Complete Plays, The Page 45

  A solemn air and the best comforter

  To an unsettled fancy cure thy brains,

  Now useless, boil’d within thy skull! There stand,

  For you are spell-stopp’d.

  Holy Gonzalo, honourable man,

  Mine eyes, even sociable to the show of thine,

  Fall fellowly drops. The charm dissolves apace,

  And as the morning steals upon the night,

  Melting the darkness, so their rising senses

  Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle

  Their clearer reason. O good Gonzalo,

  My true preserver, and a loyal sir

  To him you follow’st! I will pay thy graces

  Home both in word and deed. Most cruelly

  Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter:

  Thy brother was a furtherer in the act.

  Thou art pinch’d fort now, Sebastian. Flesh and blood,

  You, brother mine, that entertain’d ambition,

  Expell’d remorse and nature; who, with Sebastian,

  Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,

  Would here have kill’d your king; I do forgive thee,

  Unnatural though thou art. Their understanding

  Begins to swell, and the approaching tide

  Will shortly fill the reasonable shore

  That now lies foul and muddy. Not one of them

  That yet looks on me, or would know me Ariel,

  Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell:

  I will discase me, and myself present

  As I was sometime Milan: quickly, spirit;

  Thou shalt ere long be free.

  Ariel sings and helps to attire him

  Where the bee sucks. there suck I:

  In a cowslip’s bell I lie;

  There I couch when owls do cry.

  On the bat’s back I do fly

  After summer merrily.

  Merrily, merrily shall I live now

  Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

  Prospero

  Why, that’s my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee:

  But yet thou shalt have freedom: so, so, so.

  To the king’s ship, invisible as thou art:

  There shalt thou find the mariners asleep

  Under the hatches; the master and the boatswain

  Being awake, enforce them to this place,

  And presently, I prithee.

  Ariel

  I drink the air before me, and return

  Or ere your pulse twice beat.

  Exit

  Gonzalo

  All torment, trouble, wonder and amazement

  Inhabits here: some heavenly power guide us

  Out of this fearful country!

  Prospero

  Behold, sir king,

  The wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero:

  For more assurance that a living prince

  Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;

  And to thee and thy company I bid

  A hearty welcome.

  Alonso

  Whether thou best he or no,

  Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,

  As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse

  Beats as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,

  The affliction of my mind amends, with which,

  I fear, a madness held me: this must crave,

  An if this be at all, a most strange story.

  Thy dukedom I resign and do entreat

  Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should Prospero

  Be living and be here?

  Prospero

  First, noble friend,

  Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot

  Be measured or confined.

  Gonzalo

  Whether this be

  Or be not, I’ll not swear.

  Prospero

  You do yet taste

  Some subtilties o’ the isle, that will not let you

  Believe things certain. Welcome, my friends all!

  Aside to Sebastian and Antonio

  But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded,

  I here could pluck his highness’ frown upon you

  And justify you traitors: at this time

  I will tell no tales.

  Sebastian

  [Aside] The devil speaks in him.

  Prospero

  No.

  For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother

  Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive

  Thy rankest fault; all of them; and require

  My dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know,

  Thou must restore.

  Alonso

  If thou be’st Prospero,

  Give us particulars of thy preservation;

  How thou hast met us here, who three hours since

  Were wreck’d upon this shore; where I have lost —

  How sharp the point of this remembrance is!—

  My dear son Ferdinand.

  Prospero

  I am woe for’t, sir.

  Alonso

  Irreparable is the loss, and patience

  Says it is past her cure.

  Prospero

  I rather think

  You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace

  For the like loss I have her sovereign aid

  And rest myself content.

  Alonso

  You the like loss!

  Prospero

  As great to me as late; and, supportable

  To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker

  Than you may call to comfort you, for I

  Have lost my daughter.

  Alonso

  A daughter?

