PROSPERO                             Know thus far forth: By accident most strange, bountiful fortune (Now, my dear lady) hath mine enemies Brought to this shore; and by my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star, whose influence If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes Will ever after droop. Here cease more […]

PROSPERO                             Now I arise. Sit still and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Here in this island we arrived, and here Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit Than other princes can that have more time For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful. MIRANDA      Heavens thank you for’t. And now I pray you, […]

MIRANDA      How came we ashore? PROSPERO                                         By providence divine. Some food we had, and some fresh water, that A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity – who, being then appointed Master of this design – did give us, with Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries, Which since have steaded much; so of his gentleness, […]

PROSPERO     In few, they hurried us aboard a bark, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast—the very rats Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us To cry to th’ sea that roared to us, to sigh To th’ winds, […]

PROSPERO                             Hear a little further, And then I’ll bring thee to the present business Which now’s upon’s, without the which this story Were most impertinent. MIRANDA                                          Wherefore did they not That hour destroy us? PROSPERO                                         Well demanded, wench: My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, So dear the love my people bore me, […]

PROSPERO                                         Whereon— A treacherous army levied—one midnight Fated to th’purpose did Antonio open The gates of Milan and i’th’ dead of darkness The ministers for th’ purpose hurried thence Me and thy crying self. MIRANDA                                          Alack, for pity. I, not rememb’ring how I cried out then, Will cry it o’er again. It is a hint […]

PROSPERO     Mark his condition and th’event, then tell me If this might be a brother. MIRANDA                                          I should sin To think but nobly of my grandmother; Good wombs have borne bad sons. PROSPERO                                                     Now the condition. This King of Naples, being an enemy To me inveterate, hearkens my brother’s suit, Which was that he, in […]

PROSPERO     To have no screen between this part he played And him he played it for, he needs will be Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library Was dukedom large enough. Of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable; confederates, So dry he was for sway, wi’th’ King of Naples To give him annual tribute, […]

PROSPERO                                         He being thus lorded, Not only with what my revenue yielded But what my power might else exact, like one Who, having into truth by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory To credit his own lie, he did believe He was indeed the duke, out o’th’ substitution And executing th’outward […]

PROSPERO     I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated To closeness and the bettering of my mind With that which, but by being so retired, O’er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother Awaked an evil nature, and my trust, Like a good parent, did beget of him A falsehood in its contrary as great As […]