on. Pros. You'ld be king o' the isle, sirrah? Now EPILOGUE Spoken by Prospero. my charms are all o'erthrown, And what strength I have's mine own, Which is most faint: now, 'tis true, I must be here confin'd by you, Or sent to Naples. Let me not, Since I have my dukedom got And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell In this bare island by your spell; But release me from my bands With the help of your good hands: Gentle breath of yours my sails Must fill, or else my project fails, Which was to please. Now I want Spirits to enforce, art to enchant, And my ending is despair, Unless I be relieved by prayer, Which pierces so that it assaults Mercy itself and frees all faults. As you from crimes would pardon'd be, Let your indulgence set me free. 10 15 20 Exit FINIS NOTES The 'names of the actors,' or, as we should say, the characters, are given in the First Folio at the end of the play. i ACT I Lord Mulgrave, an authority on seamanship, commended this scene for the accuracy and skill of its sea-craft. The succession of events is strictly observed in the natural progress of the distress described; the expedients adopted are the most proper that could have been devised for a chance of safety.' 3 Good, probably a contraction for 'good fellow,' as in line 16. It is not an answer to the Boatswain's question. It may be an interjection equivalent to well.' 4 yarely, quickly, nimbly. Cf. 'yare' in line 7. 8 Blow. This sentence is addressed to the wind. The Boatswain does not care how hard it blows so long as they have sea-room. 15 assist the storm, i. e., by engaging our attention and getting in our way. 18 roarers, roaring billows. The use of the lar verb is not uncommon with a plural following. singu 103-104 From being the substitute and representa- 107 this part he played, the dukedom. 112 dry, thirsty, eager. 117 condition, agreement. event, outcome. 123 in lieu of the premises, in return for the offer. subject 157 stomach, courage. adage: 25 present, i. e., time. hand, handle. 30-36 Gonzalo's speech elaborates the old 'He that is born to be hanged will never drowned.' 38 to try with main-course, to sail as close possible to the wind by means of the mainsail. 40 office, words of command. be as 52 a-hold, close to the wind. two courses, foresail and mainsail. 59 merely, absolutely. 60 wide-chapp'd, big-mouthed. 51 ten tides. A pirate's body, after hanging at low water mark, was left for three tides. 63 glut, swallow up. ii. 1-13 The versification of this speech, with its light, weak, and double endings, is characteristic of Shakespeare's last period. 4 welkin, the massed clouds, the sky. 6 brave, fine, handsome. 13 fraughting, on board. 14 amazement, consternation. piteous, pitiful. 16 thee. Prospero uses the singular of affection; Miranda the plural of respectful address. 19 better, nobler, of higher rank. 28 provision, foresight. 31 Betid, befallen, happened. 41 Out, altogether, quite. 63 holp, helped. 64 teen, grief, trouble. 70 manage, management. The involved structure of this sentence is characteristic both of Prospero and of his creator's latest style. 81 trash, check. 165 steaded much, stood us in good stead. 173 princess, used as a plural. 188 Ariel is compounded of the elements of air and fire; Caliban of the other two-earth and water. 193 quality, fellows of the same profession. 194 to point, exactly. 196 beak, figurehead. 197 waist, between quarterdeck and forecastle. 200 flame distinctly, separately. William Strachy in his True Repertory (see Introduction) says: 'Upon the Thursday night Sir George Somers being upon the watch had an apparition of a little round light, like a faint star, trembling and streaming along with a sparkling blaze, half the height upon the mainmast, and shooting sometimes from shroud to shroud, attempting to settle as it were upon any of the four shrouds; and for three or four hours together, or rather more, half the night it kept with us, running sometimes along the mainyard to the very end and then returning.' This description, though written in 1610, was not published, so far as we know, till 1625; but there is a similar passage in Hakluyt's Voyages (1598); "This light continued aboard our ship about three hours, flying from mast to mast, and from top to top; and sometimes it would be in two or three places at once.' 207 coil, tumult, confusion, as in A Midsummer Night's Dream III. ii. 339 and Hamlet III. i. 67. 213 up-staring, standing up straight. 218 sustaining, holding them up in the sea. 223 odd angle, out of the way corner. 229 Bermoothes (three syllables), an attempt to reproduce phonetically the name of the Spanish discoverer of the islands, Bermudez (1515). They were little known until the wreck of 1609, which 333 madest] Rowe; made F. was immediately followed by their occupation and 344-362 This is the colonist's view of the savage. settlement by the English. 364 rid, destroy. still-vex'd refers to the storms which up to that Some say 'tis buried deep Nor e'er is known to sleep.' 369 old, intensive, as in The Merchant of Venice IV. ii. 15 and Macbeth II. iii. 2. 370 aches, pronounced like the plural of the let- 374 Setebos, mentioned in Eden's History of Traver 380 featly, gracefully, delicately. 381 the burden bear] Dryden; beare the burthen F. 382 dispersedly, from various parts of the stage. It may be that 'Bow-wow' and 'Cock-a-diddle-dow' were cries made from behind or underneath the stage. 392 passion, suffering. 