Melinda Sue Gordon/Touchstone Pictures/Everett

The Tempest, Act IV

William Shakespeare

Collection
ANCHOR TEXT | DRAMA

This version of the selection

alternates original text
Scene i with summarized passages.
Scene i takes place in front of Prospero’s shack on the island. Prospero, Ferdinand, and Dotted lines appear next to
Miranda enter. Prospero addresses Ferdinand, saying that if he has punished him too the summarized passages.
severely, he has made up for it by agreeing to allow him to marry Miranda. He calls her
the person for whom he lives. Prospero explains that what he put Ferdinand through NOTES
was a test of his love for Miranda—a test he passed wonderfully. He swears before
heaven that he will give Miranda to him in marriage.

Prospero. ... O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,1
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise
And make it halt2 behind her.

Ferdinand. I do believe it
Against an oracle.3

Prospero. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition

Worthily purchased, take my daughter.

Prospero encourages Ferdinand to sit and talk with Miranda. Prospero next calls for
Ariel, who enters and asks what he can do. Prospero says that Ariel and the other,
lower-ranking spirits did good work, and now they must be used for another trick. He
gives Ariel power over these lower-ranking spirits and orders Ariel to go bring them,
explaining that he has promised to give Ferdinand and Miranda a display of his magic.
Ariel responds playfully.

Ariel. Presently?

Prospero. Ay, with a twink.

Ariel. Before you can say   “Come” and “Go,”

And breathe twice and cry, “So, so,”
Each one, tripping on his toe,
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Will be here with mop4 and mow.

Do you love me, master? No?

Prospero tells Ariel to bring in an additional spirit (a “corollary”) and then tells everyone
to be silent and focus his or her attention on what will happen next.

1. boast her off praise her to the sky.

2. halt v. limp.
3. I do ... oracle I believe you even if a prophet should say otherwise.
4. mop n. grin or gesture.

GRADE 10 • UNIT 5 • Accessible Leveled Text • The Tempest, Act IV 1

 Prospero has had Ariel arrange a pageant—a show consisting of a series of people NOTES
performing—to bless the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda. The actors in this magic
show are three figures from mythology: Iris, Juno, and Ceres.

Soft music plays and Iris, who in classical mythology is a goddess who serves as
messenger of the gods, enters. Iris says that Juno, the queen of the sky, has given her a
message to deliver to Ceres. Ceres, the goddess of the earth and agriculture, has been
asked by Juno to come to this place to entertain Ceres enters.

Ceres. ... Why hath thy queen

Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?

Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate

And some donation freely to estate
On the blest lovers.

Juno appears and greets Ceres. She asks Ceres to come with her and bless Ferdinand
and Miranda. They sing their blessing of honor, riches, long life, and joy. Ferdinand is
impressed by the show. Prospero explains that the performers are spirits that he freed
using his magic and called upon to entertain them all.

Ferdinand. This is a most majestic vision, and

Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits?

Prospero. Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines called to enact
My present fancies.

Ferdinand says that he’d like to live there forever—a wonderful father and wife make
the place a paradise. Juno and Ceres whisper and send Iris off to do something.
Prospero tells everyone to keep quiet or his magic spell will be broken.

Iris calls on Nymphs, or minor goddesses who live in the water, to come join them and
help celebrate a wedding of true love, per Juno’s orders. Several Nymphs enter, and
Iris also calls sunburned field workers to come, be happy, and dance with the Nymphs.
Several field workers enter and dance with the Nymphs gracefully.

Toward the end of the dance, Prospero suddenly seems startled and speaks, which
breaks the spell that required silence. The Nymphs and the men vanish.

Prospero. [Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy

Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
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Against my life. The minute of their plot

Is almost come. [To the Spirits] Well done! Avoid!5 No more!

Ferdinand. This is strange: your father’s in some passion

That works him strongly.

5. Avoid v. Depart!

GRADE 10 • UNIT 5 • Accessible Leveled Text • The Tempest, Act IV 2

Miranda. Never till this day NOTES
Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.6

Prospero. You do look, my son, in a movèd sort,7

As if you were dismayed; be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, 8 shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack9 behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed.
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
If you be pleased, retire into my cell
And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk
To still my beating mind.

