The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 2

 

The Tempest              Act 1, Scene 2               Prospero and Miranda

This text is used in our interview with Ray Dooley.


PROSPERO
66.  Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since,
67.  Thy father was the Duke of Milan and
68.  A prince of power.

MIRANDA
69.  Sir, are not you my father?

PROSPERO
70.  Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and
71.  She said thou wast my daughter. And thy father
72.  Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir
73.  And princess no worse issued.

MIRANDA
74.  O, the heavens!
75.  What foul play had we that we came from thence?
76.  Or blessèd was ’t we did?

PROSPERO
77.  Both, both, my girl.
78.  By foul play, as thou sayst, were we heaved thence,
79.  But blessedly holp hither.

MIRANDA
80.  O, my heart bleeds
81.  To think o’ th’ teen that I have turned you to,
82.  Which is from my remembrance. Please you, farther.

PROSPERO
83.  My brother and thy uncle, called Antonio—
84.  I pray thee, mark me—that a brother should
85.  Be so perfidious!—he whom next thyself
86.  Of all the world I loved, and to him put
87.  The manage of my state, as at that time
88.  Through all the signories it was the first,
89.  And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed
90.  In dignity, and for the liberal arts
91.  Without a parallel. Those being all my study,
92.  The government I cast upon my brother
93.  And to my state grew stranger, being transported
94.  And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle—
95.  Dost thou attend me?

MIRANDA
96.  Sir, most heedfully.

PROSPERO
97.  Being once perfected how to grant suits,
98.  How to deny them, who t’ advance, and who
99.  To trash for overtopping, new created
100.  The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed ’em,
101.  Or else new formed ’em, having both the key
102.  Of officer and office, set all hearts i’ th’ state
103.  To what tune pleased his ear, that now he was
104.  The ivy which had hid my princely trunk
105.  And sucked my verdure out on ’t. Thou attend’st not.

MIRANDA
106.  O, good sir, I do.

PROSPERO
107.  I pray thee, mark me.
108.  I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
109.  To closeness and the bettering of my mind
110.  With that which, but by being so retired,
111.  O’erprized all popular rate, in my false brother
112.  Awaked an evil nature, and my trust,
113.  Like a good parent, did beget of him
114.  A falsehood in its contrary as great
115.  As my trust was, which had indeed no limit,
116.  A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,
117.  Not only with what my revenue yielded
118.  But what my power might else exact, like one
119.  Who, having into truth by telling of it,
120.  Made such a sinner of his memory
121.  To credit his own lie, he did believe
122.  He was indeed the Duke, out o’ th’ substitution
123.  And executing th’ outward face of royalty
124.  With all prerogative. Hence, his ambition growing—
125.  Dost thou hear?