399-401 These lines are the epitaph on Shelley's grave at Rome. 405 ditty, words of a song. remember, recall, commemorate. See line 243 above. This does not, of course, invalidate the supposition that Shakespeare made use of the circumstances of the Bermuda wreck. The violence of the storm, the separation of the Sea Adventure from the rest of the fleet, the apparently miraculous escape of those on board, and the character of the island on 415 canker, the worm that eats the flower, as in which they landed establish a parallel of unmis- A Midsummer Night's Dream II. ii. S. takable significance. See Introduction. 240 two glasses, two o'clock. The time of the ac- 242 pains, toil. Cf. 'to take pains.' 261 Argier, Algiers. 269 blue-eyed, with blue lids, as in As You Like It III. ii. 393. 273 earthy, gross. 274 hests, behests, commands. 282 she Rowe; he F. 299 discharge, dismiss, release. 311 miss, do without. 312 offices, duties. 314 Thou, repeated, the singular of address to an inferior. earth, the predominant element in Caliban's composition, as air in that of Ariel. 316 When? an exclamation of impatience. 317 quaint, dainty, as in A Midsummer Night's Dream II. ii. 7. 323 southwest wind, supposed to bring corruption and disease, 326 urchins, hobgoblins, whose time of visitation is the night. 332-344 This passage has been interpreted by Professor Moulton as a parable of the relations between the aborigines of the New World and the first European settlers. 407 owes, owns, as in line 454. 432 single, simple, weak, as in Macbeth I. vi. 16. 471 ward, posture of defense, as in 1 Henry IV. I. ACT II i. 5 merchant, used first in the sense of vessel, and then of the person. 11 visitor, offering consolation to the sick. 18 dollar, first coined in 1518. Sebastian takes 36 So, you're paid] Theobald; Ant. So you're 40 miss't, do without it, as in I. ii. 311. 43 Temperance, here used as a proper name. 55 eye, shade; the 'green eye' secondarily meant is 56 misses not much, is not far wrong. 65 pockets, having a mouth, or, perhaps, having 75 to, as. 82 of that, about that. 87 harp, of Amphion, which raised the walls of Thebes, or of Apollo, those of Troy. of 1 107 stomach of my sense, the inclination of my feel- 266 chough, commonly used of the jackdaw. 273 feater, more gracefully. See above I. ii. 380. 285 wink, sleep. See note on line 216 above. usual 286 ancient morsel, Gonzalo. 143 plantation, settlement, colonization, the 288 suggestion, evil prompting as in Macbeth I. iii. 289 tell, count, as in line 15 above. 316 a whole herd of lions. Note the confusion of 147-164 This was obviously suggested by Florio's 152 Bourn, boundary, as in Hamlet III. i. 79. 161 engine, of war, as in Othello III. iii. 355. 174 sensible, sensitive. 178 to, in comparison with. 181 and, if, flat-long, with the flat of the sword. 185 bat-fowling, birdcatching in the dark. 187 adventure, risk. 188 discretion, reputation for good sense. 190 hear us, laugh (understood) perhaps; but the 194 Take advantage of the offered drowsiness. 216 wink'st, closest thine eyes. 221 Trebles thee o'er, triples thy greatness. standing water, ready to move in either direction. Cf. Twelfth Night I. v. 168. 225 stripping it, of obscurity. 226 invest it, with probability. Ebbing men, on a declining tide of fortune. 231 throes, pains. yield, bring forth. 232 lord of weak remembrance, Francisco. See above, lines 113-122. This seems to contradict 235-236 Persuasion is his only profession. 243 doubt discovery, cannot doubt discovery of a crown. This interpretation, among many offered, gives the best sense. 250 from whom, coming from whom. 251 cast, up on shore. 259 us, the cubits referred to as speakers in 257. 3 inch-meal, inch by inch. 5 urchin-shows, goblin-apparitions. See I. ii. 326. 9 mow, make faces. 22 bombard, a large wine-vessel, as in 1 Henry IV II. iv. 497. 28 Poor-John, salted hake. See Romeo and Juliet 30 painted, as a sign outside a booth. 40 gaberdine, a long loose rain-cloak. 73 neat's-leather, oxhide. Cf. Julius Cæsar I. 1. 29. 85 ways, possibly a nautical expression for 'side,' i. e., turn over; but probably it means simply 'come on.' 86 cat. There is an old proverb, ‘Good liquor will make a cat speak.' 98 Amen! An exclamation to bring Caliban's drink to an end. 103 long spoon, in allusion to another proverb, given in full in The Comedy of Errors IV. iii. 64-65: 'Marry, he must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil.' 110 siege, stool. 111 moon-calf, monstrosity. 150 drawn, drunk. 176 scamels, some kind of rock-bird or shellfish not positively identified. 187 trencher] Pope; Trenchering F. ACT III i. 2 sets off, makes up for; Delight is the subject. 39 Praise in departing, a proverbial expression, 45 Dewlapp'd like bulls, afflicted with goitre. Cf. 46 heads. in their breasts. Cf. Othello I. iii. 48 putter-out of five for one, traveler who staked 64 still-closing, constantly closing after division. 71 requit, requited, punished (by the storm). 82 S. D. mows, grimaces, as in II. ii 9 and IV. i. 47. ACT IV 2 Your compensation, received by you. 3 thrid] Tollett; third F. thrid is found else- 9 off, in parting with her; of F1. 16 sanctimonious, sacred. 18 aspersion, in its original sense of 'sprinkling.' 27 genius, attendant spirit. 37 rabble, company of spirits (no contempt im- 43 with a twink, in the twinkling of an eye. 47 mop, mock. mow. See 82 S. D. above. 56 liver, supposed the seat of passion. 57 corollary, a surplus number, more than enough. 59 Silence was required for charms. See Macbeth 63 stover, fodder for cattle. 64 pioned and twilled, trenched and ridged, or, less 65 spongy, wet. 154 inherit, possess. 156 rack, a cloud-drift. There is a remarkable 'Let greatness of her glassy sceptres vaunt— And let this worldly pomp our wits enchant. All fades, and scarcely leaves behind a token. Those stately courts, those sky-encountering walls 180 goss, gorse. 187 stale, decoy. 189 Nurture, education. 198 Jack, knave. 206 hoodwink, cover up, make you forget. |