Back to main page
The Tempest - Act 3, scene 2
Cite
Download The Tempest
Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015
- PDF Download as PDF
- DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers
- DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers
- HTML Download as HTML
- TXT Download as TXT
- XML Download as XML
- TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Download as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis)
Navigate this work
The Tempest - Act 3, scene 2Act 3, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
Trinculo and Caliban quarrel, and Stephano takes Caliban’s part. Ariel, invisible, imitates Trinculo’s voice and accuses Caliban of lying, causing further trouble among the three. Caliban calls Prospero a tyrant and urges Stephano to kill Prospero and take Miranda as his consort. Stephano and Trinculo join Caliban in following the music that Ariel plays to lead them out of their way.
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.STEPHANO, ⌜to Trinculo⌝ 1371 Tell not me. When the butt is
1372 out, we will drink water; not a drop before. Therefore
1373 bear up and board ’em.—Servant monster,
1374 drink to me.
TRINCULO 1375 5Servant monster? The folly of this island!
1376 They say there’s but five upon this isle; we are three
1377 of them. If th’ other two be brained like us, the state
1378 totters.
STEPHANO 1379 Drink, servant monster, when I bid thee.
1380 10 Thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
⌜Caliban drinks.⌝
TRINCULO 1381 Where should they be set else? He were a
1382 brave monster indeed if they were set in his tail.
STEPHANO 1383 My man-monster hath drowned his tongue
1384 in sack. For my part, the sea cannot drown me. I
1385 15 swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty
1386 leagues off and on, by this light.—Thou shalt be my
1387 lieutenant, monster, or my standard.
TRINCULO 1388 Your lieutenant, if you list. He’s no
1389 standard.
STEPHANO 1390 20We’ll not run, Monsieur Monster.
TRINCULO 1391 Nor go neither. But you’ll lie like dogs, and
1392 yet say nothing neither.
STEPHANO 1393 Mooncalf, speak once in thy life, if thou
1394 be’st a good mooncalf.
CALIBAN 1395 25How does thy Honor? Let me lick thy shoe. I’ll
1396 not serve him; he is not valiant.
TRINCULO 1397 Thou liest, most ignorant monster. I am in
1398 case to justle a constable. Why, thou debauched
1399 fish, thou! Was there ever man a coward that hath
1400 30 drunk so much sack as I today? Wilt thou tell a
1401 monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a
1402 monster?
p.
101
CALIBAN
1403
Lo, how he mocks me! Wilt thou let him, my1404 lord?
TRINCULO 1405 35“Lord,” quoth he? That a monster should be
1406 such a natural!
CALIBAN 1407 Lo, lo again! Bite him to death, I prithee.
STEPHANO 1408 Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head.
1409 If you prove a mutineer, the next tree. The poor
1410 40 monster’s my subject, and he shall not suffer
1411 indignity.
CALIBAN 1412 I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased
1413 to harken once again to the suit I made to thee?
STEPHANO 1414 Marry, will I. Kneel and repeat it. I will
1415 45 stand, and so shall Trinculo.
Enter Ariel, invisible.
CALIBAN, ⌜kneeling⌝ 1416 As I told thee before, I am subject
1417 to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath
1418 cheated me of the island.
ARIEL, ⌜in Trinculo’s voice⌝ 1419 Thou liest.
CALIBAN, ⌜to Trinculo⌝ 1420 50Thou liest, thou jesting monkey,
1421 thou. ⌜He stands.⌝ I would my valiant master would
1422 destroy thee. I do not lie.
STEPHANO 1423 Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in ’s
1424 tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your
1425 55 teeth.
TRINCULO 1426 Why, I said nothing.
STEPHANO 1427 Mum then, and no more. ⌜Trinculo stands
aside.⌝ 1428 Proceed.
CALIBAN
1429 I say by sorcery he got this isle;
1430 60 From me he got it. If thy Greatness will,
1431 Revenge it on him, for I know thou dar’st,
1432 But this thing dare not.
STEPHANO 1433 That’s most certain.
CALIBAN
1434 Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee.
p.
103
STEPHANO
1435
65How now shall this be compassed? Canst1436 thou bring me to the party?
CALIBAN
1437 Yea, yea, my lord. I’ll yield him thee asleep,
1438 Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head.
ARIEL, ⌜in Trinculo’s voice⌝ 1439 Thou liest. Thou canst not.
