THE TEMPEST

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter Prospero, in his magic robes, and Ariel)
l1l	Prospero	 Now does my project gather to a head.
l2l		My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time
l3l		Goes upright with his carriage. How’s the day?
l4l	Ariel	On the sixth hour# at which time, my lord,
l5l		You said our work should cease.
	Prospero	I did say so
l6l		When first I raised the tempest. Say, my spirit,
l7l		How fares the King and ’s followers?
	Ariel	Confined together
l8l		In the same fashion as you gave in charge,
l9l		Just as you left them# all prisoners, sir,
l10l		In the lime-grove which weather-fends your cell.
l11l		They cannot budge till your release. The King,
l12l		His brother, and yours, abide all three distracted,
l13l		And the remainder mourning over them,
l14l		Brimful of sorrow and dismay# but chiefly
l15l		Him that you termed, sir, the good old lord Gonzalo:
l16l		His tears run down his beard like winter’s drops
l17l		From eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works ’em
l18l		That if you now beheld them your affections
l19l		Would become tender.
	Prospero	Dost thou think so, spirit?
l20l	Ariel	Mine would, sir, were I human.
	Prospero	And mine shall.
l21l		Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
l22l		Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
l23l		One of their kind, that relish all as sharply
l24l		Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
l25l		Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick,
l26l		Yet with my nobler reason ’gainst my fury
l27l		Do I take part. The rarer action is
l28l		In virtue than in vengeance. They being penitent,
l29l		The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
l30l		Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel.
l31l		My charms I’ll break, their senses I’ll restore,
l32l		And they shall be themselves.
	Ariel	I’ll fetch them, sir.
		( 32B Exit)
l33l		(Prospero draws a circle with his staff)
		Prospero	Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves,
l34l		And ye that on the sands with printless foot
l35l		Do chase the ebbing Neptune, and do fly him
l36l		When he comes back# you demi-puppets that
l37l		By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make
l38l		Whereof the ewe not bites# and you whose pastime
l39l		Is to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice
l40l		To hear the solemn curfew# by whose aid,
l41l		Weak masters though ye be, I have bedimmed
l42l		The noontide sun, called forth the mutinous winds,
l43l		And ’twixt the green sea and the azured vault
l44l		Set roaring war—to the dread rattling thunder
l45l		Have I given fire, and rifted Jove’s stout oak
l46l		With his own bolt# the strong-based promontory
l47l		Have I made shake, and by the spurs plucked up
l48l		The pine and cedar# graves at my command
l49l		Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let ’em forth
l50l		By my so potent art. But this rough magic
l51l		I here abjure. And when I have required
l52l		Some heavenly music—which even now I do—
l53l		To work mine end upon their senses that
l54l		This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff,
l55l		Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
l56l		And deeper than did ever plummet sound
l57l		I’ll drown my book.
		(Solemn music. Here enters first Ariel, invisible; then Alonso, with a frantic gesture, attended by Gonzalo; Sebastian and Antonio, in like manner, attended by Adrian and Francisco. They all enter)
l58l		the circle which Prospero had made, and there stand charmed# which Prospero observing, speaks
		(To Alonso)
		 A solemn air, and the best comforter
l59l		To an unsettled fancy, cure thy brains,
l60l		Now useless, boiled within thy skull.
		(To Sebastian and Antonio)
		 There stand,
l61l		For you are spell-stopped.—
l62l		Holy Gonzalo, honourable man,
l63l		Mine eyes, ev’n sociable to the show of thine,
l64l		Fall fellowly drops.
		(Aside)
		 The charm dissolves apace,
l65l		And as the morning steals upon the night,
l66l		Melting the darkness, so their rising senses
l67l		Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle
l68l		Their clearer reason.—O good Gonzalo,
l69l		My true preserver, and a loyal sir
l70l		To him thou follow’st, I will pay thy graces
l71l		Home both in word and deed.—Most cruelly
l72l		Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter.
l73l		Thy brother was a furtherer in the act.—
l74l		Thou art pinched for ’t now, Sebastian.
		(To Antonio)
		 Flesh and blood,
l75l		You, brother mine, that entertained ambition,
l76l		Expelled remorse and nature, whom, with Sebastian—
l77l		Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,—
l78l		Would here have killed your king, I do forgive thee,
l79l		Unnatural though thou art.
