the tempest act 1 scene 2 essay

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The Tempest - Act 1, scene 2

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Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015

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Act 1, scene 2.

Prospero, the former duke of Milan, who has been stranded on a barren island for twelve years with his daughter, Miranda, explains to her that he used his magic to raise the storm and that he ensured that no one on the ship was harmed. He then tells her how, twelve years before, his brother Antonio conspired with Alonso, king of Naples, to usurp Prospero’s dukedom and put him and Miranda to sea, where they happened upon the barren island that is now their home. Having charmed Miranda asleep, Prospero summons the spirit Ariel, hears Ariel’s report of the tempest, and gives him further orders. Prospero wakes Miranda, and they visit Caliban, whom Prospero threatens with torture if he will not continue his labors. Ariel, invisible, entices Ferdinand, son and heir to Alonso, into the presence of Prospero and Miranda. Prospero, delighted that Ferdinand and Miranda fall instantly in love, puts false obstacles in their way by accusing Ferdinand of treason and by using charms to enslave him.

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The Tempest Act I Scene 2 Summary

Plot summary / the story-line.

In Act I, Scene-ii of William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”, we get introduced to the main characters like Prospero and Miranda. Now the setting of scene one is changed into another environ that is of a nearby island. Miranda is very upset on account of the incident of the shipwreck that makes her lose calm composure of mind. Her agitated soul becomes anxious for the mariners of the sinking vessel. Prospero assures her that no one will be harmed.

Prospero now starts narrating his story about his past and about who Miranda is. Miranda was eager to know that as well. Once Prospero was the duke of Milan. Naive Miranda learns a lot about her father’s dukedom and devotion to studies of music and liberal arts. In effect he neglected the governance of his kingdom. Antonio was his brother, a man politically astute and scheming, who entered upon the conspiracy against Prospero.

Prospero narrates how he was deposed by Antonio who was in league with King Alonso. Prospero and two-year old Miranda were set adrift by the conspirators. Their small boat was abandoned at sea. They chanced foot on an island of unknown origin. They have lived there since. Antonio, a voracious scholar, has raised the storm by his magic to bring his old enemies to the island. It was compassionate Gonzalo who supplied Prospero with the books he prized most.

Prospero puts Miranda to sleep with his magic in the middle of his narrative. Prospero now calls upon Ariel who reports that he has entranced the passengers of the sinking vessel. It also informs him how he has harassed the passengers and left the ship safe at anchor with the mariners asleep under the hatches.

Ariel has taken particular care about Ferdinand, the son of king Alonso. Ariel now grumbles a little about his heavy task of drudgery he is given by Prospero. On hearing it the magician sternly reminds Ariel that he is bound to work hard in exchange for his rescue from the imprisonment in tree trunk imposed by the witch Sycorax. Prospero assures him saying that if the present scheme is successful he would set him free. Ariel is instructed to wear the cloak of invisibility to avoid being exposed to others. Ariel leaves and Miranda awakes from sleep.

Now Prospero calls Caliban, a half human savage. He is the son of the witch Sycorax. Again, Ariel returns to carry out further task and is sent away. Caliban complains about his slavery. Prospero reminds him his savage act of rape that he tried on Miranda. Then Caliban is sent to gather wood.

Ariel now goes to Ferdinand amazing him, singing fairy songs. A little later, Miranda meets Ferdinand. She is rivetingly amazed to see Ferdinand, the very first young man she has seen on the island. Such encounter is equally charming to Ferdinand. Prospero notices that both Ferdinand and Miranda are lost and rapt in each other. It was an impulse of love between them. It is what Prospero has always wanted. But in Miranda’s presence, Prospero shows his stern attitude to Ferdinand. Ferdinand attempts to draw his sword but is prevented by Prospero’s magic and is led away as a prisoner.

Commentary on Act 1, Scene 2

Act one scene two of the play “The Tempest” is strikingly opposite to that of the first scene with its quiet and repose. It an exposition scene through which we are conversant with the tale of Prospero’s banishment along with his infant daughter Miranda and subsequent misfortunes that he suffered along with his daughter. Its reflective mood is indicative of philosophic bent of mind of Prospero and over-anxious nature of Miranda.

Nothing significant happens in this scene; it is rather retrogression of Prospero’s previous life. Magic pervades the entire scene as the most important thematic motif that precipitates the action of the story. Such ingenious method of bringing enemies form distant land is a novel dramatic stratagem used by Shakespeare.

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The Tempest Act 1 Scene 2

The tempest act 1 scene 2 lyrics.

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This scene takes place between the two human inhabitants of the island, the magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda. They have seen the ship from the previous scene wrecked in the distance.

Miranda confronts Prospero about the storm, asking if he summoned it with his “art”. Prospero replies, somewhat glibly, “There’s no harm done”, and that he did it for her benefit. He then says the storm is a good opportunity to tell her the story of their family, which Miranda reminds him he’s often begun but never finished.

Prospero asks Miranda if she can recall their life before the island, and she answers in the affirmative, surprising him, since she was only three when they moved there. She remembers clearly “Four or five women that once tended me”.

In a long piece of exposition, Prospero explains how they ended up on the island. He was the Duke of Milan, and allowed his brother Antonio to take up some of his duties while he studied in his library. Antonio made powerful friends, and eventually managed to convince Alonso, the King of Naples, to confer the dukedom onto him instead.

Antonio levied a “treacherous army” to hound Prospero and Miranda out of Milan. They were so well loved he wouldn’t dare kill them, instead shunting them onto a decrepit old boat and pushing them into a fierce storm. Miranda frets that she was a burden, but Prospero assures her that “thou didst preserve me”. He adds that Gonzalo (whom we saw in the first scene ) gave them supplies, including some of Prospero’s books, to aid their survival and provide for Miranda’s education. He then explains the present storm: the ship was carrying those who betrayed him, and magically sends Miranda to sleep.

Prospero then speaks with Ariel, his spirit-servant, who orchestrated the storm for him. Ariel has completed his task perfectly, making sure everyone is safe, and divided into groups, as Prospero wished. He asks if Prospero will free him, causing his master to explode into a story of Ariel’s previous enslavement to Sycorax, an evil witch who died leaving Ariel imprisoned up a tree.

Ariel wakes Miranda, and the three then go to see Caliban, son of Sycorax and a native of the island. In Prospero’s first days on the island, the two would work together and exchange knowledge, until Caliban tried to rape Miranda, and Prospero enslaved him with magic.

Ferdinand enters, thinking his father has perished and he’s now the King of Naples. He and Miranda think each other divine, and it appears to be love at first sight. Prospero accuses him of being a spy, and trying to seize the island, but Miranda speaks up for him. Prospero calls Ariel, as the scene ends.

“Miranda–The Tempest,” J. W. Waterhouse, 1916

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

• 1. The Tempest (Dramatis Personae)
• 2. The Tempest Act 1 Scene 1
• 3. The Tempest Act 1 Scene 2
• 4. The Tempest Act 2 Scene 1
• 5. The Tempest Act 2 Scene 2
• 6. The Tempest Act 3 Scene 1
• 7. The Tempest Act 3 Scene 2
• 8. The Tempest Act 3 Scene 3
• 9. The Tempest Act 4 Scene 1
• 10. The Tempest Act 5 Scene 1

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The Tempest Scenes

• The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 2
• The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 1
• The Tempest: Act 2, Scene 1
• The Tempest: Act 2, Scene 2
• The Tempest: Act 3, Scene 1
• The Tempest: Act 3, Scene 2
• The Tempest: Act 3, Scene 3
• The Tempest: Act 4, Scene 1
• The Tempest: Act 5, Scene 1
• The Tempest: Epilogue

The island. Before Prospero’s cell.

