The Tempest
Act IV, Scene 1

Before Prospero’s cell.
- Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.
Prospero
1 - 11- 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
12 - 13- I do believe it
- Against an oracle.
Prospero
14 - 24- Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
- Worthily purchas’d, take my daughter. But
- If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
- All sanctimonious ceremonies may
- With full and holy rite be minist’red,
- No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
- To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
- Sour-ey’d 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
25 - 33- 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 honor 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
34 - 36- Fairly spoke.
- Sit then and talk with her, she is thine own.
- What, Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!
- Enter Ariel.
Ariel
37- What would my potent master? Here I am.
Prospero
38 - 45- 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 pow’r) 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
46- Presently?
Prospero
47- Ay, with a twink.
Ariel
48 - 52- 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
53 - 54- Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
- Till thou dost hear me call.
Ariel
55- Well; I conceive.
- Exit.
Prospero
56 - 59- Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
- Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw
- To th’ fire i’ th’ blood. Be more abstenious,
- Or else good night your vow!
Ferdinand
60 - 62- I warrant you, sir,
- The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
- Abates the ardor of my liver.
Prospero
63 - 66- 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
67 - 82- Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
- Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, 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 spungy 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’ th’ sky,
- Whose wat’ry 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.
- Juno descends slowly in her car.
- Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
- Enter Ceres.
Ceres
83 - 90- Hail, many-colored messenger, that ne’er
- Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
- Who with thy saffron wings upon my flow’rs
- Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing show’rs,
- 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
91 - 93- A contract of true love to celebrate,
- And some donation freely to estate
- On the bless’d lovers.
Ceres
94 - 99- 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 scandall’d company
- I have forsworn.
Iris
100 - 110- 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 in vain,
- Mars’s hot minion is return’d 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.
- Juno alights.
Ceres
111 - 112- Highest Queen of state,
- Great Juno, comes, I know her by her gait.
Juno
113 - 115- How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
- To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
- And honor’d in their issue.
- They sing.
Juno
116 - 119- Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
- Long continuance, and increasing,
- Hourly joys be still upon you!
- Juno sings her blessings on you.
Ceres
120 - 127- Earth’s increase, foison plenty,
- Barns and garners never empty;
- Vines with clust’ring bunches growing,
- Plants with goodly burden 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
128 - 130- This is a most majestic vision, and
- Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
- To think these spirits?
Prospero
131 - 133- Spirits, which by mine art
- I have from their confines call’d to enact
- My present fancies.
Ferdinand
134 - 136- Let me live here ever;
- So rare a wond’red father and a wise
- Makes this place Paradise.
- Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.
Prospero
137 - 140- 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
141 - 151- You nymphs, call’d Naiades, of the windring brooks,
- With your sedg’d 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 sunburn’d 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
152 - 156- 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
157 - 158- This is strange. Your father’s in some passion
- That works him strongly.
Miranda
159 - 160- Never till this day
- Saw I him touch’d with anger, so distemper’d.
Prospero
161 - 178- You do look, my son, in a mov’d 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 tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
- The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
- Yea, 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 old brain is troubled.
- Be not disturb’d with my infirmity.
- If you be pleas’d, retire into my cell,
- And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk
- To still my beating mind.
Both Ferdinand and Miranda
179- We wish your peace.
Prospero
180 - 182- To Ariel.
- Come with a thought.
- To Ferdinand and Miranda.
- I thank thee.
- Exeunt Ferdinand and Miranda.
- Ariel! Come.
- Enter Ariel.
Ariel
183- Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?
Prospero
184 - 185- Spirit,
- We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
Ariel
186 - 188- 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
189- Say again, where didst thou leave these varlots?
Ariel
190 - 203- I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking,
- So full of valor 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 tabor,
- At which like unback’d colts they prick’d their ears,
- Advanc’d 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 ent’red their frail shins. At last I left them
- I’ th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
- There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake
- O’erstunk their feet.
Prospero
204 - 207- 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
208- I go, I go.
- Exit.
Prospero
209 - 215- 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.
- Enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, etc.
- Come, hang them on this line.
- Prospero and Ariel remain, invisible.
- Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.
Caliban
216 - 217- Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not
- Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell.
Stephano
218 - 219- Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has
- done little better than play’d the Jack with us.
Trinculo
220 - 221- Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is in
- great indignation.
Stephano
222 - 223- So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a
- displeasure against you, look you—
Trinculo
224- Thou wert but a lost monster.
Caliban
225 - 228- Good my lord, give me thy favor 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
229- Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool—
Stephano
230 - 231- There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that, monster,
- but an infinite loss.
Trinculo
232 - 233- That’s more to me than my wetting; yet this is your harmless
- fairy, monster!
Stephano
234 - 235- I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears for my
- labor.
Caliban
236 - 240- Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,
- This is the mouth o’ th’ cell. No noise, and enter.
- Do that good mischief which may make this island
- Thine own forever, and I, thy Caliban,
- For aye thy foot-licker.
Stephano
241- Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
Trinculo
242 - 243- O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! Look what a
- wardrobe here is for thee!
Caliban
244- Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.
Trinculo
245 - 246- O, ho, monster! We know what belongs to a frippery. O King
- Stephano!
Stephano
247 - 248- Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll have that
- gown.
Trinculo
249- Thy Grace shall have it.
Caliban
250 - 254- The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
- To dote thus on such luggage? Let’t 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
255 - 257- 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
258- Do, do; we steal by line and level, and’t like your Grace.
Stephano
259 - 262- 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
263 - 264- Monster, come put some lime upon your fingers, and away with
- the rest.
Caliban
265 - 267- I will have none on’t. We shall lose our time,
- And all be turn’d to barnacles, or to apes
- With foreheads villainous low.
Stephano
268 - 270- 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
271- And this.
Stephano
272- Ay, and this.
- A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits in shape of
- dogs and hounds, hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel
- setting them on.
Prospero
273- Hey, Mountain, hey!
Ariel
274- Silver! There it goes, Silver!
Prospero
275 - 279- 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
280- Hark, they roar!
Prospero
281 - 285- Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
- Lies at my mercy all mine enemies.
- Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou
- Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little
- Follow, and do me service.
- Exeunt.