ACT I. SCENE 1
On a ship at sea; a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard
Enter a SHIPMASTER and a BOATSWAIN
MASTER. | Boatswain!
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BOATSWAIN. | Here, master; what cheer?
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MASTER. | Good! Speak to th' mariners; fall to't yarely, or
we run ourselves aground; bestir, bestir
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Exit
Enter MARINERS
BOATSWAIN. | Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts!
yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to th' master's
whistle. Blow till thou burst thy wind, if room enough.
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Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND
GONZALO, and OTHERS
ALONSO. | Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master?
Play the men.
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BOATSWAIN. | I pray now, keep below.
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ANTONIO. | Where is the master, boson?
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BOATSWAIN. | Do you not hear him? You mar our labour;
keep your cabins; you do assist the storm.
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GONZALO. | Nay, good, be patient.
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BOATSWAIN. | When the sea is. Hence! What cares these
roarers for the name of king? To cabin! silence! Trouble
us not.
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GONZALO. | Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
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BOATSWAIN. | None that I more love than myself. You are
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 liv'd 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.
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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 hang'd, our
case is miserable
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Exeunt
Re-enter BOATSWAIN
BOATSWAIN. | Down with the topmast. Yare, lower, lower!
Bring her to try wi' th' maincourse. [A cry within] A
plague upon this howling! They are louder than the
weather or our office.
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Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO
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Yet again! What do you here? Shall we give o'er, and
drown? Have you a mind to sink?
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SEBASTIAN. | A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
incharitable dog!
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BOATSWAIN. | Work you, then.
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ANTONIO. | Hang, cur; hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker;
we are less afraid to be drown'd than thou art.
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GONZALO. | I'll warrant him for drowning, though the ship were
no stronger than a nutshell, and as leaky as an unstanched
wench.
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BOATSWAIN. | Lay her a-hold, a-hold; set her two courses; off
to sea again; lay her off.
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Enter MARINERS, Wet
MARINERS. | All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
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Exeunt
BOATSWAIN. | What, must our mouths be cold?
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GONZALO. | The King and Prince at prayers!
Let's assist them,
For our case is as theirs.
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SEBASTIAN. | I am out of patience.
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ANTONIO. | We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards.
This wide-chopp'd rascal-would thou mightst lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
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GONZALO. | He'll be hang'd yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at wid'st 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!]
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ANTONIO. | Let's all sink wi' th' King.
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SEBASTIAN. | Let's take leave of him.
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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
dry death
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Exeunt
Next
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