CALIBAN
PROLOGUE
The action begins in semi-darkness, out of which sound invisible choirs.
The scene is the cave of SETEBOS, whose stark-colored idol—half tiger and half toad—colossal and primitive—rises at centre above a stone altar.
On the right, the cave leads inward to the abode of SYCORAX; on the left, it leads outward to the sea, a blue-green glimpse of which is vaguely visible.
High in the tiger-jaws of the idol, ARIEL—a slim, winged figure, half nude—is held fettered.
In the dimness, he listens to deep-bellowing choirs from below, answered by a chorus of sweet shrill voices from within.
THE VOICES FROM BELOW
[Sing.]
Setebos! Setebos!
ARIEL
[Calls aloud.]
O, my brave spirits!
THE VOICES FROM BELOW
Setebos! Setebos!
Over us which art, and under:
Fang of fire
From mouth of thunder!
Hungering goad
From belly of mire!
Tiger and toad—
Setebos!
Blood which art on the jungle bloom,
Sloth and slumber and seed in the womb:
Which art wondrous
Over and under us,
Setebos! Setebos! Thou art Setebos!
THE VOICES FROM WITHIN
Sealèd in a starless cell,
We are shut from dawn and sky.
Ariel!—Ariel!
Why?
THE VOICES FROM WITHIN
We, who parch for dew and star—
Ariel!—Ariel!—
Must we perish where we are?
Tell!
ARIEL
Sycorax knows, but she sits
There in the cave with her son—
Mocking us ever.
THE VOICES FROM WITHIN
Ariel!
ARIEL
Call me no more,
Lest they torment us. I hear them
Coming now.
THE VOICE OF SYCORAX
Caliban!
ARIEL
Hush!
[Gigantic, the twisted form of SYCORAX looms from
within the rock.]
SYCORAX
[Calling toward the sea.]
Come, fish-fowl! Leave thy flapping in the mud
And keep thy father’s temple. Call his priests.
Thy father Toad’s a god, hath double teeth
In his two heads. The Tiger loins of him
Begot thee in my belly for a cub
To lick his paws and purr, else he may pinch thee
Behind an eye-tooth, like yon flitter mouse
That hangs there wriggling.
THE VOICE OF CALIBAN
So, so Sycorax!—
Coming!
SYCORAX
Aye, so so: crawling still!
[Malformed and hissing, CALIBAN enters on his belly
and arms.]
CALIBAN
Syc-Syco-
Sycorax! See!
SYCORAX
What hast thou got thee?
CALIBAN
[Laughs, half rising, and holds up a wriggling creature.]
Got
A little god—a little Caliban.
Ha!—make him out of mud. See: Squeezed it round
And slipped him through my fist-hole. Am a god:
[Rising.]
See Sycorax—her grandchild!
SYCORAX
’Tis an eel-worm.
Fling him to the white bat yonder.
[Her form vanishes in the rock.]
CALIBAN
[Approaching the idol.]
Ariel,
Here’s food for thee: a wormling for thy beak.
So, my trapped bird:—How sayst, ha?
ARIEL
[Sings.]
“Where the bee sucks there suck I.”
CALIBAN
[Laughing.]
Bee, sayst thou?
Still buzzest of thy wings, and eatest—air!
CALIBAN
My father’s gullet is no cowslip’s bell.
Shalt lie in the belly of Setebos.
[Tossing away the eel.]
—What waitest for?
ARIEL
I am waiting for one who will come.
CALIBAN
Aye? Who will come?
ARIEL
One from the heart of the world; and he shall rise
On tempest of music and in thunder of song.
CALIBAN
[Gaping.]
Thunder and tempest—so!
ARIEL
[With ecstasy.]
I see him now.
ARIEL
In my dream:—He bears
A star-wrought staff and hooded cloak of blue,
And on his right hand bums the sun, and on
His left, the moon; and these he makes his masks
Of joy and sorrow.
CALIBAN
Where? Mine eye seeth naught.
ARIEL
Before him comes a maid—a child, all wonder—
And leads, him to this blighted isle.
