finished_summaries/gradesaver/The Tempest/section_3_part_0.txt
The Tempest.act iv.scene i
act iv
{"name": "Act IV", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210309152602/https://www.gradesaver.com/the-tempest/study-guide/summary-act-iv", "summary": "Prospero stops Ferdinand's punishment, and decides to finally give Miranda to him, since he has proven his love for her through his service. Prospero accepts the union, but issues them a warning; if Ferdinand takes Miranda's virginity before a ceremony can be performed, then their union will be cursed. Ferdinand swears to Prospero that they shall wait until the ceremony to consummate their marriage, and then Prospero calls upon Ariel to perform one of his last acts of magic. A betrothal masque is performed for the party by some of Prospero's magical spirits; Juno, Ceres, and Iris are the goddesses who are represented within the masque, and the play speaks about the bounties of a good marriage, and blesses the happy couple. This act of magic so captivates Prospero that he forgets Caliban's plot to kill him; for a moment, he almost loses control, but manages to pull himself out of his reverie and take action. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo come looking for Prospero, and swipe a few garments of Prospero's on their way. Caliban still wants very much to kill Prospero, and carry out this plot; however, Trinculo and Stephano are very drunk, as usual, and prove completely incapable of anything but petty theft. Prospero catches themnot difficult, since they are making a huge amount of noise--and sends Ariel after them as they flee.", "analysis": "Prospero tries to dismiss his tyrannical demands for Ferdinand's service as \"trials of thy love\"but also makes mention in this first scene that he has \"punished\" Ferdinand, which implies a need for retribution for a wrongdoing . The word \"punished\" that he uses recalls the fabricated charges Prospero raises against Ferdinand in the first act, of Ferdinand being a spy or a potential usurper; and the irony is that Prospero heaps his suspicion on Ferdinand, who has no such designs, while forgetting the very real plots of Caliban and his brothers. Prospero's actions, however, were unfair and ungrounded; he uses the couple's love to try to excuse himself in this instance, but Prospero is not the just judge he would have himself appear to be. Ironically, Prospero's decision to let Miranda and Ferdinand marry was made even before Ferdinand came to the island, and was made because the marriage would secure Prospero's position back home, and would make his daughter queen as well. The work Prospero made Ferdinand do, coupled with the enchantment that he put his daughter and Ferdinand under so they would fall in love, merely assured that Prospero's plan would succeed, as it finally does. But, be wary of the difference between the way Prospero's character appears, and the machinations and plans lying beneath the appearance he would like to project, especially in instances such as this one. However, just as Prospero begins to promise a blessing upon their union, his tone again becomes threatening. It is so important to Prospero that they not consummate their marriage before \"full and holy rite be ministered,\" that he would wish them \"barren hate\" if they do, and continues with enough bitter, harsh-toned rhetoric to hopefully drive his point home . Prospero conjures up a frightful image of disdain, personified as being \"sour-eyed\"; and, in meaningful contrast with the traditional flower-strewn marriage bed, an image of hateful weeds symbolizing the downfall and pollution of the marriage. Prospero's language, heavy with unpleasant images and symbols, does yield some result; Ferdinand, in earnest, forswears his \"worser genius,\" or any possible influence of lust and dishonor within him. Prospero seems preoccupied with Miranda's virginity because it is inextricably bound up with Prospero's own power. Her virginity is their prime bargaining chip in winning an advantageous marriage that will secure both of their positions; and if she does marry Ferdinand, their power back in Italy is secured for both of them. Virginity was often an important bargaining pointmost notably, for Queen Elizabeth, who used her eligibility to gain a great deal of power throughout her reign. If Miranda's virginity is thrown away, then Prospero's greatest hope for regaining his estate and position is gone too; so Prospero tries his best to keep Miranda well-informed of her importance, and keep Ferdinand warned as to the potential consequences of his actions. Prospero's great concern foreshadows the importance of this theme in the betrothal masque; in the masque, Iris makes mention that the couple cannot be together \"till Hymen's torch be lighted,\" her language parallel to that in Prospero's earlier entreaty to the lovers. Prospero reduces his daughter, who is intelligent and worthy, to a mere object, wrapping her with the language of exchange when speaking of her to Ferdinand. Prospero refers to his daughter, not by her name, but as a \"rich gift,\" \"compensation\" for Ferdinand's pains; he says his daughter has been \"worthily purchased\" as an \"acquisition,\" further building up his metaphor of his daughter as a thing of exchange. Prospero's metaphors, and overstatement of his daughter's perfection could be