The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  PROSPERO

  Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour

  Let them be hunted completely. At this timeLie at my mercy all mine enemies:

  All my enemies are at my mercy:Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou

  Soon all my work will end, and youShalt have the air at freedom: for a little

  Will have your freedom: for just a little while longerFollow, and do me service.

  Follow me, and do my bidding.

  Exeunt

  Before PROSPERO'S cell.

  Enter PROSPERO in his magic robes, and ARIEL

  PROSPERO

  Now does my project gather to a head:

  Now my plan is coming to a head:My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time

  My spells are not breaking; my spirits are obeying; and timeGoes upright with his carriage. How's the day?

  Carries his burden easily. What time is it?

  ARIEL

  On the sixth hour; at which time, my lord,

  Six o’clock; this is the time, my lord,You said our work should cease.

  That you said our work would end.

  PROSPERO

  I did say so,

  I did say that,When first I raised the tempest. Say, my spirit,

  When I first called up the tempest. Tell me, my spirit,How fares the king and's followers?

  How are the kind and his followers managing?

  ARIEL

  Confined together

  All put up togetherIn the same fashion as you gave in charge,

  In the exact way your ordered,Just as you left them; all prisoners, sir,

  Just as you left them; they are all prisoners, sir,In the line-grove which weather-fends your cell;

  In the grove of time trees that stands around your cell;They cannot budge till your release. The king,

  They cannot move until you release them. The king,His brother and yours, abide all three distracted

  His brother and yrour bother all remain confusedAnd the remainder mourning over them,

  And the rest of the group are worrying over them,Brimful of sorrow and dismay; but chiefly

  Completely overtaken with sorrow and panic; but mostlyHim that you term'd, sir, 'The good old lord Gonzalo;'

  The one you called, ‘Thee good old lord Gonzalo,’ sir;His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops

  His tears are running down into his beard, like winter rain runsFrom eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works 'em

  Off of a thatched roof. Your spell holds them so stronglyThat if you now beheld them, your affections

  That if you looked at them now, your feelings towards them would changeWould become tender.

  and become kinder.

  PROSPERO

  Dost thou think so, spirit?

  Do you think so, spirit?

  ARIEL

  Mine would, sir, were I human.

  My feelings would, sir, if I were human.

  PROSPERO

  And mine shall.

  And so will mine.Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling

  If you—who are only air—have had a sense, a feelingOf their afflictions, and shall not myself,

  Of their suffering, then how can’t I,One of their kind, that relish all as sharply,

  As a fellow man, who have sense that are just as sharp,Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?

  And feels as they do, be more moved than you are?Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick,

  Though with their mighty crimes I was hurt to the core,Yet with my nobler reason 'gaitist my fury

  Still since my more dignified good sense can overcome my angerDo I take part: the rarer action is

  I will take action: the more special action isIn virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent,

  Being virtuous not revenge: as they are remorseful,The sole drift of my purpose doth extend

  The rest of my plan will not goNot a frown further. Go release them, Ariel:

  Any further. Go release them, Ariel:My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore,

  I will break my spells, and I’ll restore their senses,And they shall be themselves.

  And they will be themselves.

  ARIEL

  I'll fetch them, sir.

  I’ll go get them, sir.

  Exit

  PROSPERO

  Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves,

  You elves of the hills, the streams, the still lakes and the groves of trees,And ye that on the sands with printless foot

  And you that without a footprint on the sandDo chase the ebbing Neptune and do fly him

  Chase the sea god as he flows away from the shore, and flee from himWhen he comes back; you demi-puppets that

  When he comes back; you little fairies thatBy moonshine do the green sour ringlets make,

  In the moonlight make fairy rings in the grass with your dancing,Whereof the ewe not bites, and you whose pastime

  Where the sheep will not eat, and you whose entertainmentIs to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice

  Is to make midnight mushrooms, who celebrate whenTo hear the solemn curfew; by whose aid,

  You hear the evening bell; who have helped,Weak masters though ye be, I have bedimm'd

  Though you are poor helpers, me to cover with cloudsThe noontide sun, call'd forth the mutinous winds,

  The sun at noon, call forward the restless winds,And 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault

  And between the green sea and the blue skySet roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder

  Instigate a frightful war: I gave fire Have I given fire and rifted Jove's stout oak

  To the terrible rattling thunder, and split apart the thunder god’s own sturdy oak treeWith his own bolt; the strong-based promontory

  With his own thunderbolt; I made the solid mountain topHave I made shake and by the spurs pluck'd up

  Shake and by pick up by the rootsThe pine and cedar: graves at my command

  The pine and cedar: at my command gravesHave waked their sleepers, oped, and let 'em forth

  Have awoken their dead, opened and let them outBy my so potent art. But this rough magic

  By my powerful magic. But this harsh magicI here abjure, and, when I have required

  I now swear to abandon, and, after I have commandedSome heavenly music, which even now I do,

  Some heavenly music to play, which I am doing right now,To work mine end upon their senses that

  In order to work on their minds for my purpose thatThis airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,

  This magical spell is meant for, after this I will break my staffBury it certain fathoms in the earth,

  And bury it several miles deep in the earth,And deeper than did ever plummet sound

  And deeper than has even been measuredI'll drown my book.

