It really speaks to the mischievous nature of Ariel, and the pleasure they derive from their deeds. This is one of my personal favourite lines of the speech. (With his hair standing up on end-which at this point looked like reeds not hair) (That I had lit on fire: the Kings son, Ferdinand)

Terrify the Kings crew into separating from their ship. So this was really the whole point of the mission. Relishing in that will really serve the actor well in performing this. This whole section is a vast playground of grand sweeping images and heightened language. Like many of Shakespeare’s speeches one of the actors best tools is in the images. Now’s probably a good point to check in and discuss some brief notes on performance. Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune (The terrifying thunder claps were not faster than me)Īriel says they were faster than Jove’s lightning itself. (Then I’d come together into one big fire. (On the yards and bowsprit I had distinct fires) The topmast is the highest point of the mast. (And had fires in many places on the topmast) Here Ariel reveals to the audience that not only did they create the storm that brought the ship to shore, but made it seem as though there was an uncontrollable fire on board. (My fires astonished the people on board: A few times, I divided up) The waist is the widest part of a ship on the upper deck. These are all the places Ariel was on the ship. (Then in the waist, on the deck, in every cabin) Which is really what this whole speech is about, but we’ll check in further down. Here we’re going to get into Ariel recounting their duties. (I boarded the Kings ship, then went to the bow) Quite revealing of Ariel’s character, which serves as a direct contrast to Caliban, who by all accounts is quite defiant of Prospero. Was the first to jump crying ‘All the devils have come up from Hell to here’ Thought Breakdown & Analysis With his hair up on end,- which resemble reeds now, not hair-, The burning ship: the Kings son, Ferdinand, Some desperate stunts, everyone but the sailors Who was so brave that wasn’t even scared by that? Terrified even the sea god Neptune and made him tremble and shake The terrifying thunder claps wasn’t as fast as me, the fire and the cracks Then I’d come together and make one big fire. On the yards and bowsprit I had distinct fires My fire astonished the sailors, sometimes I divided up,Īnd had fires in lots of places on the topmast, Then the waist, on the deck, in every cabin, I boarded the King’s ship, then I was on the bow Was the first man that leap’d cried, ‘ Hell is empty (F)Īnd all the devils are here.’ (*Continued line with Prospero) Modern Translation With hair up- staring,- then like reeds, not hair,. Then all a fire with me: the king’s son, Ferdin and, Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel, (F) Seem to bes iege and make his bold waves tremble,

Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Nep tune (F) O’ the dreadful thunder- claps, more momen taryĪnd sight-out running were not the fire and cracks The yards and bowsprit, would I flame dis tinctly, (F) I flamed am azement: sometime I’d di vide,Īnd burn in many places on the topmast, (F) Now in the waist, the deck, in eve ry cab in, Was the first man that leap’d cried, ‘Hell is emptyĪnd all the devils are here.’ Verse Breakdown With hair up-staring,-then like reeds, not hair,. Then all afire with me: the king’s son, Ferdinand, Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel, Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil Seem to besiege and make his bold waves tremble, Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune (F) O’ the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentaryĪnd sight-outrunning were not the fire and cracks The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I boarded the king’s ship now on the beak, In this monologue, Ariel recounts exactly how they did it, and exactly what saw aboard the ship. In order to bring his bait to shore, he has tasked his Spirit servant Ariel to conjure up a Tempest to direct their ship to the banks of Prospero’s Cell. Prospero, having been banished to an island many years ago with his then-infant daughter Miranda has devised a cunning plan to exact his revenge on those who wronged him (including his brother) all those years ago in Milan. It is an active speech that is filled to the brim with playfulness and duty. In this monologue, we really get to see the bright, fiery but dutiful side of Ariel. We’re going to take a closer look at one of Ariel’s best pieces of text from The Tempest.

The tempest act 1 scene 2