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Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others |
ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others enter. |
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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
I swear, I can’t go any further, sir. My old bones are tired. We’re wandering in a maze. If you don’t mind, I need to rest a bit. |
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ALONSO
Old lord, I cannot blame thee, 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 Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go. |
ALONSO
I can’t blame you, old lord. I’m so tired myself that it’s bringing me down. Sit down and rest. I’m losing hope. The one we’re looking for is dead. We’re searching on land, but he’s lost in the sea. We have to give up and let him go. |
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ANTONIO
(aside to SEBASTIAN) I am right glad that he’s so out of hope. Do not for one repulse forego the purpose That you resolved t’ effect. |
ANTONIO
(speaking so that only SEBASTIAN can hear) I’m glad he’s so depressed. Don’t back out of our plan just because it didn’t work the first time. |
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SEBASTIAN
(aside to ANTONIO) The next advantage Will we take throughly. |
SEBASTIAN
(speaking so that only ANTONIO can hear) The next chance we get, we’ll do the deed. |
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ANTONIO
(aside to SEBASTIAN) Let it be tonight, For now they are oppressed with travel. They Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance As when they are fresh. |
ANTONIO
(speaking so that only SEBASTIAN can hear) Let’s do it tonight. The men are so tired from traveling that they can’t be as careful as they are when they’re fresh. |
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Solemn and strange music |
Solemn and strange music is heard. |
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Enter PROSPERO on the top, invisible |
PROSPERO enters above, invisible. |
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SEBASTIAN
(aside to ANTONIO) I say, tonight. No more. |
SEBASTIAN
(speaking so that only ANTONIO can hear) Yes, tonight. No more talking about this now. |
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ALONSO
What harmony is this? My good friends, hark! |
ALONSO
What’s that music? My friends, listen. |
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GONZALO
Marvelous sweet music! |
GONZALO
What marvelous music! |
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Enter several strange shapes, bringing in a banquet They dance about it with gentle actions of salutations, and, inviting the king and the others to eat, they depart |
Several strange shapes enter, bringing in a banquet table and dancing around it with graceful, welcoming movements. After inviting the king and the others to eat, they leave. |
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ALONSO
Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these? |
ALONSO
Heaven help us! What were those things? |
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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 puppet show in real life. Now I’ll believe that unicorns exist, and that there’s a tree in Arabia where the phoenix lives. |
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ANTONIO
I’ll believe both And what does else want credit, come to me, And I’ll be sworn ’tis true. Travelers ne’er did lie, Though fools at home condemn ’em. |
ANTONIO
Me too. And anything else that’s hard to believe, just ask me and I’ll swear it’s true. Travelers have never told lies, no matter what the fools at home accuse them of. |
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GONZALO
If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? 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 Many—nay, almost any. |
GONZALO
If I told them about this back in Naples, would they believe me? I’d tell them that I saw natives like these—since they must be natives—who are graceful and well-mannered even if they’re monstrous to look at, kinder than most human beings you might find— kinder than almost any human. |
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PROSPERO
(aside) Honest lord, Thou hast said well, for some of you there present Are worse than devils. |
PROSPERO
(to himself) My good lord, you’re absolutely right, since some of you are worse than devils. |
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ALONSO
I cannot too much muse Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing, Although they want the use of tongue, a kind Of excellent dumb discourse. |
ALONSO
I can’t stop being amazed by these shapes, sounds, and gestures, which express, even without saying anything, a wonderful kind of silent language. |
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PROSPERO
(aside) Praise in departing. |
PROSPERO
(to himself) Time to go. |
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FRANCISCO
They vanished strangely. |
FRANCISCO
They vanished strangely. |
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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’s all right, since they left their food behind, and we’re hungry. Would you like to taste the banquet? |
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ALONSO
Not I. |
ALONSO
Not me. |
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GONZALO
Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, 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 Good warrant of. |
GONZALO
I assure you, sir, there’s nothing to be afraid of. When we were boys, who’d believe that there were mountain people with rolls of skin around their necks, with their throats hanging down? Or that there were men with heads in their chests?—Nowadays travelers commonly report that these things exist. |
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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. |
ALONSO
I’ll start eating, even if this is my last supper. It’s all right, since the best part of my life was over anyway. Brother, Duke, please have some food. |
