The Tempest — Act 2, Scene 2

original text and modern English, side by side

Another part of the island · Caliban, Trinculo, Stephano

Caliban, cursing Prospero as he hauls firewood, mistakes the jester Trinculo for a tormenting spirit and hides under his cloak; Trinculo, caught in a second storm, crawls under the same cloak, so the drunken butler Stephano finds what looks like a four-legged, two-voiced monster. Stephano pours wine down Caliban's throat, and Caliban, convinced he has met a god who fell from the moon, swears to serve him and abandons Prospero. The comedy repeats the colonisation in miniature: another newcomer with a bottle takes the island from its inhabitant.

Enter Caliban with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard.

Caliban

All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him

By inch-meal a disease!

May every disease the sun draws up out of bogs and marshes and mudflats fall on Prospero and rot him inch by inch.

His spirits hear me,

And yet I needs must curse.

His spirits can hear me, and still I have to curse.

But they’ll nor pinch,

Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i’ the mire,

Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark

Out of my way, unless he bid ’em;

But they won't pinch me, or terrify me with goblin shapes, or shove me into the mud, or lead me astray in the dark like a will-o'-the-wisp, unless he orders it.

but

For every trifle are they set upon me,

Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me,

And after bite me;

He sets them on me over every trivial thing — sometimes as apes that pull faces and chatter at me and then bite;

then like hedgehogs which

Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount

Their pricks at my footfall;

sometimes as hedgehogs that roll into my bare-footed path and raise their spines just as I step;

sometime am I

All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues

Do hiss me into madness.

sometimes I'm wrapped all over in adders whose forked tongues hiss me out of my mind.

Enter Trinculo.

Caliban

Lo, now, lo!

There, look at that!

Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me

For bringing wood in slowly.

Here comes one of his spirits now, to punish me for bringing the wood in slowly.

I’ll fall flat;

Perchance he will not mind me.

I'll lie flat — maybe he won't notice me.

Trinculo

Here’s neither bush nor shrub to bear off any weather at all, and

another storm brewing;

There isn't a bush or a shrub here to give any shelter at all, and another storm's coming —

I hear it sing i’ th’ wind.

I can hear it whining in the wind.

Yond same black

cloud, yond huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his

liquor.

That black cloud over there, that huge one, looks like a filthy leather beer-jug about to empty itself.

If it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide

my head:

If it thunders like it did before, I've nowhere to hide my head:

yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls.

that cloud can't help but come down in bucketloads.

What have

we here?

What have we here?

a man or a fish?

A man or a fish?

dead or alive?

Dead or alive?

A fish: he smells like a fish;

a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind of not of the newest

Poor-John.

A fish — it smells like one, an ancient, fishy stink, like stale dried cod.

A strange fish!

What a strange fish!

Were I in England now, as once I was, and

had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a

piece of silver:

If I were back in England, as I once was, and had this fish on a sideshow banner, every idiot on holiday would pay a silver coin to see it.

there would this monster make a man;

This monster would set a man up for life;

any strange beast

there makes a man.

over there any freakish animal makes your fortune.

When they will not give a doit to relieve a lame

beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian.

They won't hand a penny to a crippled beggar, but they'll spend ten to gawk at a dead Indian.

Legg’d like a man,

and his fins like arms!

It has legs like a man, and its fins are like arms!

Warm, o’ my troth!

And it's warm, I swear!

I do now let loose my

opinion, hold it no longer:

I'll change my mind and say it outright:

this is no fish, but an islander, that hath

lately suffered by thunderbolt.

this is no fish, but an islander who's just been struck by lightning.

[_Thunder._]

[Thunder.]

Alas, the storm is come

again!

Damn, the storm's back.

My best way is to creep under his gaberdine;

My best move is to crawl under his cloak —

there is no other

shelter hereabout:

there's no other shelter around here.

misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows.

Misery introduces a man to some very strange bedfellows.

will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past.

I'll shelter here until the last of the storm blows over.

Enter Stephano singing; a bottle in his hand.

Stephano

_I shall no more to sea, to sea,

I'll go to sea no more, no more,

Here shall I die ashore—_

here on land I'll die —

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man’s funeral.

That's a wretched tune to sing at a man's funeral.

Well, here’s my comfort.

Well, here's my comfort.

Drinks.

