Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter Caliban with a burden of wood. A noise of
thunder heard. CALIBAN
All the infections that the sun sucks up
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him
By inchmeal a disease! His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they’ll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i’ th’ mire, 5
Nor lead me like a firebrand in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid ’em. But
For every trifle are they set upon me,
Sometimes like apes, that mow and chatter at me
And after bite me; then like hedgehogs, which 10
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
Their pricks at my footfall. Sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness. Lo, now, lo!
Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me 15
For bringing wood in slowly. I’ll fall flat.
Perchance he will not mind me.
He lies down and covers himself with a cloak. Enter Trinculo. | On another part of the island, Caliban is busy fetching wood and cursing Prospero for the mean things he does, like sending spirits to torment him while he works. As Caliban complains of apes that chatter at and bite him, hedgehogs that prick his feet, and snakes that hiss him to madness, Trinculo enters, and Caliban assumes the stranger is another one of Prospero's nasty spirits. |
TRINCULO Here’s neither bush nor shrub to bear off
any weather at all. And another storm brewing; I
hear it sing i’ th’ wind. Yond same black cloud, yond 20
huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed
his liquor. If it should thunder as it did before, I
know not where to hide my head. Yond same cloud
cannot choose but fall by pailfuls. Noticing Caliban.
What have we here, a man or a fish? Dead or 25
alive? A fish, he smells like a fish—a very ancient
and fishlike 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 piece of silver. There 30
would this monster make a man. Any strange beast
there makes a man. When they will not give a doit to
relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a
dead Indian. Legged like a man, and his fins like
arms! Warm, o’ my troth! I do now let loose my 35
opinion, hold it no longer: this is no fish, but an
islander that hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt.
Thunder. Alas, the storm is come again. My best
way is to creep under his gaberdine. There is no
other shelter hereabout. Misery acquaints a man 40
with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the
dregs of the storm be past. He crawls under Caliban’s cloak. | Trinculo, a jester and member of the shipwrecked group, wanders alone searching for cover, should another storm come. He spots Caliban, and seeing he is maybe a man or a fish (or both), immediately thinks of how people in England would pay to see an odd thing like this. Then he decides Caliban's deformed shape is simply that of a native islander recently hit by lightning. Hearing more thunder, Trinculo (quite a wuss, to put it delicately) immediately jumps under Caliban's cape, seeking shelter. |
Enter Stephano singing. 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’s funeral. 45
Well, here’s my comfort. Drinks.
Sings. "The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,
The gunner and his mate,
Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
But none of us cared for Kate. 50
For she had a tongue with a tang,
Would cry to a sailor “Go hang!”
She loved not the savor 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!" 55 This is a scurvy tune too. But here’s my comfort.
Drinks. CALIBAN Do not torment me! O! STEPHANO What’s the matter? Have we devils here? Do
you put tricks upon ’s with savages and men of Ind?
Ha? I have not scaped drowning to be afeard now 60
of your four legs, for it hath been said “As proper a
man as ever went on four legs cannot make him
give ground,” and it shall be said so again while
Stephano breathes at’ nostrils. | Just then, Stephano, the drunken butler, wanders in singing saucy songs about which women will put out for sailors, and which women won't. Surprised at seeing Caliban as a four legged creature (because Trinculo is under his cape), Stephano announces he did not escape drowning to fall to savages. |
CALIBAN The spirit torments me. O! 65 STEPHANO This is some monster of the isle with four
legs, who hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the
devil should he learn our language? I will give him
some relief, if it be but for that. If I can recover him
and keep him tame and get to Naples with him, 70
he’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on
neat’s leather. | Caliban, thinking Stephano is another of Prospero's spirits, cries out. Stephano is shocked that this four-legged monster knows his own language, and thinks the monster suffers from some fever. Stephano will give the monster a drink to ease him, but also hopes he might drunkenly tame the monster and lure him back to Naples as a present for a European emperor. |
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 75
the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle. If he have
never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove
his fit. If I can recover him and keep him tame, I will
not take too much for him. He shall pay for him that
hath him, and that soundly. 80 CALIBAN Thou dost me yet but little hurt. Thou wilt
anon; I know it by thy trembling. Now Prosper
works upon thee. STEPHANO Come on your ways. Open your mouth.
Here is that which will give language to you, cat. 85
Open your mouth. This will shake your shaking, I
can tell you, and that soundly. Caliban drinks. You
cannot tell who’s your friend. Open your chaps
again. | After some back and forth, Stephano makes Caliban drink wine from his flask. |
TRINCULO I should know that voice. It should be—but 90
he is drowned, 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
his friend. His backward voice is to utter foul
speeches and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle 95
will recover him, I will help his ague. Come.