meant to distract Ferdinand from what Prospero and Miranda are getting in the bargain. Indeed, Prospero never makes mention of the power and position that he and his daughter are regaining because of this \"rich gift,\" or the true purchase price of his daughter's hand. It is strange to think of the \"liver,\" as Ferdinand mentions it, as having anything to do with love; but, in Shakespeare's time, the organ was a symbol of lust and passion, just as these emotions are associated with the heart today. The heart was also related to love, but was thought to be more pure and honorable in the feelings originating there. We know now, of course, that feelings originate in the brain, and that these relations of organs and emotions are quaint in their backwardness; but, the heart remains a symbol related to love, and despite our modern medical knowledge, this ancient literary device continues to be used. Though the marriage rites to be performed are Christian, allusions to ancient pagan mythology abound. Prospero invokes Hymen, god of marriageand a figure uniquely opposed to his wish for \"holy rites\" for his daughter. Ferdinand mentions \"Phoebus' steeds,\" as symbols of day-time and the sun, and the characters in Prospero's masque originate in classical myths as well. Allusions to Greek and Roman myth were common in Elizabethan literature, but especially common in the first few court masques that were performed, which often featured the same goddesses as characters that appear in this masque. Prospero calls upon Iris, the messenger of the gods and also the goddess of the rainbow, to perform a betrothal masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. A betrothal masque also appears in As You Like It that is presided over by Hymen; but otherwise, the spectacle was mostly reserved for weddings of state and almost exclusively for court functions. In this respect, the masque does confirm that the wedding is an important oneeleven were actually performed at the court of King James, and some of these for occasions of the marriage of rich and important people. Masques were special ritual-type plays in which the monarch was always the protagonist, and the subject was how royalty made things harmonious and resolved tensions between people. Although Shakespeare's masque took some inspiration from earlier ones, thematically it is entirely innovative. Royal power is displayed as power over nature, and the idea of the masque as the projection of a royal vision first appeared in this masque in The Tempest, and were to appear again in Jonson's court masques of later years. Within the masque are a few parallels to events within the play. Ceres presides over the play, because she symbolizes order and plenty; Ceres is credited with teaching men agriculture, thus civilizing them and stopping their wild hunter-gatherer ways. Prospero's mission parallels this, as Prospero also sought to civilize and bring order to the island, and to the wild Caliban, though he did not manage to succeed. Also, Ceres mentions \"dusky Dis,\" meaning Pluto, the god who abducted Ceres' daughter Proserpine, inspired by Cupid and Venus. Caliban is reminiscent of the dark figure of Pluto, in his attempts to abduct and rape Miranda; and the story also recalls the plot Caliban later fosters, to get Miranda for Stephano. The parallels might be faint, but it is, after all, Prospero who has \"called to enact present fancies\"; the inclusion of the Pluto/ Proserpine story is so tangential to the concerns of the masque, that it must have been included by Prospero on purpose, as some sort of reminder to himself . Once again, Prospero almost loses control because he is absorbed by his art; but here, he is able to shake himself from his reverie, and becomes conscious of time again. The moment is important because Prospero is in real danger of losing control, and almost gives up his chance to act because of the pull of his magic. The moment is a humanizing one for Prospero, as he realizes his mortality and his forgetfulness, as well as the limits of his magic. The masque, which he created from his own power, disappears in an instant; and finally, Prospero realizes that his works of magic are all in vain, as they are made of \"baseless fabric\" and will not last. He sees that \"we are such stuff as dreams are made on,\" and at last realizes that his mind has aged and his powers are fragile and faltering . It is a sobering moment for Prospero, to admit his \"weakness\" and \"infirmity\"; and this marks the beginning of his surrender of his magic. It is not Caliban and his drunken friends, whom Ariel describes in a simile as being \"like unbacked colts,\" that Prospero has to worry about . Indeed, the thought of Caliban upsets Prospero more than the plot, as Prospero again curses the one \"on whose nature nurture can never stick\" . Prospero thinks that Caliban is bad because he has not adopted the \"civilized\" ways of thinking that Prospero has, and must be bad natured because of this; but Prospero fails to realize that Caliban's relative goodness has been more spoiled by the way Prospero treats him than by any refusal to adopt foreign ways of thinking. Prospero, for all his learning, still espouses a haughty, colonial point of view when it comes to Caliban, and lets this prejudiced treatment corrupt a potentially good man's nature."}
ACT IV. SCENE I.

