life by the beast Caliban and his confederates:
It is almost time for them to execute their plot.

Well done! avoid; no
more!

[To a strange, hollow, and confused noise, the spirits heavily vanish]

FERD:

[to Miranda] This is strange. Your father's in some
passion(160)
That works him strongly.

FERD:

This is strange: your father's in some state
That moves him strongly.

MIRANDA:

Never till this day
Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.

MIRANDA:

Never until this day
Have I seen him touched with such heated anger,

PROSP:

You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismayed. Be cheerful, sir.(165)
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-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,(170)
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(175)
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed.
Bear with my weakness. My brain is troubled.
Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
If you be pleased, retire into my cell
And there repose. A turn or two I'll walk(180)
To still my beating mind.

PROSP:

You look, my son, in a moved way,
As if you were worried: be cheerful, sir:
Our celebrations are now ended. These our actors,
As I told you before, were all spirits and
Have melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the invisible fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great world itself,
Yes, all who inherit it, shall dissolve
And leave not even a clue behind,
As this pageant of no substance faded.
We are similar stuff to that
That dreams are made of, and our little life
Is surrounded with a sleep.—Sir, I am annoyed:
Have patience with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Don’t be disturbed by my weakness.
If you like, please go into my dwelling
And rest there: I’ll walk a turn or two,
To still my beating mind.

FERD AND MIRANDA:

We wish your peace.

FERD AND MIRANDA:

We wish your peace.

[Exeunt]

PROSP:

Come with a thought! than thee, Ariel. Come!

PROSP:

Come, with a thought.—

Thank you:
Ariel, come!

[Enter Ariel]

ARIEL:

Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?

ARIEL:

I hang onto your thoughts. What's your pleasure?

PROSP:

Spirit,(185)
We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

PROSP:

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 feared
Lest I might anger thee.

ARIEL:

Yes, my commander; when I presented Ceres,
I thought to have told you about it: but I was afraid
I might anger you.

PROSP:

Say again: where didst thou leave these variets?(190)

PROSP:

Tell me again, where did you leave these varlets?

ARIEL:

I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
So fun 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 tabour,(195)
At which, like unbacked colts, they pricked their ears,
Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
As they smelt music. So I charmed their ears
That calf-like they my lowing followed through
Toothed briars, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,(200)
Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them
I'th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake
O'er-stunk their feet.

ARIEL:

I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
So full of smoothness that they beat the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my drum,
At which, like unbroken colts, they listened, startled,
Opened their eyes wide, lifted up their noses
As if they smelled music: so I put a spell on their ears,
So that, they followed my sound like calves, followed me through
Prickly briers, sharp needled bushes, pricking plants and thorns,
Which stuck into their frail shins; at last, I left them
In the filth-covered pool beyond your dwelling,
There dancing up to their chins, so that the foul lake
Stunk worse than their feet.

PROSP:

This was well done, my bird.(205)
Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither
For stale catch these thieves.

PROSP:

Well done, my bird.
Keep your shape invisible still:
The trashy clothes in my house, bring them here
As a decoy to catch these thieves.

ARIEL:

I go, I go.

ARIEL:

I’m going. I’m going.

[Exit]

PROSP:

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature(210)
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.(215)

[Re-enter] Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, etc.]

Come, hang them on this line.

PROSP:

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Kindness can never stick; on whom my pains,
Taken humanely are all, all lost, quite lost;
And as his body grows uglier with age,
So his mind is diseased. I will plague them all,
Even to the point of their roaring.

Come, hang them on this line.

[Ariel hangs up the apparel. Exeunt Prospero and Ariel]

[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.

CALIBAN:

Please, walk softly, so that the blind mole won’t
Hear a step; we are now near his dwelling.

STEPH:

Monster, you fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has
done little better than played the Jack with us.(220)

STEPH:

Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless
fairy, has done little better than played us
for fools.

TRINC:

Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is
in great indignation.

TRINC:

Monster, I smell all horse-piss, at which my
nose is highly offended.

