The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (606 page)

BOOK: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
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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!’]

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