_Before PROSPERO'S cell._

  _Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA._

_Pros._ If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have given you here a third of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; who once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations                              5
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,                   10
And make it halt behind her.

_Fer._                     I do believe it
Against an oracle.

_Pros._          Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter: but
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before                           15
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew                         20
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

_Fer._                          As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,                       25
The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
Our worser Genius can, shall never melt
Mine honour into lust, to take away
The edge of that day's celebration
When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,               30
Or Night kept chain'd below.

_Pros._                    Fairly spoke.
Sit, then, and talk with her; she is thine own.
What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!

  _Enter ARIEL._

_Ari._ What would my potent master? here I am.

_Pros._ Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service               35
Did worthily perform; and I must use you
In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place:
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple                           40
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

_Ari._                    Presently?

_Pros._ Ay, with a twink.

_Ari._ Before you can say, 'come,' and 'go,'
            And breathe twice, and cry, 'so, so,'                   45
            Each one, tripping on his toe,
            Will be here with mop and mow.
            Do you love me, master? no?

_Pros._ Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
Till thou dost hear me call.

_Ari._                     Well, I conceive.    [_Exit._            50

_Pros._ Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
Or else, good night your vow!

_Fer._                      I warrant you, sir;
The white cold virgin snow upon my heart                            55
Abates the ardour of my liver.

_Pros._                      Well.
Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,
Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly!
No tongue! all eyes! be silent.                  [_Soft music._

    _Enter IRIS._

  _Iris._ Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas                 60
    Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease;
    Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
    And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
    Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
    Which spongy April at thy best betrims,                         65
    To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom-groves,
    Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
    Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;
    And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
    Where thou thyself dost air;--the queen o' the sky,             70
    Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
    Bids thee leave these; and with her sovereign grace,
    Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
    To come and sport:--her peacocks fly amain:
    Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.                         75

    _Enter CERES._

  _Cer._ Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
    Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
    Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
    Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers;
    And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown                    80
    My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
    Rich scarf to my proud earth;--why hath thy queen
    Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

  _Iris._ A contract of true love to celebrate;
    And some donation freely to estate                              85
    On the blest lovers.

  _Cer._             Tell me, heavenly bow,
    If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
    Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot
    The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
    Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company                       90
    I have forsworn.

  _Iris._        Of her society
    Be not afraid: I met her Deity
    Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
    Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
    Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,                       95
    Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
    Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain;
    Mars's hot minion is returned again;
    Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
    Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,          100
    And be a boy right out.

  _Cer._                High'st queen of state,
    Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

    _Enter JUNO._

  _Juno._ How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
    To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
    And honour'd in their issue.         [_They sing:_             105

  _Juno._ Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
            Long continuance, and increasing,
            Hourly joys be still upon you!
            Juno sings her blessings on you.

  _Cer._  Earth's increase, foison plenty,                         110
            Barns and garners never empty;
            Vines with clustering bunches growing;
            Plants with goodly burthen bowing;
            Spring come to you at the farthest
            In the very end of harvest!                            115
            Scarcity and want shall shun you;
            Ceres' blessing so is on you.

_Fer._ This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits?

_Pros._               Spirits, which by mine art                   120
I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

_Fer._            Let me live here ever;
So rare a wonder'd father and a wife
Makes this place Paradise.