		(Aside)
		 Their understanding
l80l		Begins to swell, and the approaching tide
l81l		Will shortly fill the reasonable shores
l82l		That now lie foul and muddy. Not one of them
l83l		That yet looks on me, or would know me.—Ariel,
l84l		Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell.
l85l		I will discase me, and myself present
l86l		As I was sometime Milan. Quickly, spirit!
l87l		Thou shalt ere long be free.
		(Ariel sings and helps to attire him as Duke of Milan)
l88l	Ariel	> Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
l89l		In a cowslip’s bell I lie#
l90l		There I couch when owls do cry.
l91l		On the bat’s back I do fly
l92l		After summer merrily.
l93l		Merrily, merrily shall I live now
l94l		Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.
l95l		Merrily, merrily shall I live now
l96l		Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.
l97l	Prospero	 Why, that’s my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee,
l98l		But yet thou shalt have freedom.—So, so, so.—
l99l		To the King’s ship, invisible as thou art!
l100l		There shalt thou find the mariners asleep
l101l		Under the hatches. The Master and the Boatswain
l102l		Being awake, enforce them to this place,
l103l		And presently, I prithee.
l104l	Ariel	I drink the air before me, and return
l105l		Or ere your pulse twice beat.
		(Exit)
l106l	Gonzalo	 All torment, trouble, wonder, and amazement
l107l		Inhabits here. Some heavenly power guide us
l108l		Out of this fearful country!
	Prospero	Behold, sir King,
l109l		The wrongèd Duke of Milan, Prospero.
l110l		For more assurance that a living prince
l111l		Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body#
l112l		And to thee and thy company I bid
l113l		A hearty welcome.
		(He embraces Alonso)
		
	Alonso	 Whe’er thou beest he or no,
l114l		Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,
l115l		As late I have been, I not know. Thy pulse
l116l		Beats as of flesh and blood# and since I saw thee
l117l		Th’ affliction of my mind amends, with which
l118l		I fear a madness held me. This must crave—
l119l		An if this be at all—a most strange story.
l120l		Thy dukedom I resign, and do entreat
l121l		Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should Prospero
l122l		Be living and be here?
	Prospero	
		(to Gonzalo)
		 First, noble friend,
l123l		Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot
l124l		Be measured or confined.
		(He embraces Gonzalo)
		
	Gonzalo	 Whether this be
l125l		Or be not, I’ll not swear.
	Prospero	You do yet taste
l126l		Some subtleties o’ th’ isle that will not let you
l127l		Believe things certain.—Welcome, my friends all.
l128l		(Aside to Sebastian and Antonio)
		 But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded,
l129l		I here could pluck his highness’ frown upon you
l130l		And justify you traitors. At this time
l131l		I will tell no tales.
	Sebastian	
		(to Antonio)
		 The devil speaks in him.
	Prospero	No.
l132l		(To Antonio)
		 For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother
l133l		Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive
l134l		Thy rankest fault, all of them, and require
l135l		My dukedom of thee, which perforce I know
l136l		Thou must restore.
	Alonso	If thou beest Prospero,
l137l		Give us particulars of thy preservation,
l138l		How thou hast met us here, whom three hours since
l139l		Were wrecked upon this shore, where I have lost—
l140l		How sharp the point of this remembrance is!—
l141l		My dear son Ferdinand.
	Prospero	I am woe for ’t, sir.
l142l	Alonso	Irreparable is the loss, and patience
l143l		Says it is past her cure.
	Prospero	I rather think
l144l		You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace
l145l		For the like loss I have her sovereign aid,
l146l		And rest myself content.
	Alonso	You the like loss?
l147l	Prospero	As great to me as late# and supportable
l148l		To make the dear loss have I means much weaker
l149l		Than you may call to comfort you, for I
l150l		Have lost my daughter.
	Alonso	A daughter?
l151l		O heavens, that they were living both in Naples,
l152l		The king and queen there! That they were, I wish
l153l		Myself were mudded in that oozy bed
l154l		Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?
l155l	Prospero	In this last tempest. I perceive these lords
l156l		At this encounter do so much admire
l157l		That they devour their reason, and scarce think
l158l		Their eyes do offices of truth, these words
l159l		Are natural breath. But howsoe’er you have
l160l		Been jostled from your senses, know for certain
l161l		That I am Prospero, and that very Duke
l162l		Which was thrust forth of Milan, who most strangely,
l163l		Upon this shore where you were wrecked, was landed
l164l		To be the lord on ’t. No more yet of this,
l165l		For ’tis a chronicle of day by day,
l166l		Not a relation for a breakfast, nor
l167l		Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, sir.
l168l		This cell’s my court. Here have I few attendants,
l169l		And subjects none abroad. Pray you, look in.
l170l		My dukedom since you have given me again,
l171l		I will requite you with as good a thing#
l172l		At least bring forth a wonder to content ye
l173l		As much as me my dukedom.