  I’ll throw my magic book into the sea.

  Solemn music

  Re-enter ARIEL before: then ALONSO, with a frantic gesture, attended by GONZALO; SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO in like manner, attended by ADRIAN and FRANCISCO they all enter the circle which PROSPERO had made, and there stand charmed; which PROSPERO observing, speaks:

  “[Serious music plays.

  Re-enter ARIEL first: and afterwards ALONSO gesturing frantically, followed by GONSALO; SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO enter in a similar manner to Alonso, and are followed by ADRIAN and FRANCISCO. They all enter the circle which PROSPERO has made, and stand there under a magic spell; which PROSPERO sees and speaks:]”

  A solemn air and the best comforter

  Now allow a serious song and the best treatmentTo an unsettled fancy cure thy brains,

  For a disturbed mind cure your brains,Now useless, boil'd within thy skull! There stand,

  Which are now useless and boiling in your skull! There you stand,For you are spell-stopp'd.

  Because you are spellbound.Holy Gonzalo, honourable man,

  Holy Gonzalo, honorable man,Mine eyes, even sociable to the show of thine,r />
  My eyes, in sympathy with your tears,Fall fellowly drops. The charm dissolves apace,

  Are crying similar tears. The spell will dissolve quickly,And as the morning steals upon the night,

  And just as the morning takes over the night,Melting the darkness, so their rising senses

  Lighting the darkness, so will their minds awakenBegin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle

  And begin to chase the ignorant haze that covers overTheir clearer reason. O good Gonzalo,

  Their clear judgment. Oh, good Gonzalo,My true preserver, and a loyal sir

  My true savior, and a loyal manTo him you follow'st! I will pay thy graces

  To him who you follow! I will show you my respectHome both in word and deed. Most cruelly

  Fully both in words and actions. Very cruellyDidst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter:

  Did you, Alonso, use me and my daughter:Thy brother was a furtherer in the act.

  Your brother was a supporter of this endeavor.Thou art pinch'd fort now, Sebastian. Flesh and blood,

  You suffer for it now, Sebastian. My own flesh and blood,You, brother mine, that entertain'd ambition,

  You, my brother, you held in mind only ambitionExpell'd remorse and nature; who, with Sebastian,

  And sent away remorse and natural brotherly affection; who, along with Sebastian,Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,

  Suffers inside quite terribly because of this,Would here have kill'd your king; I do forgive thee,

  Would have killed you king here; I forgive you,Unnatural though thou art. Their understanding

  Even though you lack the feelings of brotherhood. These men’s understandingBegins to swell, and the approaching tide

  Is beginning to rise up in them, and the coming tide of realizationWill shortly fill the reasonable shore

  Will soon fill their inner shores of good senseThat now lies foul and muddy. Not one of them

  That now are dreadful and muddy. Not one of themThat yet looks on me, or would know me Ariel,

  Who looks at me yet, or would recognize me. Ariel,Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell:

  Bring me the hat and sword from my cel;:I will discase me, and myself present

  I will shed my disguise, and present myselfAs I was sometime Milan: quickly, spirit;

  As I once was in Milan: quickly, spirit;Thou shalt ere long be free.

  Before long you will be free.

  ARIEL sings and helps to attire him

  ARIEL singing

  Where the bee sucks. there suck I:

  Where the bee drinks, I drink there too:In a cowslip's bell I lie;

  In a bell shaped flower I lie;There I couch when owls do cry.

  There I hide when owls are hooting.On the bat's back I do fly

  On the back of a bat I flyAfter summer merrily.

  Happily chasing after summer.Merrily, merrily shall I live now

  Happily, happily I will live nowUnder the

  Under the

  blossom that hangs on the bough.

  Blossom that hangs on the tree branch.

  PROSPERO

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

  Well, there’s my excellent Ariel! I will miss you:But yet thou shalt have freedom: so, so, so.

  But you will still have your freedom: so, so, so.To the king's ship, invisible as thou art:

  Go to the king’s ship, invisible like you are now:There shalt thou find the mariners asleep

  There you will find the sailors asleepUnder the hatches; the master and the boatswain

  Under the hatches; the boat-master and the boatswain,Being awake, enforce them to this place,

  When they are awake, bring them to this place,And presently, I prithee.