    [_Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment._

_Pros._                  Sweet, now, silence!
Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;                                  125
There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,
Or else our spell is marr'd.

  _Iris._ You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks,
            With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
            Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land      130
            Answer your summons; Juno does command:
            Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
            A contract of true love; be not too late.

    _Enter certain Nymphs._

            You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,
            Come hither from the furrow, and be merry:             135
            Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on,
            And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
            In country footing.

    _Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the
    Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof PROSPERO
    starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow,
    and confused noise, they heavily vanish._

_Pros._ [_Aside_] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban and his confederates                          140
Against my life: the minute of their plot
Is almost come. [_To the Spirits._] Well done! avoid; no more!

_Fer._ This is strange: your father's in some passion
That works him strongly.

_Mir._                 Never till this day
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.                       145

_Pros._ You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismay'd: 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:                                150
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,                        155
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd;
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled:
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:                                160
If you be pleased, retire into my cell,
And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.

_Fer._ _Mir._           We wish your peace.    [_Exeunt._

_Pros._ Come with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel: come.

  _Enter ARIEL._

_Ari._ Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?              165

_Pros._                                             Spirit,
We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

_Ari._ Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd
Lest I might anger thee.

_Pros._ Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?           170

_Ari._ I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
So full of valour that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor;                       175
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,           180
Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them
I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

_Pros._             This was well done, my bird.
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:                             185
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.

_Ari._                          I go, I go.    [_Exit._

_Pros._ A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;                         190
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.

  _Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c._

Come, hang them on this line.

  _PROSPERO and ARIEL remain, invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO,
  and TRINCULO, all wet._

_Cal._ Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.                        195

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

_Trin._ Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at which my
nose is in great indignation.

_Ste._ So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should               200
take a displeasure against you, look you,--

_Trin._ Thou wert but a lost monster.

_Cal._ Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.             205
All's hush'd as midnight yet.

_Trin._ Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,--

_Ste._ There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,
monster, but an infinite loss.

_Trin._ That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is             210
your harmless fairy, monster.

_Ste._ I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for
my labour.

_Cal._ Prithee, my king, be quiet. See'st thou here,
This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.                215
Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,
For aye thy foot-licker.

_Ste._ Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody
thoughts.                                                          220

_Trin._ O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano!
look what a wardrobe here is for thee!

_Cal._ Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

_Trin._ O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery.
O King Stephano!                                                   225

_Ste._ Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll
have that gown.

_Trin._ Thy Grace shall have it.

_Cal._ The dropsy drown this fool! what do you mean
To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone,                         230
And do the murder first: if he awake,
From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
Make us strange stuff.

_Ste._ Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this
my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin,          235
you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.

_Trin._ Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like your
Grace.

_Ste._ I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't:
wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country.       240
'Steal by line and level' is an excellent pass of pate;
there's another garment for't.

_Trin._ Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers,
and away with the rest.

_Cal._ I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,              245
And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
With foreheads villanous low.

_Ste._ 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.                                  250

_Trin._ And this.

_Ste._ Ay, and this.

  _A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits, in shape of
  dogs and hounds, and hunt them about, PROSPERO and ARIEL setting
  them on._

_Pros._ Hey, Mountain, hey!

_Ari._ Silver! there it goes, Silver!

_Pros._ Fury, fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark, hark!              255
                        [_Cal., Ste., and Trin. are driven out._

Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints
With dry convulsions; shorten up their sinews
With aged cramps; and more pinch-spotted make them
Then pard or cat o' mountain.

_Ari._                      Hark, they roar!

_Pros._ Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour                   260
Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:
Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little
Follow, and do me service.    [_Exeunt._


  Notes: IV, 1.

