Then, to soft music enter the shapes again and dance,
with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table
The shapes enter again, accompanied by soft music. Dancing
with mocking gestures and grimaces, they carry out the banquet
table.
PROSPERO
90
(aside) Bravely the figure of this
harpy hast thou
Performed, my Ariel. A grace it had, devouring.
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to say.—So with good life
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
95
Their several kinds have done. My high charms work
And these mine enemies are all knit up
In their distractions. They now are in my power,
And in these fits I leave them while I visit
Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drowned,
100
And his and mine loved darling.
PROSPERO
(to himself) You've
played the role of harpy very well, my Ariel. You were fierce but
graceful. You said everything I told you to say.—In the
same lifelike way, and with the same attention to detail, my
lower-ranking servants have done what they were supposed to do. My
magic powers are all in full swing, and my enemies are confused and
running around in circles. They're under my control, and
I'm keeping them in their crazy fits while I go visit
Ferdinand, whom they think has drowned, and the young woman he and I
both love.
Exit PROSPERO above
PROSPERO exits on a platform
overhead.
GONZALO
(to
ALONSO) I' th'
name of something holy, sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
GONZALO
(to
ALONSO) For the love of God, sir, why
are you standing here staring into space like this?
ALONSO
Oh, it is
monstrous, monstrous.
Methought the billows spoke and told me of it,
The winds did sing it to me, and the thunder,
105
That deep and dreadful organ pipe, pronounced
The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded, and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet
sounded
And with him there lie mudded.
ALONSO
Oh, it's horrible, horrible. I thought the clouds were
talking to me, the winds were singing to me, and the thunder, like
an awful organ pipe, roared Prospero's name. It sang
about my crimes. Because of my crimes my son is dead on the ocean
floor. I'll go join him there, going down deeper than any
anchor ever sank, and lie with him dead in the mud.