(Prospero; Miranda; Ariel; Caliban; Ferdinand)

Miranda begs her father to calm the storm if he caused it, having seen the ship sink. She is sure that all aboard have drowned. Prospero reassures her that this was all only an illusion, and that in fact everyone is safe and the ship is undamaged. Putting aside his magic robes, he decides that it is time to tell Miranda the truth about himself and her. Once upon a time, he was the Duke of Milan, but he wasn’t very good at his job, as he spent most of the time in his library. His brother Antonio slowly took over the government and finally, with the help of the King of Naples, took the Dukedom for himself, putting Prospero and Miranda out to sea in a tiny, rotting boat, which luckily brought them to this island. They did have some food and some books, given to them by a kindly gentleman, Gonzalo, who is on board the ship along with those who stole his throne, and so Prospero raised the storm to force them to land on the island as well. Having explained all this, Prospero sends Miranda to sleep so he can talk with his spirit servant Ariel. Ariel describes how he obeyed his orders, caused a good storm, and has placed the various people safely in different parts of the island. He then asks for his freedom. Prospero reminds Ariel that he saved him from the imprisonment that the old witch Sycorax had placed him in, and that Ariel owes him service. He threatens to torture the spirit just as much as Sycorax did if he doesn’t obey. He sends Ariel off with orders to make himself invisible. Miranda wakes, and Prospero announces that they shall visit Caliban, Sycorax’s son, who is Prospero’s slave. Miranda is unwilling, as she does not enjoy Caliban’s company, but Prospero insists. Caliban enters cursing Prospero and all the work he has to do, and claiming that he is the rightful ruler of the island, since he was there before Prospero. He reminds Prospero of how well they treated each other when first he arrived on the island, and how much they taught each other; Prospero reminds Caliban that he tried to rape Miranda. Miranda too upbraids Caliban for how he treated her, even though she taught him how to speak. Prospero orders him to go work, threatening to give him cramps and aches if he refuses. Caliban unwillingly submits. The invisible Ariel lures Ferdinand, the King’s son, by his singing. Confused by the music, Ferdinand is certain his father has drowned and Ariel sings another song that appears to confirm this. Prospero shows Ferdinand to Miranda and she is amazed: she has never seen a young man before and she rather likes what she sees. Ferdinand too is taken by Miranda, thinking her a goddess, and after checking that she’s a virgin, he announces himself as King of Naples (which he would be were his father dead) and begins wooing her. Prospero, however, who is not opposed to the idea of the two of them getting together, thinks they’re moving a bit fast, and decides to play the stern, tyrannical father. He calls Ferdinand a traitor and announces that he will chain him up. Ferdinand seeks to fight, but Prospero makes his sword so heavy that he drops it. Miranda reassures the young man that her father’s usually much nicer while Prospero whispers new commands to Ariel. (596 lines)

Enter Prospero and Miranda.

If by your art, my dearest father, you have

Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.

The sky it seems would pour down stinking pitch,

But that the sea, mounting to th’ welkin’s cheek,

Dashes the fire out. O! I have suffered

With those that I saw suffer. A brave vessel

(Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her)

Dash’d all to pieces! O, the cry did knock

Against my very heart. Poor souls, they perish’d.

Had I been any God of power, I would

Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere

It should the good ship so have swallow’d, and

The fraughting souls within her.

Be collected,

No more amazement. Tell your piteous heart

There’s no harm done.

O woe the day!

I have done nothing, but in care of thee

(Of thee my dear one, thee my daughter), who

Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing

Of whence I am, nor that I am more better

Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,

And thy no greater father.

More to know

Did never meddle with my thoughts.

I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand,

And pluck my magic garment from me. So,

Lays down his mantle.

Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes, have comfort.

The direful spectacle of the wrack, which touch’d

The very virtue of compassion in thee,

I have with such provision in mine art

So safely ordered that there is no soul—

No, not so much perdition as an hair

Betid to any creature in the vessel

Which thou heardst cry, which thou saw’st sink. Sit down,

For thou must now know farther.

You have often

Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp’d

And left me to a bootless inquisition,

Concluding, “Stay: not yet.”

The hour’s now come,

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear.

Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember

A time before we came unto this cell?

I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not

Out three years old.

Certainly, sir, I can.

By what? By any other house, or person?

Of any thing the image, tell me, that

Hath kept with thy remembrance.

’Tis far off;

And rather like a dream than an assurance

That my remembrance warrants. Had I not

Four, or five, women once that tended me?

Thou hadst; and more, Miranda. But how is it

That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

If thou rememb’rest aught ere thou cam’st here,

How thou cam’st here thou mayst.

But that I do not.

Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since,

Thy father was the Duke of Milan and

A prince of power.

Sir, are not you my father?

Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and

She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father

Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir

And princess no worse issued.

O the heavens,

What foul play had we, that we came from thence?

Or blessed was’t we did?

Both, both, my girl.

By foul play (as thou say’st) were we heav’d thence,

But blessedly help hither.

O, my heart bleeds

To think o’ th’ teen that I have turn’d you to,

Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther.

My brother and thy uncle, call’d Antonio—

I pray thee mark me—that a brother should

Be so perfidious!—he whom next thyself

Of all the world I lov’d, and to him put

The manage of my state, as at that time

Through all the signories it was the first,

And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed

In dignity, and for the liberal arts

Without a parallel; those being all my study,

The government I cast upon my brother,

And to my state grew stranger, being transported

And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle—

Dost thou attend me?

Sir, most heedfully.

Being once perfected how to grant suits,

How to deny them, who t’ advance, and who

To trash for overtopping, new created

The creatures that were mine, I say, or chang’d ’em,

Or else new form’d ’em; having both the key

Of officer and office, set all hearts i’ th’ state

To what tune pleas’d his ear, that now he was

The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

And suck’d my verdure out on’t. Thou attend’st not!

O, good sir, I do.

I pray thee mark me.

I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated

To closeness and the bettering of my mind

With that which, but by being so retir’d,

O’er-priz’d all popular rate, in my false brother

Awak’d an evil nature, and my trust,

Like a good parent, did beget of him

A falsehood in its contrary, as great

As my trust was, which had indeed no limit,

A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,

Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might else exact—like one

Who having into truth, by telling of it,

Made such a sinner of his memory

To credit his own lie—he did believe

He was indeed the Duke, out o’ th’ substitution,

And executing th’ outward face of royalty

With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing—

Dost thou hear?

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

To have no screen between this part he play’d

And him he play’d it for, he needs will be

Absolute Milan—me (poor man) my library

Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties

He thinks me now incapable; confederates

(So dry he was for sway) wi’ th’ King of Naples

To give him annual tribute, do him homage,

Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend

The dukedom yet unbow’d (alas, poor Milan!)

To most ignoble stooping.

O the heavens!

Mark his condition, and th’ event, then tell me

If this might be a brother.

I should sin

To think but nobly of my grandmother.

Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Now the condition.

This King of Naples, being an enemy

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother’s suit,

Which was, that he in lieu o’ th’ premises,

Of homage, and I know not how much tribute,

Should presently extirpate me and mine

Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan

With all the honors on my brother; whereon,

A treacherous army levied, one midnight

Fated to th’ purpose, did Antonio open

The gates of Milan, and i’ th’ dead of darkness

The ministers for th’ purpose hurried thence

Me and thy crying self.

Alack, for pity!

I, not rememb’ring how I cried out then,

Will cry it o’er again. It is a hint

That wrings mine eyes to’t.

Hear a little further,

And then I’ll bring thee to the present business

Which now’s upon ’s; without the which this story

Were most impertinent.

Wherefore did they not

That hour destroy us?

Well demanded, wench;

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not,

So dear the love my people bore me; nor set

A mark so bloody on the business; but

With colors fairer painted their foul ends.

In few, they hurried us aboard a bark,

Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared

A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigg’d,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast, the very rats

Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us,

To cry to th’ sea, that roar’d to us; to sigh

To th’ winds, whose pity, sighing back again,

Did us but loving wrong.

Alack, what trouble

Was I then to you!

O, a cherubin

Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile,

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck’d the sea with drops full salt,

Under my burden groan’d, which rais’d in me

An undergoing stomach, to bear up

Against what should ensue.

How came we ashore?

By Providence divine.

Some food we had, and some fresh water, that

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, who being then appointed

Master of this design, did give us, with

Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries,

Which since have steaded much; so of his gentleness,

Knowing I lov’d my books, he furnish’d me

From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Would I might

But ever see that man!

Now I arise.

Puts on his robe.

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow:

Here in this island we arriv’d, and here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

Than other princess’ can, that have more time

For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

Heavens thank you for’t! And now I pray you, sir,

For still ’tis beating in my mind, your reason

For raising this sea-storm?

Know thus far forth:

By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune

(Now my dear lady) hath mine enemies

Brought to this shore; and by my prescience

I find my zenith doth depend upon

A most auspicious star, whose influence

If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes

Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions.

Thou art inclin’d to sleep; ’tis a good dullness,

And give it way. I know thou canst not choose.