STEPH:

So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a
displeasure against you, look you—

STEPH:

So is mine.—Do you hear, monster? If I should
take a displeasure against you, look you,—

TRINC:

Thou wert but a lost monster.(225)

TRINC:

You were only 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 hushed as midnight yet.

CALIBAN:

Good my lord, still look favorably on me:
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring you to
Shall surpass this mistake: therefore speak softly;
All is still as quiet as midnight.

TRINC:

Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!(230)

TRINC:

Yes, but to lose our bottles in the pool!—

STEPH:

There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster,
but an infinite loss.

STEPH:

There is not only disgrace and dishonor in
that, monster, but also an infinite loss.

TRINC:

That's more to me than my wetting. Yet this is your harmless
fairy monster.

TRINC:

That means more to me than getting wet: still this is
your harmless fairy, monster.

STEPH:

I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for(235)
my labour.

STEPH:

I will fetch off my bottle, although I’ll be head over
heels in muck for my efforts.

CALIBAN:

Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here;
This is the mouth o‘th’ cell. No noise, and enter.
Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,(240)
For aye thy foot-licker.

CALIBAN:

Please, my king, be quiet. Look here,
This is the mouth of the dwelling: make no noise and enter.
Do that good deed which may make this island
Your own forever, and I, your Caliban,
Your foot-licker forever.

STEPH:

Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody
thoughts.

STEPH:

Give me your hand: I begin to have bloody
thoughts.

TRINC:

[seeing the apparel] O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy
Stephano!(245)
Look what a wardrobe here is for thee!

TRINC:

O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano!
Look what a wardrobe is here for you!

CALIBAN:

Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

CALIBAN:

Let it alone, you fool; it is only trash.

TRINC:

[putting on a garment] O, ho, monster! We know what
belongs to flippers. O King Stephano!

TRINC:

O, ho, monster! We know what belongs to
trashy clothes.—O King Stephano!

STEPH:

Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I'll have that(250)
gown.

STEPH:

Take off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll
have that gown.

TRINC:

Thy grace shall have it.

TRINC:

Your Grace shall have it.

CALIBAN:

The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
To dote thus on such luggage? Let't alone,
And do the murder first. If he awake,(255)
From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
Make us strange stuff.

CALIBAN:

The swelling disease drown this fool! What do you mean
By being so stupidly fond like this on such goods? Let's get going
And do the murder first. If he awakens,
He'll fill our skins with pinches from toe to head;
Turn us into strange stuff.

STEPH:

Be you quiet, monster. Mistress lime, 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.(260)

STEPH:

Are you quiet, monster.—Mistress Line, isn’t
this my jacket? Now the jacket is under the line: now,
jacket, you are likely to lose your hair, and wind up a bald
jacket.

TRINC:

Do, do! We steal by line and level, an't like your
grace.

TRINC:

Do, do: we steal by straight line and level, if it pleases
your Grace.

STEPH:

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.(265)
There's another garment for't.

STEPH:

I thank you for that joke: here's a garment
for it: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of
this country: “we steal by straight line and level,” is an excellent
use of the head: there's another garment for it.

TRINC:

Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers,
and away with the rest.

TRINC:

Monster, come, put some sticky stuff on your fingers,
and take away all the rest.

CALIBAN:

I will have none on't. We shall lose our time,
And all be turned to barnacles, or to apes(270)
With foreheads villanous low.

CALIBAN:

I’ll have none of it. We shall lose our opportunity,
And we’ll all be turned into geese, or into apes
With villainous, low foreheads.

STEPH:

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.

STEPH:

Monster, move your fingers: help carry this
away to where my store of wine is, or I'll throw you out
of my kingdom. Go on; carry this.

TRINC:

And this.(275)

TRINC:

And this.

STEPH:

Ay, and this. [They load Caliban with the apparel]

STEPH:

Yes, and this.

[A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers spirits in the shape of dogs and hounds, and hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel setting them on]

PROSP:

Hey, Mountain, hey!

PROSP:

Hey, Mountain, hey!

ARIEL:

Silver! I there it goes, Silver!

ARIEL:

Silver! There it goes, Silver!