The Tempest Act Four – “The strongest oaths are straw to th' fire i' the blood.”

The Tempest Act Four – “The strongest oaths are straw to th' fire i' the blood.”

Act Four of 'The Tempest' begins with Prospero finally showing his approval for Miranda and Ferdinand to be together and get married but he warns Ferdinand not to “break her virgin knot before the wedding.

“If I have too austerely punish'd you,

Your compensation makes amends, for I

Have given you here a third of mine own life,

Or that for which I live; who once again

I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations

Were but my trials of thy love and thou

Hast strangely stood the test here, afore Heaven,

I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise

And make it halt behind her…

Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition

Worthily purchased take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

All sanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall

To make this contract grow: but barren hate,

Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew

The union of your bed with weeds so loathly

That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,

As Hymen's lamps shall light you.”

Prospero summons Ariel and gets him to bring forth spirits to perform a wedding masque as the mythical figures Iris, Juno and Ceres. The spirits dance and then they bless Miranda and Ferdinand. Many modern directors cut this masque sequence becomes it seems awkward, dated and does not really advance the plot at all. But what one must remember is that masques were a fashionable theatrical convention around 1611 because of Inigo Jones. Shakespeare also does this quite tastefully in this scene. It is whimsical and even in modern films from romances to rom-coms to zom-rom-coms to Bollywood romantic interludes, everyone loves a good song and dance. Who knows what extra spectacles this scene originally held. It could have been like a rock-opera meets Bollywood on the catwalk. Anyway, Ferdinand is at least so impressed by the masque that he expresses his desire to stay on the island forever:

"This is a most majestic vision, and

Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold

To think these spirits?

…Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father and a wife

Makes this place Paradise. “

The play then has Juno and Ceres do another dance but when the Reapers enter, then Prospero is reminded of the "foul conspiracy of that beast caliban and his confederates" and stops proceedings and dismisses the spirits. 
“Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd;

Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled:

Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:

If you be pleased, retire into my cell

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,

To still my beating mind.”

The anger of Prospero disturbs Miranda and Ferdinand. Prospero assures the young couple that it is only because he is troubled and he says he will be okay once he has taken a walk. Ferdinand and Miranda exit and Prospero calls Ariel to make preparations for the three conspirators who tells Prospero that when last she left them they were "red hot with drinking" and scheming to steal Prospero’s magic book and kill him. Ariel relates that he created music and lead the three into rough terrain with prickles and then into a "filthy mantled pool" beyond Prospero's cell. Prospero is pleased and thanks Ariel. Prospero and Ariel then set up their trap for Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo.

In Prospero’s cell on a clothesline, Prospero and Ariel hang an array of fine apparel for the men to attempt to steal, after which they render themselves invisible. Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano enter, wet and in a temper from their swamp ordeal. Stephano and Trinculo see the finery draping and are caught up with this, distracted and want to steal the fine clothes. Caliban complains and says that they should stick to the original plan and kill Prospero. But Stephano and Trinculo disregard Caliban's suggestion and go to take the fine clothes but are stopped by the noise of hunters and hunter horns and the appearance of a spirits shaped like hounds which seem to attack them. Prospero is able to clear the spirits and disperse Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo and then tells Ariel that Prospero's business is almost ended and that shortly he will make good on his promise to give Ariel his freedom:

“Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!

…Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints

With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews

With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them

Than pard or cat o' mountain….

Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour

Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:

Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou

Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little

Follow, and do me service.”