PROSPERO [to Ferdinand] Come on.—
Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. – Follow me;–
Hark what else thou shalt do me.
MIRANDA [to Ferdinand] Be of comfort;
My father’s of a better nature, sir,
Than he appears by speech. This is unwonted
Which now comes from him.
PROSPERO [to Ariel] Thou shalt be as free
As mountain winds, but then exactly do
All points of my command.
ARIEL To th’ syllable.
PROSPERO [to Ferdinand] Come, follow; — speak not for him. Exeunt. (1.2.494-502)
Finally– the end of a very, very long scene. (In performance, its length mightn’t register? Prospero and Miranda are onstage throughout, but Ariel makes several entrances and exits, and Caliban and Ferdinand both appear. Still, it’s a long one, and full of careful exposition and setting-up of plot points.) The number of editorial stage directions is also striking – they’re not strictly necessary in this passage, but they do draw attention to how complicated the interactions are, not least because Ariel is ‘invisible’ throughout – visible to Prospero, perhaps, but not to Miranda, and certainly not to Ferdinand. Prospero has to get Ferdinand – still weakened? offstage – Come on, he says. He has to keep Ariel on side, thanking them – Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. Not clear whom Prospero addresses next, with his Follow me – it could be to Ferdinand, being a bit slow or unwilling, or Ariel, so that he can say to them, stick close, Hark what else thou shalt do me. (Yet more tasks for Ariel, whose freedom seems to become more and more conditional and contingent upon their doing Prospero’s bidding to the last.) Miranda, trying to reassure Ferdinand: it’ll be alright, don’t worry, my father’s not usually this weird and aggressive; he doesn’t usually talk and act like this. (Perhaps reassuring for the audience too? Or a sign that Miranda is too forgiving of her father’s shortcomings? After all, we’ve seen how he treats Caliban and Ariel.) Prospero again, reminding Ariel that they will be free – as mountain winds – a wonderful evocation of power, speed, height, flight – but they still have to do all points of my command. Ariel will, however, comply, to th’ syllable, to the last detail of Prospero’s instructions. Come on, Ferdinand, off we go – and, speak not for him, don’t intercede for him and also, don’t put words into his mouth, presumably to Miranda, who must bring up the rear of this strange little procession, still trying to reassure Ferdinand. But Prospero’s the one in control, of Ariel, of Ferdinand, and of Miranda.
