Tuesday 10 March 2015

The Tempest Practice Individual Oral Commentary


Find the audio here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIU1hmKa_pc

Act 5 Scene 1 (Lines 1-32)

Enter PROSPERO in his magic robes, and ARIEL.

      PROSPERO 
  1   Now does my project gather to a head:
  2   My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time
  3   Goes upright with his carriage. How's the day?

      ARIEL 
  4   On the sixth hour; at which time, my lord,
  5   You said our work should cease.

      PROSPERO 
  5                                                     I did say so,
  6   When first I raised the tempest. Say, my spirit,
  7   How fares the king and's followers?

      ARIEL 
  7                                                             Confined together
  8   In the same fashion as you gave in charge,
  9   Just as you left them; all prisoners, sir,
 10   In the line-grove which weather-fends your cell;
 11   They cannot budge till your release. The king,
 12   His brother and yours, abide all three distracted
 13   And the remainder mourning over them,
 14   Brimful of sorrow and dismay; but chiefly
 15   Him that you term'd, sir, 'The good old lord Gonzalo;'
 16   His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops
 17   From eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works 'em
 18   That if you now beheld them, your affections
 19   Would become tender.

      PROSPERO 
 19                                       Dost thou think so, spirit?

      ARIEL 
 20   Mine would, sir, were I human.

      PROSPERO 
 20                                               And mine shall.
 21   Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
 22   Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
 23   One of their kind, that relish all as sharply,
 24   Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
 25   Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick,
 26   Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury
 27   Do I take part: the rarer action is
 28   In virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent,
 29   The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
 30   Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel:
 31   My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore,
 32   And they shall be themselves.

      ARIEL 
 32                                                   I'll fetch them, sir.

           Exit.