  3: _a third_] _a thread_ Theobald. _the thread_ Williams conj.
  4: _who_] _whom_ Pope.
  7: _test_] F1. _rest_ F2 F3 F4.
  9: _off_] F2 F3 F4. _of_ F1.
  11: _do_] om. Pope.
  13: _gift_] Rowe. _guest_ Ff.
  14: _but_] F1. om. F2 F3 F4.
  25: _'tis_] _is_ Capell.
  30: _Phoebus'_] _Phoebus_ F1. _Phoedus_ F2 F3. _Phoeduus_ F4.
  34: SCENE II. Pope.
  41: _vanity_] _rarity_ S. Walker conj.
  48: _no_?] _no_. Rowe.
  53: _abstemious_] _abstenious_ F1.
  60: SCENE III. A MASQUE. Pope.]
  _thy_] F1. _the_ F2 F3 F4.
  64: _pioned_] _pionied_ Warburton. _peonied_ Steevens.
  _twilled_] _tulip'd_ Rowe. _tilled_ Capell (Holt conj.). _lilied_
    Steevens.]
  66: _broom-groves_] _brown groves_ Hanmer.
  68: _pole-clipt_] _pale-clipt_ Hanmer.
  72: After this line Ff. have the stage direction, '_Juno descends._'
  74: _her_] Rowe. _here_ Ff.
  83: _short-grass'd_] F3 F4. _short gras'd_ F1 F2. _short-grass_ Pope.
  96: _bed-right_] _bed-rite_ Singer.
  101: _High'st_] _High_ Pope.
  102: Enter JUNO] om. Ff.
  110: Cer.] Theobald. om. Ff.
  _foison_] F1 _and foison_ F2 F3 F4.
  114: _Spring_] _Rain_ Collier MS.
  119: _charmingly_] _charming lay_ Hanmer. _charming lays_ Warburton.
    _Harmoniously charming_ Steevens conj.
  121: _from their_] F1. _from all their_ F2 F3 F4.
  123: _wife_] F1 (var.). Rowe. _wise_ F1 (var.) F2 F3 F4.
  124: _Makes_] _make_ Pope.
  _sweet, now, silence_] _now, silence, sweet_ Hanmer.
  124: In Ff. the stage direction [Juno, &c. follows line 127.
    Capell made the change.
  128: _windring_] _winding_ Rowe. _wand'ring_ Steevens.
  129: _sedged_] _sedge_ Collier MS.
  136: _holiday_] _holly day_ F1 F2 F3. _holy-day_ F4.
  139: SCENE IV. Pope.
  143: _This is_] _This'_ (for This 's) S. Walker conj.]
  _strange_] _most strange_ Hanmer.
  145: Ff put a comma after _anger_. Warburton omitted it.
  146: _do_] om. Pope. See note (XVI).
  151: _this_] F1. _their_ F2 F3 F4. _th' air visions_ Warburton.
  156: _rack_] F3 F4. _racke_ F1 F2. _track_ Hanmer. _wreck_ Dyce
    (Malone conj.).
  163: _your_] F1 F2 F3. _you_ F4.
  164: _I thank thee, Ariel: come._] _I thank you:--Ariel, come._
    Theobald.
  169: _Lest_] F4. _Least_ F1 F2 F3.
  170: _Say again_] _Well, say again_ Capell.
  180: _furzes_] Rowe. _firzes_ Ff.
  181: _shins_] _skins_ Warburton conj. (note, V. 1. p. 87).
  182: _filthy-mantled_] _filthy mantled_ Ff. _filth-ymantled_
    Steevens conj.
  184: _feet_] _fear_ Spedding conj.
  190: _all, all_] _are all_ Malone conj.
  193: _them on_ Rowe. _on them_ Ff.
  Prospero ... invisible. Theobald, Capell. om. Ff.
  194: SCENE V. Pope.
  230: _Let's alone_] _Let's along_ Theobald. _Let it alone_ Hanmer.
    _Let 't alone_ Collier. See note (XVII).
  246: _to apes_] om. _to_ Pope.
  255: Stage direction added by Theobald.
  256: _they_] F1 F3 F4. _thou_ F2.
  261: _Lie_] Rowe. _lies_ Ff.