Miranda sleeps.

Come away, servant, come; I am ready now,

Approach, my Ariel. Come.

Enter Ariel.

All hail, great master, grave sir, hail! I come

To answer thy best pleasure; be’t to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curl’d clouds. To thy strong bidding, task

Ariel, and all his quality.

Hast thou, spirit,

Perform’d to point the tempest that I bade thee?

To every article.

I boarded the King’s ship; now on the beak,

Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,

I flam’d amazement. Sometime I’ld divide,

And burn in many places; on the topmast,

The yards and boresprit, would I flame distinctly,

Then meet and join. Jove’s lightning, the precursors

O’ th’ dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks

Of sulfurous roaring the most mighty Neptune

Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,

Yea, his dread trident shake.

My brave spirit!

Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

But felt a fever of the mad, and play’d

Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners

Plung’d in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel;

Then all afire with me, the King’s son, Ferdinand,

With hair up-staring (then like reeds, not hair),

Was the first man that leapt; cried, “Hell is empty,

And all the devils are here.”

Why, that’s my spirit!

But was not this nigh shore?

Close by, my master.

But are they, Ariel, safe?

Not a hair perish’d;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,

But fresher than before; and as thou badst me,

In troops I have dispers’d them ’bout the isle.

The King’s son have I landed by himself,

Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs,

In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,

His arms in this sad knot.

Of the King’s ship,

The mariners, say how thou hast dispos’d,

And all the rest o’ th’ fleet.

Safely in harbor

Is the King’s ship, in the deep nook, where once

Thou call’dst me up at midnight to fetch dew

From the still-vex’d Bermoothes, there she’s hid;

The mariners all under hatches stowed,

Who, with a charm join’d to their suff’red labor,

I have left asleep; and for the rest o’ th’ fleet

(Which I dispers’d), they all have met again,

And are upon the Mediterranean float

Bound sadly home for Naples,

Supposing that they saw the King’s ship wrack’d,

And his great person perish.

Ariel, thy charge

Exactly is perform’d; but there’s more work.

What is the time o’ th’ day?

Past the mid season.

At least two glasses. The time ’twixt six and now

Must by us both be spent most preciously.

Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains,

Let me remember thee what thou hast promis’d,

Which is not yet perform’d me.

How now? Moody?

What is’t thou canst demand?

My liberty.

Before the time be out? No more!

Remember I have done thee worthy service,

Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, serv’d

Without or grudge or grumblings. Thou did promise

To bate me a full year.

Dost thou forget

From what a torment I did free thee?

Thou dost; and think’st it much to tread the ooze

Of the salt deep,

To run upon the sharp wind of the north,

To do me business in the veins o’ th’ earth

When it is bak’d with frost.

I do not, sir.

Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou forgot

The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy

Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?

Thou hast. Where was she born? Speak. Tell me.

Sir, in Argier.

O, was she so? I must

Once in a month recount what thou hast been,

Which thou forget’st. This damn’d witch Sycorax,

For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible

To enter human hearing, from Argier

Thou know’st was banish’d; for one thing she did

They would not take her life. Is not this true?

This blue-ey’d hag was hither brought with child,

And here was left by th’ sailors. Thou, my slave,

As thou report’st thyself, was then her servant,

And for thou wast a spirit too delicate

To act her earthy and abhorr’d commands,

Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee,

By help of her more potent ministers,

And in her most unmitigable rage,

Into a cloven pine, within which rift

Imprison’d, thou didst painfully remain

A dozen years; within which space she died,

And left thee there, where thou didst vent thy groans

As fast as mill-wheels strike. Then was this island

(Save for the son that she did litter here,

A freckled whelp, hag-born) not honor’d with

A human shape.

Yes—Caliban her son.

Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban

Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know’st

What torment I did find thee in; thy groans

Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the breasts

Of ever-angry bears. It was a torment

To lay upon the damn’d, which Sycorax

Could not again undo. It was mine art,

When I arriv’d and heard thee, that made gape

The pine, and let thee out.

I thank thee, master.

If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak

And peg thee in his knotty entrails till

Thou hast howl’d away twelve winters.

Pardon, master,

I will be correspondent to command

And do my spriting gently.

Do so; and after two days

I will discharge thee.

That’s my noble master!

What shall I do? Say what? What shall I do?

Go make thyself like a nymph o’ th’ sea; be subject

To no sight but thine and mine, invisible

To every eyeball else. Go take this shape

And hither come in’t. Go. Hence with diligence!

Exit Ariel.

Awake, dear heart, awake! Thou hast slept well,

The strangeness of your story put

Heaviness in me.

Shake it off. Come on,

We’ll visit Caliban my slave, who never

Yields us kind answer.

’Tis a villain, sir,

I do not love to look on.

But as ’tis,

We cannot miss him. He does make our fire,

Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices

That profit us. What ho! Slave! Caliban!

Thou earth, thou! Speak.

There’s wood enough within.

Come forth, I say, there’s other business for thee.

Come, thou tortoise, when?

Enter Ariel like a water-nymph.

Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel,

Hark in thine ear.

My lord, it shall be done.

Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself

Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!

Enter Caliban.

As wicked dew as e’er my mother brush’d

With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen

Drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye,

And blister you all o’er!

For this, be sure, tonight thou shalt have cramps,

Side-stitches, that shall pen thy breath up; urchins

Shall, for that vast of night that they may work,

All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinch’d

As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging

Than bees that made ’em.

I must eat my dinner.

This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother,

Which thou tak’st from me. When thou cam’st first,

Thou strok’st me and made much of me, wouldst give me

Water with berries in’t, and teach me how

To name the bigger light, and how the less,

That burn by day and night; and then I lov’d thee

And show’d thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle,

The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile.

Curs’d be I that did so! All the charms

Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!

For I am all the subjects that you have,

Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me

In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me

The rest o’ th’ island.

Thou most lying slave,

Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have us’d thee

(Filth as thou art) with human care, and lodg’d thee

In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate

The honor of my child.

O ho, O ho, would’t had been done!

Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else

This isle with Calibans.

Abhorred slave,

Which any print of goodness wilt not take,

Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,

Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour

One thing or other. When thou didst not, savage,

Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like

A thing most brutish, I endow’d thy purposes

With words that made them known. But thy vild race

(Though thou didst learn) had that in’t which good natures

Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou

Deservedly confin’d into this rock,

Who hadst deserv’d more than a prison.

You taught me language, and my profit on’t

Is, I know how to curse. The red-plague rid you

For learning me your language!

Hag-seed, hence!

Fetch us in fuel, and be quick, thou’rt best,

To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, malice?

If thou neglect’st, or dost unwillingly

What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps,

Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar

That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

No, pray thee.

I must obey. His art is of such pow’r,

It would control my dam’s god, Setebos,

And make a vassal of him.

So, slave, hence!

Exit Caliban.

Enter Ferdinand; and Ariel, invisible, playing and singing.

Ariel’s Song

Come unto these yellow sands,

And then take hands:

Curtsied when you have, and kiss’d,

The wild waves whist:

Foot it featly here and there,

And, sweet sprites, the burden bear.

Hark, hark!

Burden, dispersedly, within.

The watch-dogs bark!

Hark, hark, I hear

The strain of strutting chanticleer:

Cry within.

Cock-a-diddle-dow.

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 wrack,

This music crept by me upon the waters,

Allaying both their fury and my passion

With its sweet air; thence I have follow’d it,

Or it hath drawn me rather. But ’tis gone.

No, it begins again.

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:

Burden within.

Hark now I hear them—ding-dong bell.

The ditty does remember my drown’d father.

This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes. I hear it now above me.

The fringed curtains of thine eye advance,

And say what thou seest yond.

What, is’t a spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,

It carries a brave form. But ’tis a spirit.

No, wench, it eats, and sleeps, and hath such senses

As we have—such. This gallant which thou seest

Was in the wrack; 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.

I might call him

A thing divine, for nothing natural

I ever saw so noble.

It goes on, I see,

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

Within two days for this.

Most sure, the goddess

On whom these airs attend! Vouchsafe my pray’r

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?

No wonder, sir,

But certainly a maid.

My language? Heavens!

I am the best of them that speak this speech,

Were I but where ’tis spoken.

How? The best?

What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

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 wrack’d.

Alack, for mercy!

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

And his brave son being twain.

