ARIEL             [Sings.] Full fathom five thy father lies, Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes, Nothing of him that doth fade But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea nymphs hourly ring his knell. SPIRITS                                              Ding dong. ARIEL             Hark, now I hear them. SPIRITS                                              Ding dong […]

FERDINAND   Where should this music be? I’th’ air, or th’earth? It sounds no more, and sure it waits upon Some god o’th’ island. Sitting on a bank, Weeping again the King my father’s wreck, This music crept by me upon the waters, Allaying both their fury and my passion With its sweet air. Thence I […]

Apologies to regular readers: the combination of ill-health and the UCU industrial action means that I haven’t been posting. There may be the odd post over the next few weeks, but it’s more likely that #SlowShakespeare #Tempest #StormTossed will return, at full strength, in 2020…

Enter FERDINAND, and ARIEL, invisible, playing and singing.   ARIEL [Sings.]                        Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands; Curtsied when you have, and kissed The wild waves whist; Foot it featly here and there, And sweet sprites bear The burden. (burden dispersedly) SPIRITS                      Hark, hark! Bow-wow, The watch dogs bark, bow-wow. ARIEL                         Hark hark, […]

CALIBAN        You taught me language, and my profit on’t Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language. PROSPERO                                                     Hag-seed, hence: Fetch us in fuel, and be quick – thou’rt best – To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, malice? If thou neglect’st, or dost unwillingly What I command, […]

MIRANDA                              Abhorred slave, Which any print of goodness wilt not take, Being capable of all ill; I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other. When thou didst not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like A thing most brutish, I endowed thy purposes With […]

PROSPERO                             Thou most lying slave, Whom stripes may move, not kindness; I have used thee (Filth as thou art) with humane care and lodged thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child. CALIBAN        O ho, O ho! Would’t had been done; Thou didst prevent me, I had […]

CALIBAN        This island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother, Which thou tak’st from me. When thou cam’st first Thou strok’st me and made much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in’t, and teach me how To name the bigger light and how the less That burn by day and night. And then I loved […]

Enter CALIBAN. CALIBAN        As wicked dew as e’er my mother brushed With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen Drop on you both. A southwest blow on ye And blister you all o’er. PROSPERO     For this, be sure, tonight thou shalt have cramps, Side-stitches, that shall pen thy breath up; urchins Shall forth at vast of night that […]

PROSPERO                             What ho, slave! Caliban, Thou earth, thou: speak! CALIBAN        [within]                       There’s wood enough within. PROSPERO     Come forth I say, there’s other business for thee. Come, thou tortoise, when? Enter ARIEL, like a water nymph.                         Fine apparition, my quaint Ariel, Hark in thine ear. ARIEL                                     My lord, it shall be done.                  Exit. PROSPERO     Thou poisonous […]