SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell. The Tempest  Shakespeare homepage  |  The Tempest  | Act 4, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell. 

 Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA  PROSPERO  If I have too austerely punish'd you, 

 Your compensation makes amends, for I 

 Have given you here a third of mine own life, 

 Or that for which I live; who once again 

 I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations 

 Were but my trials of thy love and thou 

 Hast strangely stood the test here, afore Heaven, 

 I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand, 

 Do not smile at me that I boast her off, 

 For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise 

 And make it halt behind her. 

 FERDINAND  I do believe it 

 Against an oracle. 

 PROSPERO  Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition 

 Worthily purchased take my daughter: but 

 If thou dost break her virgin-knot before 

 All sanctimonious ceremonies may 

 With full and holy rite be minister'd, 

 No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall 

 To make this contract grow: but barren hate, 

 Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew 

 The union of your bed with weeds so loathly 

 That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed, 

 As Hymen's lamps shall light you. 

 FERDINAND  As I hope 

 For quiet days, fair issue and long life, 

 With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den, 

 The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion. 

 Our worser genius can, shall never melt 

 Mine honour into lust, to take away 

 The edge of that day's celebration 

 When I shall think: or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, 

 Or Night kept chain'd below. 

 PROSPERO  Fairly spoke. 

 Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own. 

 What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel! 



 Enter ARIEL  ARIEL  What would my potent master? here I am. 

 PROSPERO  Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service 

 Did worthily perform; and I must use you 

 In such another trick. Go bring the rabble, 

 O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: 

 Incite them to quick motion; for I must 

 Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple 

 Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise, 

 And they expect it from me. 

 ARIEL  Presently? 

 PROSPERO  Ay, with a twink. 

 ARIEL  Before you can say 'come' and 'go,' 

 And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,' 

 Each one, tripping on his toe, 

 Will be here with mop and mow. 

 Do you love me, master? no? 

 PROSPERO  Dearly my delicate Ariel. Do not approach 

 Till thou dost hear me call. 

 ARIEL  Well, I conceive. 



 Exit  PROSPERO  Look thou be true; do not give dalliance 

 Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw 

 To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, 

 Or else, good night your vow! 

 FERDINAND  I warrant you sir; 

 The white cold virgin snow upon my heart 

 Abates the ardour of my liver. 

 PROSPERO  Well. 

 Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary, 

 Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly! 

 No tongue! all eyes! be silent. 



 Soft music 

 Enter IRIS  IRIS  Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas 

 Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease; 

 Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, 

 And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep; 

 Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims, 

 Which spongy April at thy hest betrims, 

 To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom -groves, 

 Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, 

 Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard; 

 And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard, 

 Where thou thyself dost air;--the queen o' the sky, 

 Whose watery arch and messenger am I, 

 Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace, 

 Here on this grass-plot, in this very place, 

 To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain: 

 Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain. 



 Enter CERES  CERES  Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er 

 Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter; 

 Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers 

 Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers, 

 And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown 

 My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down, 

 Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen 

 Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green? 

 IRIS  A contract of true love to celebrate; 

 And some donation freely to estate 

 On the blest lovers. 

 CERES  Tell me, heavenly bow, 

 If Venus or her son, as thou dost know, 

 Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot 

 The means that dusky Dis my daughter got, 

 Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company 

 I have forsworn. 

 IRIS  Of her society 

 Be not afraid: I met her deity 

 Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son 

 Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done 

 Some wanton charm upon this man and maid, 

 Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid 

 Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but vain; 

 Mars's hot minion is returned again; 

 Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, 

 Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows 

 And be a boy right out. 

 CERES  High'st queen of state, 

 Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait. 



 Enter JUNO  JUNO  How does my bounteous sister? Go with me 

 To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be 

 And honour'd in their issue. 



 They sing:  JUNO  Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, 

 Long continuance, and increasing, 

 Hourly joys be still upon you! 

 Juno sings her blessings upon you. 

 CERES  Earth's increase, foison plenty, 

 Barns and garners never empty, 

 Vines and clustering bunches growing, 

 Plants with goodly burthen bowing; 

 Spring come to you at the farthest 

 In the very end of harvest! 

 Scarcity and want shall shun you; 

 Ceres' blessing so is on you. 

 FERDINAND  This is a most majestic vision, and 

 Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold 

 To think these spirits? 

 PROSPERO  Spirits, which by mine art 

 I have from their confines call'd to enact 

 My present fancies. 

 FERDINAND  Let me live here ever; 

 So rare a wonder'd father and a wife 

 Makes this place Paradise. 



 Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment  PROSPERO  Sweet, now, silence! 

 Juno and Ceres whisper seriously; 

 There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, 

 Or else our spell is marr'd. 

 IRIS  You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks, 

 With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks, 

 Leave your crisp channels and on this green land 

 Answer your summons; Juno does command: 

 Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate 

 A contract of true love; be not too late. 