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 chang’d eyes. Delicate Ariel,

I’ll set thee free for this.—A word, good sir,

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

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 inclin’d my way!

O, if a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I’ll make you

The Queen of Naples.

Soft, sir, one word more.

They are both in either’s pow’rs; but this swift business

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning

Make the prize light.—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.

No, as I am a man.

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.

Follow me.—

Speak not you for him; he’s a traitor.—Come,

I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together.

Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be

The fresh-brook mussels, wither’d roots, and husks

Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

I will resist such entertainment till

Mine enemy has more pow’r.

He draws, and is charmed from moving.

O dear father,

Make not too rash a trial of him, for

He’s gentle, and not fearful.

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 possess’d with guilt. Come, from thy ward,

For I can here disarm thee with this stick,

And make thy weapon drop.

Beseech you, father.

Hence! Hang not on my garments.

Sir, have pity,

I’ll be his surety.

Silence! 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.

My affections

Are then most humble; I have no ambition

To see a goodlier man.

To Ferdinand.

Come on, obey:

Thy nerves are in their infancy again

And have no vigor in them.

So they are.

My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.

My father’s loss, the weakness which I feel,

The wrack of all my friends, nor this man’s threats

To whom I am subdu’d, 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.

Thou hast done well, fine Ariel!

Hark what thou else shalt do me.

Be of comfort,

My father’s of a better nature, sir,

Than he appears by speech. This is unwonted

Which now came from him.

Thou shalt be as free

As mountain winds; but then exactly do

All points of my command.

To th’ syllable.

Come, follow.

To Miranda.

Speak not for him.

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The Tempest - Act 1, Scene 2, Part 1 Summary & Analysis

Act 1, Scene 2, Part 1 Summary

Miranda, who has watched the wreck of the ship from the shore of Prospero's island, worries that the people on board have all drowned. Prospero assures her that by the use of his magic, he saved them all from destruction. He then sits her down and explains why he created the storm and why he saved the lives of the ship's passengers and crew. Repeatedly and irritably reminding her to listen, he tells her he was once the Duke of Milan, but was far more interested in books and in learning than he was in governing the city. For that reason, he turned most of his responsibilities over to his brother Antonio, who eventually began to believe that the job was his by right.

Prospero says that Antonio allied himself with the King of Naples (Alonso) and then arranged...

(read more from the Act 1, Scene 2, Part 1 Summary)

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The Tempest Modern Translation: Act 1, Scene 2

Two figures stood on the cliff top, watching the ship being torn apart in the storm and disappearing beneath the angry sea. The strange thing was that, although the elements raged and the waves churned, the lightning flashed and the thunder roared, the weather on the island was still and calm. It was hot: the sun beat down and the sky was cloudless. The man wore a long cloak and held a staff: the girl, golden haired and pretty, was dressed in a white gown. He stood, unmoving, his face expressionless. She covered her face with her hands and peeped through her fingers. When she saw that the ship had sunk she turned to him.

‘Dearest father,’ she said. ‘If you’ve used your magic to stir the sea into this wild roaring, calm it now. The sky seems as though it’s going to drop stinking pitch except that the sea is rising up to its cheek and quenching its fire. Oh, I suffered with those suffering on board! A sound ship that probably had some noble person on it, smashed. Oh, their cries wrenched my heart! Poor souls, they died. If I had any power I would drain the sea before I let it swallow up that ship and all the suffering souls on board.’

Her father placed his hand gently on her shoulder. ‘Cheer up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Let your compassionate heart be assured that no harm’s been done to anyone.’

She couldn’t see how that could be. ‘Oh it’s terrible,’ she murmured.

‘No harm,’ he said. ‘Everything I’ve done is for your sake. For your sake, my dear one: my beloved daughter, who knows nothing of her origins: of where I came from, nor than that I am anything more than Prospero , occupant of a very poor cave, and your humble father.’

She looked at him in astonishment. ‘It’s never crossed my mind that there was anything more to it.’ ‘The time has come to tell you,’ he said.

He faced the storm. He raised his staff and stretched both his arms out. The thunder faded, the wind subsided, the clouds dissolved and the waves flattened out. Within moments they were looking at a calm blue sea beneath the same bright sun that shone on them. Then he turned and started walking. She followed him to the cave, set in a rocky hill, where they lived.

‘Help me take my cloak off,’ he said once they had gone in.

She helped him and when the heavy cloak had been removed she folded it and lay it down gently on a table. ‘Lie there, my magic,’ he said. He kissed her, then he led her to a chair and indicated to her to sit down. He pulled up the other chair and faced her. ‘Don’t be concerned’ he said. ‘Wipe your eyes. I’ve used my magic to control the shipwreck that so distressed you, so that not one soul – no, not even a single hair on anyone’s head – has come to any harm, even though you heard their cries and saw the ship sink.’ He took her hand and looked intently at her, encouraging her to smile, which she did, nervously. ‘There are things you should know,’ he said.

‘You’ve often started to tell me something but then stopped yourself and left me with unanswered questions, saying only, ‘wait, not yet.’’

‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘It’s important, so listen carefully. Can you remember anything about the time before we came here? I don’t think so because you weren’t even three years old.’

‘Oh I can,’ she said.

‘What? Another house or person? Tell me what you remember.’

‘It’s very distant,’ she said, ‘and more like a dream than anything that I can be sure about. Didn’t I once have three or four women looking after me?’

He nodded slowly. ‘You did, and even more than that, Miranda. But why did this particular thing stay in your memory? What other memories are there in the dark recesses of your mind? If you remember anything of that then you may remember how you got here.’

‘But I don’t.’

He nodded again. ‘Twelve years ago, Miranda, twelve years ago, your father was the Duke of Milan, a powerful man.’

‘She sprang up. ‘Aren’t you my father?’ she said.

He laughed. ‘Your mother was the picture of virtue and she assured me you were my daughter.’

She sat down again.

‘And your father was the Duke of Milan, and you, no less noble, a princess, and his only heir.’

‘Oh heavens!’ she exclaimed. ‘What foul play was there, that drove us away?’ She paused. ‘Or was it a good thing?’

He chuckled at her confusion. ‘Both, both, my girl: we were thrown out by foul play, as you put it, but good fortune helped us to get here.’

‘Oh, my heart goes out to you when I think about the sorrow I’m reminding you of, which I can’t remember,’ she said. ‘Please tell me more.’

‘My brother, your uncle, Antonio – please pay attention. That a brother could be so treacherous! He whom, apart from you, I loved most in the world! I delegated the running of the state to him. It was the foremost of all the Italian states and Prospero was a leading duke, highly respected and renowned as a scholar. Because I was absorbed in my learning I loaded him with the work of governing and, being preoccupied with my studies, became remote from the affairs of state. Your deceitful uncle… Are you listening?’

‘Most attentively,’ she said.

‘Once he had perfected the art of government – how to say yes and no to requests: who to promote and who to dispose of for being over-ambitious – he either won over or dismissed all my people until he had the keys both of power and the dukedom, which he used to have all the officers of state playing his tune. He became a parasite, the overgrown ivy that both covered the princely tree and sucked the life out of it. Are you still listening?’

She was most alert. ‘Oh, sir, of course!’ she said.

‘You must listen,’ he said. ‘And so, in my seclusion and the improvement of my mind, neglect of those worldly things awakened an evil nature in my disloyal brother. His deceitfulness was as great as my unlimited trust in him. My trust in him was boundless. He rose to a great height and became very rich, not only from my legitimate income but also from corruption. He was like an habitual liar who begins to believe his own lies. He began to believe that he was, indeed, the duke, because, standing in for me and carrying out my duties, he had all the privileges and power of a prince. And so, as his ambition grew.. are you listening?’

‘This story would cure deafness,’ she said.

‘And, like an actor not recognising the difference between the part he plays and the character he’s playing, he had to be the actual Duke of Milan. As I was a humble man my library was a dukedom large enough for me and he now thought that I was incapable of handling administrative matters. He was so thirsty for influence with the King of Naples that he made an alliance with him, agreeing to pay him an annual levy, recognise his superiority and make himself the king’s subject. It was a humiliating situation for Milan, to become subservient to another state for the first time.’

‘Oh heavens!’ exclaimed Miranda.

‘Listen to the terms of the treaty then tell me if this could be a brother.’