CALIBAN
What for, here?
ARIEL
To set me free, and all my air-born spirits
Whom Setebos holds prisoned in this earth.
CALIBAN
Free? What’s that—free?
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Sing within.]
“Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Courtsied when you have and kiss’d
The wild waves whist.
Foot it featly here and there”—
CALIBAN
Ho, blast their noises! Stop thy spirits’ squealing.
Their piping itcheth me like hornets’ stings.
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Sing on, within.]
“And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear”—
CALIBAN
[Screaming.]
Setebos! Squash ’em!
POWERS OF SETEBOS
[Sing below with strident roarings, drowning the song
of Ariel’s Spirits.]
Setebos! Setebos! Thou art Setebos!
CALIBAN
[Exulting grotesquely.]
Who’ll dance by yellow sands?—Who’s free now, spirit?
Ho, Caliban can squash their music. Free?
Aren’t I a god, bitch-born, the son of Setebos
Can howl all hell up? Worship me, thou wings!
Praise my toad-father in his temple!
ARIEL
The priests
Of Setebos are Lust and Death and War.
Not Ariel—nor Ariel’s Spirits ever—
Shall do them honor. One shall come hereafter
Whom we now worship, waiting.
CALIBAN
[Roaring.]
Sycorax!
SYCORAX
[Reappearing.]
Swallow thy croakings, bullfrog. Call the priests,
And fill this spirit’s nostrils with the reek
Of Setebos, his blood-rites.
THE SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Cry out piercingly.]
Ariel!
CALIBAN
Powers of Setebos!—Lust, Death, War,—ho, now!
Hither, and do my father worship!
ARIEL
[Stifling a cry.]
Ah!
[Enter LUST, DEATH, and WAR, arrayed as priests
of Setebos.]
SYCORAX
[To Caliban.]
Come, toad-boy: watch with me, within.
CALIBAN
[Going within the cave, as Sycorax disappears.]
Free, saith?
Will dance by yellow sands?—Now, Spirit, dance!
[As Caliban goes within, the powers of Setebos come forth.
At the altar beneath Ariel, the three Priests lead
them in ceremonial rites of primeval pageantry and
dance—the sacrificial worship of Setebos. Above
them Ariel suffers, with closed eyes. In their
rites, Lust pours his libation, and lights the
altar fire, which—when War has made there his
living sacrifice—Death extinguishes in darkness.
Through the dark, which gradually changes to a glowing
dusky Ariel speaks aloud.]
ARIEL
O Spirits, I have dreamed, but Death has closed
My sight in darkness. Spirits, I have begotten
Sweet Joy, but Lust hath drowned her in his wine.
Yea, I have wove Love wings, but War hath robbed them
And riven his lovely body all alive
To feed the hungering flames of Setebos.
My Spirits, I your master am unmastered.
Speak to me! Comfort me! Is there no joy,
No love, no dream, that shall survive this dark?
Hath this our isle no king but Caliban?
Are there no yellow sands where we shall dance
To greet the master of a timeless dawn?
Or must there break no morning?—Ah, you are dumb
Still to my doubtings. Yet the dark grows pale,
And, paling, pulses now with rosier shadows;
And now the shadows tremble, and draw back
Their trailing glories: hark! All little birds
Wake in the gloaming: look! What young Aurora
Walks in the dusk below, and like a child
Turns her quick face to listen?—Ah!
[Below, against the light from the sea, has entered
the dim Figure he descries.]
ARIEL
Spirits, ’tis she! O, we have dreamed her true
At last—Miranda!
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Call, in echoing song.]
Miranda!
MIRANDA
[Searching with her eyes.]
Earth and air
Echo my name. Who calls me?
ARIEL
Ariel.
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[As before.]
Ariel!
MIRANDA
Light and dark spin webs around me.
What art thou, voice—and where?
ARIEL
Here—and your servant.
ARIEL
Setebos,
God of this isle, holds me in ’s fangs.
MIRANDA
But why?
