Scene I

On a ship at sea. A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.

[Enter a Master and a Boatswain]

MASTER:

Boatswain!

MASTER:

Officer in charge!

BOATS:

Here, Master. What cheer?

BOATS:

Here, Captain: how are you?

MASTER:

Good, speak to the mariners. Fall to't, yarely,
or we run ourselves aground. Bestir

MASTER:

Good! Speak to the sailors: go to it quickly, or
we run ourselves aground: look lively, look lively.

Exit

Enter Mariners

BOATS:

Heigh, my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! Yare,(5)
yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the Master's whistle!
Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!

BOATS:

Let’s go, my good men! Look lively, look lively, my good men!
Quick, quick! Take in the top sail. Listen to the Captain's whistle.
[To the storm] Blow your wind until you burst, so long as there’s room enough for us.

[Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others]

ALONSO:

Good Boatswain, have care. Where's the Master?
[To the Mariners] Play the men!

ALONSO:

Good officer in charge, look after them. Where's the Captain?
Keep the men moving.

BOATS:

I pray now, keep below.

BOATS:

Please now, keep below.

ANTONIO:

Where is the Master, Boatswain?(10)

ANTONIO:

Where is the Captain, officer in charge?

BOATS:

Do you not hear him? You mar our labour. Keep your
cabins: you do assist the storm.

BOATS:

Don’t you hear him? You’re keeping us from doing our jobs:
keep your cabins: you’re helping the storm.

GONZ:

Nay, good, be patient.

GONZ:

No, good man, be patient.

BOATS:

When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the
name of the king? To cabin: silence! Trouble us not.(15)

BOATS:

I’ll be patient when the sea is patient. Get going! What do these
noisy storms care about the name of king? Go to your cabin!
Silence! Don’t bother us.

GONZ:

Good, yet remember whom thou has aboard.

GONZ:

Good man, even now, remember whom you have aboard.

BOATS:

None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor;
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(20)
lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for
the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. [To the Mariners]
Cheerly, good hearts! [To Gonzalo] Out of our way, I say!

BOATS:

No one that I love more than myself. You are a council
member: if you can command these elements to be silent,
And make this present storm more peaceful, we won’t need
To work the ropes anymore. Use your authority: if you can’t,
Be thankful you have lived so long, and get yourself ready in
Your cabin for the present disaster, if it turns out to be a disaster.—
Look lively, good men!—Out of our way, I say.

Exit

GONZ:

I have great comfort from this fellow. Methinks he hath
no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect(25)
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.

GONZ:

I get great comfort from this fellow. I don’t think
he has been marked for drowning: his complexion is
perfect for being hanged. Hold your position, good Fate,
for his hanging! Make the rope of his hanging our rope for the anchor,
because the one we have now does us little good! If he is not born
to be hanged, then our present state is pitiful.

[Exeunt]

[Enter Boatswain]

BOATS:

Down with the topmast! Yare! Lower, lower! Bring(30)
her to try with main-course! [A cry 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?(35)

BOATS:

Down with the top mast! Quick! Lower, lower!
Bring her to almost a standstill, with her head as near
the wind as possible with the main sail. [A cry inside]
Damn their screaming! They are louder than the
storm or our working.—
Again! What are you doing here? Shall we give up and
drown? Do you intend to sink us?

SEBAST:

A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
incharitable dog!

SEBAST:

Damn your voice, you loud, cursing,
selfish dog!

BOATS:

Work you, then.

BOATS:

Then go to work.

ANTONIO:

Hang, cur, hang, you whoreson, insolent noise-
maker! We are less(40)
afraid to be drowned than thou art.

ANTONIO:

Hang, dog, hang! Bastard, arrogant noisemaker,
we’re less afraid to be drowned than you are.

GONZ:

I'll warrant him for drowning, though the ship
were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an
unstanched wench.

GONZ:

I'll wager against his drowning, even if the ship was
no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unsatisfied
mistress.

BOATS:

Lay her a-hold, a-hold! Set her two courses! Off to(45)
sea again; lay her off!

BOATS:

Keep her close to the wind, close to the wind! Make the two sails
tight: out to sea again: steer her away from the shore.

[Enter Mariners wet]

MARINERS:

All lost! To prayers, to prayers! All lost!

MARINERS:

We’re all lost! Say your prayers; say your prayers! We’re all lost!

[Exeunt Mariners]

BOATS:

What, must our mouths be cold?

BOATS:

What, must our voices be ignored?

GONZ:

The king and prince at prayers! Let's assist them,
For our case is theirs.(50)

GONZ:

The King and Prince are saying prayers! Let’s join them,
Since our predicament is the same as theirs.

SEBAST:

I'm out of patience.

SEBAST:

I am out of patience.

ANTONIO:

We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards.
This wide-chopped rascal—would thou mightst lie
drowning
The washing of ten tides! (55)

ANTONIO:

We’re actually cheated out of our lives by drunkards.—
This very parched rogue— I wish you might lie drowning
In the water of ten tides!

GONZ:

He'll be hanged yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at wid'st to glut him.

GONZ:

He'll still be hanged,
Although every drop of water swears against it
And open very wide to fill him up.

[A confused noise within]

MARINERS:

‘Mercy on us!’—‘We split, we split!’—‘Farewell, my
wife and children!’—‘Farewell, brother!’—‘We split, we(60)
split, we split!’

MARINERS:

—”Mercy on us!”—
“We’re breaking up, we’re breaking up!”—”Goodbye, my wife and children!”—
“Goodbye, brother!”—”We’re breaking up, we’re breaking up, we’re breaking up!”—

[Exit Boatswain]

ANTONIO:

Let's all sink wi'th’ King.

ANTONIO:

Let's all sink with the King.

SEBAST:

Let's take leave of him.

SEBAST:

Let's tell him goodbye.

[Exeunt Antonio and Sebastian]

GONZ:

Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre
of barren ground—long heath, brown furze, anything. The(65)
wills above be done, but I would fain die a dry death.

GONZ:

Right now, I would give a 220,000 yards of sea for
an acre of bare ground; a long wasteland, brown brush,
anything. The will of heaven be done! But I would rather die a dry death.

[Exeunt]