		(Here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda, playing at chess)
l174l	Miranda	 Sweet lord, you play me false.
l175l	Ferdinand	No, my dearest love,
l176l		I would not for the world.
l177l	Miranda	Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle,
l178l		An I would call it fair play.
	Alonso	If this prove
l179l		A vision of the island, one dear son
l180l		Shall I twice lose.
	Sebastian	A most high miracle.
l181l	Ferdinand	(coming forward)
		 Though the seas threaten, they are merciful.
l182l		I have cursed them without cause.
		(He kneels)
		
	Alonso	Now all the blessings
l183l		Of a glad father compass thee about.
l184l		Arise and say how thou cam’st here.
		(Ferdinand rises)
		
	Miranda	
		(coming forward)
		 O wonder!
l185l		How many goodly creatures are there here!
l186l		How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
l187l		That has such people in ’t!
	Prospero	’Tis new to thee.
l188l	Alonso	(to Ferdinand)
		 What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?
l189l		Your eld’st acquaintance cannot be three hours.
l190l		Is she the goddess that hath severed us,
l191l		And brought us thus together?
	Ferdinand	Sir, she is mortal#
l192l		But by immortal providence she’s mine.
l193l		I chose her when I could not ask my father
l194l		For his advice, nor thought I had one. She
l195l		Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,
l196l		Of whom so often I have heard renown,
l197l		But never saw before# of whom I have
l198l		Received a second life# and second father
l199l		This lady makes him to me.
	Alonso	I am hers.
l200l		But O, how oddly will it sound, that I
l201l		Must ask my child forgiveness!
	Prospero	There, sir, stop.
l202l		Let us not burden our remembrance with
l203l		A heaviness that’s gone.
	Gonzalo	I have inly wept,
l204l		Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,
l205l		And on this couple drop a blessèd crown,
l206l		For it is you that have chalked forth the way
l207l		Which brought us hither.
	Alonso	I say amen, Gonzalo.
l208l	Gonzalo	Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue
l209l		Should become kings of Naples? O rejoice
l210l		Beyond a common joy! And set it down
l211l		With gold on lasting pillars: in one voyage
l212l		Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis,
l213l		And Ferdinand her brother found a wife
l214l		Where he himself was lost# Prospero his dukedom
l215l		In a poor isle# and all of us ourselves,
l216l		When no man was his own.
	Alonso	
		(to Ferdinand and Miranda)
		 Give me your hands.
l217l		Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart
l218l		That doth not wish you joy.
	Gonzalo	Be it so! Amen!
		(Enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following)
l219l		O look, sir, look, sir, here is more of us!
l220l		I prophesied if a gallows were on land
l221l		This fellow could not drown.
		(To the Boatswain)
		 Now, blasphemy,
l222l		That swear’st grace o’erboard: not an oath on shore?
l223l		Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?
l224l	Boatswain	The best news is that we have safely found
l225l		Our King and company. The next, our ship,
l226l		Which but three glasses since we gave out split,
l227l		Is tight and yare and bravely rigged, as when
l228l		We first put out to sea.
	Ariel	
		(aside to Prospero)
		Sir, all this service
l229l		Have I done since I went.
	Prospero	
		(aside to Ariel)
		 My tricksy spirit!
l230l	Alonso	These are not natural events# they strengthen
l231l		From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?
l232l	Boatswain	If I did think, sir, I were well awake
l233l		I’d strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,
l234l		And—how we know not—all clapped under hatches,
l235l		Where but even now, with strange and several noises
l236l		Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
l237l		And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
l238l		We were awaked# straightway at liberty#
l239l		Where we in all her trim freshly beheld
l240l		Our royal, good, and gallant ship, our Master
l241l		Cap’ring to eye her. On a trice, so please you,
l242l		Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
l243l		And were brought moping hither.
	Ariel	
		(aside to Prospero)
		 Was ’t well done?
l244l	Prospero	(aside to Ariel)
		 Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.
l245l	Alonso	This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod,
l246l		And there is in this business more than nature
l247l		Was ever conduct of. Some oracle
l248l		Must rectify our knowledge.
