When he is earthed – hath here almost persuaded
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(For he’s a spirit of persuasion, only
Professes to persuade) the King his son’s alive,
’Tis as impossible that he’s undrowned
As he that sleeps here swims.
SEBASTIAN I have no hope
That he’s undrowned.
ANTONIO O, out of that ‘no hope’,
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What great hope have you! No hope that way is
Another way so high a hope that even
Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,
But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me
That Ferdinand is drowned?
SEBASTIAN He’s gone.
ANTONIO Then tell me,
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Who’s the next heir of Naples?
SEBASTIAN Claribel.
ANTONIO She that is Queen of Tunis; she that dwells
Ten leagues beyond man’s life; she that from Naples
Can have no note unless the sun were post –
The man i’th’ moon’s too slow – till newborn chins
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Be rough and razorable; she that from whom
We all were sea-swallowed, though some cast again,
And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge!
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SEBASTIAN What stuff is this? How say you?
’Tis true my brother’s daughter’s Queen of Tunis,
So is she heir of Naples, ’twixt which regions
There is some space.
ANTONIO A space whose every cubit
Seems to cry out, ‘How shall that Claribel
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Measure us back to Naples? Keep in Tunis,
And let Sebastian wake.’ Say this were death
That now hath seized them; why, they were no worse
Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples
As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate
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As amply and unnecessarily
As this Gonzalo. I myself could make
A chough of as deep chat. O that you bore
The mind that I do! What a sleep were this
For your advancement! Do you understand me?
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SEBASTIAN Methinks I do.
ANTONIO And how does your content
Tender your own good fortune?
SEBASTIAN I remember
You did supplant your brother Prospero.
ANTONIO True:
And look how well my garments sit upon me
Much feater than before. My brother’s servants
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Were then my fellows; now they are my men.
SEBASTIAN But for your conscience?
ANTONIO Ay, sir, where lies that? If ’twere a kibe
’Twould put me to my slipper, but I feel not
This deity in my bosom. Twenty consciences
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That stand ’twixt me and Milan, candied be they
And melt ere they molest! Here lies your brother,
No better than the earth he lies upon.
If he were that which now he’s like (that’s dead)
Whom I with this obedient steel – three inches of it –
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Can lay to bed forever (whiles you, doing thus,
To the perpetual wink for aye might put
This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who
Should not upbraid our course) – for all the rest
They’ll take suggestion as a cat laps milk;
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They’ll tell the clock to any business that
We say befits the hour.
SEBASTIAN Thy case, dear friend,
Shall be my precedent. As thou got’st Milan,
I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword! One stroke
Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest,
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And I the king shall love thee.
ANTONIO Draw together,
And when I rear my hand, do you the like
To fall it on Gonzalo.
SEBASTIAN O, but one word –
Enter ARIEL with music and song.
ARIEL
My master through his art foresees the danger
That you, his friend, are in, and sends me forth
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(For else his project dies) to keep them living.
[Sings in Gonzalo’s ear.]
While you here do snoring lie,
Open-eyed conspiracy
His time doth take.
If of life you keep a care,
Shake off slumber and beware.
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Awake, awake!
ANTONIO Then let us both be sudden.
GONZALO [Wakes.]
Now, good angels preserve the King!
ALONSO [Wakes.]
Why, how now, ho! Awake! Why are you drawn?
Wherefore this ghastly looking?
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GONZALO What’s the matter?
SEBASTIAN Whiles we stood here securing your repose,
Even now we heard a hollow burst of bellowing,
Like bulls, or rather lions. Did’t not wake you?
It struck mine ear most terribly.
ALONSO I heard nothing.
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ANTONIO O, ’twas a din to fright a monster’s ear –
To make an earthquake! Sure it was the roar
Of a whole herd of lions.
ALONSO Heard you this, Gonzalo?
GONZALO Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,
And that a strange one too, which did awake me.
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I shaked you, sir, and cried. As mine eyes opened,
I saw their weapons drawn. There was a noise,
That’s verily. ’Tis best we stand upon our guard,
Or that we quit this place. Let’s draw our weapons.
ALONSO
Lead off this ground, and let’s make further search
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For my poor son.
GONZALO Heavens keep him from these beasts,
For he is, sure, i’th’ island.