Act IV
Prospero stops Ferdinand's punishment, and decides to finally give Miranda to him, since he has proven his love for her through his service. Prospero accepts the union, but issues them a warning; if Ferdinand takes Miranda's virginity before a ceremony can be performed, then their union will be cursed. Ferdinand swears to Prospero that they shall wait until the ceremony to consummate their marriage, and then Prospero calls upon Ariel to perform one of his last acts of magic. A betrothal masque is performed for the party by some of Prospero's magical spirits; Juno, Ceres, and Iris are the goddesses who are represented within the masque, and the play speaks about the bounties of a good marriage, and blesses the happy couple. This act of magic so captivates Prospero that he forgets Caliban's plot to kill him; for a moment, he almost loses control, but manages to pull himself out of his reverie and take action. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo come looking for Prospero, and swipe a few garments of Prospero's on their way. Caliban still wants very much to kill Prospero, and carry out this plot; however, Trinculo and Stephano are very drunk, as usual, and prove completely incapable of anything but petty theft. Prospero catches themnot difficult, since they are making a huge amount of noise--and sends Ariel after them as they flee.
Prospero tries to dismiss his tyrannical demands for Ferdinand's service as "trials of thy love"but also makes mention in this first scene that he has "punished" Ferdinand, which implies a need for retribution for a wrongdoing . The word "punished" that he uses recalls the fabricated charges Prospero raises against Ferdinand in the first act, of Ferdinand being a spy or a potential usurper; and the irony is that Prospero heaps his suspicion on Ferdinand, who has no such designs, while forgetting the very real plots of Caliban and his brothers. Prospero's actions, however, were unfair and ungrounded; he uses the couple's love to try to excuse himself in this instance, but Prospero is not the just judge he would have himself appear to be. Ironically, Prospero's decision to let Miranda and Ferdinand marry was made even before Ferdinand came to the island, and was made because the marriage would secure Prospero's position back home, and would make his daughter queen as well. The work Prospero made Ferdinand do, coupled with the enchantment that he put his daughter and Ferdinand under so they would fall in love, merely assured that Prospero's plan would succeed, as it finally does. But, be wary of the difference between the way Prospero's character appears, and the machinations and plans lying beneath the appearance he would like to project, especially in instances such as this one. However, just as Prospero begins to promise a blessing upon their union, his tone again becomes threatening. It is so important to Prospero that they not consummate their marriage before "full and holy rite be ministered," that he would wish them "barren hate" if they do, and continues with enough bitter, harsh-toned rhetoric to hopefully drive his point home . Prospero conjures up a frightful image of disdain, personified as being "sour-eyed"; and, in meaningful contrast with the traditional flower-strewn marriage bed, an image of hateful weeds symbolizing the downfall and pollution of the marriage. Prospero's language, heavy with unpleasant images and symbols, does yield some result; Ferdinand, in earnest, forswears his "worser genius," or any possible influence of lust and dishonor within him. Prospero seems preoccupied with Miranda's virginity because it is inextricably bound up with Prospero's own power. Her virginity is their prime bargaining chip in winning an advantageous marriage that will secure both of their positions; and if she does marry Ferdinand, their power back in Italy is secured for both of them. Virginity was often an important bargaining pointmost notably, for Queen Elizabeth, who used her eligibility to gain a great deal of power throughout her reign. If Miranda's virginity is thrown away, then Prospero's greatest hope for regaining his estate and position is gone too; so Prospero tries his best to keep Miranda well-informed of her importance, and keep Ferdinand warned as to the potential consequences of his actions. Prospero's great concern foreshadows the importance of this theme in the betrothal masque; in the masque, Iris makes mention that the couple cannot be together "till Hymen's torch be lighted," her language parallel to that in Prospero's earlier entreaty to the lovers. Prospero reduces his daughter, who is intelligent and worthy, to a mere object, wrapping her with the language of exchange when speaking of her to Ferdinand. Prospero refers to his daughter, not by her name, but as a "rich gift," "compensation" for Ferdinand's pains; he says his daughter has been "worthily purchased" as an "acquisition," further building up his metaphor of his daughter as a thing of exchange. Prospero's metaphors, and overstatement of his daughter's perfection could be meant to distract Ferdinand from what Prospero and Miranda are getting in the bargain. Indeed, Prospero never makes mention