CALIBAN
1440 70 What a pied ninny’s this!—Thou scurvy patch!—
1441 I do beseech thy Greatness, give him blows
1442 And take his bottle from him. When that’s gone,
1443 He shall drink naught but brine, for I’ll not show him
1444 Where the quick freshes are.
STEPHANO 1445 75Trinculo, run into no further danger. Interrupt
1446 the monster one word further, and by this
1447 hand, I’ll turn my mercy out o’ doors and make a
1448 stockfish of thee.
TRINCULO 1449 Why, what did I? I did nothing. I’ll go
1450 80 farther off.
STEPHANO 1451 Didst thou not say he lied?
ARIEL, ⌜in Trinculo’s voice⌝ 1452 Thou liest.
STEPHANO 1453 Do I so? Take thou that.⌜He beats Trinculo.⌝
1454 As you like this, give me the lie another time.
TRINCULO 1455 85I did not give the lie! Out o’ your wits and
1456 hearing too? A pox o’ your bottle! This can sack and
1457 drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the
1458 devil take your fingers!
CALIBAN 1459 Ha, ha, ha!
STEPHANO 1460 90Now forward with your tale. ⌜To Trinculo.⌝
1461 Prithee, stand further off.
CALIBAN
1462 Beat him enough. After a little time
1463 I’ll beat him too.
STEPHANO 1464 Stand farther. ⌜Trinculo moves farther
away.⌝ 1465 95Come, proceed.
CALIBAN
1466 Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him
p.
105
1467
I’ th’ afternoon to sleep. There thou mayst brain him,1468 Having first seized his books, or with a log
1469 Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
1470 100 Or cut his weasand with thy knife. Remember
1471 First to possess his books, for without them
1472 He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
1473 One spirit to command. They all do hate him
1474 As rootedly as I. Burn but his books.
1475 105 He has brave utensils—for so he calls them—
1476 Which, when he has a house, he’ll deck withal.
1477 And that most deeply to consider is
1478 The beauty of his daughter. He himself
1479 Calls her a nonpareil. I never saw a woman
1480 110 But only Sycorax my dam and she;
1481 But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
1482 As great’st does least.
STEPHANO 1483 Is it so brave a lass?
CALIBAN
1484 Ay, lord, she will become thy bed, I warrant,
1485 115 And bring thee forth brave brood.
STEPHANO 1486 Monster, I will kill this man. His daughter
1487 and I will be king and queen—save our Graces!—
1488 and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys.—Dost
1489 thou like the plot, Trinculo?
TRINCULO 1490 120Excellent.
STEPHANO 1491 Give me thy hand. I am sorry I beat thee.
1492 But while thou liv’st, keep a good tongue in thy
1493 head.
CALIBAN
1494 Within this half hour will he be asleep.
1495 125 Wilt thou destroy him then?
STEPHANO 1496 Ay, on mine honor.
ARIEL, ⌜aside⌝ 1497 This will I tell my master.
CALIBAN
1498 Thou mak’st me merry. I am full of pleasure.
p.
107
1499
Let us be jocund. Will you troll the catch1500 130 You taught me but whilere?
STEPHANO 1501 At thy request, monster, I will do reason,
1502 any reason.—Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.
Sings.
1503 Flout ’em and cout ’em
1504 And scout ’em and flout ’em!
1505 135 Thought is free.
CALIBAN 1506 That’s not the tune.
Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.
STEPHANO 1507 What is this same?
TRINCULO 1508 This is the tune of our catch played by the
1509 picture of Nobody.
STEPHANO, ⌜to the invisible musician⌝ 1510 140If thou be’st a
1511 man, show thyself in thy likeness. If thou be’st a
1512 devil, take ’t as thou list.
TRINCULO 1513 O, forgive me my sins!
STEPHANO 1514 He that dies pays all debts.—I defy thee!—
1515 145 Mercy upon us!
CALIBAN 1516 Art thou afeard?
STEPHANO 1517 No, monster, not I.
CALIBAN
1518 Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises,
1519 Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.
1520 150 Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
1521 Will hum about mine ears, and sometimes voices
1522 That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
1523 Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
1524 The clouds methought would open, and show riches
1525 155 Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
1526 I cried to dream again.
STEPHANO 1527 This will prove a brave kingdom to me,
1528 where I shall have my music for nothing.
CALIBAN 1529 When Prospero is destroyed.
STEPHANO 1530 160That shall be by and by. I remember the
1531 story.
p.
109
TRINCULO
1532
The sound is going away. Let’s follow it, and1533 after do our work.
STEPHANO 1534 Lead, monster. We’ll follow.—I would I
1535 165 could see this taborer. He lays it on. Wilt come?
TRINCULO 1536 I’ll follow, Stephano.
They exit.