  O heavens, that they were living both in Naples,

  The king and queen there! that they were, I wish

  Myself were mudded in that oozy bed

  Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

  Prospero

  In this last tempest. I perceive these lords

  At this encounter do so much admire

  That they devour their reason and scarce think

  Their eyes do offices of truth, their words

  Are natural breath: but, howsoe’er you have

  Been justled from your senses, know for certain

  That I am Prospero and that very duke

  Which was thrust forth of Milan, who most strangely

  Upon this shore, where you were wreck’d, was landed,

  To be the lord on’t. No more yet of this;

  For ’tis a chronicle of day by day,

  Not a relation for a breakfast nor

  Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, sir;

  This cell’s my court: here have I few attendants

  And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.

  My dukedom since you have given me again,

  I will requite you with as good a thing;

  At least bring forth a wonder, to content ye

  As much as me my dukedom.

  Here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda playing at chess

  Miranda

  Sweet lord, you play me false.

  Ferdinand

  No, my dear’st love,

  I would not for the world.

  Miranda

  Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle,

  And I would call it, fair play.

  Alonso

  If this prove

  A vision of the Island, one dear son

  Shall I twice lose.

  Sebastian

  A most high miracle!

  Ferdinand

  Though the seas threaten, they are merciful;

  I have cursed them without cause.

  Kneels

  Alonso

  Now all the blessings

  Of a glad father compass thee about!

  Arise, and say how thou camest here.

  Miranda

  O, wonder!

  How many goodly creatures are
there here!

  How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

  That has such people in’t!

  Prospero

  ’Tis new to thee.

  Alonso

  What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?

  Your eld’st acquaintance cannot be three hours:

  Is she the goddess that hath sever’d us,

  And brought us thus together?

  Ferdinand

  Sir, she is mortal;

  But by immortal Providence she’s mine:

  I chose her when I could not ask my father

  For his advice, nor thought I had one. She

  Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,

  Of whom so often I have heard renown,

  But never saw before; of whom I have

  Received a second life; and second father

  This lady makes him to me.

  Alonso

  I am hers:

  But, O, how oddly will it sound that I

  Must ask my child forgiveness!

  Prospero

  There, sir, stop:

  Let us not burthen our remembrance with

  A heaviness that’s gone.

  Gonzalo

  I have inly wept,

  Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you god,

  And on this couple drop a blessed crown!

  For it is you that have chalk’d forth the way

  Which brought us hither.

  Alonso

  I say, Amen, Gonzalo!

  Gonzalo

  Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue

  Should become kings of Naples? O, rejoice

  Beyond a common joy, and set it down

  With gold on lasting pillars: In one voyage

  Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis,

  And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife

  Where he himself was lost, Prospero his dukedom

  In a poor isle and all of us ourselves

  When no man was his own.

  Alonso

  [To Ferdinand and Miranda] Give me your hands:

  Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart

  That doth not wish you joy!

  Gonzalo

  Be it so! Amen!

  Re-enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following

  O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us:

  I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,

  This fellow could not drown. Now, blasphemy,

  That swear’st grace o’erboard, not an oath on shore?

  Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?

  Boatswain

  The best news is, that we have safely found

  Our king and company; the next, our ship —

  Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split —

  Is tight and yare and bravely rigg’d as when

  We first put out to sea.

  Ariel

  [Aside to Prospero] Sir, all this service

  Have I done since I went.

  Prospero

  [Aside to Ariel] My tricksy spirit!

  Alonso

  These are not natural events; they strengthen

  From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?

  Boatswain

  If I did think, sir, I were well awake,

  I’ld strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,

  And — how we know not — all clapp’d under hatches;

  Where but even now with strange and several noises

  Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,

  And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,

  We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;

  Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld

  Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master

  Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,

  Even in a dream, were we divided from them

  And were brought moping hither.

  Ariel

  [Aside to Prospero] Was’t well done?

  Prospero

  [Aside to Ariel] Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.

  Alonso

  This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod

  And there is in this business more than nature

  Was ever conduct of: some oracle

  Must rectify our knowledge.

  Prospero

  Sir, my liege,

  Do not infest your mind with beating on

  The strangeness of this business; at pick’d leisure

  Which shall be shortly, single I’ll resolve you,

  Which to you shall seem probable, of every

  These happen’d accidents; till when, be cheerful

  And think of each thing well.

