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The-Tempest---Act-3-Scene-1-Fully-Annotated-

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The Tempest – Act 3 Scene 1
Ferdinand’s soliloquy gives
the audience insight into his
true thoughts and feelings.
Here he juxtaposes the
“baseness” of “labour” and
the “delight” that a person
can take from it.
Rather than dwelling on
the amount of work he has
to do, Ferdinand focuses
on the prize ahead of him:
Miranda. Even though he
has just met her, the idea
of her eternal love
motivates him, despite the
“baseness” of his task.
Miranda’s reaction is
typical of her character.
She is deeply sympathetic
towards
Ferdinand,
begging him to “work not
so hard”. Her feelings of
pity are emphasized by her
wish that the lighting had
“burnt up” the logs that he
has been ordered to stack.
The setting of the sun
represents the completion
of a day's work, so it
represents
the
opportunity
to
rest.
However,
it
also
represents
change,
newness and the coming
of a new era. This
foreshadows the great
change in Prospero and
Miranda’s situation.
There is often a visual joke
in productions at this
moment where Miranda
easily picks up a heavy log
that
Ferdinand
had
struggled with.
Prospero’s
comment
highlights
what
the
audience already know –
that Miranda is clearly in
love.
SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S Cell.
Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log
FERDINAND
There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead
And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's composed of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such baseness
Had never like executor. I forget:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
Most busy lest, when I do it.
Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance, unseen
MIRANDA
Alas, now, pray you,
Work not so hard: I would the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile!
Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns,
'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself;
He's safe for these three hours.
FERDINAND
O most dear mistress,
The sun will set before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.
MIRANDA
If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while: pray, give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.
FERDINAND
No, precious creature;
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit lazy by.
MIRANDA
It would become me
As well as it does you: and I should do it
With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against.
PROSPERO
Poor worm, thou art infected!
This visitation shows it.
This scene revolves around
various images of servitude
– the enforced servitude of
Ferdinand to Prospero (and,
by extension, Ariel and
Caliban’s
slavery)
in
comparison to the servitude
of love. He refers to
Miranda as “the mistress
which I serve”, something
which he clearly does gladly
due to his romantic feelings
towards her.
These words emphasise to
the
audience
that
Ferdinand is the prince of
Naples and the son of
Alonso, the King of Naples
– and therefore that the
“baseness” of the labour
he is undertaking is far
below his social standing.
This is an example of
dramatic irony as the
audience are aware that
Prospero has followed
Miranda onstage “unseen”.
Yet again Prospero views
the interactions of others
without their knowledge,
giving him a somewhat
omnipresent
quality,
controlling the action of the
play from behind the
scenes.
Ferdinand uses hyperbole
here – suggesting that he
would rather break his back
than watch Miranda work.
This illustrates the clear
gender
divide
within
Jacobean
England,
particularly regarding the
noble classes. As a woman,
Miranda is expected to be
weak both physically and
mentally, and therefore not
be expected to undertake
any physical labour. In
contrast, ass man, Ferdinand
would have been expected
to be physically strong.
Ferdinand’s
simile
highlights
the
transformative
and
restorative powers of love
– despite being captive and
forced to undertake hard,
physical labour he states
that he feels as if it were a
“fresh
morning”
as
Miranda is with him.
A play on words- Miranda
comes from the Latin
“mirandus,”
meaning
“admirable, wonderful.”
This excerpt offers an
interesting insight into
Ferdinand’s character and
values. He uses negative
terms such as “bondage”,
“defect”, “quarrel”, etc., to
emphasise his affection
and
commitment
to
Miranda. The comparison
he draws with his negative
appraisal of the other
women serves as a
highlight of Miranda’s
superlative perfection.
Miranda references the
importance of her honour
or
virginity.
This
demonstrates
the
significance of virginity for
woman
in
Jacobean
England,
who
were
expected to remain pure
until
their
marriage.
Structurally,
this
statement also reminds
the audience of Caliban’s
attempted
rape
of
Miranda,
and
the
devastating effect that
such an act would have
had upon her prospects.
Miranda’s
child-like
innocence and unrefined
responses mark the most
emotionally intense points
in the scene - she is shown
as simple–unpretentious
and honest.
MIRANDA
You look wearily.
FERDINAND
No, noble mistress;'tis fresh morning with me
When you are by at night. I do beseech you-Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers-What is your name?
MIRANDA
Miranda.--O my father,
I have broke your hest to say so!
FERDINAND
Admired Miranda!
