No Fear Shakespeare

The Tempest

William Shakespeare

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Act 2, Scene 1

Original Text

Modern Text

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others
ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others enter.





5




10
GONZALO
(to ALONSO)
Beseech you, sir, be merry. You have cause,
So have we all, of joy, for our escape
Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe
Is common. Every day some sailor’s wife,
The masters of some merchant, and the merchant
Have just our theme of woe. But for the miracle—
I mean our preservation—few in millions
Can speak like us. Then wisely, good sir, weigh
Our sorrow with our comfort.
GONZALO
(to ALONSO) Please cheer up, sir. Like all of us, you have a good reason to be happy. The fact that we’re alive outweighs our losses. Many people every day feel the sadness we feel now. Every day some sailor’s wife, a ship’s crew, the merchant who hired the ship all experience the same loss we’ve undergone. But the miracle—the fact that we were saved—only happens to a few people out of millions. So remember that, and take comfort in it, to counterbalance our sadness.

ALONSO
     Prithee, peace.
ALONSO
Please say no more.

SEBASTIAN
(to ANTONIO) He receives comfort like cold porridge.
SEBASTIAN
(to ANTONIO) Alonso enjoys these comforting words about as much as cold oatmeal.

ANTONIO
(to SEBASTIAN) The visitor will not give him o'er so.
ANTONIO
(to SEBASTIAN) But the goodwill ambassador won’t give up that easily.

SEBASTIAN
Look he’s winding up the watch of his wit. By and by it will strike.
SEBASTIAN
(to ANTONIO) Look. He’s like a clock winding up to strike the hour.

GONZALO
(to ALONSO) Sir—
GONZALO
(to ALONSO) Sir—

15
SEBASTIAN
(to ANTONIO) One. Tell.
SEBASTIAN
(to ANTONIO) There he goes! Now we can tell what time it is.


GONZALO
When every grief is entertained that’s offered,
Comes to th' entertainer—
GONZALO
If we let every sad thing that happens to us get us down, then we would find ourselves—

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