ARIEL
I will not serve him.
MIRANDA
[Naïvely, drawing nearer to the huge idol.]
Setebos, be kind.
Release this Spirit.
ARIEL
He hath nor ears, nor eyes,
Nor any sense to know thee by, but only
These tusks and claws and his toad-belly.
MIRANDA
Dost
Thou suffer, so?
ARIEL
Not now.
ARIEL
Since old ocean’s slime first spawned
Under the moon, I have awaited thee
And him thou bringest here.
MIRANDA
You mean my father,
Prospero.
ARIEL
[Exultingly.]
Hail him, Spirits!
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Sing.]
Prospero!
MIRANDA
Yea, many a starry journey we have made
Searching this isle. At last to-day, at dawn,
I saw its yellow sands, and heard thy voice
Calling for pity. Now my father is come
And shall release thee.
ARIEL
Where? Where is he?
MIRANDA
Here:
His cloak is round us now: he holds us now
In his great art, revealing each to each
Though he be all invisible.
[Reëntering, Caliban comes forward, sniffing and
peering at Miranda.]
CALIBAN
Hath feet
And hair: hath bright hair shineth like a fish’s tail;
Hath mouth, and maketh small, sweet noises.
ARIEL
[Crying out.]
Beast,
Go back!
MIRANDA
[Staring, amazed.]
What’s here?
CALIBAN
Ca—Caliban; cometh here
To smell what ’tis.
[He sniffs nearer; then howls strangely.]
Spring in the air: Oho!
CALIBAN
Hurt?
Who hurteth God? Am seed of Setebos:
Am Caliban: the world is all mine isle:
Kill what I please, and play with what I please;
So, yonder, play with him: pull out his wings
And put ’em back to grow.—Where be thy wings,
Spring-i’-the-air?
MIRANDA
O Ariel, is this sight
A true thing, and speaks truly?
ARIEL
What you hear
And see—’tis my master.
MIRANDA
’Tis so wonderful
I know not how to be sad.
CALIBAN
[In puzzled fascination, staring at Miranda.]
The moon hath a face
And smileth on the lily pools, but hath
No lily body withal: thy body is
All lilies and the smell of lily buds,
And thy round face a pool of moonbeams!
MIRANDA
[With smile and laughter.]
Nay,
Then look not in, lest thou eclipse the moon.
CALIBAN
Syc—Sycorax hath no such laughing: soundeth
Like little leaves i’ the rain! Hath no such mouth
Bright-lipp’d with berries ripe to suck i’ the sun—
Sycorax.
MIRANDA
Who is Sycorax?
ARIEL
Ah, pain!
CALIBAN
Ho, she that hath calved Caliban to the bull
Setebos, my blood-sire. [Pauses at a glowing thought,
then cries with sudden exultance:] So shall us twain
Caliban all this world!
[He crouches, then rolls over at her feet.]
—Laugh, Spring-i’-the-air!
Lift so thy lily-pad foot and rub his ear
Where the fur tickleth, and let thy Caliban
Tongue-lick its palm.
MIRANDA
This wonder grows too wild.
ARIEL
Go, go! O flee away!
CALIBAN
[Leaping up.]
Away?—Aye, so!
[He approaches Miranda, who recoils, half fearful.]
Wist where salt water lappeth warm i’ the noon
And shore-fish breed i’ the shoals.—Wist where the sea-bull
Flap-flappeth his fin and walloweth there his cow
And snoreth the rainbow from his nostrils.
[He begins to dance grotesquely about her.]
Ho,
Spring-i’-the-air! shalt leap, shalt roll in the sun,
Shalt dance with lily-warm limbs, shalt race wi’ the gulls!
Shalt laugh, and call—Come, Come!
Come, come, Caliban!
Catcheth who catcheth can!
Mateth mew, mateth man:
Catch, come, Caliban!
MIRANDA
[To Caliban.]
Peace! Dance no more.
Go hence, and leave me.
CALIBAN
[Staring.]
Hence? Aye, both—us twain.
MIRANDA
[With simple command.]
