Act II · Scene II
Another part of the island.
Hover a speech to translate it — or press play to hear it performed.
Enter CALIBAN with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard
CALIBAN
All the infections that the sun sucks upFrom bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make himBy inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear meAnd yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,Fright me with urchin--shows, pitch me i' the mire,Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the darkOut of my way, unless he bid 'em; butFor every trifle are they set upon me;Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at meAnd after bite me, then like hedgehogs whichLie tumbling in my barefoot way and mountTheir pricks at my footfall; sometime am IAll wound with adders who with cloven tonguesDo hiss me into madness.
Enter TRINCULO
CALIBAN
Lo, now, lo!Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment meFor bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat;Perchance he will not mind me.
TRINCULO
Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear offany weather at all, and another storm brewing;I hear it sing i' the wind: yond same blackcloud, yond huge one, looks like a foulbombard that would shed his liquor. If itshould thunder as it did before, I know notwhere to hide my head: yond same cloud cannotchoose but fall by pailfuls. What have wehere? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish:he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind of not of the newest Poor-John. A strange fish! Were I in England now,as once I was, and had but this fish painted,not a holiday fool there but would give a pieceof silver: there would this monster make aman; any strange beast there makes a man:when they will not give a doit to relieve a lamebeggar, they will lazy out ten to see a deadIndian. Legged like a man and his fins likearms! Warm o' my troth! I do now let loosemy opinion; hold it no longer: this is no fish,but an islander, that hath lately suffered by athunderbolt.
Thunder
TRINCULO
Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is tocreep under his gaberdine; there is no othershelter hereabouts: misery acquaints a man withstrange bed-fellows. I will here shroud till thedregs of the storm be past.
Enter STEPHANO, singing: a bottle in his hand
STEPHANO
I shall no more to sea, to sea,Here shall I die ashore--This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man'sfuneral: well, here's my comfort.
Drinks
Sings
STEPHANO
The master, the swabber, the boatswain and I,The gunner and his mateLoved Mall, Meg and Marian and Margery,But none of us cared for Kate;For she had a tongue with a tang,Would cry to a sailor, Go hang!She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch,Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch:Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang!This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.
Drinks
CALIBAN
Do not torment me: Oh!
STEPHANO
What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do you puttricks upon's with savages and men of Ind, ha? Ihave not scaped drowning to be afeard now of yourfour legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man asever went on four legs cannot make him give ground;and it shall be said so again while Stephanobreathes at's nostrils.
CALIBAN
The spirit torments me; Oh!
STEPHANO
This is some monster of the isle with four legs, whohath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devilshould he learn our language? I will give him somerelief, if it be but for that. if I can recover himand keep him tame and get to Naples with him, he's apresent for any emperor that ever trod on neat's leather.
CALIBAN
Do not torment me, prithee; I'll bring my wood home faster.
STEPHANO
He's in his fit now and does not talk after thewisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he havenever drunk wine afore will go near to remove hisfit. If I can recover him and keep him tame, I willnot take too much for him; he shall pay for him thathath him, and that soundly.
CALIBAN
Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, Iknow it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.
STEPHANO
Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is thatwhich will give language to you, cat: open yourmouth; this will shake your shaking, I can tell you,and that soundly: you cannot tell who's your friend:open your chaps again.
TRINCULO
I should know that voice: it should be--but he isdrowned; and these are devils: O defend me!
STEPHANO
Four legs and two voices: a most delicate monster!His forward voice now is to speak well of hisfriend; his backward voice is to utter foul speechesand to detract. If all the wine in my bottle willrecover him, I will help his ague. Come. Amen! Iwill pour some in thy other mouth.
TRINCULO
Stephano!
STEPHANO
Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy, mercy! This isa devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have nolong spoon.
TRINCULO
Stephano! If thou beest Stephano, touch me andspeak to me: for I am Trinculo--be not afeard--thygood friend Trinculo.
STEPHANO
If thou beest Trinculo, come forth: I'll pull theeby the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs,these are they. Thou art very Trinculo indeed! Howcamest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? canhe vent Trinculos?
TRINCULO
I took him to be killed with a thunder-stroke. Butart thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope now thou artnot drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid meunder the dead moon-calf's gaberdine for fear ofthe storm. And art thou living, Stephano? OStephano, two Neapolitans 'scaped!
STEPHANO
Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not constant.
CALIBAN
[Aside] These be fine things, an if they benot sprites.That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor.I will kneel to him.
STEPHANO
How didst thou 'scape? How camest thou hither?swear by this bottle how thou camest hither. Iescaped upon a butt of sack which the sailorsheaved o'erboard, by this bottle; which I made ofthe bark of a tree with mine own hands since I wascast ashore.
CALIBAN
I'll swear upon that bottle to be thy true subject;for the liquor is not earthly.
STEPHANO
Here; swear then how thou escapedst.
TRINCULO
Swum ashore. man, like a duck: I can swim like aduck, I'll be sworn.
STEPHANO
Here, kiss the book. Though thou canst swim like aduck, thou art made like a goose.
TRINCULO
O Stephano. hast any more of this?
STEPHANO
The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by thesea-side where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf!how does thine ague?
CALIBAN
Hast thou not dropp'd from heaven?
STEPHANO
Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the man i'the moon when time was.
CALIBAN
I have seen thee in her and I do adore thee:My mistress show'd me thee and thy dog and thy bush.
STEPHANO
Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnishit anon with new contents swear.
TRINCULO
By this good light, this is a very shallow monster!I afeard of him! A very weak monster! The man i'the moon! A most poor credulous monster! Welldrawn, monster, in good sooth!
CALIBAN
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 drunkenmonster! when 's god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.
CALIBAN
I'll kiss thy foot; I'll swear myself thy subject.
STEPHANO
Come on then; down, and swear.
TRINCULO
I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headedmonster. A most scurvy monster! I could find in myheart to beat him,--
STEPHANO
Come, kiss.
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 aPoor drunkard!
CALIBAN
I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;And I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts;Show thee a jay's nest and instruct thee howTo snare the nimble marmoset; I'll bring theeTo clustering filberts and sometimes I'll get theeYoung scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?
STEPHANO
I prithee now, lead the way without any moretalking. Trinculo, the king and all our companyelse being drowned, we will inherit here: here;bear my bottle: fellow Trinculo, we'll fill him byand by again.
CALIBAN
[Sings drunkenly]Farewell master; farewell, farewell!
TRINCULO
A howling monster: a drunken monster!
CALIBAN
No more dams I'll make for fishNor fetch in firingAt requiring;Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish'Ban, 'Ban, CacalibanHas a new master: get a new man.Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom,hey-day, freedom!
STEPHANO
O brave monster! Lead the way.
Exeunt