William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (561 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare

BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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⌈He kneels⌉
 
STEFANO (to
Trinculo)
How didst thou scape? How cam’st thou hither? Swear by this bottle how thou cam’st hither. I escaped upon a butt of sack which the sailors heaved o’erboard, by this bottle—which I made of 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.
STEFANO (
offering Trinculo the bottle
) Here. Swear then how thou escapedst.
TRINCULO Swum ashore, man, like a duck. I can swim like a duck, I’ll be sworn.
STEFANO Here, kiss the book.
Trinculo drinks
 
Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made
like a goose.
TRINCULO O Stefano, hast any more of this?
STEFANO The whole butt, man. My cellar is in a rock by th’ seaside, where my wine is hid.
⌈Caliban rises⌉
 
How now, moon-calf? How does thine ague?
CALIBAN Hast thou not dropped from heaven?
STEFANO Out o’th’ moon, I do assure thee. I was the man i’th’ moon when time was.
CALIBAN
I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee.
My mistress showed me thee, and thy dog and thy bush.
STEFANO Come, swear to that. Kiss the book. I will furnish it anon with new contents. Swear.
Caliban drinks
 
TRINCULO By this good light, this is a very shallow monster! I afeard of him? A very weak monster! The man i’th’ moon? A most poor, credulous monster! Well drawn, monster, in good sooth!
CALIBAN (
to Stefano)
I’ll show thee every fertile inch o’th’ island,
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 (
to Stefano)
I’ll kiss thy foot. I’ll swear myself thy subject.
STEFANO Come on then; down, and swear.
⌈Caliban kneels⌉
 
TRINCULO I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed monster. A most scurvy monster! I could find in my heart to beat him—
STEFANO (
to Caliban
) Come, kiss.
⌈Caliban kisses his foot⌉
 
TRINCULO But that the poor monster’s in drink. An abominable monster!
CALIBAN
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 A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poor drunkard!
CALIBAN (
to Stefano)
I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow,
And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts,
Show thee a jay’s nest, and instruct thee how
To snare the nimble marmoset. I’ll bring thee
To clust’ring filberts, and sometimes I’ll get thee
Young seamews from the rock. Wilt thou go with
me?
STEFANO I prithee now, lead the way without any more talking.—Trinculo, the King and all our company else being drowned, we will inherit here.—Here, bear my bottte.—Fettow Trinculo, we’ll fill him by and by again.
CALIBAN (
sings drunkenly)
Farewell, master, farewell, farewell!
TRINCULO A howling monster, a drunken monster!
CALIBAN (sings)
No more dams I’ll make for fish,
Nor fetch in firing
At requiring,
Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish.
’Ban, ’ban, Cacaliban
Has a new master.—Get a new man!
 
Freedom, high-day! High-day, freedom! Freedom, highday,
freedom!
STEFANO O brave monster! Lead the way.
Exeunt
 
3.1
Enter Ferdinand, bearing
a
log
 
FERDINAND
There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off. Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,
And makes my labours pleasures. O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,
And he’s composed of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction. My sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says such
baseness
Had never like executor. I forget,
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
Most busil’est when I do it.
Enter Miranda, and Prospero following at a
distance
 
MIRANDA
Alas now, pray you
Work not so hard. I would the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoined to pile.
Pray set it down, and rest you. When this burns
’Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study. Pray now, rest yourself.
He’s safe for these three hours.
FERDINAND
O most dear mistress,
The sun will set before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.
MIRANDA
If you’ll sit down
I’ll bear your logs the while. Pray give me that;
I’ll carry it to the pile.
FERDINAND
No, precious creature.
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo
While I sit lazy by.
MIRANDA
It would become me
As well as it does you; and I should do it
With much more ease, for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against.
PROSPERO
(aside)
Poor worm, thou art infected.
This visitation shows it.
 
MIRANDA
(to Ferdinand)
You look wearily.
FERDINAND
No, noble mistress, ’tis fresh morning with me
When you are by at night. I do beseech you,
Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,
What is your name?
MIRANDA Miranda.
O my father,
I have broke your best to say so!
FERDINAND
Admired Miranda!
Indeed the top of admiration, worth
What’s dearest to the world. Full many a lady
I have eyed with best regard, and many a time
Th’harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear. For several virtues
Have I liked several women; never any
With so full soul but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
And put it to the foil. But you, O you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature’s best.
MIRANDA
I do not know
One of my sex, no woman’s face remember
Save from my glass mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men than you, good friend,
And my dear father. How features are abroad
I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,
The jewel in my dower, I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape
Besides yourself to like of. But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts
I therein do forget.
FERDINAND
I am in my condition
A prince, Miranda, I do think a king—
I would not so—and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak.
The very instant that I saw you did
My heart fly to your service; there resides
To make me slave to it. And for your sake
Am I this patient log-man.
MIRANDA
Do you love me?
FERDINAND
O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true! If hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief!
Beyond all limit of what else i’th’ world,
Do love, prize, honour you.
MIRANDA
(weeping)
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
PROSPERO (aside)
Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between ’em.
FERDINAND
(to Miranda)
Wherefore weep you?
MIRANDA
At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
What I desire to give, and much less take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling,
And all the more it seeks to hide itself
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning,
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence.
I am your wife, if you will marry me.
If not, I’ll die your maid. To be your fellow
You may deny me, but I’ll be your servant
Whether you will or no.
FERDINAND
⌈kneeling⌉
My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.
MIRANDA My husband then?
FERDINAND Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e’er of freedom. Here’s my hand.
MIRANDA
And mine, with my heart in’t. And now farewell
Till half an hour hence.
FERDINAND
A thousand thousand.
Exeunt severally Miranda and Ferdinand
 
PROSPERO
So glad of this as they I cannot be,
Who are surprised with all; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book,
For yet ere supper-time must I perform
Much business appertaining.
Exit
3.2
Enter Caliban, Stefano,
and
Trinculo
 
STEFANO
(to Caliban)
Tell not me. When the butt is out we will drink water, not a drop before. Therefore bear up and board ’em. Servant monster, drink to me.
TRINCULO Servant monster? The folly of this island! They say there’s but five upon this isle. We are three of them; if th’other two be brained like us, the state totters.
STEFANO Drink, servant monster, when I bid thee. Thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
TRINCULO Where should they be set else? He were a brave monster indeed if they were set in his tail.
STEFANO My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack. For my part, the sea cannot drown me. I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five and thirty leagues, off and on. By this light, thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard.
TRINCULO Your lieutenant if you list; he’s no standard.
STEFANO We’ll not run, Monsieur Monster.
TRINCULO Nor go neither; but you’ll lie like dogs, and yet say nothing neither.
STEFANO Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.
CALIBAN
How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.
I’ll not serve him; he is not valiant.
TRINCULO Thou liest, most ignorant monster! I am in case to jostle a constable. Why, thou debauched fish, thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I today? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster?

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