The Tempest - Act 1 (Scene 1)

of thunder and lightning heard.

[Enter a Master and a Boatswain]

Master. Boatswain!

Boatswain. Here, master: what cheer?

Master. Good, speak to the 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 the 

master's whistle. 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? 

Play the men.

Boatswain. I pray now, keep below.

Antonio. Where is the master, boatswain?

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 

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 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]

[Re-enter Boatswain]

Boatswain. Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring 

her to try with main-course. 

[A cry within] 

A plague upon this howling! they are louder than 

the weather or our office. 

[Re-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 noisemaker! 

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 

unstanched 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-chapp'd rascal—would thou mightst lie drowning 

The washing of ten tides!

Gonzalo. He'll be hang'd yet, 

Though every drop of water swear against it 

And gape at widest to glut him. 

[A confused noise 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 with the 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, any 

thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain 

die a dry death.

[Exeunt]