 Enter certain Nymphs  You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary, 

 Come hither from the furrow and be merry: 

 Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on 

 And these fresh nymphs encounter every one 

 In country footing. 



 Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they  join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance;  towards the end whereof PROSPERO starts  suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a  strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish  PROSPERO  [Aside]  I had forgot that foul conspiracy 

 Of the beast Caliban and his confederates 

 Against my life: the minute of their plot 

 Is almost come. 



 To the Spirits  Well done! avoid; no more! 

 FERDINAND  This is strange: your father's in some passion 

 That works him strongly. 

 MIRANDA  Never till this day 

 Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd. 

 PROSPERO  You do look, my son, in a moved sort, 

 As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir. 

 Our revels now are ended. These our actors, 

 As I foretold you, were all spirits and 

 Are melted into air, into thin air: 

 And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, 

 The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, 

 The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 

 Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve 

 And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, 

 Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff 

 As dreams are made on, and our little life 

 Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd; 

 Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled: 

 Be not disturb'd with my infirmity: 

 If you be pleased, retire into my cell 

 And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk, 

 To still my beating mind. 

 FERDINAND  MIRANDA  We wish your peace. 



 Exeunt  PROSPERO  Come with a thought I thank thee, Ariel: come. 



 Enter ARIEL  ARIEL  Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure? 

 PROSPERO  Spirit, 

 We must prepare to meet with Caliban. 

 ARIEL  Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres, 

 I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd 

 Lest I might anger thee. 

 PROSPERO  Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? 

 ARIEL  I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; 

 So fun of valour that they smote the air 

 For breathing in their faces; beat the ground 

 For kissing of their feet; yet always bending 

 Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour; 

 At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd 

 their ears, 

 Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses 

 As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears 

 That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through 

 Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns, 

 Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them 

 I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell, 

 There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake 

 O'erstunk their feet. 

 PROSPERO  This was well done, my bird. 

 Thy shape invisible retain thou still: 

 The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither, 

 For stale to catch these thieves. 

 ARIEL  I go, I go. 



 Exit  PROSPERO  A devil, a born devil, on whose nature 

 Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, 

 Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost; 

 And as with age his body uglier grows, 

 So his mind cankers. I will plague them all, 

 Even to roaring. 



 Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel,  & c  Come, hang them on this line. 



 PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet  CALIBAN  Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not 

 Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell. 

 STEPHANO  Monster, your fairy, which you say is 

 a harmless fairy, has done little better than 

 played the Jack with us. 

 TRINCULO  Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at 

 which my nose is in great indignation. 

 STEPHANO  So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take 

 a displeasure against you, look you,-- 

 TRINCULO  Thou wert but a lost monster. 

 CALIBAN  Good my lord, give me thy favour still. 

 Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to 

 Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly. 

 All's hush'd as midnight yet. 

 TRINCULO  Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,-- 

 STEPHANO  There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, 

 monster, but an infinite loss. 

 TRINCULO  That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your 

 harmless fairy, monster. 

 STEPHANO  I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears 

 for my labour. 

 CALIBAN  Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here, 

 This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter. 

 Do that good mischief which may make this island 

 Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban, 

 For aye thy foot-licker. 

 STEPHANO  Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts. 

 TRINCULO  O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look 

 what a wardrobe here is for thee! 

 CALIBAN  Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash. 

 TRINCULO  O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery. 

 O king Stephano! 

 STEPHANO  Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have 

 that gown. 

 TRINCULO  Thy grace shall have it. 

 CALIBAN  The dropsy drown this fool I what do you mean 

 To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone 

 And do the murder first: if he awake, 

 From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches, 

 Make us strange stuff. 

 STEPHANO  Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, 

 is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under 

 the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your 

 hair and prove a bald jerkin. 

 TRINCULO  Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like your grace. 

 STEPHANO  I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't: 

 wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this 

 country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent 

 pass of pate; there's another garment for't. 

 TRINCULO  Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and 

 away with the rest. 

 CALIBAN  I will have none on't: we shall lose our time, 

 And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes 

 With foreheads villanous low. 

 STEPHANO  Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this 

 away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you 

 out of my kingdom: go to, carry this. 

 TRINCULO  And this. 

 STEPHANO  Ay, and this. 



 A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits,  in shape of dogs and hounds, and hunt them about, PROSPERO and ARIEL setting them on  PROSPERO  Hey, Mountain, hey! 

 ARIEL  Silver I there it goes, Silver! 

 PROSPERO  Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark! 



 CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, are driven out  Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints 

 With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews 

 With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them 

 Than pard or cat o' mountain. 

 ARIEL  Hark, they roar! 

 PROSPERO  Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour 

 Lie at my mercy all mine enemies: 

 Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou 

 Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little 

 Follow, and do me service. 



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