Caliban drinks. Amen! I will pour some in thy
other mouth. | The still scared and hiding Trinculo thinks he recognizes Stephano's voice and calls out to him, which only confuses Stephano more. Now he's under the impression that Caliban has four legs and two voices. |
TRINCULO Stephano! STEPHANO Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy, mercy, 100
this is a devil, and no monster! I will leave him; I
have no long spoon. TRINCULO Stephano! If thou be’st Stephano, touch me
and speak to me, for I am Trinculo—be not
afeard—thy good friend Trinculo. 105 STEPHANO If thou be’st Trinculo, come forth. I’ll pull
thee by the lesser legs. If any be Trinculo’s legs,
these are they. He pulls him out from under Caliban’s
cloak. Thou art very Trinculo indeed. How
cam’st thou to be the siege of this mooncalf? Can 110
he vent Trinculos? TRINCULO I took him to be killed with a thunderstroke.
But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I
hope now thou art not drowned. Is the storm
overblown? I hid me under the dead mooncalf’s 115
gaberdine for fear of the storm. And art thou living,
Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans scaped! STEPHANO Prithee, do not turn me about. My stomach
is not constant. | Finally, after some amusing silliness, Stephano and Trinculo discover each other. |
CALIBAN, aside These be fine things, an if they be not 120
sprites. That’s a brave god and bears celestial liquor.
I will kneel to him.
He crawls out from under the cloak. | Caliban decides these two are not more of Prospero's spirits, but he figures that Stephano must be a god, what with the celestial liquor he carries. |
STEPHANO, to Trinculo How didst thou scape? How
cam’st thou hither? Swear by this bottle how thou
cam’st hither—I escaped upon a butt of sack, which 125
the sailors heaved o’erboard—by this bottle, which
I made of the bark of a tree with mine own hands,
since I was cast ashore. CALIBAN I’ll swear upon that bottle to be thy true
subject, for the liquor is not earthly. 130 STEPHANO, to Trinculo Here. Swear then how thou
escapedst. TRINCULO Swum ashore, man, like a duck. I can swim
like a duck, I’ll be sworn. STEPHANO Here, kiss the book. Trinculo drinks. 135
Though thou canst swim like a duck, 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 th’ seaside, where my wine is hid.—How now, 140
mooncalf, how does thine ague? CALIBAN Hast thou not dropped from heaven? STEPHANO Out o’ th’ moon, I do assure thee. I was the
man i’ th’ moon when time was. | Trinculo explains that he swam ashore, and Stephano says that he (fittingly) floated to shore on a barrel of wine, which he has stashed in a cave by the beach. Caliban, still thinking Stephano must be magic because of the wine, asks him if he fell from the heavens. Stephano says that indeed he was the man in the moon until recently, when he fell down. |
CALIBAN I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee. 145
My mistress showed me thee, and thy dog, and thy
bush. STEPHANO Come, swear to that. Kiss the book. I will
furnish it anon with new contents. Swear.
Caliban drinks. TRINCULO By this good light, this is a very shallow 150
monster. I afeard of him? A very weak monster. The
man i’ th’ moon? A most poor, credulous monster!
—Well drawn, 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. 155 TRINCULO By this light, a most perfidious and drunken
monster. 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.
Caliban kneels. TRINCULO I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed 160
monster. A most scurvy monster. I could
find in my heart to beat him— STEPHANO Come, kiss. TRINCULO —but that the poor monster’s in drink. An
abominable monster. 165 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. 170 TRINCULO A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder
of a poor drunkard. CALIBAN, standing
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 how 175
To snare the nimble marmoset. I’ll bring thee
To clustering filberts, and sometimes I’ll get thee
Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me? | Caliban, steadily drinking, swears himself to be Stephano's servant and agrees to show his new master the best stuff of the island. |
STEPHANO I prithee now, lead the way without any
more talking.—Trinculo, the King and all our 180
company else being drowned, we will inherit here.
—Here, bear my bottle.—Fellow Trinculo, we’ll
fill him by and by again. CALIBAN sings drunkenly
Farewell, master, farewell, farewell. TRINCULO A howling monster, a drunken monster. 185 CALIBAN sings
No more dams I’ll make for fish,
Nor fetch in firing
At requiring,
Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish.
’Ban, ’ban, Ca-caliban 190
Has a new master. Get a new man.
Freedom, high-day! High-day, freedom! Freedom,
high-day, freedom! STEPHANO O brave monster! Lead the way. They exit. | Stephano and Trinculo, drunk and sure everyone else is dead, are happy to be kings of this island, with Caliban as their subject. Caliban, now also drunk, is happy to be free of Prospero's tyranny (even though he's just volunteered to be Stephano's servant). |