‘It would be wrong of me to think badly of my grandmother,’ said Miranda. ‘Good women have had bad sons.’ ‘Now the treaty,’ said Prospero. ‘This King of Naples was my long time enemy. He listens to my brother’s request, which was that the king would immediately expel you and me from the dukedom and make him the duke officially, in return for his loyalty. So they recruited a treacherous band. One midnight Antonio opened the gates of Milan and they hurried us through them in the dead of night. You were crying.’

‘Oh, how sad!’ Miranda took his hand. ‘I don’t remember crying then but I’ll cry now. I feel so sad.’ Prospero stroked her hair. ‘There’s a little more,’ he said, ‘and then I’ll tell you what’s going on now, because it’s connected.’

‘Why didn’t they kill us?’

‘Good question,’ he said. ‘My story begs that question. Darling, they didn’t dare because my people loved me too much. They didn’t want to complicate it with violence but rather to make it seem better than it was. To cut a long story short, they hustled us on to a ship and took us several miles out to sea. And then they prepared a rotting, useless tub without rigging or tackle: no sails, no mast – even the rats had instinctively deserted it – and put us on board, to be at the mercy of the roaring sea, leaving us to mix our sighs with the howling wind.’

‘Oh, what a worry I must have been to you!’

‘Oh you were an angel and it was you who saved me. You smiled through it, seemingly inspired by heaven, whereas I was feeling sorry for myself and crying profuse tears into the sea. Your smiles gave me the courage to endure whatever was to come.’

‘How did we come ashore?’

‘By divine Providence. There was a good man in charge, a noble Neopolitan called Gonzalo, who felt sorry for us and gave us food and fresh water, and also expensive clothes, linen, and the other necessities that have been so useful to us. Out if decency, he gave me the books from my library that I loved more than my dukedom because he knew how much I valued them.

‘I wish I could meet that man!’

Prospero stood up. ’I must go,’ he said. ‘But don’t get up. Stay there. Let me tell you the rest. We arrived on this island, and I’ve been your teacher here and given you a better education than other princesses have who have more time for silly things, with tutors who don’t care as much as I do.’

‘Heaven thank you for it,’ she said. ‘Now please tell me, sir, why did you bring this storm on, because it’s still upsetting me?’

‘I can tell you this for the time being,’ he said. ‘By a strange co-incidence, Fortune, favouring me now, has brought my enemies to this shore. I can tell the future and I can see that I have a guiding star leading me: if I don’t take advantage of its signals I won’t have another opportunity. No more questions now.’ He raised his hand and moved it slowly from side to side in front of her. Her eyes followed its movement.

‘You’re sleepy,’ he said, speaking softly. ‘It feels nice. Let yourself go. You’re in my power.’

Miranda’s eyelids flickered. Her head dropped on to her chest and she fell asleep.

Prospero went to the entrance of his cave and stood with his arms outstretched. ‘Come here, servant, come,’ he said. ‘I’m ready. Come to me my Ariel, come.’

A breeze rustled the leaves around the cave’s entrance and a patch of air thickened and began to shape itself into a small human form. It became clearer and materialised as a solid figure that looked like a beautiful child. He stood before Prospero and bowed.

‘All hail, great master, reverend sir,’ he said. ‘I’m here, to do whatever you ask me. Whether you tell us to fly, to swim, to dive into the fire, to ride on the woolly clouds, Ariel and all the other spirits will do it.’

‘Spirit, have you carried out to the letter the storm I ordered?’

‘In every detail,’ said Ariel. ‘I boarded the king’s ship. Now on the prow, now on the deck, and in every cabin, I flared terror. Sometimes I divided myself and burnt in many places: I appeared on the topmast, the yardarms and the bowsprit as separate flames, then reassembled and burnt as one big fire. I flashed more brilliantly and more profusely than Jove’s lightning bolts that come before his dreadful thunderclaps. The lightning and roaring thunder were enough to frighten the most mighty Neptune, making his bold waves tremble and his dreadful trident shake.’

‘My intrepid spirit!’ said Prospero. ‘Was there anyone so firm and steady that this uproar didn’t terrify him?’

‘Every single soul was terrified and desperate. All of them, apart from the crew, plunged into the foaming, salty sea, abandoning the ship, which was by then all on fire from me! The king’s son, Ferdinand, his hair all standing up – more like reeds than hair – was the first one to jump, shouting, ‘hell is empty: all the devils are here!’ Ariel laughed, his voice ringing our clearly like joyful music.

Prospero joined him in laughing. ‘That’s my spirit,’ he said. ‘It was near the shore, though, wasn’t it?’ ‘Very near, my master.’

‘They are safe, though, Ariel?’

‘Not a hair on their heads harmed. Not a spot on their clothes, which spread out to help them float: they’re fresher than they were before. I’ve distributed them around the island in groups, just as you told me to. I landed the king’s son by himself, in a remote cove, sighing hard enough to cool the air and sitting with his arms folded in despair. Like this.’ Ariel threw himself down and showed Prospero how he had left Ferdinand sitting. Then he sprang up again, laughing.

‘What have you done with the king’s ship, the sailors, and the rest of the fleet?’

‘The king’s ship is safely in harbour: hidden in a deep cove, the one where you called me up at midnight, that time you wanted me to fetch dew from the stormy Burmudas. That’s where she’s hidden. The sailors are all stowed below deck where I’ve left them asleep, combining a magic spell with their exhaustion from their efforts. I scattered the rest of the fleet and they have joined up again, and they’re now in the Mediterranean Sea, bound sadly home for Naples, believing that they saw the king’s ship wrecked and watched him drown.

‘Ariel, you’ve performed your task perfectly. But there’s more work. What’s the time?’

‘Past noon,’ said Ariel.

‘At least two o’clock. We must both use the time between now and six carefully.’

Ariel looked surprised. ‘Is there more work? Since you give me so many jobs let me remind you of what you promised me, and that you haven’t done yet.’

‘What? Cheeky? What could you demand?

‘My freedom.’

‘Before your time is up?’

Ariel opened his mouth to speak.

‘No more!’ said Prospero sternly.

Ariel persisted. ‘Please,’ he said. ‘Remember, I’ve served you well. I haven’t told you any lies, I’ve made no mistakes, and never complained about the work. You promised to free me a full year early.’

‘Have you forgotten the torment that I freed you from?’

‘You have! And you’ve started to think that walking on the mud of the ocean floor, or riding on the sharp north wind, or doing things for me deep in the frost-bound earth, is too much for you!’

Ariel stepped back. ‘I haven’t, sir.’

‘You’re lying, you evil thing! Have you forgotten the disgusting witch Sycorax, all stooped with age and bitterness?’ Prospero pointed at the cowed spirit. ‘Have you forgotten her?’

‘No, sir,’ said Ariel quietly.

‘You have! Where was she born? Speak: Tell me!’

‘Sir, in Algiers.’

‘Oh, is that so?’ said Prospero sarcastically. ‘I have to tell you once a month what it was like for you, or you forget. That despicable witch was banished from Algiers for countless mischiefs and spells too terrible for human ears. You know that. There was a reason why they wouldn’t execute her. Isn’t that true?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘This hag, her eyes blue from her condition, was brought here pregnant, and left here by the sailors. You – my slave, as you call yourself – were her servant then. And because you were a spirit too delicate to carry out her base and disgusting orders, you refused to obey her. In a terrible rage, using her most powerful magic, she imprisoned you in a split pine tree. You stayed there, trapped, for a dozen years, because she died and left you there in pain, where you groaned like a mill wheel grinding against stone. There were no human beings on this island, apart from a speckled mongrel, the son she littered here.’

‘Yes, her son, Caliban.’

‘You stupid thing! I just said that! Caliban, whom I now use as a servant. You know full well the torment you were in when I found you. Your groans made wolves howl and bad-tempered bears feel sorry for you. It was a torment fit for the damned and it was too late for Sycorax to undo it. It was my magic, when I arrived here and heard you, that opened the pine and let you out.’

Ariel was subdued. There was a tear in his eye. Then he leapt to his master, took his hand and kissed it. ‘I thank you, master,’ he said.

‘If you utter another sound about it I’ll split an oak and nail you to its knotty entrails until you’ve howled away twenty winters!’

Ariel went down on his knees. ‘Forgive me, master,’ he said. I’ll do as you tell me and perform my duties without complaining.’

‘Do that,’ said Prospero, ‘ and I’ll discharge you in two days’ time.’