Stephano

_The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,

The gunner, and his mate,

Lov’d Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,

But none of us car’d for Kate:

The master, the deck-swabber, the boatswain and me, the gunner and his mate, loved Mall and Meg and Marian and Margery, but none of us cared for Kate:

For she had a tongue with a tang,

Would cry to a sailor “Go hang!”

she had a sharp-edged tongue and would tell any sailor to go hang.

She lov’d not the savour of tar nor of pitch,

Yet a tailor might scratch her where’er she did itch.

She couldn't stand the smell of tar and pitch, but a tailor could scratch her wherever she itched.

Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang._

So off to sea, boys, and let her go hang.

This is a scurvy tune too:

That's a wretched tune too.

but here’s my comfort.

But here's my comfort.

Drinks.

Caliban

Do not torment me:

Don't torture me!

Oh!

Stephano

What’s the matter?

What's this?

Have we devils here?

Do we have devils here?

Do you put tricks upon ’s with

savages and men of Ind?

Are you playing tricks on us with savages and men from the Indies?

Ha?

Eh?

I have not scap’d drowning, to be afeard

now of your four legs;

I didn't survive drowning to be scared now by your four legs.

for it hath been said, As proper a man as ever

went on four legs cannot make him give ground; and it shall be said so

again, while Stephano breathes at’ nostrils.

As they say, no man alive on two legs will make him give ground — and it'll be said again, as long as Stephano still breathes.

Caliban

The spirit torments me:

The spirit is torturing me!

Oh!

Stephano

This is some monster of the isle with four legs, who hath got, as I

take it, an ague.

This must be some four-legged monster of the island, and it's caught a fever, by the look of it.

Where the devil should he learn our language?

Where the devil did he learn to speak our language?

I will

give him some relief, if it be but for that.

I'll give him something for the sake of that alone.

If I can recover him and

keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he’s a present for any

emperor that ever trod on neat’s-leather.

If I can nurse him back to health and keep him tame and get him to Naples, he'd be a gift fit for any emperor who ever wore shoe leather.

Caliban

Do not torment me, prithee;

Please don't torture me.

I’ll bring my wood home faster.

I'll carry my wood home faster.

Stephano

He’s in his fit now, and does not talk after the wisest.

He's having a fit and isn't talking sense.

He shall taste

of my bottle:

He'll have a taste from my bottle.

if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to

remove his fit.

If he's never drunk wine before, it may well cure him.

If I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not

take too much for him.

If I can get him well and keep him tame, no price will be too high.

He shall pay for him that hath him, and that

soundly.

Whoever takes him off me will pay handsomely for him.

Caliban

Thou dost me yet but little hurt;

You've hurt me very little so far —

thou wilt anon,

I know it by thy trembling:

but you will soon. I can tell by your shaking.

now Prosper works upon thee.

Now Prospero's working on you.

Stephano

Come on your ways.

Come here.

Open your mouth;

Open your mouth.

here is that which will give

language to you, cat.

Here's something that will give you the power of speech, cat.

Open your mouth.

Open up.

This will shake your shaking, I

can tell you, and that soundly.

This will shake the shakes out of you, I promise, and thoroughly.

[_gives Caliban a drink_]

[gives Caliban a drink]

You cannot

tell who’s your friend:

You've no idea who your friend is.

open your chaps again.

Open your jaws again.

Trinculo

I should know that voice:

I know that voice.

it should be—but he is drowned; and these are

devils.

It must be — but he's drowned, and these are devils.

O, defend me!

Oh, protect me!

Stephano

Four legs and two voices; a most delicate monster!

Four legs and two voices — a most exquisite monster!

His forward voice

now is to speak well of his friend;

The front voice is for speaking well of his friend;

his backward voice is to utter foul

speeches and to detract.

the back voice is for foul language and slander.

If all the wine in my bottle will recover him,

I will help his ague.

If every drop of wine in my bottle will cure him, I'll cure his fever.

Come.

Come on.

Amen!

There!

I will pour some in thy other mouth.

I'll pour some into your other mouth.

Trinculo

Stephano!

Stephano

Doth thy other mouth call me?

Is your other mouth calling me?

Mercy! mercy!

Mercy, mercy!

This is a devil, and no monster:

This is a devil, not a monster.

I will leave him; I

have no long spoon.

I'm leaving him — my spoon isn't long enough to sup with the likes of that.

Trinculo

Stephano!

If thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speak to me;

If you really are Stephano, touch me and speak to me.

for I am

Trinculo—be not afeared—thy good friend Trinculo.

It's Trinculo — don't be afraid — your good friend Trinculo.

Stephano

If thou beest Trinculo, come forth.

If you're Trinculo, come out.

I’ll pull thee by the lesser legs:

if any be Trinculo’s legs, these are they.

I'll pull you by the smaller legs — if any of these are Trinculo's legs, these are the ones.

Thou art very Trinculo

indeed!

You really are Trinculo!

How cam’st thou to be the siege of this moon-calf?

How did you end up as this idiot creature's backside?

Can he vent

Trinculos?

Can he excrete Trinculos?

Trinculo

I took him to be kill’d with a thunderstroke.

I thought he'd been killed by lightning.

But art thou not drown’d,

Stephano?

But aren't you drowned, Stephano?

I hope now thou are not drown’d.

I do hope you're not drowned.

Is the storm overblown?

Is the storm over?

hid me under the dead moon-calf’s gaberdine for fear of the storm.

I hid under this dead lump's cloak because of it.

And

art thou living, Stephano?

And you're alive, Stephano?

O Stephano, two Neapolitans scap’d!

Oh Stephano, two Neapolitans got away!

Stephano

Prithee, do not turn me about.

Please stop spinning me round.

My stomach is not constant.

My stomach isn't steady.

Aside.

Caliban

These be fine things, an if they be not sprites.

These are wonderful creatures, if they're not spirits.

That’s a brave god, and bears celestial liquor.

That's a fine god, and he carries heavenly liquor.

I will kneel to him.

I'll kneel to him.

Stephano

How didst thou scape?

How did you escape?

How cam’st thou hither?

How did you get here?

Swear by this bottle how

thou cam’st hither—

Swear on this bottle how you got here.

I escaped upon a butt of sack, which the sailors

heaved o’erboard, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree

with mine own hands, since I was cast ashore.

I escaped on a barrel of wine that the sailors threw overboard — I swear it on this bottle, which I made out of tree bark with my own hands after I was washed ashore.

Caliban

I’ll swear upon that bottle to be thy true subject, for the liquor is

not earthly.

I'll swear on that bottle to be your loyal subject, because that drink isn't of this world.

Stephano

Here.

Swear then how thou escapedst.

Swear, then — tell me how you escaped.

Trinculo

Swum ashore, man, like a duck:

Swam ashore, man, like a duck.

I can swim like a duck, I’ll be sworn.

I can swim like a duck, I swear it.

Stephano

Here, kiss the book.

Here, kiss the holy book.

Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made

like a goose.

You may swim like a duck, but you're shaped like a goose.

Trinculo

O Stephano, hast any more of this?

Oh Stephano, have you got any more of this?

Stephano

The whole butt, man:

A whole barrel, man.

my cellar is in a rock by th’ seaside, where my

wine is hid.

My cellar is a rock down by the shore, and that's where my wine is hidden.

How now, moon-calf!

Well then, you halfwit!

How does thine ague?

How's your fever?

Caliban

Hast thou not dropped from heaven?

Didn't you fall from heaven?

Stephano

Out o’ the moon, I do assure thee:

Out of the moon, I assure you.

I was the Man in the Moon, when time

was.

I was the Man in the Moon once upon a time.

Caliban

I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee.

I've seen you up there, and I worship you.

My mistress showed me

thee, and thy dog, and thy bush.

My mistress showed you to me, and your dog, and your bundle of thorns.

Stephano

Come, swear to that.

Then swear to it.

Kiss the book.

I will furnish it anon with new

contents.

I'll refill it shortly.

Swear.

Trinculo

By this good light, this is a very shallow monster.

By this good daylight, this is a very stupid monster.

I afeard of him?

Me, afraid of him?

very weak monster.

A very feeble monster.

The Man i’ the Moon!

The Man in the Moon!

A most poor credulous monster!

What a pathetic, gullible monster.

Well drawn, monster, in good sooth!

Good drinking though, monster, honestly.

Caliban

I’ll show thee every fertile inch o’ the island; and I will kiss thy

foot.

I'll show you every fertile inch of this island, and I'll kiss your foot.

I prithee, be my god.

Please, be my god.

Trinculo

By this light, a most perfidious and drunken monster.

By this light, a treacherous drunk of a monster.

When ’s god’s

asleep, he’ll rob his bottle.

