Brick Shakespeare: The Comedies—A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Taming of the Shrew (35 page)

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 stain’d

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

It goes on, I see,

As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I’ll free thee

Within two days for this.

FERDINAND

Most sure, the goddess

On whom these airs attend! Vouchsafe my prayer

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 wreck’d.

MIRANDA

Alack, for mercy!

FERDINAND

Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan

And his brave son being twain.

PROSPERO

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. Delicate Ariel,

I’ll set thee free for this.

PROSPERO (cont.)

A word, good sir;

I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.

MIRANDA

Why speaks my father so ungently? This

Is the third man that e’er I saw, the first

That e’er I sigh’d for: pity move my father

To be inclined my way!