Ariel rose up into the air and his laughter came again. ‘That’s my wonderful master,’ he said. ‘What do you want me to do? Tell me what! What do you want me to do?’

‘Go and transform yourself into the likeness of a sea-spirit. Make yourself invisible to everyone except me. Go and take that shape then come back to me in it. Go on, do it properly.’

Ariel flew up, spun round in a blur, and took off.

Prospero went back into the cave and sat down opposite the sleeping Miranda. ‘Wake up, Sweetheart,’ he said. Wake up, you’ve slept well.’ She stirred. He snapped his fingers. ‘Wake up!’

She opened her eyes and blinked. ‘The strangeness of your story must have made me drowsy,’ she murmured.

‘Shake it off. Come on, let’s go and see Caliban. He’ll be as aggressive as ever.’

Miranda shuddered. ‘He’s awful, sir, I hate the sight of him.’

‘I know,’ said Prospero, ‘but we can’t get along without him. He makes our fire, fetches our wood and does all those necessary things.’

They walked along the path to his cave. As they came near Prospero called to him. ‘Hey! Slave! Caliban! Speak, you piece of dirt!’

Caliban’s voice came, low-pitched, gruff and hoarse: ‘There’s enough wood in your cave.’

They approached the cave. ‘Come out of there, I said!’ Prospero’s voice was full of anger. ‘There’s other work for you to do. Come on, you tortoise! Where are you?’

Ariel was suddenly at Prospero’s side, looking different, now, almost transparent, shiny, and dressed in seaweed.

‘You look right,’ whispered Prospero. ‘My clever Ariel. Let me have a word in your ear.’

Ariel hovered and Prospero whispered to him.

‘My lord, it will be done,’ said Ariel, and whizzed off.

Caliban hadn’t come out and there was silence from his cave.

‘You poisonous scoundrel, fathered by the devil himself with your evil mother,’ shouted Prospero. ‘Come here!’

Caliban, wearing a cloak made out of old sacks, crawled out of his cave and screwed his eyes up against the brightness of the day. He was caked with dirt and his hair was matted. He straightened up, looked Miranda up and down, then turned to Prospero.

‘May a poisonous dew, as deadly as any that my mother scooped up from a stinking swamp with a raven’s feather, drop on both of you,’ he said. ‘May the biting southwester blow on you and blister you all over!’ ‘For that, you can be sure that you’ll have cramps tonight, side stitches that will make it hard to breathe. Goblins will torture you all through the long dark night. They’ll pinch you till you’re like a honeycomb, with each of their pinches stinging you more painfully than bee stings.’

Caliban grunted. He turned away. ‘I must eat my dinner,’ he said. Then he turned back and looked defiantly at Prospero. ‘This island’s mine! It belonged to my mother, Sycorax, and you stole it from me! When you first came here you pampered me and made a fuss of me. You gave me water with berries in it and taught me the names of the sun and the moon. I loved you then, and I showed you all the good things on this island – the fresh springs, the salt pits: which were the barren places and which the fertile. Curse the fact that I did so! All the spells of Sycorax – toads, beetles, bats – descend on you! I’m your only subject. I, who was my own king! And now you keep me confined to this stye of hard rock, denying me the run of the island.’

‘You lying rogue!’ Prospero raised his hand as though to strike him. ‘The only thing you understand is whipping. Not kindness. You’re filth. I treated you with human kindness, and even allowed you to sleep in my cave, until you tried to rape my child!’

Caliban laughed loudly and raucously. Then he looked at Miranda again and licked his lips. ‘I wish I’d succeeded. You stopped me, or I would have populated this island with Calibans.’

Miranda’s eyes flashed with anger. Ignoring her father’s restraining hand, she took a step towards him. ‘You disgusting rogue!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re unable to respond to kindness. And you’re capable of any evil thing. I felt sorry for you and took a lot of trouble to teach you to speak. I spent every hour of the day teaching you one thing or another. When you…’ Tears ran down her cheek as she thought about it… ‘you savage, couldn’t make any sounds that had meaning, just gabbling like an animal, I taught you how to talk, and express your thoughts. But even though you did learn, your vile nature had something in it that made it impossible for good people to be anywhere near you. That’s why you were confined to this rock, although you deserved a greater punishment than imprisonment!’

‘You taught me language,’ snapped Caliban, ‘and what I’ve got out of it is that I know how to curse. I hope the plague of red sores destroys you for teaching me your language!’

‘You hag-spawn, get out of here!’ exclaimed Prospero. ‘Bring us some fuel! And you’d better be quick about it!’

Caliban faced him squarely and sneered.

‘Are you shrugging, malicious thing?’ said Prospero angrily. ‘If you refuse to do your work, or do it reluctantly, I’ll give you cramps, make all your bones ache, so that you’ll roar so loudly that animals will tremble at the noise.’

He raised his hand. Pains immediately gripped Caliban and he started howling. He threw myself down on the ground and rolled about. ‘No please!’ he cried. He knew he had to obey. His master’s magic was so powerful that it could even control the god, Setebos, whom his mother had served, and turn him into a slave.

Prospero lowered his arm and Caliban stopped writhing. Prospero pointed in the direction of the woods. ‘So, slave: Go!’ he said.

Caliban slunk away, muttering and growling to himself. Prospero and Miranda walked back to their cave. Prospero took Miranda’s hand and they climbed the hill above the cave, and stood on a rocky platform high above the ground. Prospero placed his finger over his lips, gesturing Miranda to be silent. He closed his eyes, listening. Within a few moments they heard Ariel’s voice, singing somewhere below them, to the accompaniment of a lute. He was invisible to Miranda but what Prospero saw was the spirit floating gently on the air, strumming on his lute and singing. He passed his hand in front of her eyes and they fell shut. The music grew louder and soon they were able to hear his words.

Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands: Curtsied when you have and kissed The wild waves whist: Foot it featly here and there, And sweet sprites bear The burthen. Hark, hark…

The sound of dogs barking came, all in harmony, and in time to the music. Although she couldn’t see them, Miranda knew that Ariel was surrounded by a chorus of spirits.

The watchdogs bark:

The chorus of barking came again.

Hark, hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer.

The chorus changed its sound to that of cocks crowing.

And then, a human figure appeared, looking about him as he walked slowly forward. It was a young man, splendidly dressed in richly embroidered clothes. He was talking out aloud to himself.

‘Where’s this music coming from?’ he said. ‘Is it in the air or on the earth?’ He stopped. ‘I can’t hear it anymore. I’m sure it’s meant for some god of this island. This music crept past me over the water as I was sitting on a beach weeping again about my father’s wreck, calming both the storm and my feelings with its sweet sound: so I followed it, or rather, it’s drawn me here. But it’s gone.’

A gentle strumming on the lute could be heard and the young man looked up, searching for its source. ‘No, it’s back,’ he said as Ariel started singing.

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. The spirits chimed like bells Hark, now I hear them –Ding – dong, bell.’

‘The song’s about my father,’ the young man said. ‘This isn’t something human– it’s unearthly. And now it’s right above me.’

Prospero passed his hand over Miranda’s face again. ‘Open your lids and tell me what you see,’ he said.

She opened her eyes and gasped. There, below her, was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Or imagined. ‘What is it?’ she said. ‘A spirit? Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir, it’s splendid. But it’s a spirit.’

‘No, my girl,’ said Prospero. ‘It eats and sleeps and has the same senses as we have: exactly the same. This young fellow was in the wreck, and apart from the marks of grief on him, that mars one’s beauty, you could call him a handsome person. He’s lost his companions and is wandering about, looking for them.’

‘I would call him a divine creature,’ she said. ‘Because I’ve never seen any of natures creatures so wonderful.’

Prospero smiled to himself. It was going according to plan. He was pleased with Ariel: he would free him within two days for this. He took Miranda’s hand and led her down the rock’s side and they approached the young man. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Ariel reports to prospero.

Act 1 Scene 2 – Key Scene

In this scene, Ariel describes for Prospero what the storm was like for those on the ship and how he terrified everyone on board the ship with his magical antics.

You can take a look at the scene and watch it in performance here. Using the following steps, remember to look at it line by line and if you’re watching the scene for the first time, don’t worry if you don’t understand everything at once.

Learned and respected gentleman.

Ariel may be talking about all the skills or 'quality' he has here, or he may be talking about the other spirits of the island who work with him.