  And immediately, please.

  ARIEL

  I drink the air before me, and return

  I will drink down the air in front of me, and returnOr ere your pulse twice beat.

  Before your pulse even beats twice.

  Exit

  GONZALO

  All torment, trouble, wonder and amazement

  Only torment, trouble, wonder and amazementInhabits here: some heavenly power guide us

  Live here: some heavenly god, guide usOut of this fearful country!

  Out of this terrible country!

  PROSPERO

  Behold, sir king,

  Sir king, look here atThe wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero:

  The mistreated Duke of Milan, Prospero:For more assurance that a living prince

  So that your will be assured that a living manDoes now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;

  Is speaking to you now, I will embrace you;And to thee and thy company I bid

  And the you and your company I bidA hearty welcome.

  A good welcome.

  ALONSO

  Whether thou best he or no,

  Whether or not you are him,Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,

  Or some enchanted little spell to fool me,As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse

  As I have been lately, I don’t know: your heartBeats as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,

  Beats like you are flesh and blood; and, since I saw you,The affliction of my mind amends, with which,

  The trouble in my mind has gotten better, from whatI fear, a madness held me: this must crave,

  I fear was a madness that had come over me: this demandsAn if this be at all, a most strange story.

  A very strange story, if this is really happening.Thy dukedom I resign and do entreat

  I will leave your dukedom and ask Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should Prospero

  You to forgive my crimes. But how could ProsperoBe living and be here?

  Be alive and be here on this island?

  PROSPERO

  First, noble friend,

  First, noble friend,Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot

  Let me embrace your old body, whose honor cannotBe measured or confined.

  Be measured or limited.

  GONZALO

  Whether this be

  Whether this is realOr be not, I'll not swear.

  Or not, I cannot tell.

  PROSPERO

  You do yet taste

  You do still feelSome subtilties o' the isle, that will not let you

  Some of the effects of the island, that will not let youBelieve things certain. Welcome, my friends all!

  Believe things for certain. Welcome, all my friends!

  [Aside to SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO] But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded,

  [Aside to SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO] But you, my pair of lords, If I wanted toI here could pluck his highness' frown upon you

  I could bring down his highness’ anger on you nowAnd justify you traitors: at this time

  And prove you to be traitors: right nowI will tell no tales.

  I will not tell him of it.

  SEBASTIAN

  [Aside] The devil speaks in him.

  [Aside] The devil speaks through him.

  PROSPERO

  No.

  No.For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother

  For you, wicked man, who if I called you my brotherWould even infect my mouth, I do forgive

  It would make my mouth sick, I forgive youThy rankest fault; all of them; and require

  Your most serious mistakes; all of them; and demandMy dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know,

  My dukedom from you, which without a choice, I know,Thou must restore.

  You must give back to me.

  ALONSO

  If thou be'st Prospero,

  If you are Prospero.Give us particulars of thy preservation;

  Tell us the details of your escape;How thou hast met us here, who three hours since

  How you found us here, who three hours agoWere wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost—

  Were ship wrecked on this island; where I have lost—How sharp the point of this remembrance is!—

  How
painful the memory of it is!—My dear son Ferdinand.

  My dear son Ferdinand.

  PROSPERO

  I am woe for't, sir.

  I am sorry for it, sir.

  ALONSO

  Irreparable is the loss, and patience

  The loss is beyond repair, and even PatienceSays it is past her cure.

  Says that she can’t cure it.

  PROSPERO

  I rather think

  I think thatYou have not sought her help, of whose soft grace

  You have not really asked for her help, from whose good willFor the like loss I have her sovereign aid

  I have her supreme assistance with my similar lossAnd rest myself content.

  And I can rest calm.

  ALONSO

  You the like loss!

  You had a similar loss!

  PROSPERO

  As great to me as late; and, supportable

  As great to me as it is recent; and, to makeTo make the dear loss, have I means much weaker

  The dear loss bearable, I have many less resourcesThan you may call to comfort you, for I

  Than you can call to comfort you, for IHave lost my daughter.

  Have lost my daughter.

  ALONSO

  A daughter?

  A daugher?O heavens, that they were living both in Naples,

  Oh, heavens, if only they were both living in NaplesThe king and queen there! that they were, I wish

  As the king and queen! So that they could be, I wishMyself were mudded in that oozy bed

  I was myself drowned in the depths of the seaWhere my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

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

  PROSPERO

  In this last tempest. I perceive these lords

  In that last storm. I can see that these lords At this encounter do so much admire

  Are so astonished of this encounterThat they devour their reason and scarce think

  That they destroy their common sense and hardly thinkTheir eyes do offices of truth, their words

  That their eyes to see the truth, their wordsAre natural breath: but, howsoe'er you have