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Thunder and lightning |
Thunder and lightning. |
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Enter ARIEL, like a harpy, claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes |
ARIEL enters in the form of a harpy ARIEL flaps his wings on the table, and the banquet vanishes from the table |
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ARIEL
(to ALONSO, ANTONIO, and SEBASTIAN) 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 Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad, And even with suchlike valor men hang and drown Their proper selves. (some of the courtiers draw their swords) You fools, I and my fellows 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 Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt, Your swords are now too massy for your strengths And will not be uplifted. But remember— For that’s my business to you—that you three 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, 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— Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads—is nothing but hearts’ sorrow And a clear life ensuing. |
ARIEL
(to ALONSO, ANTONIO, and SEBASTIAN) The three of you are sinners, and Destiny made the sea belch you up onto this island—where no men live, since none of you deserve to live. I’ve driven you crazy, and many mad people are driven to kill themselves in desperation. (some of the courtiers draw their swords) Listen, you fools, my fellow harpies and I carry out Fate’s orders. Your swords are useless against us—you’d be more successful swinging them at the empty air, or stabbing at water, than trying to cut off even one of my feathers. My two companions are just as invulnerable as I am. Even if you had the power to hurt us, you’d find your swords far too heavy to lift. But remember—and it’s my job to remind you of this—that in Milan the three of you stole Prospero’s throne and threw him and his innocent child into the sea, which has now taken revenge on you. To punish you for this horrible crime, the higher powers—delaying their punishment, not forgetting about it—have stirred up the seas and all the creatures of earth against you.—They’ve taken your only son from you, Alonso, and they’ve ordered me to destroy you slowly, in a way worse than sudden death could ever be. I’ll stay with you every step of your way. The only way to protect yourselves from the angry higher powers—which are ready to fall upon your head on this empty island—is for you to be sincerely sorry in your hearts for what you’ve done, and to live innocent lives from this time forward. |
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ARIEL vanishes in thunder |
ARIEL vanishes in thunder. |
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Then, to soft music enter the shapes again and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table |
The shapes enter again, accompanied by soft music. Dancing with mocking gestures and grimaces, they carry out the banquet table. |
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PROSPERO
(aside) Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Performed, my Ariel. A grace it had, devouring. Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou hadst 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 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. |
PROSPERO
(to himself) You’ve played the role of harpy very well, my Ariel. You were fierce but graceful. You said everything I told you to say.—In the same lifelike way, and with the same attention to detail, my lower-ranking servants have done what they were supposed to do. My magic powers are all in full swing, and my enemies are confused and running around in circles. They’re under my control, and I’m keeping them in their crazy fits while I go visit Ferdinand, whom they think has drowned, and the young woman he and I both love. |
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Exit PROSPERO above |
PROSPERO exits on a platform overhead. |
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GONZALO
(to ALONSO) I’ th’ name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare? |
GONZALO
(to ALONSO) For the love of God, sir, why are you standing here staring into space like this? |
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ALONSO
Oh, 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 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
Oh, it’s horrible, horrible. I thought the clouds were talking to me, the winds were singing to me, and the thunder, like an awful organ pipe, roared Prospero’s name. It sang about my crimes. Because of my crimes my son is dead on the ocean floor. I’ll go join him there, going down deeper than any anchor ever sank, and lie with him dead in the mud. |
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Exit ALONSO |
ALONSO exits. |
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SEBASTIAN
But one fiend at a time, I’ll fight their legions o’er. |
SEBASTIAN
I’ll fight every one of these devils if I have to, one at a time. |
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ANTONIO
I’ll be thy second. |
ANTONIO
I’ll back you up. |
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Exeunt SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO |
SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO exit. |
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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 That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly And hinder them from what this ecstasy May now provoke them to. |
GONZALO
All three of them are crazy with despair. Their guilt is finally starting to gnaw at them, like a slow-acting poison. Those of you who are young and active, I beg you to follow them and keep them from doing the crazy things their guilt might push them to do. |
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ADRIAN
Follow, I pray you. |
ADRIAN
Follow them, please. |
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Exeunt omnes |
They all exit. |