Nay, thou alone.
CALIBAN
[With narrowing eyes, draws nearer.]
Saith what?
MIRANDA
[Unafraid.]
Go from me.
CALIBAN
[Stops, with a hissing growl.]
Syc-
Syc-Sycorax! Sycorax!
SYCORAX
[Reappearing.]
Mole in the mire, wilt squeak
When thou art trod on?—Bite! Bite, Setebos’ son!
Let the brave wonder breed of thee.
CALIBAN
Aye, mother.
[With rising passion—to Miranda.]
A child! Shalt bear me such as thou, with head
Of Caliban: no eel-worm, nay—a wonder,
With lily feet, that walk. Ho, Setebos!
SYCORAX
Setebos! Mate them at thine altar.
MIRANDA
[Fleeing from Caliban, pauses in terror of Sycorax.]
Save me!
POWERS OF SETEBOS
[Sing within.]
Setebos! Setebos!
CALIBAN
[Rushing toward Miranda.]
Mine!
MIRANDA
Save me, father!
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
[Sing within.]
Prospero! Hail!
[A clap of thunder strikes, rolling, in sudden darkness.
Lightnings burst from the idol of Setebos.
From the flashing gloom, choruses of contending
spirits commingle the roar of their deep bass and
high-pitched choirs.]
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
Prospero! Prospero!
Out of our earth-pain
Raise and array us
In splendor of order!
Pour on our chaos—
Prospero! Prospero!—
Peace to our earth-pain!
POWERS OF SETEBOS
Setebos! Setebos!
Lord of our earth-bane,
Loose on his wrath way
The beast of thy jungle!
Pour on our pathway—
Setebos! Setebos!
Blood for thine earth-bane!
[Amid the tempestuous song, darkness, and thunder,
appears on the left a glowing, winged throne. On
the throne sits PROSPERO—in one hand, a scroll;
in the other, a miraculous staff.]
PROSPERO
[Raising his staff.]
Darkness, be light!—Tempest, be calm!—Miranda!
[The scene grows light, and is still.]
MIRANDA
[At the steps of the throne.]
Father!
PROSPERO
Come to me, child.
[As she mounts to him gladly.]
Sit here beside me.
[She sits at his feet, nestling in the folds of his great
garment.]
My cloak and staff protect thee.
MIRANDA
[Raising her eyes in dread.]
But the wild thing?
CALIBAN
[Crouching at the centre, howls terribly.]
Setebos—sire!
Sycorax—mother! Hast swallowed them. Lord Thunder,
Strike us no more!
PROSPERO
I strike no more till time
Hath need of thunder. Rise now and be tamed,
Howler at Heaven.
CALIBAN
[Rising, bewildered.]
Tamed, saith? What shall it be—
That “tamed?”
PROSPERO
That shalt thou learn of Ariel.
Now—Ariel!
[He looks toward Ariel, still held in the mouth of Setebos.
Sycorax lies heaped and still by the altar.]
ARIEL
[Joyously.]
Master!
CALIBAN
[With wailing cry.]
Ah—yo!
PROSPERO
The will of Setebos is matched with mine
To rule our world. Time shall award the prize—
Mine own Miranda—to his power or mine.
His might is awful, but mine art is deep
To foil his power and exalt mine own.
Ariel, thy spirits shall help me.
ARIEL
Master, how?
PROSPERO
Thou, long time artless, now shalt learn mine art
To win my goal—Miranda’s freedom. Never
Till this immortal Caliban shall rise
To lordly reason, can Miranda hold
Her maiden gladness undismayed. For that
I will release thee from those fangs
Of Setebos.
ARIEL
For that, dear master, I have waited
Long ages, dreaming.
ARIEL
O set me free to be thy servant ever.
Master, I promise!
PROSPERO
Fly! Run free!—Unfang him,
Setebos!
[Prospero raises his staff.
Slowly the tiger-jaws of the Idol open their fangs.