  Aside to Ariel

  Come hither, spirit:

  Set Caliban and his companions free;

  Untie the spell.

  Exit Ariel

  How fares my gracious sir?

  There are yet missing of your company

  Some few odd lads that you remember not.

  Re-enter Ariel, driving in Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, in their stolen apparel

  Stephano

  Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for all is but fortune. Coragio, bully-monster, coragio!

  Trinculo

  If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here’s a goodly sight.

  Caliban

  O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed!

  How fine my master is! I am afraid

  He will chastise me.

  Sebastian

  Ha, ha!

  What things are these, my lord Antonio?

  Will money buy ’em?

  Antonio

  Very like; one of them

  Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.

  Prospero

  Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,

  Then say if they be true. This mis-shapen knave,

  His mother was a witch, and one so strong

  That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,

  And deal in her command without her power.

  These three have robb’d me; and this demi-devil —

  For he’s a bastard one — had plotted with them

  To take my life. Two of these fellows you

  Must know and own; this thing of darkness!

  Acknowledge mine.

  Caliban

  I shall be pinch’d to death.

  Alonso

  Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?

  Sebastian

  He is drunk now: where had he wine?

  Alonso

  And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they

  Find this grand liquor that hath gilded ’em?

  How camest thou in this pickle?

  Trinculo

  I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.

  Sebastian

  Why, how now, Stephano!

  Stephano

  O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a cramp.

  Prospero

  You’ld be king o’ the isle, sirrah?

  Stephano

  I should have been a sore one then.

  Alonso

  This is a strange thing as e’er I look’d on.

  Pointing to Caliban

  Prospero

  He is as disproportion’d in his manners

  As in his shape. Go, sirrah, to my cell;

  Take with you your companions; as you look

  To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.

  Caliban

  Ay, that I will; and I’ll be wise hereafter

  And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass

  Was I, to take this drunkard for a god

  And worship this dull fool!

  Prospero

  Go to; away!

  Alonso

  Hence, and bestow your luggage where you f
ound it.

  Sebastian

  Or stole it, rather.

  Exeunt Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo

  Prospero

  Sir, I invite your highness and your train

  To my poor cell, where you shall take your rest

  For this one night; which, part of it, I’ll waste

  With such discourse as, I not doubt, shall make it

  Go quick away; the story of my life

  And the particular accidents gone by

  Since I came to this isle: and in the morn

  I’ll bring you to your ship and so to Naples,

  Where I have hope to see the nuptial

  Of these our dear-beloved solemnized;

  And thence retire me to my Milan, where

  Every third thought shall be my grave.

  Alonso

  I long

  To hear the story of your life, which must

  Take the ear strangely.

  Prospero

  I’ll deliver all;

  And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales

  And sail so expeditious that shall catch

  Your royal fleet far off.

  Aside to Ariel

  My Ariel, chick,

  That is thy charge: then to the elements

  Be free, and fare thou well! Please you, draw near.

  Exeunt

  EPILOGUE

  Prospero

  Now my charms are all o’erthrown,

  And what strength I have’s mine own,

  Which is most faint: now, ’tis true,

  I must be here confined by you,

  Or sent to Naples. Let me not,

  Since I have my dukedom got

  And pardon’d the deceiver, dwell

  In this bare island by your spell;

  But release me from my bands

  With the help of your good hands:

  Gentle breath of yours my sails

  Must fill, or else my project fails,

  Which was to please. Now I want

  Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,

  And my ending is despair,

  Unless I be relieved by prayer,

  Which pierces so that it assaults

  Mercy itself and frees all faults.

  As you from crimes would pardon’d be,

  Let your indulgence set me free.

  TITLE-PAGE OF THE FIRST FOLIO, 1628

  The first collected edition of Shakespeare's Plays

  (From the copy in the New York Public Library)

  SCENE II. A ROOM OF STATE IN THE CASTLE.

  Enter King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Voltimand, Cornelius, Lords, and Attendants

  King Claudius

  Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death

  The memory be green, and that it us befitted

  To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom

  To be contracted in one brow of woe,