The Tempest – II

I

Remaining invisible, Ariel sang a beautiful song and led Ferdinand to the

place where Prospero and Miranda were.

“What is that father?” asked Miranda in wonder, when she saw Ferdinand at

a distance. “Is it a spirit? It has a noble and beautiful appearance.” Miranda, as

you know, had not known what a young man looked like and, moreover, Ferdinand

was a handsome young man. When Ferdinand saw Miranda, he thought that she

was the goddess of this island of wonders, where he had just heard Ariel’s

strange-sounding song. He fell on his knees and began to speak to her as to a

goddess. You can imagine his surprise when he heard her say sweetly in his own

language, “Sir, I am no goddess, but a simple girl.”

Prospero was very happy to find that the two young people had fallen in

love with each other at first sight. But in order to test Ferdinand’s love, Prospero

pretended to think that the young man was a spy.

“Come along young man,” he said roughly. “You are spy who has come to

steal this island from me. You are now my prisoner.” Ferdinand tried to resist,

and drew his sword; but waving his wand, Prospero fixed him to the spot by the

power of his magic. Miranda hung upon her father and pleaded for Ferdinand.

“Please do not treat him like that, father. He cannot be a spy. He does not

look like one.”

“Silence,” said Prospero. “Are you trying to teach me? Perhaps you think he

is the handsomest person on earth, because you have seen only Caliban and me.

Compared to Caliban he seems handsome enough, but compared to other men he

is a Caliban!”

“Then my desires are most humble,” replied Miranda. “I do not wish to see

a handsome person.”

“Come along, sir,” Prospero said to Ferdinand, leading him away. Ferdinand

could hardly resist the power of Prospero’s magic, and he had to follow. He said

to himself, “My misfortunes and this unkind treatment would all be nothing to me

if, from my prison window, I could see this girl once a day.”

II

Prospero set him the task of piling up heavy logs. Miranda stole out of her

room to see him at work, and her presence made his labour seem light to him.

“Alas, sir,” she said, “please sit down and rest a little. I will carry your logs

in the mean time. I quite like it. Let me carry the logs; my father is at his studies

safely out of our way for three hours.” In fact Prospero was all the time standing

at a distance, watching his daughter with amusement and sympathy.

“No, my precious creature,” replied Ferdinand, “I can not let you do that!”

Of course this love-talk did not help the work of feeling manage to tell

Miranda how he loved her better than any one else he had ever seen. As for

Miranda, she cannot imagine a person she could loved more.

Prospero decided not to try Ferdinand further, and soon released him for his

hard task.

“The trials you have under gone where it test of your love,” said Prospero,

to the great joy and surprise of Ferdinand. “As your reward I give you my daugh-

ter, who is my most precious possession. My blessings are with you both.”

In the meantime the king of Naples, Antonio, Gonzalo (who was the king’s

party) and others were wandering about on the island. Tired out and hungry, they

sat down to rest. Ariel put inviting food before them, but when they tried to eat it,

it disappeared suddenly. Ariel appeared to them with thunder and lightning. While

they stood amazed at the sight he said to Antonio and the king, “You are two men

guilty before God and man. Think of your evil deeds. Remember how cruely you

treated Prospero and his innocent child. It was a terrible crime. All that you have

undergone is God’s punishment for your crimes. If you do not sincerely repent of

your evil deeds, there is worse in store for you.” Then Ariel disappeared in

thunder and lightning leaving them almost mad with fear and their sense of guilt.

III

“Now that they have sincerely repented, we need not punish them further,”

said Prospero to Ariel. Ariel led them to the place where Prospero was. When

they saw Prospero, they were so amazed that at first they could hardly believe

their eyes. The King agreed to restore the dukedom to Prospero, and Prospero,

on his part, forgave the King all that was past. The King told Prospero how they

had been ship-wrecked and how he had lost Ferdinand, his dear son, in the

wreck.

“I am very sorry to hear of your loss,” said Prospero. “I lost my daughter too

in the tempest.” In a sense Prospero was speaking the truth because he had lost

his daughter to Ferdinand.

“How I wish they were both alive,” said the King, “to be king and queen of

Naples!”

Prospero took the party into his cave and showed them Ferdinand and

Miranda, who were happily playing chess.

“O wonder! Said Miranda when she saw so many people together. “How

many wonderful people there are here! How beautiful mankind is!” Gonzalo, the

kind old man, who had helped Prospero, wept for joy to see this scene of recon-

ciliation.

Prospero broke his magic wand and buried his books of magic because he

had no further use for them. He sat Ariel free as he had promised. Ariel sang:

Where the bee sucks there suck I;

In a cowslip’s bell I lie;

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat’s back I do fly

After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily, shall I live now

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Prospero and party sailed to Naples leaving Caliban in possession of the

island. Ariel helped them with favourable winds; that was his last service to his

master.