William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (558 page)

Enter Ariel
⌈
like a water-nymph
⌉,
playing and
singing, invisible to Ferdinand, who follows.
⌈
Prospero and Miranda stand aside
⌉
Song

Bow-wow!

Hark, hark, I hear
The strain of strutting Chanticleer
Cry ‘cock-a-diddle-dow’.

FERDINAND

Where should this music be? I’th’ air or th’earth?
It sounds no more; and sure it waits upon
Some god o‘th’ island. Sitting on a bank,
Weeping again the King my father’s wreck,
This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury and my passion
With its sweet air. Thence I have followed it—
Or it hath drawn me rather. But ’tis gone.
No, it begins again.

Song

ARIEL

Full fathom five thy father lies. Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:

 

⌈SPIRITS⌉(within) Ding dong.

ARIEL

Hark, now I hear them.

⌈SPIRITS⌉(within)

Ding-dong bell. ⌈etc.⌉

FERDINAND

The ditty does remember my drowned father.
This is no mortal business, nor no sound
That the earth owes.

⌈
Music
⌉

 

I hear it now above me.

PROSPERO (
to Miranda)

The fringed curtains of thine eye advance,
And say what thou seest yon.

MIRANDA

What is’t? A spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,
It carries a brave form. But ’tis a spirit.

PROSPERO

No, wench, it eats and sleeps, and hath such senses
As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest
Was in the wreck, and but he’s something stained
With grief, that’s beauty’s canker, thou mightst call
him
A goodly person. He hath lost his fellows,
And strays about to find ’em.

MIRANDA

I might call him

A thing divine, for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.

PROSPERO (
aside
)

It goes on, I see,

As my soul prompts it. (
To Ariel
) Spirit, fine spirit, I’ll
free thee
Within two days for this.

FERDINAND ⌈
aside
⌉

Most sure the goddess

On whom these airs attend. (
To Miranda
) Vouchsafe
my prayer 425
May know if you remain upon this island,
And that you will some good instruction give
How I may bear me here. My prime request,
Which I do last pronounce, is—O you wonder—
If you be maid or no?

MIRANDA

No wonder, sir,

But certainly a maid.

FERDINAND

My language! Heavens!

I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where ’tis spoken.

PROSPERO

How, the best?

What wert thou if the King of Naples heard thee?

FERDINAND

A single thing, as I am now that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me,
And that he does I weep. Myself am Naples,
Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld
The King my father wrecked.

MIRANDA

Alack, for mercy!

FERDINAND

Yes, faith, and all his lords, the Duke of Milan
And his brave son being twain.

PROSPERO (
aside)

The Duke of Milan

And his more braver daughter could control thee,
If now ’twere fit to do’t. At the first sight
They have changed eyes.—Deticate Ariel,
I’ll set thee free for this. (
To Ferdinand
) A word, good
sir. 445
I fear you have done yourself some wrong. A word.

MIRANDA (
aside)

Why speaks my father so ungently? This
Is the third man that e’er I saw, the first
That e’er I sighed for. Pity move my father
To be inclined my way.

FERDINAND

O, if a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I’ll make you
The Queen of Naples.

PROSPERO

Soft, sir! One word more.

(
Aside)
They are both in either’s powers. But this swift
business
I must uneasy make, lest too light winning
Make the prize light. (
To Ferdinand)
One word more. I
charge thee
That thou attend me. Thou dost here usurp
The name thou ow’st not; and hast put thyself
Upon this island as a spy, to win it
From me the lord on’t.

FERDINAND

No, as I am a man.

MIRANDA

There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a temple.
If the ill spirit have so fair a house,
Good things will strive to dwell with’t.

PROSPERO (
to Ferdinand
)

Follow me.

(To Miranda) Speak not you for him; he’s a traitor.
(
To Ferdinand)
Come!
I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together.
Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be
The fresh-brook mussels, withered roots, and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow!

FERDINAND
No.

I will resist such entertainment till
Mine enemy has more power.

He draws, and is charmed from moving

 

MIRANDA

O dear father,

Make not too rash a trial of him, for
He’s gentle, and not fearful.

PROSPERO

What, I say,

My foot my tutor? Put thy sword up, traitor,
Who mak‘st a show but dar’st not strike, thy
conscience
Is so possessed with guilt. Come from thy ward,
For I can here disarm thee with this stick
And make thy weapon drop.

MIRANDA

Beseech you, father!

PROSPERO

Hence! Hang not on my garments.

MIRANDA

Sir, have pity.

I’ll be his surety.

PROSPERO

Silencel One word more

Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What,
An advocate for an impostor? Hush!
Thou think’st there is no more such shapes as he,
Having seen but him and Caliban. Foolish wench!
To th’ most of men this is a Caliban,
And they to him are angels.

MIRANDA

My affections

Are then most humble. I have no ambition
To see a goodlier man.

PROSPERO (
to Ferdinand)
Come on; obey.

Thy nerves are in their infancy again,
And have no vigour in them.

FERDINAND

So they are.

My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
My father’s loss, the weakness which I feel,
The wreck of all my friends, nor this man’s threats
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,
Might I but through my prison once a day
Behold this maid. All corners else o’th’ earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough
Have I in such a prison.

PROSPERO
(aside)

It works. (
To Ferdinand)
Come on.—

Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. (
To Ferdinand)
Follow
me.
(To Ariel) Hark what thou else shalt do me.

MIRANDA (
to Ferdinand
)

Be of comfort.

My father’s of a better nature, sir,
Than he appears by speech. This is unwonted
Which now came from him.

PROSPERO (
to Ariel)

Thou shalt be as free

As mountain winds; but then exactly do
All points of my command.

ARIEL To th’ syllable.

PROSPERO (
to Ferdinand)

Come, follow. (To Miranda) Speak not for him.

Exeunt