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The Tempest: Act III, Scene 1

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The Tempest
Act III, Scene 1

Scene 1

Before Prospero’s cell.

Ferdinand is hauling logs, a chore assigned him by Prospero. Miranda arrives to cheer and comfort him in his task. She is overjoyed to find that her love is reciprocated.
  1. Enter Ferdinand bearing a log.

Ferdinand

1 - 15
  1. There be some sports are painful, and their labor
  2. Delight in them sets off; some kinds of baseness
  3. Are nobly undergone; and most poor matters
  4. Point to rich ends. This my mean task
  5. Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
  6. The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,
  7. And makes my labors pleasures. O, she is
  8. Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed;
  9. And he’s compos’d of harshness. I must remove
  10. Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,
  11. Upon a sore injunction. My sweet mistress
  12. Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness
  13. Had never like executor. I forget;
  14. But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labors,
  15. Most busil’est when I do it.
  1. Enter Miranda, and Prospero at a distance, unseen.

Miranda

16 - 22
  1.                              Alas, now pray you
  2. Work not so hard. I would the lightning had
  3. Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin’d to pile!
  4. Pray set it down, and rest you. When this burns,
  5. ’Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
  6. Is hard at study; pray now rest yourself,
  7. He’s safe for these three hours.

Ferdinand

23 - 25
  1.                                  O most dear mistress,
  2. The sun will set before I shall discharge
  3. What I must strive to do.

Miranda

26 - 28
  1.                           If you’ll sit down,
  2. I’ll bear your logs the while. Pray give me that,
  3. I’ll carry it to the pile.

Ferdinand

29 - 32
  1.                            No, precious creature,
  2. I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
  3. Than you should such dishonor undergo,
  4. While I sit lazy by.

Miranda

33 - 36
  1.                      It would become me
  2. As well as it does you; and I should do it
  3. With much more ease, for my good will is to it,
  4. And yours it is against.

Prospero

37 - 38
  1. Aside.
  2.                          Poor worm, thou art infected!
  3. This visitation shows it.

Miranda

39
  1.                           You look wearily.
Costume sketches for various characters

From: Costume sketches for various characters

Gabriel, late 19th or early 20th century

Ferdinand

40 - 43
  1. No, noble mistress, ’tis fresh morning with me
  2. When you are by at night. I do beseech you—
  3. Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers—
  4. What is your name?

Miranda

44 - 45
  1.                    Miranda.—O my father,
  2. I have broke your hest to say so.

Ferdinand

46 - 57
  1.                                   Admir’d Miranda,
  2. Indeed the top of admiration! Worth
  3. What’s dearest to the world! Full many a lady
  4. I have ey’d with best regard, and many a time
  5. Th’ harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
  6. Brought my too diligent ear. For several virtues
  7. Have I lik’d several women, never any
  8. With so full soul but some defect in her
  9. Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow’d,
  10. And put it to the foil. But you, O you,
  11. So perfect and so peerless, are created
  12. Of every creature’s best!

Miranda

58 - 69
  1.                           I do not know
  2. One of my sex; no woman’s face remember,
  3. Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
  4. More that I may call men than you, good friend,
  5. And my dear father. How features are abroad
  6. I am skilless of; but by my modesty
  7. (The jewel in my dower), I would not wish
  8. Any companion in the world but you;
  9. Nor can imagination form a shape,
  10. Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle
  11. Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts
  12. I therein do forget.

Ferdinand

70 - 78
  1.                      I am, in my condition,
  2. A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king
  3. (I would, not so!), and would no more endure
  4. This wooden slavery than to suffer
  5. The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:
  6. The very instant that I saw you, did
  7. My heart fly to your service, there resides,
  8. To make me slave to it, and for your sake
  9. Am I this patient log-man.

Miranda

79
  1.                            Do you love me?
William Haviland as Prospero

William Haviland as Prospero

Virtue & Co., circa 1900

Ferdinand

80 - 85
  1. O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
  2. And crown what I profess with kind event
  3. If I speak true! If hollowly, invert
  4. What best is boded me to mischief! I,
  5. Beyond all limit of what else i’ th’ world,
  6. Do love, prize, honor you.

Miranda

86 - 87
  1.                            I am a fool
  2. To weep at what I am glad of.

Prospero

88 - 90
  1. Aside.
  2.                               Fair encounter
  3. Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
  4. On that which breeds between ’em!

Ferdinand

91
  1.                                   Wherefore weep you?

Miranda

92 - 101
  1. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
  2. What I desire to give; and much less take
  3. What I shall die to want. But this is trifling,
  4. And all the more it seeks to hide itself,
  5. The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning,
  6. And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
  7. I am your wife, if you will marry me;
  8. If not, I’ll die your maid. To be your fellow
  9. You may deny me, but I’ll be your servant,
  10. Whether you will or no.

Ferdinand

102 - 103
  1.                         My mistress, dearest,
  2. And I thus humble ever.

Miranda

104
  1.                         My husband then?

Ferdinand

105 - 106
  1. Ay, with a heart as willing
  2. As bondage e’er of freedom. Here’s my hand.

Miranda

107 - 108
  1. And mine, with my heart in’t. And now farewell
  2. Till half an hour hence.

Ferdinand

109
  1.                          A thousand, thousand!
  1. Exeunt Ferdinand and Miranda severally.

Prospero

110 - 114
  1. So glad of this as they I cannot be,
  2. Who are surpris’d withal; but my rejoicing
  3. At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book,
  4. For yet ere supper-time must I perform
  5. Much business appertaining.
  1. Exit.
The Tempest, arranged for representation at the Princess's Theatre

From: The Tempest, arranged for representation at the Princess's Theatre

First performed on Wednesday, July 1, 1857

John K. Chapman and Co., 1857

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