Ariel, with a joyous cry, slips into the air, and—as
he floats fluttering to the earth—his unseen
choir of Spirits sing with shrilly gladness:]
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
Prospero! Prospero! Hail!
ARIEL
[Dancing on the earth.]
Free! Free!
MIRANDA
[Eagerly.]
O, now his fettered Spirits: Free them too!
PROSPERO
Well urged, my own Miranda.—Setebos,
Disgorge these long-embowelled choirs!—Spirits,
Come forth!
[Again Prospero raises his staff.
Yawning enormous, the toad-mouth of the Idol, fitted
with green and blue light, widens to a lurid aperture
out of which come forth—dancing—the star-bright
Spirits of Ariel.
As they come, Ariel—springing toward Caliban—cries
exultingly:]
ARIEL
Now, Caliban, we dance by yellow sands!
[Singing as they rush forth, the Spirits dart with Ariel
swiftly about the grovelling Caliban and chase him,
dodging and whining, down the steps to the ground-circle,
mottled with its shadowy continents of the
world, and rimmed with its long, yellow wave-lines.]
SPIRITS OF ARIEL
“Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Courtsied when you have and kiss’d
The wild waves whist.
Foot it featly here and there
And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear:
Hark, hark!
Bow-wow!
The watch-dogs bark:
Bow-wow!
Hark, hark! I hear
The strain of strutting chanticleer
Cry: cock-o-diddle-dow!”
[Encircling Caliban in their dance, and pelting him with
bright handfuls of the yellow sands, they tease and
drive him howling into his cave cell, where his dark,
monstrous shape silhouettes for a moment on the
orange-red glow, then vanishes within.
As he disappears, to their last “Bow-wow!”
and “"Cock-a-diddle-dow!”, they hasten back above
to Ariel, who leads them before Prospero.]
ARIEL
The beast is routed, Master. Was’t well done?
PROSPERO
The routed beast—returns. I charge thee, Spirit,
Not to torment, but teach him—for which task
Thou wilt require mine art. So by its power
We will transform this cave of Setebos
To be a temple to Miranda. Now
Let these thy Spirits lead her to her shrine
Yonder, where all her maiden Muses wait
To make her welcome.
[Prospero points to where, on the right, appears Miranda’s
shrine. From its portals come forth the Nine Muses, bearing
lutes and pipes. Prospero, turning to Miranda, rises and
gives her into Ariel’s care.]
MIRANDA
Sir, I will.
I thank you and these Spirits, and may we all
Be saved from Setebos.
ARIEL
Sweet Mistress, follow!
[To a melodious tiding and piping played by the Muses,
Ariel and his Spirits escort Miranda to the centre,
where the Muses meet and conduct her into the shrine,
while Ariel’s Spirits—at a gesture from him—dart
through the centre of the Cloudy Curtains and disappear.]
PROSPERO
[Calling.]
Now hither, bird, and perch!
ARIEL
[Running to him, on the throne.]
Beside you, Master!
PROSPERO
[Pointing to the ground-circle.]
Seest yonder Yellow Sands? There sleep the shores,
The cloudy capes and continents of time;
There wane and wax eternal tides, that mark
The ebb and flow of empires with their foam.
There shalt thou see the million-colored skein
Whereof I weave mine art. Look well and learn!
For this my art is of no only land
Or age, but born of all—itself a world
Snatched from the womb of History, to survive
Its mortal mother in imagination.—
Dost thou attend me?
ARIEL
Word and will, dear Master!
[At the mouth of Caliban’s cell are now visible Lust,
Death, and War, who in pantomime indicate to Caliban
their conspiracy against Prospero and Ariel.]
PROSPERO
’Tis well, for thou must prove my pupil. Look!
Even now the priests of Setebos conspire
With Caliban against us. They will compass
My fall, Miranda’s ruin, and thy bondage
Unless mine art can foil them. Therefore, now
Thou shalt behold the pageant of mine art
Pace from antiquity. First, while yon glass
Lets flow its yellow sands, behold appear
My rites of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome,
And, while they pass, I will instruct thee how
To use them.—Pageant, appear!