Read The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Online
Authors: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
ALONSO, King of Naples
SEBASTIAN, his Brother
PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan
ANTONIO, his Brother, the usurping Duke of Milan
FERDINAND, Son to the King of Naples
GONZALO, an honest old counselor
ADRIAN, Lord
FRANCISCO,Lord
CALIBAN, a savage and deformed Slave
TRINCULO, a Jester
STEPHANO, a drunken Butler
MASTER OF A SHIP BOATSWAIN MARINERS
MIRANDA, Daughter to Prospero
ARIEL, an airy Spirit
IRIS, presented by Spirits
CERES, presented by Spirits
JUNO, presented by Spirits
NYMPHS, presented by Spirits
REAPERS, presented by Spirits
Other Spirits attending on Prospero
On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.
Enter a Master and a Boatswain
Master
Boatswain!
Boatswain!
Boatswain
Here, master: what cheer?
Right here, master: how goes it?
Master
Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely,
Good man, speak to the sailers: get on it, quickly,
or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir.
Or we will run ourselves into the shore: get busy, get busy.
Exit
Enter Mariners
Boatswain
Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts!
Come on, comrades! With energy, with energy, comrades!
yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the
At once, at once! Take in the topsail. Listen for the
master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind,
Master’s whistles. Wind you can blow all you want,
if room enough!
If there’s enough room between ship and shore!
Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others
ALONSO
Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master?
Good boatswain, take care. Where’s the master?
Play the men.
Get the men to work.
Boatswain
I pray now, keep below.
Please, stay below.
ANTONIO
Where is the master, boatswain?
Where’s the master, boatswain?
Boatswain
Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your
Can’t you hear him? You’re hampering our work: stay in your
cabins: you do assist the storm.
Cabins: you’re really helping the storm.
GONZALO
Nay, good, be patient.
No, good man, be patient.
Boatswain
When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers
I’ll be patient when the sea is. Go away! What do these roaring waves care
for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.
About the name of a king? Go into your cabin: be silent! Don’t trouble us.
GONZALO
Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
Good man, you must remember whom you have aboard.
Boatswain
None that I more love than myself. You are a
No one that I love more than myself. You are an
counsellor; if you can command these elements to
Advisor; if you can command the winds and water to
silence, and work the peace of the present, we will
Silence, and put this present affair to rest, we won’t
not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you
Handle a rope again; use your power: if you
cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make
Can’t, then be thankful you have lived so long, and prepare
yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of
Yourself in your cabin incase disaster strikes
the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out
At this moment. Energetically, good comrades! Get out
of our way, I say.
Of our way, I say.
Exit
GONZALO
I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he
I have a good feeling about this fellow: it seems to me that he
hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is
Doesn’t look like a man who will drown; his look is of one
perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his
Who will die of hanging instead. Good Fate, remain set on his
hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable,
Hanging: make it so that the rope of his hanging is an anchor line,
for our own doth little advantage. If he be not
For our own line is going us very little good. If he wasn’t
born to be hanged, our case is miserable.
Born to be hanged, our situation is dire.
Exeunt
Re-enter Boatswain
Boatswain
Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring
Bring the topmast down! Now! Lower, lower! Separate
her to try with main-course.
It from the mailsail.
A cry within
A plague upon this howling! they are louder than
Curse this crying! These people are louder than
the weather or our office.
The weather or our work.
Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO
Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er
Yet again! What are you doing here? Should we give in
and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
And drown? Do you want to sink?
SEBASTIAN
A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
Curse your yelling, you hollering, offensive,
incharitable dog!
Heartless sea-dog!
Boatswain
Work you then.
Get to work then.
ANTONIO
Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker!
Blast you, dog! Blast you, you son of a whore, disrespectful bellower!
We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.
We are less afraid of drowning than you are.
GONZALO
I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were
I’ll make sure he doesn’t drown; even if this ship was
no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an
No stronger than a nutshell, and was as wet as an
unstanched wench.
Unsatisfied whore.
Boatswain
Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to
Bring the ship into the wind, into the wind! Set her compass out to
sea again; lay her off.
Sea again; bring her away from land.
Enter Mariners wet
Mariners
All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
All is lost! Pray, everyone pray! All is lost!
Boatswain
What, must our mouths be cold?
What, must we die?
GONZALO
The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them,
The king and prince get to praying! Let’s help them,
For our case is as theirs.
For our fate is the same as theirs.
SEBASTIAN
I'm out of patience.
I’m out of patience.
ANTONIO
We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
We’ve just been cheated out of our lives by drunks:
This wide-chapp'd rascal--would thou mightst lie drowning
And this big-mouthed scoundrel—I wish you would lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
And washed over by ten tides!
GONZALO
He'll be hang'd yet,
He’ll still be hanged eventually,
Though every drop of water swear against it
Even though every drop of water indicates otherwise
And gape at widest to glut him.
And open up widest to take him.
A confused noise within: 'Mercy on us!'-- 'We split, we split!'--'Farewell, my wife and children!'-- 'Farewell, brother!'--'We split, we split, we split!'
[A confused noise within: ‘Mercy on us’—‘We’re sinking, we’re sinking!’—‘Good bye, my wife and children!’—‘Goodbye, brother!’—‘We’re sinking, we’re sinking, we’re sinking!’]