	Prospero	Sir, my liege,
l249l		Do not infest your mind with beating on
l250l		The strangeness of this business. At picked leisure,
l251l		Which shall be shortly, single I’ll resolve you,
l252l		Which to you shall seem probable, of every
l253l		These happened accidents# till when be cheerful,
l254l		And think of each thing well.
		(Aside to Ariel)
		 Come hither, spirit.
l255l		Set Caliban and his companions free.
l256l		Untie the spell.
		(Exit Ariel)
		
		(To Alonso)
		 How fares my gracious sir?
l257l		There are yet missing of your company
l258l		Some few odd lads that you remember not.
		(Enter Ariel, driving in Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo, in their stolen apparel)
l259l	Stefano	 Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man
l260l		take care for himself, for all is but fortune. Coragio,
l261l		bully-monster, coragio!
l262l	Trinculo	If these be true spies which I wear in my head,
l263l		here’s a goodly sight.
l264l	Caliban	 O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed!
l265l		How fine my master is! I am afraid
l266l		He will chastise me.
l267l	Sebastian	Ha, ha! What things are these, my lord Antonio?
l268l		Will money buy ’em?
	Antonio	Very like# one of them
l269l		Is a plain fish, and no doubt marketable.
l270l	Prospero	Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,
l271l		Then say if they be true. This misshapen knave,
l272l		His mother was a witch, and one so strong
l273l		That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,
l274l		And deal in her command without her power.
l275l		These three have robbed me, and this demi-devil,
l276l		For he’s a bastard one, had plotted with them
l277l		To take my life. Two of these fellows you
l278l		Must know and own. This thing of darkness I
l279l		Acknowledge mine.
	Caliban	I shall be pinched to death.
l280l	Alonso	Is not this Stefano, my drunken butler?
l281l	Sebastian	He is drunk now. Where had he wine?
l282l	Alonso	And Trinculo is reeling ripe. Where should they
l283l		Find this grand liquor that hath gilded ’em?
l284l		(To Trinculo)
		 How cam’st thou in this pickle?
l285l	Trinculo	 I have been in such a pickle since I saw you
l286l		last that, I fear me, will never out of my bones. I shall
l287l		not fear fly-blowing.
l288l	Sebastian	Why, how now, Stefano?
l289l	Stefano	O, touch me not! I am not Stefano, but a cramp.
l290l	Prospero	You’d be king o’ the isle, sirrah?
l291l	Stefano	I should have been a sore one, then.
l292l	Alonso	(pointing to Caliban)
		 This is a strange thing as e’er
l293l		I looked on.
l294l	Prospero	 He is as disproportioned in his manners
l295l		As in his shape.
		(To Caliban)
		 Go, sirrah, to my cell.
l296l		Take with you your companions. As you look
l297l		To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.
l298l	Caliban	Ay, that I will# and I’ll be wise hereafter,
l299l		And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass
l300l		Was I to take this drunkard for a god,
l301l		And worship this dull fool!
	Prospero	Go to, away!
		(Exit Caliban)
l302l	Alonso	(to Stefano and Trinculo)
		 Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it.
l303l	Sebastian	 Or stole it, rather.
		(Exeunt Stefano and Trinculo)
l304l	Prospero	(to Alonso)
		 Sir, I invite your highness and your train
l305l		To my poor cell, where you shall take your rest
l306l		For this one night# which part of it I’ll waste
l307l		With such discourse as I not doubt shall make it
l308l		Go quick away: the story of my life,
l309l		And the particular accidents gone by
l310l		Since I came to this isle. And in the morn
l311l		I’ll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
l312l		Where I have hope to see the nuptial
l313l		Of these our dear-belovèd solemnized#
l314l		And thence retire me to my Milan, where
l315l		Every third thought shall be my grave.
	Alonso	I long
l316l		To hear the story of your life, which must
l317l		Take the ear strangely.
	Prospero	I’ll deliver all,
l318l		And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
l319l		And sail so expeditious that shall catch
l320l		Your royal fleet far off.
		(Aside to Ariel)
		 My Ariel, chick,
l321l		That is thy charge. Then to the elements
l322l		Be free, and fare thou well.
		(Exit Ariel)
		 Please you, draw near.
		(Exeunt all but Prospero)