TPTT The Tempest: ACT II
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
SCENE I. Another part of the island.
SCENE II. Another part of the island.
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE II. Another part of the island.
Enter CALIBAN with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard
CALIBAN
      All the infections that the sun sucks up
      From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him
      By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me
      And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
5     Fright me with urchin--shows, pitch me i' the mire,
      Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
      Out of my way, unless he bid 'em; but
      For every trifle are they set upon me;
      Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me
10    And after bite me, then like hedgehogs which
      Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
      Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
      All wound with adders who with cloven tongues
      Do hiss me into madness.

Enter TRINCULO

15    Lo, now, lo!
      Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me
      For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat;
      Perchance he will not mind me.
TRINCULO
      Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off
20    any weather at all, and another storm brewing;
      I hear it sing i' the wind: yond same black
      cloud, yond huge one, looks like a foul
      bombard that would shed his liquor. If it
      should thunder as it did before, I know not
25    where to hide my head: yond same cloud cannot
      choose but fall by pailfuls. What have we
      here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish:
      he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-
      like smell; a kind of not of the newest Poor-
30    John. A strange fish! Were I in England now,
      as once I was, and had but this fish painted,
      not a holiday fool there but would give a piece
      of silver: there would this monster make a
      man; any strange beast there makes a man:
35    when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame
      beggar, they will lazy out ten to see a dead
      Indian. Legged like a man and his fins like
      arms! Warm o' my troth! I do now let loose
      my opinion; hold it no longer: this is no fish,
40    but an islander, that hath lately suffered by a
      thunderbolt.

Thunder

      Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is to
      creep under his gaberdine; there is no other
      shelter hereabouts: misery acquaints a man with
45    strange bed-fellows. I will here shroud till the
      dregs of the storm be past.
Enter STEPHANO, singing: a bottle in his hand
STEPHANO
      I shall no more to sea, to sea,
      Here shall I die ashore--
      This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's
50    funeral: well, here's my comfort.

Sings

      The master, the swabber, the boatswain and I,
      The gunner and his mate
      Loved Mall, Meg and Marian and Margery,
      But none of us cared for Kate;
55    For she had a tongue with a tang,
      Would cry to a sailor, Go hang!
      She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch,
      Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch:
      Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang!
60    This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.
Drinks
CALIBAN
      Do not torment me: Oh!
STEPHANO
      What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do you put
      tricks upon's with savages and men of Ind, ha? I
      have not scaped drowning to be afeard now of your
65    four legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man as
      ever went on four legs cannot make him give ground;
      and it shall be said so again while Stephano
      breathes at's nostrils.
CALIBAN
      The spirit torments me; Oh!
STEPHANO
70    This is some monster of the isle with four legs, who
      hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devil
      should he learn our language? I will give him some
      relief, if it be but for that. if I can recover him
      and keep him tame and get to Naples with him, he's a
75    present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's leather.
CALIBAN
      Do not torment me, prithee; I'll bring my wood home faster.
STEPHANO
      He's in his fit now and does not talk after the
      wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have
      never drunk wine afore will go near to remove his
80    fit. If I can recover him and keep him tame, I will
      not take too much for him; he shall pay for him that
      hath him, and that soundly.
CALIBAN
      Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I
      know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.
STEPHANO
85    Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that
      which will give language to you, cat: open your
      mouth; this will shake your shaking, I can tell you,
      and that soundly: you cannot tell who's your friend:
      open your chaps again.
TRINCULO
90    I should know that voice: it should be--but he is
      drowned; and these are devils: O defend me!
STEPHANO
      Four legs and two voices: a most delicate monster!
      His forward voice now is to speak well of his
      friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches
95    and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will
      recover him, I will help his ague. Come. Amen! I
      will pour some in thy other mouth.
TRINCULO
      Stephano!
STEPHANO
      Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy, mercy! This is
100   a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have no
      long spoon.
TRINCULO
      Stephano! If thou beest Stephano, touch me and
      speak to me: for I am Trinculo--be not afeard--thy
      good friend Trinculo.
STEPHANO
105   If thou beest Trinculo, come forth: I'll pull thee
      by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs,
      these are they. Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How
      camest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? can
      he vent Trinculos?
TRINCULO
110   I took him to be killed with a thunder-stroke. But
      art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope now thou art
      not drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid me
      under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine for fear of
      the storm. And art thou living, Stephano? O
115   Stephano, two Neapolitans 'scaped!
STEPHANO
      Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not constant.
CALIBAN
      (Aside) These be fine things, an if they be
      not sprites.
      That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor.
120   I will kneel to him.
STEPHANO
      How didst thou 'scape? How camest thou hither?
      swear by this bottle how thou camest hither. I
      escaped upon a butt of sack which the sailors
      heaved o'erboard, by this bottle; which I made of
125   the bark of a tree with mine own hands since I was
      cast ashore.
CALIBAN
      I'll swear upon that bottle to be thy true subject;
      for the liquor is not earthly.
STEPHANO
      Here; swear then how thou escapedst.
TRINCULO
130   Swum ashore. man, like a duck: I can swim like a
      duck, I'll be sworn.
STEPHANO
      Here, kiss the book. Though thou canst swim like a
      duck, thou art made like a goose.
TRINCULO
      O Stephano. hast any more of this?
STEPHANO
135   The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by the
      sea-side where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf!
      how does thine ague?
CALIBAN
      Hast thou not dropp'd from heaven?
STEPHANO
      Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the man i'
140   the moon when time was.
CALIBAN
      I have seen thee in her and I do adore thee:
      My mistress show'd me thee and thy dog and thy bush.
STEPHANO
      Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnish
      it anon with new contents swear.
TRINCULO
145   By this good light, this is a very shallow monster!
      I afeard of him! A very weak monster! The man i'
      the moon! A most poor credulous monster! Well
      drawn, monster, in good sooth!
CALIBAN
      I'll show thee every fertile inch o' th' island;
150   And I will kiss thy foot: I prithee, be my god.
TRINCULO
      By this light, a most perfidious and drunken
      monster! when 's god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.
CALIBAN
      I'll kiss thy foot; I'll swear myself thy subject.
STEPHANO
      Come on then; down, and swear.
TRINCULO
155   I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed
      monster. A most scurvy monster! I could find in my
      heart to beat him,--
STEPHANO
      Come, kiss.
TRINCULO
      But that the poor monster's in drink: an abominable monster!
CALIBAN
160   I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;
      I'll fish for thee and get thee wood enough.
      A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
      I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,
      Thou wondrous man.
TRINCULO
165   A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a
      Poor drunkard!
CALIBAN
      I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;
      And I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts;
      Show thee a jay's nest and instruct thee how
170   To snare the nimble marmoset; I'll bring thee
      To clustering filberts and sometimes I'll get thee
      Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?
STEPHANO
      I prithee now, lead the way without any more
      talking. Trinculo, the king and all our company
175   else being drowned, we will inherit here: here;
      bear my bottle: fellow Trinculo, we'll fill him by
      and by again.
CALIBAN
      Farewell master; farewell, farewell!
TRINCULO
180   A howling monster: a drunken monster!
CALIBAN
      No more dams I'll make for fish
      Nor fetch in firing
      At requiring;
      Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish
185   'Ban, 'Ban, Cacaliban
      Has a new master: get a new man.
      Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom,
      hey-day, freedom!
STEPHANO
      O brave monster! Lead the way.
Exeunt
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