I went on-board the king’s ship and appeared as fire on the prow of the ship, then in the middle of the ship, on the deck and in the cabins.

Quicker than the eye can follow.

What do these lines suggest about the strength of the storm?

Who was so calm and together that this turmoil would not make him go mad?

Everyone except the sailors jumped into the turbulent sea and left the ship which was all flaming with my presence.

Why do you think Prospero seems so pleased that everyone on the ship was scared?

Play Scene in rehearsal and performance

Prospero and Ariel.

Ariel appears before Prospero.

Ariel approaches Prospero.

Prospero stands over Ariel.

Ariel reports to Prospero.

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A ship is caught in a sea storm. The master of the ship along with other ship officers is trying to save it from being wrecked by the storm. Alonso who is the king of Naples is on the ship with Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.

When ship officers are trying to save the ship, Alonso comes and asks them to work harder and take care of the ship, which is perceived by them as a further distraction.

Antonio and Sebastian shout at the officer and meanwhile they realize the situation when those mariners leave the deck and give up on their lives as the ship finally wrecks.

He asks her about what she can remember of her childhood. She remembers some of it so finally, he reveals that he used to be the Duke of Milan before his brother Antonio betrayed him by artfully changing the officers under his state in order to get his brother out of it.

He inquires him about the success of his command to wreck that ship and let them come ashore. Ariel reports to him about the success of his plan.

Miranda scolds Caliban that it is them who taught language to his savage self and named everything on the island. Prospero threatens and Caliban obeys his order. Ariel enters with Ferdinand to whom he is invisible.

Exploring Prospero and Caliban's relationship in Act 1 Scene 2 of 'The Tempest'

I can explore how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Prospero and Caliban at the beginning of the play.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

• The staging of a performance can influence our interpretation of the scene and the characters.
• The language used by Prospero and Caliban shows a mutual animosity.
• Prospero uses imperative language to show his superiority to Caliban.

Common misconception

That it's obvious how a character should be interpreted by the audience.

The staging of a performance from body language to costuming can make a huge difference in how different audiences interpret a character.

Subservient - To be subservient is to be less important.

Superior - To be superior is to be higher in rank, status or quality.

Imperative - To use imperative language means to give orders or commands.

Animosity - To feel animosity towards someone is to feel a strong dislike.

Wicked - To be wicked is to be morally bad or wrong.

You may want a copy of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' for this lesson.

Content guidance

• Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
• Depiction or discussion of sexual violence

Supervision

Adult supervision required

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

Formal suit -  

Someone professional and respected

Dirty, ripped clothes -  

Someone not doing very well in their life

A walking stick -  

Someone elderly

The Tempest

By william shakespeare, the tempest summary and analysis of act ii.

Act 2, Scene I

King Alonso has landed on the island, with his brothers Sebastian and Antonio , noblemen Adrian and Francisco , and the councilor Gonzalo . Gonzalo tries to console Alonso upon their good fortune of surviving the shipwreck‹but Alonso is grieved‹not only because his son Ferdinand is missing and presumed dead, but because he was returning from his daughter's wedding in Africa, and fears he will never see her again because of the distance. Antonio and Sebastian show great skill with mocking wordplay, and use this skill to stifle Gonzalo and Adrian's attempts to speak frankly to the rest of the party. Ariel 's magic makes the party fall asleep, with the exception of Antonio and Sebastian.

A strange seriousness, of Ariel's doing, falls upon Antonio and Sebastian. Antonio begins to concoct a plan to get his brother the kingship, which will be much easier if Ferdinand, the current heir, really is dead; and since Alonso's daughter is very far away in Tunis, Sebastian might be able to inherit the crown with only two murders, those of Alonso and Gonzalo. Ariel, however, hears to conspirators plan, and wakes Gonzalo with a warning of the danger he is in. Ariel intends to let Prospero know that the conspiracy has indeed been formed as he wished, and Prospero in turn will try to keep Gonzalo safe, out of appreciation for his past help in preserving the lives of Prospero and Miranda .

Act 2, Scene 2

Caliban curses Prospero, as another storm approaches the island; he takes the storm as a sign that Prospero is up to mischief, and hides at the approach of what he fears is one of Prospero's punishing spirits. Trinculo , Alonso's court jester, finds Caliban lying still on the ground and covered with a cloak, and figures him to be a "dead Indian"; but, the storm continues to approach, so he also hides himself, using Caliban's cloak as a shelter, and flattening himself on the ground beside Caliban's prostrate form.

Alonso's drunken butler, Stephano , enters, drunk and singing, and stumbles upon the strange sight of the two men under the cloak; he figures, in his drunken stupor, that Trinculo and Caliban make a four-legged monster. Caliban,in his delirium, thinks that Stephano is one of Prospero's minions, sent to torment him; Stephano thinks a drink of wine will cure Caliban of what ails him, and bit by bit, gets Caliban drunk as well. It takes Stephano a while to recognize his old friend, Trinculo, whom Caliban seems to be ignoring. Because of Stephano's generosity with his "celestial liquor," Caliban takes him to be some sort of benevolent god; much to Trinculo's disbelief, Caliban actually offers his service to Stephano, forsaking the "tyrant" Prospero. Stephano accepts the offer.

Analysis of Act II

Act 2 begins with a speech by Gonzalo that sounds similar to Claudius' speech to Hamlet in Act 1 of that play. Gonzalo tries to console the king over the loss of his son, saying that his "hint of woe is common," and speaking about all the people who share his "theme of woe". In Hamlet, Claudius bandies about similar language when soothing Hamlet, mentioning the "common theme" of paternal death, and begging him to cast off the "woe" that burdens him. The tone of these two speeches, also, is similar; both, though directed toward one person, are made before a larger audience of listeners, and so are somewhat formal, impersonal, and diplomatic in language and form, in order to sound proper and impress their point on those who are not being directly addressed.

However, Alonso responds badly to Gonzalo's good-hearted and carefully-worded attempt to cheer him up; "he receives comfort like cold porridge" is the simile that Sebastian uses to describe the King's reaction, and the comparison highlights King Alonso's sober, aloof, and disconsolate personality.

In the first scene of Act 2, Sebastian and Antonio first display a mischievous skill with language which they use to mock Gonzalo, then the nobleman Adrian. Sebastian teases the somewhat long-winded but good-hearted councilor by saying that Gonzalo is "winding up the watch of his wit, by and by, it will strike" when he begins another entreaty to the king. When Gonzalo opens his mouth again, he is answered with Sebastian saying "one," as if Gonzalo had struck the hour, like a clock.

Then, they change the subject of their puns to money; "what a spendthrift is he of his tongue," says Antonio, speaking of Gonzalo as if he were a character more akin to the very garrulous, somewhat foolish Polonius from Hamlet (II.i.25) Gonzalo and Polonius hold the same position, of head councilor to the king, but is not the same wastrel of words that Polonius proved to be; he makes a few remarks in this act that are beside the point, like his statements about their garments being "fresh," but nothing that sounds so foolish as Polonius' "brevity is the soul of wit" speech in Act 2 of Hamlet.

Antonio and Sebastian detach themselves from their party through their mocking wit. Adrian and Gonzalo try, in a levelheaded way, to both take stock of their situation, and hearten their party; they note the "subtle, tender, and delicate temperance" of the island, and report that "here is everything advantageous to life" (II.i.42,50). Gonzalo becomes optimistic, making statements about how "lush and lusty the grass looks"; Antonio and Sebastian's replies to Gonzalo's benign remarks are distinctly negative, contradicting Gonzalo with claims that "the ground indeed is tawny," and that "he lies" in his positive assessments (II.i.53,54). In this act, notice how Sebastian and Antonio are thoroughly characterized as heedless, careless, harsh, and arrogant through their disregard for their fellows, their predicament, and through their constant bickering and insulting remarks. All of their character flaws that are exposed in this act are important in the later action, foreshadowing their backstabbing tendencies and their eventual comeuppance.

Several allusions to The Aeneid are sprinkled throughout the play, Antonio and Sebastian's debate about the "widow Dido" and the uniqueness of Carthage among the most prominent of these. Although the Carthage/ Tunis debate is elusive, and perhaps nonsensical, Gonzalo is correct that "Tunis, sir, was Carthage," because Tunis became the political and commercial center of North Africa after Carthage,as it is described in The Aeneid, was destroyed (II.i.82). The Tempest inhabits, roughly, the same geographic realm as Virgil's work; Alonso's ship, before the shipwreck, was following the same route that Aeneas took from Carthage to Naples. The Aeneid raises issues about royal authority and political legitimacy that are also present in Shakespeare's work; and the allusions are, at the least, noteworthy because of the associations present during Shakespeare's time between the strong, intelligent, and powerful Queen Dido, and the equally strong, intelligent, and powerful Queen Elizabeth.