ALONSO Lead away.
ARIEL Prospero, my lord, shall know what I have done;
So, King, go safely on to seek thy son. Exeunt.
2.2 Enter CALIBAN, with a burden of wood; a noise of thunder heard.
CALIBAN All the infections that the sun sucks up
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him
By inchmeal a disease! His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they’ll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i’th’ mire,
5
Nor lead me, like a firebrand in the dark,
Out of my way unless he bid ’em. But
For every trifle are they set upon me:
Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me
And after bite me, then like hedgehogs which
10
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
Their pricks at my footfall. Sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness. Lo now, lo,
Enter TRINCULO
Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me
15
For bringing wood in slowly. I’ll fall flat;
Perchance he will not mind me.
TRINCULO Here’s neither bush nor shrub to bear off any
weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing
i’th’ wind. Yond same black cloud, yond huge one,
20
looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If
it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to
hide my head. Yond same cloud cannot choose but fall
&nbs
p; by pailfuls. [Sees Caliban.] What have we here, a man
or a fish? Dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish, a
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very ancient and fish-like smell, a kind of – not of the
newest – poor-John. A strange fish! Were I in England
now (as once I was) and had but this fish painted, not
a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver.
There would this monster make a man; any strange
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beast there makes a man. When they will not give a
doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to
see a dead Indian. Legged like a man and his fins like
arms! Warm, o’my troth! I do now let loose my
opinion, hold it no longer: this is no fish, but an
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islander that hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt.
Alas, the storm is come again. My best way is to creep
under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter
hereabout. Misery acquaints a man with strange
bedfellows! I will here shroud till the dregs of the
40
storm be past.
Enter STEPHANO singing.
STEPHANO I shall no more to sea, to sea,
Here shall I die ashore.
This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man’s funeral.
Well, here’s my comfort. [Drinks and then sings.]
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The master, the swabber, the boatswain and I;
The gunner and his mate,
Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
But none of us cared for Kate.
For she had a tongue with a tang,
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Would cry to a sailor, ‘Go hang!’
She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch,
Yet a tailor might scratch her where’er she did itch.
Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang!
This is a scurvy tune too, but here’s my comfort.
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[Drinks.]
CALIBAN Do not torment me! O!
STEPHANO What’s the matter? Have we devils here? Do
you put tricks upon’s with savages and men of Ind?
Ha! I have not ’scaped drowning to be afeard now of
your four legs; for it hath been said, ‘As proper a man
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as ever went on four legs cannot make him give
ground’. And it shall be said so again while Stephano
breathes at’ nostrils.
CALIBAN The spirit torments me! O!
STEPHANO This is some monster of the isle, with four
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legs, who hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devil
should he learn our language? I will give him some
relief, if it be but for that. If I can recover him and keep
him tame, and get to Naples with him, he’s a present for
any emperor that ever trod on neat’s leather.
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CALIBAN Do not torment me, prithee. I’ll bring my
wood home faster.
STEPHANO He’s in his fit now and does not talk after the
wisest. He shall taste of my bottle; if he have never
drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit. If I
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can recover him and keep him tame, I will not take too
much for him! He shall pay for him that hath him, and
that soundly.
CALIBAN Thou dost me yet but little hurt. Thou wilt
anon, I know it by thy trembling. Now Prosper works
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upon thee.
STEPHANO Come on your ways; open your mouth. Here
is that which will give language to you, cat. Open your
mouth! This will shake your shaking, I can tell you,
and that soundly. [Pours into Caliban’s mouth.] You
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cannot tell who’s your friend. Open your chaps again.
TRINCULO I should know that voice. It should be – but
he is drowned, and these are devils. O, defend me!
STEPHANO Four legs and two voices – a most delicate
monster! His forward voice now is to speak well of his
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friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches and
to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover him,
I will help his ague. Come. Amen! I will pour some in
thy other mouth.
TRINCULO Stephano!
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STEPHANO Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy,
mercy! This is a devil and no monster. I will leave him;
I have no long spoon.
TRINCULO Stephano? If thou be’st Stephano, touch me
and speak to me, for I am Trinculo! Be not afeard – thy
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good friend Trinculo.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 474