As soon as his god falls asleep he'll steal his bottle.

Caliban

I’ll kiss thy foot.

I'll kiss your foot.

I’ll swear myself thy subject.

I'll swear to be your subject.

Stephano

Come on, then;

Come on then.

down, and swear.

Down you go, and swear.

Trinculo

I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed monster.

I'll laugh myself to death at this puppy-faced monster.

A most

scurvy monster!

What a disgusting monster!

I could find in my heart to beat him,—

I've half a mind to beat him —

Stephano

Come, kiss.

Come on, kiss it.

Trinculo

But that the poor monster’s in drink.

— except the poor monster's drunk.

An abominable monster!

Revolting creature!

Caliban

I’ll show thee the best springs;

I'll show you the best springs;

I’ll pluck thee berries;

I'll pick berries for you;

I’ll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.

I'll catch you fish and fetch you plenty of firewood.

A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!

A plague on the tyrant I serve!

I’ll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,

Thou wondrous man.

I'll carry no more sticks for him — I'll follow you, you marvellous man.

Trinculo

A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poor drunkard!

What a ridiculous monster, making a marvel out of a sad drunk!

Caliban

I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;

Please, let me take you where the crab apples grow.

And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts;

Show thee a jay’s nest, and instruct thee how

To snare the nimble marmoset;

I'll dig up earth-nuts for you with my long nails, show you a jay's nest, teach you how to trap the quick little marmoset.

I’ll bring thee

To clustering filberts, and sometimes I’ll get thee

Young scamels from the rock.

I'll bring you to thick clusters of hazelnuts, and sometimes I'll get you young seabirds off the rocks.

Wilt thou go with me?

Will you come with me?

Stephano

I prithee now, lead the way without any more talking.

Please, just lead the way and stop talking.

Trinculo, the

King and all our company else being drowned, we will inherit here.

Trinculo — with the King and everyone else drowned, this place is ours to inherit.

Here, bear my bottle.

Here, carry my bottle.

Fellow Trinculo, we’ll fill him by and by again.

Trinculo, old friend, we'll fill it again shortly.

Sings drunkenly.

Caliban

_Farewell, master;

Goodbye, master.

farewell, farewell!_

Goodbye, goodbye!

Trinculo

A howling monster, a drunken monster.

Caliban

_No more dams I’ll make for fish;

No more dams for catching fish;

Nor fetch in firing

no more fetching firewood

At requiring,

whenever I'm ordered,

Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish;

no more scrubbing plates or washing dishes.

’Ban ’Ban, Cacaliban,

'Ban, 'Ban, Ca-Caliban

Has a new master—Get a new man._

has a new master — find yourself a new man.

Freedom, high-day! high-day, freedom! freedom,

high-day, freedom!

Freedom, hurrah! Hurrah, freedom! Freedom, hurrah, freedom!

Stephano

O brave monster!

What a splendid monster!

lead the way.

Lead the way.

Exeunt.

The Tempest Act 2, Scene 2 summary

Who appears in this scene

Caliban, Trinculo, Stephano — Another part of the island.

Famous lines in The Tempest Act 2, Scene 2, explained

“misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows” (line 35): Trinculo says it as he crawls under the cloak of what he takes to be a fish-smelling monster, purely to get out of the rain. The phrase survives as "politics makes strange bedfellows" and means what he means: desperation forces people into alliances they would never choose otherwise — which is exactly what the Caliban-Stephano-Trinculo conspiracy turns out to be.
“Freedom, high-day! high-day, freedom! freedom, / high-day, freedom!” (line 155): Caliban ends the scene singing that he is free, having just sworn himself to a drunken butler who gave him alcohol. Shakespeare makes the joke bitter rather than merely funny: Caliban's desire for freedom is real and justified, but he has no model for it except swapping one master for another. The song is the comic mirror of Ariel's very different bargaining for release.

Keep reading

About this translation: the original text follows the public-domain Project Gutenberg Globe edition; the modern English translation was written in-house for Polytranslator and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (last revised August 2026). Free to print and photocopy for classroom use. Cite as: “The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2. Polytranslator side-by-side translation, polytranslator.com/shakespeare/the-tempest/act-2-scene-2.”

Studying the language itself? Our Shakespearean English course teaches thou/thee, the verbs, and the meter — free through Unit 2. Or try the Shakespearean English translator.