Tempest Act IV

A C T 1 V



Scene 1. (The front of Prospero’s cell)


Enter Ferdinand, Prospero and Miranda.


Prospero. (Speaking to Ferdinand). Look, I know I’ve been hard on you, but the compensation I’m giving you is going to be more than worth it. I’m giving you
Miranda, who’s a third of my own life. All the things I put you through were just to test your love for her, and you’ve definitely proven yourself. I don’t have enough words to tell you how valuable she is.


Ferdinand. I know. I believe it with all my heart.


Prospero. Then I’m happy to hand her over to you. But if you sleep with her before the rites of the wedding are said, bad luck and ruin will follow your union forever. You will have no wedding bliss or good omens and your marriage will be barren and hateful.


Ferdinand. I want to live out my days with Miranda filled with love and fruitful bliss. Nothing on earth can make me lessen the excitement of the celebration of our wedding day.


Prospero. Well said. Sit down and talk with her. She’s yours.


(Enter Ariel)


What, Ariel, my industrious servant, Ariel!


Ariel. At your service, master. What can I do for you?


Prospero. You and the other servants really did well at your last job, and I’ve got to use you to do something similar again. Go bring the others. Tell them to be quick. I want them to put on a performance for the lovely couple. It’s the least they’d expect of me.


Ariel. Now?


Prospero. Sure.


Ariel. (In a song) 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 Ariel. Don’t come till I call you.


Ariel. Okay. Understood.


                                                                                           Exit.


Prospero. (Apparently having caught the couple hugging) Remember your promise to me. Don’t give into temptation and don’t push yourself too far or you won’t have the self-control to keep to your vow.


Ferdinand. I promise you, sir, Nothing’s going on here. Your daughter is too pure for that.


Prospero. All right then. Come with me, Ariel. And bring your spirits with you just in case we need an extra one. Be quiet and watch.


(Soft music)


From here onto where Prospero says, 'I have to take a little walk to clear my head' you have to imagine this as musical or ballet. Spirits sing and talk in rhymes as part of the wedding ceremony performance. I tried to keep the poetry in this section as much as possible where it makes sense in modern language. However, some of them understandably can’t be explained properly without taking some of the poetry language out. This is the performance Prospero wants for the wedding celebrations.


Enter Iris who is the messenger spirit of Juno (Roman queen of gods and wife of Jupiter).
(Sings a song)

Iris. Ceres, (goddess of agriculture) most bountiful lady. Your rich fields of wheat, rye, barley and peas. Your generous mountains where the sheep graze and live off the rich grass that cover you everywhere. Both nymphs and bachelors love you for the thatch used to make crowns and groves. Your vines grow neatly around poles. (To Juno) You're the queen of the sky and I’m your messenger.


Juno descends. (Roman queen of gods and wife of Jupiter)


Here on this grass plot, in this very place,
To come and sport; her peacocks fly amain. (Peacocks are sacred to Juno).
Approach rich, Ceres, her to entertain.


Enter Ceres (goddess of agriculture).


Ceres. (Sings a song) Hail, many-coloured messenger, that never
Does disobey the wife of Jupiter,
Who, with your saffron wings, upon my flowers
Beautiful honey drops, refreshing showers,
And with each end of your blue bow does crown
My shrubbed acres and my unshrubbed down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth. Why has your queen
Summoned me to this short-grassed green?


Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate
And some donation to freely bestow
On the blessed lovers.

Ceres. Tell me, heavenly bow,
Venus and her son(Cupid), as you know
Now attends the Queen, since the plot
to steal my daughter from Pluto the king of the underworld.
I don’t keep her and her blind boy’s sore
And scandalous company anymore.

Iris. Of her society
You don’t have to be afraid. I met her Diety and her son
(Venus is the goddess of love, and Cupid is her son).
On their way flying to Paphos.
I thought they had done
Some charm upon this man and maid
Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid,
Till the rites are fully said.


Juno alights


Ceres. Highest queen of state. Great Juno comes. I know her by her appearance.

Juno. How is my beautiful sister? Come with me to bless the couple. That they’re prosperous and have a great life.


They sing.


Juno. Honour, riches, marriage blessings.
Long life and prosperity
Hourly joys be ever upon you.
Juno sings her blessings on you
Earth’s increase always in abundance
Barnes and fields never empty.
Vines and produce always growing,
Plants with goodly burden bowing.
Spring come to you for a long time
May there be no winter in your life.
Scarcity and want shall shun you,
Ceres’ blessing so, is on you.

Ferdinand. This is such an awesome vision. Am I right that these are spirits?

Prospero. I’ve used my art to call these spirits from their homes so they can enact my present fancies.


Ferdinand. I want to live here forever. You’re such a rare and awesome father. Your wisdom has made this place paradise.


Juno and Ceres whisper and send Iris to do something.


Prospero. Be quiet now everyone. Juno and Ceres are talking about something important. There’s something else to do. Be quiet or you’ll spoil the spell.


Iris. You nymphs, Naiades of the winding brooks, Juno commands you to leave your green lands and come here. Come and help us celebrate this union of true love.


Enter Reapers dressed in celebratory costume and dance with the Nymphs. Nearing the end of the dance, Prospero speaks and breaks the spell and they all vanish suddenly.


