Speeches (Lines) for Boatswain
in "Tempest"
Total: 12

1

I,1,4

Master. Boatswain!

Boatswain. Here, master: what cheer?

2

I,1,9

(stage directions). [Enter Mariners]

Boatswain. Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts!
yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the
master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind,
if room enough!
[Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND,]
GONZALO, and others]

3

I,1,17

Alonso. Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master?
Play the men.

Boatswain. I pray now, keep below.

4

I,1,19

Antonio. Where is the master, boatswain?

Boatswain. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your
cabins: you do assist the storm.

5

I,1,22

Gonzalo. Nay, good, be patient.

Boatswain. When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers
for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.

6

I,1,25

Gonzalo. Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.

Boatswain. None that I more love than myself. You are a
counsellor; if you can command these elements to
silence, and work the peace of the present, we will
not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you
cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make
yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of
the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out
of our way, I say.

7

I,1,42

(stage directions). [Re-enter Boatswain]

Boatswain. Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring
her to try with main-course.
[A cry within]
A plague upon this howling! they are louder than
the weather or our office.
[Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO]
Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er
and drown? Have you a mind to sink?

8

I,1,52

Sebastian. A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
incharitable dog!

Boatswain. Work you then.

9

I,1,58

Gonzalo. I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were
no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an
unstanched wench.

Boatswain. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to
sea again; lay her off.

10

I,1,62

Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!

Boatswain. What, must our mouths be cold?

11

V,1,2283

Gonzalo. Be it so! Amen!
[Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain]
amazedly following]
O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us:
I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,
This fellow could not drown. Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace o'erboard, not an oath on shore?
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?

Boatswain. The best news is, that we have safely found
Our king and company; the next, our ship—
Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split—
Is tight and yare and bravely rigg'd as when
We first put out to sea.

12

V,1,2293

Alonso. These are not natural events; they strengthen
From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?

Boatswain. If I did think, sir, I were well awake,
I'ld strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,
And—how we know not—all clapp'd under hatches;
Where but even now with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them
And were brought moping hither.