“The Tempest” by William Shakespeare is a rich tapestry of magic, betrayal, love, and redemption. Set on a remote island, the play is filled with memorable characters and profound insights. These 42 quotes from the play capture its essence, from the chaos of the tempest itself to the complex relationships between the characters.
42 Famous Quotes from The Tempest
1. “Boatswain: Heigh, my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! Yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master’s whistle.”
2. “What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! Trouble us not.”
3. “Gonzalo: Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.”
4. “I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows.”
5. “Boatswain: Down with the topmast! Yare! Lower, lower! Bring her to try with main – course.”
6. “A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!”
7. “Hang, cur! Hang, you whoreson, insolent noise – maker!”
8. “I’ll warrant him for drowning, though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench.”
9. “All lost! To prayers, to prayers! All lost!”
10. “We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards.”
11. “He’ll be hang’d yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it
And gape at widest to glut him.”
12. “‘Mercy on us!’ – ‘We split, we split.’”
13. “Antonio: Let’s all sink wi’ th’ king.”
14. “O, I have suffered
With those that I saw suffer.”
15. “My library was dukedom large enough.”
16. “Ferdinand,
With hair up – staring – then like reeds, not hair –
Was the first man that leaped.”
17. “For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king.”
18. “Full fathom five thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made.”
19. “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
20. “Hast thou not dropped from heaven?”
21. “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.”
22. “The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked,
I cried to dream again.”
23. “Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air.”
24. “Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
In a cowslip’s bell i lie.”
25. “O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in ’t.”
26. “As you from crimes would pardoned be,
Let your indulgence set me free.”
27. “Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Courtsied when you have, and kiss’d
The wild waves whist.”
28. “I find my zenith doth depend upon
A most auspicious star.”
29. “He that dies pays all debts.”
30. “A very ancient and fish – like smell.”
31. “The isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.”
32. “You taught me language, and my profit on’t
Is, I know how to curse.”
33. “I’ll plague them all,
Even to roaring.”
34. “We cannot simply sit, and let th’occasion
Slip from us.”
35. “The rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance.”
36. “My trust, like a good parent, did beget
Of him an adding – to my trust; which craved
Like greedy beggars, all; and it engender’d,
As high as I, in his affection, would
Inflate him with self – love.”
37. “I have bedimmed
The noontide sun, called forth the mutinous winds,
And ’twixt the green sea and the azured vault
Set roaring war.”
38. “Now does my project gather to a head.”
39. “There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off.”
40. “Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.”
41. “I prithee, remember
I have done thee worthy service; told thee no lies,
Made no mistakings, served without or grudge
Or grumblings.”
42. “The charm dissolves apace;
And as the morning steals upon the night,
Melting the darkness, so their rising senses
Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle
Their clearer reason.”
Conclusion
These 42 quotes from “The Tempest” offer a window into Shakespeare’s brilliant exploration of human nature, power, magic, and forgiveness. Each quote, whether spoken by the noble Prospero, the innocent Miranda, the enslaved Caliban, or the mischievous Ariel, contributes to the rich tapestry of the play. They continue to resonate with audiences today, reminding us of the timeless themes and complex emotions that Shakespeare so masterfully brought to life on the stage.
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