Indeed the top of admiration! worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have eyed with best regard and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
Have I liked several women; never any
With so fun soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
And put it to the foil: but you, O you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best!
MIRANDA
I do not know
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,
I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,
The jewel in my dower, I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you,
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle
Something too wildly and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.
FERDINAND
I am in my condition
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;
I would, not so!--and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake
Am I this patient log--man.
MIRANDA
Do you love me?
FERDINAND
O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true! if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I
It is important to note that,
despite his deep feelings of
love, Ferdinand does not
yet know Miranda’s name.
This helps to illiterate his
reliance upon physical
beauty and the Jacobean
belief in physiognomy,
along with the supreme
importance of beauty for
Jacobean women. He also
references his “prayers”,
showing him to be a godly
man.
Religion
was
paramount in Jacobean
England, and therefore
Ferdinand’s portrayal as a
religious character would
have shown him in an
externally positive light.
Unlike Ferdinand, who has
eyed “many a lady”,
Miranda has seen no other
face apart from her own,
her father’s and Caliban.
This juxtaposition serves to
draw attention to her
innocence and naivety, as
she is unaware of the ways
of the world or of others.
Despite her innocence,
Miranda is sure that she
would not wish to be with
any other man than
Ferdinand.
The words “slavery” and
“slave” accentuate the
parallel between his own
chosen servitude and that
of the enforced servitude
of
Caliban.
Prospero
frequently
refers
to
Caliban as a slave, and the
audience view Caliban as a
slave both to Prospero and
to
his
own
anger.
Ferdinand, on the other
hand, is a willing slave to
his love for Miranda,
making his “heart fly” in
happiness.
Miranda’s
show
of
emotion is true to the
gender stereotypes of
Jacobean England. As we
have seen throughout the
play, Miranda is a deeply
emotional and empathetic
character, and as such she
weeps due to
her
overwhelming feelings of
happiness.
As a man, (and therefore,
by Jacobean standards,
less
emotional
than
Miranda), Ferdinand is
perplexed by Miranda’s
weeping.
Miranda’s insistence that
she will be his to command
whether he “will nor no”
demonstrates the depth of
her feelings and desires.
Miranda’s optimism about
the future serves as a
beacon
of
hope,
highlighting
to
the
audience that true love
concours
all
other
emotions.
Miranda metaphorically
gives
Ferdinand
her
“heart” as a symbol of her
love for him. This loving
scene serves as a bridge
between two scenes of low
comedy and reminds the
Jacobean audience of the
disparity between the
untainted and tender love
of Ferdinand and Miranda
and the wickedness of
Caliban, Stefano, and
Trinculo.
Prospero’s words build a
sense of anticipation for
the Jacobean audience,
who understand that his
plans are not at an end. His
books are also symbolic of
his power and the power
of words and ideas.
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world
Do love, prize, honour you.
MIRANDA
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
PROSPERO
Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between 'em!
FERDINAND
Wherefore weep you?
MIRANDA
At mine unworthiness that dare not offer
What I desire to give, and much less take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself,
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.
FERDINAND
My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.
MIRANDA
My husband, then?
FERDINAND
Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.
MIRANDA
And mine, with my heart in't; and now farewell
Till half an hour hence.
FERDINAND
A thousand thousand!
Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA severally
PROSPERO
So glad of this as they I cannot be,
Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book,
For yet ere supper-time must I perform
Much business appertaining.
Exit
With this aside, Prospero
reveals his true feelings
about the match. It is clear
to the audience that
Prospero at the very least
desired this affection
between the two lovers
from the beginning and
engineered their meeting
(along with Ferdinand’s
subsequent
imprisonment) in order to
deepen their feelings.
Miranda seems to break
free from her predictable
character
under
the
influence of Prospero’s
magic, for in this speech to
Ferdinand she insists upon
marriage, as opposed to
proposing it. Miranda can
no longer hold inside what
she thinks; she realizes the
necessity of expressing
what she truly desires in
this speech. Additionally,
at this moment, a stronger,
charismatic
Miranda
replaces one that has been
awfully naive and passive
as she proclaims her sexual
independence.
Prospero is left alone on
stage, having spent the
scene
hidden
from
Miranda and Ferdinand
but seen by the audience.
This makes his role as the
"director" or "playwright"
of their affair even more
explicit, as he has
engineered each situation
in order to create the
desired outline, namely
the love of the young
couple. He once again
expresses his happiness at
their romantic feelings,
giving the audience insight
into his own feelings rather
than the false anger he
presents to Miranda and
Ferdinand.
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