Note the contrast in tone between Alonso's lament in lines 104-111 of scene 2, and Franscisco's answer to the king; Alonso's statement is somewhat crude in its metaphors, describing how the "stomach of [his] sense" is being force-fed by having to listen to his friends' long-winded chatter. Francisco answers this complaint with elevated rhetoric, about how he saw Alonso's son "beat the surges under him" and "trod the water, whose enmity he flung aside"; Francisco's formalized description is more elegantly worded and image-laden than Alonso's, and the difference in language signifies a possible difference in knowledge and communicative abilities in the two characters.

As in Act 1, there are a number of allusions to proverbs in this act as well, one of which appears in line 136. "Rub the sore" is a phrase Gonzalo uses to tell Sebastian that his attempts to console the king do no more than aggravate the loss; and this phrase was a popular one during Shakespeare's time, and is much easier to understand than some of the more obscure and outmoded allusions that Shakespeare includes in his work.

Once Antonio and Sebastian begin to conspire in scene 1, parallels with Macbeth begin to surface. "My strong imagination sees a crown dropping upon thy head," Antonio says to his brother, creating an image similar to the one that the three witches describe for Macbeth in Act 1, scene 3 of Macbeth. The presence of a conspiracy against the throne and a plot of murder creates another similarity; and Sebastian reacts to his brother's ambitious vision as Macbeth reacts to the witches-- that is, with thoughts of murder.

Before Sebastian is convinced to follow his brother's plan, he exclaims that he is "standing water"; the statement is a metaphor, but the words are somewhat vague in their connotation. What Sebastian means with this comparison is that he is waiting to be moved in some direction, and will remain still, or "standing," until he finds his purpose and motivation. The phrase could be alluding to another proverbial saying, but exactly which saying is being referred to is unclear.

Act 2 returns to the themes of political legitimacy, source of power, and usurpation that arose in the first act. While Prospero firmly believed that the only legitimate power was the power that came from one's knowledge and hard work, Antonio believes that the power he usurped from his brother is legitimate, because he deserved it more and had the skill to wrestle it away. "Look how well my garments sit upon me, much feater than before," Antonio brags to Sebastian; Antonio's lack of remorse over his crime, and his arrogant claim that his power is just because he uses it better, foreshadow a confrontation with his brother Prospero, and an eventual fall from this ill-gained power.

However, Ariel's involvement in this conspiracy shows it to be part of Prospero's plan; Ariel makes all but Antonio and Sebastian go to sleep, and then causes conspiratorial seriousness to settle on them as well. The situation is created as part of Prospero's project, to reinforce his idea of his brothers as villains, and act as Prospero "foresees through his art" that they will. "His project dies" if Antonio and Sebastian's deviant plot is not made; and here, Prospero again shows himself to be a manipulator of the play's events, influencing the course of the play from within. There is great dramatic irony in this situation, and in the fact that Prospero causes his brothers to do the very things that he condemns them for.

The most important literary elements in the second scene are probably those that are used to refer to Caliban. Upon finding Caliban lying on the ground, Trinculo calls him a "dead Indian"; indeed, in Elizabethan times, natives were brought back to England from foreign lands, and their captors could earn a great deal of money exhibiting them in London. Trinculo's speech is significant because he describes Caliban as a "fish," and a "strange beast," showing his Western contempt and lack of understanding of a person with a different skin color than his own. Stephano assumes that Caliban is a "mooncalf," or a monstrosity, the term alluding to a folk tale of the time.

Although Caliban asserted his natural authority over the island in Act 1, Prospero's usurpation of Caliban's power is negated by Caliban's portrayal as a savage seeking a new master. Caliban proves Prospero's view of him, as a natural servant, to be true, when Caliban immediately adopts Stephano as his new master upon Stephano's sudden appearance. Caliban, as a native, is seen as a "monster," not only by Prospero, but by Trinculo and Stephano also; their contempt for dark-skinned Caliban is analogous to Europeans' view of "natives" in the West Indies and other colonies, and Shakespeare's treatment of Caliban provides some interesting social commentary on colonization. In fact, when this play appeared in the First Folio of Shakespeare's work, shortly after Shakespeare's death in the early 17th century, Caliban's character description marks him as "a savage and deformed slave," despite glimpses of his noble character in the play. As a representation of a man apart from Western society, Caliban is seen as a contemptuous character because of prejudices of Shakespeare's time; these Elizabethan-period social prejudices also belong to many of the characters in the play, and are the prime determinant of the negative view that Prospero, Stephano, and Trinculo have of Caliban in the play.

Other colonization-related themes are raised by Gonzalo's description of his Utopia, from lines 145 to 162 in Act 2, scene 1. Gonzalo's speech recalls many of Thomas More's ideas from his book Utopia, and summons up the spirit of Renaissance political idealism with his ideas about reform. These topics were particularly relevant at the time of the play, because of New World colonization, and Europeans finally had the chance to start new governments and societies that reflected these idealistic tenets. But, Gonzalo's imagining is also self-contradictory and impractical, as Antonio and Sebastian are quick to notice; and perhaps this is Shakespeare's statement about the naivete of Utopian thought in general.

The Tempest Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Tempest is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

why does miranda have such immediate empathy for the men in the ship?

Because of her nature

I'm not sure how you felt. Prospero is simply winding up his plan. I think Prospero has tempered both his anger and his revenge. I think he is ready to grant mercy to those that have wronged him. He is also ready to give Ariel her promised...

significance of the storm in the Opening act

In The Tempest, the storm at sea serves as the plot's inciting event. The storm washes Prospero 's enemies onto the island's shore, placing them at his mercy. In this sense the tempest or storm represents a disturbance of the social order. It also...

Study Guide for The Tempest

The Tempest study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Tempest
• The Tempest Summary
• The Tempest Video
• Character List

Essays for The Tempest

The Tempest literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Tempest.

• Similarities Between Principal Characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest
• A Post-Colonial Interpretation of The Tempest
• The Fierce and Mighty Sea; The Dramatic Function of the Powerful and Ever Present Ocean in The Tempest
• The Sensitive Beast: Shakespeare's Presentation of Caliban
• Love and Magic Intertwined

Lesson Plan for The Tempest

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Tempest
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Tempest Bibliography

E-Text of The Tempest

The Tempest E-Text contains the full text of The Tempest

• List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for The Tempest

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The Tempest

William shakespeare.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

During the time when The Tempest was written and first performed, both Shakespeare and his audiences would have been very interested in the efforts of English and other European settlers to colonize distant lands around the globe. The Tempest explores the complex and problematic relationship between the European colonizer and the native colonized peoples through the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero views Caliban as a lesser being than himself. As such, Prospero believes that Caliban should be grateful to him for educating Caliban and lifting him out of "savagery." It simply does not occur to Prospero that he has stolen rulership of the island from Caliban, because Prospero can't imagine Caliban as being fit to rule anything. In contrast, Caliban soon realizes that Prospero views him as a second-class citizen fit only to serve and that by giving up his rulership of the island in return for his education, he has allowed himself to be robbed. As a result, Caliban turns bitter and violent, which only reinforces Prospero's view of him as a "savage." Shakespeare uses Prospero and Caliban's relationship to show how the misunderstandings between the colonizer and the colonized lead to hatred and conflict, with each side thinking that the other is at fault.

In addition to the relationship between the colonizer and colonized, The Tempest also explores the fears and opportunities that colonization creates. Exposure to new and different peoples leads to racism and intolerance, as seen when Sebastian criticizes Alonso for allowing his daughter to marry an African. Exploration and colonization led directly to slavery and the conquering of native peoples. For instance, Stephano and Trinculo both consider capturing Caliban to sell as a curiosity back at home, while Stephano eventually begins to see himself as a potential king of the island. At the same time, the expanded territories established by colonization created new places in which to experiment with alternative societies. Shakespeare conveys this idea in Gonzalo's musings about the perfect civilization he would establish if he could acquire a territory of his own.

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Colonization Quotes in The Tempest

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