The Tempest (Paperback)

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the 'Bard of Avon' (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 37 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Scholars believe that he died on his fifty-second birthday, coinciding with St George’s Day. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608. He was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare. In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are consistently performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

Characters in the Play PROSPERO, rightful Duke of Millaine (Milan). MIRANDA, Prospero’s daughter. ARIEL, a spirit serving Prospero. Other serving SPIRITS appearing as ‘shapes’, hounds, etc., and as characters (deities, nymphs and shepherds) in a masque. CALIBAN, Prospero’s slave. ALONSO, King of Naples. SEBASTIAN, Alonso’s brother. FERDINAND, Alonso’s son. ANTONIO, Prospero’s brother, the usurping Duke of Millaine. GONZALO, an elderly councillor. STEPHANO, Alonso’s butler. TRINCULO, Alonso’s jester. MASTER of a ship. BOATSWAIN. MARINERS. ADRIAN and FRANCISCO, Lords. Act 1 Scene 1. Main deck of ship. A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard. Enter SHIP-MASTER and BOATSWAIN. MASTER : Boatswain! BOATSWAIN : Here, master: what cheer? MASTER : Good; speak to th’ mariners: fall to’t – yarely – or we run ourselves aground. Bestir, bestir. [Exit. Enter MARINERS. BOATSWAIN : Heigh my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly my hearts! Yare, yare: take in the topsail; tend to th’ master’s whistle. [To the gale:] Blow till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO and OTHERS. ALONSO : Good boatswain, have care. Where’s the master? [To the mariners:] Play the men. BOATSWAIN : I pray now, keep below. ANTONIO : Where is the master, bosun? BOATSWAIN : Do you not hear him? You mar our labour. Keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. GONZALO : Nay, good, be patient. BOATSWAIN : When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin; silence! Trouble us not. GONZALO : Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard. BOATSWAIN : None that I more love than myself. You are a councillor: if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more: use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. – Cheerly, good hearts! Out of our way, I say. [Exit. GONZALO : I have great comfort from this fellow. Methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him: his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging; make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt. Enter BOATSWAIN. BOATSWAIN : Down with the topmast: yare, lower, lower! Bring her to try with main-course. [A cry is heard within.] A plague upon this howling! They are louder than the weather or our office. Enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO and GONZALO. Yet again? What do you here? Shall we give o’er and drown? Have you a mind to sink? SEBASTIAN : A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog! BOATSWAIN : Work you, then. ANTONIO : Hang, cur; hang, you whoreson, insolent noise-marker! We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art. GONZALO : I’ll warrant him for drowning, though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as leaky as an unstaunched wench. BOATSWAIN : Lay her a-hold, a-hold! Set her two courses: off to sea again! Lay her off! Enter MARINERS, wet. MARINERS : All lost! To prayers, to prayers! All lost! BOATSWAIN : What, must our mouths be cold? GONZALO : The King and Prince at prayers, let’s assist them, For our case is as theirs. SEBASTIAN : I’m out of patience. ANTONIO : We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards. This wide-chapped rascal – would thou mightst lie drowning The washing of ten tides! GONZALO : He’ll be hanged yet, Though every drop of water swear against it, And gape at wid’st to glut him. VOICES WITHIN : Mercy on us! – We split, we split! – Farewell, my wife and children! – Farewell, brother! – We split, we split, we split! ANTONIO : Let’s all sink wi’ th’ King. SEBASTIAN : Let’s take leave of him. [Exeunt Antonio and Sebastian. GONZALO : Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground: long heath, brown furze, anything. The wills above be done, but I would fain die a dry death! [Exeunt.