of the power and position that he and his daughter are regaining because of this "rich gift," or the true purchase price of his daughter's hand. It is strange to think of the "liver," as Ferdinand mentions it, as having anything to do with love; but, in Shakespeare's time, the organ was a symbol of lust and passion, just as these emotions are associated with the heart today. The heart was also related to love, but was thought to be more pure and honorable in the feelings originating there. We know now, of course, that feelings originate in the brain, and that these relations of organs and emotions are quaint in their backwardness; but, the heart remains a symbol related to love, and despite our modern medical knowledge, this ancient literary device continues to be used. Though the marriage rites to be performed are Christian, allusions to ancient pagan mythology abound. Prospero invokes Hymen, god of marriageand a figure uniquely opposed to his wish for "holy rites" for his daughter. Ferdinand mentions "Phoebus' steeds," as symbols of day-time and the sun, and the characters in Prospero's masque originate in classical myths as well. Allusions to Greek and Roman myth were common in Elizabethan literature, but especially common in the first few court masques that were performed, which often featured the same goddesses as characters that appear in this masque. Prospero calls upon Iris, the messenger of the gods and also the goddess of the rainbow, to perform a betrothal masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. A betrothal masque also appears in As You Like It that is presided over by Hymen; but otherwise, the spectacle was mostly reserved for weddings of state and almost exclusively for court functions. In this respect, the masque does confirm that the wedding is an important oneeleven were actually performed at the court of King James, and some of these for occasions of the marriage of rich and important people. Masques were special ritual-type plays in which the monarch was always the protagonist, and the subject was how royalty made things harmonious and resolved tensions between people. Although Shakespeare's masque took some inspiration from earlier ones, thematically it is entirely innovative. Royal power is displayed as power over nature, and the idea of the masque as the projection of a royal vision first appeared in this masque in The Tempest, and were to appear again in Jonson's court masques of later years. Within the masque are a few parallels to events within the play. Ceres presides over the play, because she symbolizes order and plenty; Ceres is credited with teaching men agriculture, thus civilizing them and stopping their wild hunter-gatherer ways. Prospero's mission parallels this, as Prospero also sought to civilize and bring order to the island, and to the wild Caliban, though he did not manage to succeed. Also, Ceres mentions "dusky Dis," meaning Pluto, the god who abducted Ceres' daughter Proserpine, inspired by Cupid and Venus. Caliban is reminiscent of the dark figure of Pluto, in his attempts to abduct and rape Miranda; and the story also recalls the plot Caliban later fosters, to get Miranda for Stephano. The parallels might be faint, but it is, after all, Prospero who has "called to enact present fancies"; the inclusion of the Pluto/ Proserpine story is so tangential to the concerns of the masque, that it must have been included by Prospero on purpose, as some sort of reminder to himself . Once again, Prospero almost loses control because he is absorbed by his art; but here, he is able to shake himself from his reverie, and becomes conscious of time again. The moment is important because Prospero is in real danger of losing control, and almost gives up his chance to act because of the pull of his magic. The moment is a humanizing one for Prospero, as he realizes his mortality and his forgetfulness, as well as the limits of his magic. The masque, which he created from his own power, disappears in an instant; and finally, Prospero realizes that his works of magic are all in vain, as they are made of "baseless fabric" and will not last. He sees that "we are such stuff as dreams are made on," and at last realizes that his mind has aged and his powers are fragile and faltering . It is a sobering moment for Prospero, to admit his "weakness" and "infirmity"; and this marks the beginning of his surrender of his magic. It is not Caliban and his drunken friends, whom Ariel describes in a simile as being "like unbacked colts," that Prospero has to worry about . Indeed, the thought of Caliban upsets Prospero more than the plot, as Prospero again curses the one "on whose nature nurture can never stick" . Prospero thinks that Caliban is bad because he has not adopted the "civilized" ways of thinking that Prospero has, and must be bad natured because of this; but Prospero fails to realize that Caliban's relative goodness has been more spoiled by the way Prospero treats him than by any refusal to adopt foreign ways of thinking. Prospero, for all his learning, still espouses a haughty, colonial point of view when it comes to Caliban, and lets this prejudiced treatment corrupt a potentially good man's nature.