ARKCODEX
Act I, Scene 1
1On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.
2Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain.
3MasterBoatswain!
4BoatswainHere, master: what cheer?
5MasterGood, speak to the mariners: fall to’t, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Exit.
6Enter Mariners.
7BoatswainHeigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master’s whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!
8Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.
9AlonsoGood boatswain, have care. Where’s the master? Play the men.
10BoatswainI pray now, keep below.
11AntonioWhere is the master, boatswain?
12BoatswainDo you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm.
13GonzaloNay, good, be patient.
14BoatswainWhen the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.
15GonzaloGood, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
16BoatswainNone that I more love than myself. You are a 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 lived 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. Exit.
17GonzaloI 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 hanged, our case is miserable. Exeunt.
18Reenter Boatswain.
19BoatswainDown with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring her to try with main-course. A cry within. A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather or our office.
20Reenter Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo.
21Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o’er and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
22SebastianA pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!
23BoatswainWork you then.
24AntonioHang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker! We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.
25GonzaloI’ll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench.
26BoatswainLay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to sea again; lay her off.
27Enter Mariners wet.
28MarinersAll lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
29BoatswainWhat, must our mouths be cold?
30GonzaloThe king and prince at prayers! let’s assist them,
For our case is as theirs.
31SebastianI’m out of patience.
32AntonioWe are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
This wide-chapp’d rascal—would thou mightst lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
33GonzaloHe’ll be hang’d yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it
And gape at widest to glut him.
34A confused noise within: “Mercy on us!”
“We split, we split!”—“Farewell, my wife and children!”—
“Farewell, brother!”—“We split, we split, we split!”
35AntonioLet’s all sink with the king.
36SebastianLet’s take leave of him. Exeunt Antonio and Sebastian.
37GonzaloNow 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 a dry death. Exeunt.