Ferdinand, Miranda. We wish your peace.

[Exit Ferdinand with Miranda.]

Prospero calls on Ariel to come forward and asks him to remind him where he left
Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo. Ariel replies that they were drunk and feeling
courageous, and they still had their plot in mind. He explains that he played on his
drum, and this music enchanted Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo and caused them to
follow as Ariel led them through thorny bushes. Ariel finally left them in a filthy pond—
with the water up to their chins.

Prospero tells Ariel that he did a good job and gives him instructions: He should remain
invisible, go into Prospero’s house, and bring out the fancy-looking, cheap clothes so
that they might use them as bait. Ariel agrees and exits. Prospero says that Caliban is a
“devil” who, despite Prospero’s best efforts, is beyond help. He vows to torture Caliban,
Stephano, and Trinculo to the point of screaming. Ariel returns with the clothing, and
Prospero directs him to hang the clothes on a clothesline.

Prospero and Ariel remain but are invisible. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, who are all
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wet, enter. Caliban says they should not make noise as they walk because they are near
Prospero’s room.

Caliban. Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not
Hear a foot fall. We now are near his cell.

6. distempered (dihs TEHM purd) adj. fierce; intense.

7. movèd sort troubled state of mind.
8. it inherit inhabit it.
9. rack n. windswept cloud.

GRADE 10 • UNIT 5 • Accessible Leveled Text • The Tempest, Act IV 3

Stephano. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless NOTES
fairy, has done little better than played the Jack with us.

Trinculo complains about the condition the three are in, and Stephano warns Caliban
that he should watch out if he gets mad at him. Caliban promises that the prize he’ll
bring Stephano will make their current discomfort worthwhile. Trinculo laments how
they lost their wine bottles in the pond.

At the entrance to Prospero’s room, Caliban asks Stephano to go in the room and
murder Prospero, which will make the island his and Caliban his servant. Stephano
seems ready, saying that he begins “to have bloody thoughts.”

But Stephano is interrupted by a comic turn of events. Trinculo spots the flashy clothes
hanging on the clothesline and is immediately drawn to them. Caliban tries to keep
Stephano focused on his task of killing Prospero, but Stephano seems more interested in
the clothes.

Trinculo. O King Stephano! ... O worthy Stephano, look

what a wardrobe here is for thee!

Caliban. Let it alone, thou fool! It is but trash.

Trinculo. O, ho, monster! We know what belongs to a frippery.10

O King Stephano!

Stephano. Put off that gown, Trinculo! By this hand, I’ll have
that gown.

Trinculo. Thy Grace shall have it.

Caliban again tries to make Stephano focus, telling him to leave the clothes alone and
kill Prospero first. If Prospero wakes up, Caliban says, he’ll punish them. But Stephano
tells Caliban to be quiet and starts talking about a jacket he sees. Trinculo encourages
Caliban to help them steal the clothes, but Caliban won’t be a part of it, saying that
they are missing their chance. Stephano orders Caliban to help carry away some of the
clothing to where his wine is kept—otherwise, he threatens, Caliban will be thrown out
of his kingdom.

Stephano. Monster, lay-to your fingers; help to bear this away

where my hogshead of wine is, or I’ll turn you out of my
kingdom. Go to, carry this.

Trinculo. And this.

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Stephano. Ay, and this.

At this point, the noise of hunters is heard. Spirits in the shape of dogs and hounds enter
and chase Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo around. Prospero and Ariel encourage the dogs
in their chase. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are driven away, and Prospero has a task
for Ariel: He instructs him to order his goblins to torture Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.

10. frippery (FRIHP ur ee) n. shop selling old, secondhand clothes.

GRADE 10 • UNIT 5 • Accessible Leveled Text • The Tempest, Act IV 4

Prospero. Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour NOTES
Lie at my mercy all mine enemies.
Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little,
Follow, and do me service. [Exit.]

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

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GRADE 10 • UNIT 5 • Accessible Leveled Text • The Tempest, Act IV 5