Prospero. (Aside) I'd forgotten that the time for Caliban and his confederates‘ plan to try to kill me is almost here. (To the Spirits) well done! That’s it! No more.


Ferdinand. This is strange. Your father seems to be very worried about something.


Miranda. Up until today, I’ve never seen him so angry and irritable.


Prospero. Don’t worry about anything, my boy. Be happy. Your celebration is now finished. As I told you, these were all spirits and have now melted into thin air. Everything is imaginary. We are made just like these things. I’m a little disturbed, but don’t let that worry you. Just come back to my place if you want and relax there. I have to take a little walk to clear my head.


Ferdinand, Miranda. Okay. Have a good walk.


                                                                    Exit Ferdinand and Miranda.


Prospero. Where’re you Ariel? I want to thank you.


Enter Ariel.


Ariel. Here I am. What can I do for you?


Prospero. We must prepare to meet Caliban.


Ariel. Yes, sir. I thought of that while Ceres was talking and wanted to say something, but I thought you ‘d be angry with me.


Prospero. Where did you say you saw Caliban and those clowns last?


Ariel. I told you, sir. They were so drunk, they could beat up the air for blowing in their faces too hard. They were in such a mood, they could beat the ground for touching their feet. But they were still bent on carrying out their plan. When I beat my tabor (drum) they pricked their ears and looked up like wild colts. I charmed their ears then, so they followed my music through briers and gorses like poor, little calves. I tell you, that destroyed their shins no end. After that, I left them in that filthy, smelly pool beyond your cell, completely covered in scum. They were dancing around, complaining that the lake made their feet smell.


Prospero. This was well done, my dearest. Stay invisible and go bring me that shiny cloak from my house. I need it for a decoy to catch those thieves.


Ariel. Okay, off I go.


                                                                                            Exit.


Prospero. No matter how well you nurture a devil, he’ll remain a devil. I spent so much time and effort with him, (Caliban) now all that is lost. His body becomes more ugly with age, and so does his mind. I’ll teach him a good lesson.


Enter Ariel carrying a shiny cloak.


Come hang it on this lime tree.


Prospero and Ariel remain invisible. Enter Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, all soaking wet and drenched in dirt.


Caliban. We've to very walk quietly now we’ve almost reached his cell.


Stephano. Monster, that fairy you said was harmless totally tricked us and wrapped us round his little finger.


Trinculo. Monster, I smell like horses’ pee. It’s awful.


Stephano. I don’t like it either, Monster. Not one bit. This plan had better go well, because I’m losing my patience with you.


Trinculo. You were already lost when we found you.


Caliban. Please, master. Just give me one more chance. This prize I’m about to bring you is well worth everything we’ve been through. Just be very quiet.


Trinculo. Okay, but we lost our bottles in that stinking pond.


Stephano. It’s not just the disgrace and embarrassment at being tricked. We actually lost valuable stuff too.


Trinculo. That actually upsets me more than getting drenched. All that because of your ‘harmless’ fairy.


Stephano. I think I’ll go back for my bottle, even though I’ll practically have to swim to get it back in that deep, smelly pond.


Caliban. Please, my king. Please be quiet. See this? It’s the mouth of his cell. Enter quietly. Do your stuff and you’ll own this Island forever. Then I, Caliban will be your foot-licker always.


Stephano. Give me your hand. I’m going to do this.


Trinculo. Oh, King Stephano, this is suitable clothes here for you. (He’s seen the shiny cloak hanging from the tree).


Caliban. Leave that. It’s trash.


Trinculo. Hang on there, monster. We can tell the difference between good clothes and rags.


Stephano. Leave that alone, Trinculo. It belongs to me. I’ll have it!


Trinculo. Oh yes, king. Have it.


Caliban. Guys, are you stupid? That’ll slow us down, man. Kill Prospero first. If he awakes we’re in for trouble. He’ll get his spirits to pinch us from head to toe.


Stephano. You be quiet, monster. This jacket will suit me to a T. (Takes it down). Check me out in this.


Trinculo. Classic! Someone looks fine. You just have to have that.


Stephano. Thanks, man. You’ll be rewarded when I’m king of this country.


Trinculo. Monster, come check this out.


Caliban. I’m having none of it. You guys are wasting time here. We’ll all be turned to barnacles or apes.


Stephano. Monster, I want you to take this to where my hogshed of wine is. If you don’t I’ll turn you out of my kingdom. Go on, carry this.


Trinculo. And this.


Staphano. And this.


A noise of hunters is heard. Enter spirits in the shape of dogs and hounds hunting them.


Prospero. Hey, mountain, hey!


Ariel. Silver, there it goes, Silver!


Prospero. Fury, Fury! Here, Tyrant! Here, here!


Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano are driven out.


Prospero. (To Ariel) Go and tell my goblins to age all their joints, shorten up their sinews with old age cramps. Pinch them so much that they have more spots than a mountain leopard.


Ariel. Hear them scream!


Prospero. Let them be hunted soundly. At this moment all my enemies are at my mercy. All my labours will end soon, and you will have your freedom. I just need you to do one more thing.


Exit.