The Tempest, Act 1 Scene 1 runs 65 lines of dialogue, spoken by 7 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 253 lines. This scene is part of Act 1 of The Tempest.
Full Dialogue
Master ♂
Boatswain!
Boatswain ♂
Here, master: what cheer?
Master ♂
Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely,
or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir.
or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir.
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!
yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the
master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind,
if room enough!
Alonso ♂
Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master?
Play the men.
Play the men.
Boatswain ♂
I pray now, keep below.
Antonio ♂
Where is the master, boatswain?
Boatswain ♂
Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your
cabins: you do assist the storm.
cabins: you do assist the storm.
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.
for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.
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.
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.
Gonzalo ♂
I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he
hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is
perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his
hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable,
for our own doth little advantage. If he be not
born to be hanged, our case is miserable.
hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is
perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his
hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable,
for our own doth little advantage. If he be not
born to be hanged, our case is miserable.
Boatswain ♂
Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring
her to try with main-course.
A plague upon this howling! they are louder than
the weather or our office.
Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er
and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
her to try with main-course.
A plague upon this howling! they are louder than
the weather or our office.
Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er
and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
Sebastian ♂
A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
incharitable dog!
incharitable dog!
Boatswain ♂
Work you then.
Antonio ♂
Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker!
We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.
We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.
Gonzalo ♂
I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were
no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an
unstanched wench.
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.
sea again; lay her off.
Mariners ♂
All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
Boatswain ♂
What, must our mouths be cold?
Gonzalo ♂
The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them,
For our case is as theirs.
For our case is as theirs.
Sebastian ♂
I'm out of patience.
Antonio ♂
We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
This wide-chapp'd rascal–would thou mightst lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
This wide-chapp'd rascal–would thou mightst lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
Gonzalo ♂
He'll be hang'd yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it
And gape at widest to glut him.
Though every drop of water swear against it
And gape at widest to glut him.
Antonio ♂
Let's all sink with the king.
Sebastian ♂
Let's take leave of him.
Gonzalo ♂
Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an
acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any
thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain
die a dry death.
acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any
thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain
die a dry death.
65 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Boatswain | 28 | 43.1% |
| Gonzalo | 20 | 30.8% |
| Antonio | 7 | 10.8% |
| Sebastian | 4 | 6.2% |
| Master | 3 | 4.6% |
| Alonso | 2 | 3.1% |
| Mariners | 1 | 1.5% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 28 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 9 lines.
Total speakers on stage
7 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 1
This is Scene 1 of 2 in Act 1 of The Tempest.
Scene length vs. play average
At 65 lines, this scene is shorter than the The Tempest average scene in The Tempest (~253 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Next: Act 1 Scene 2
About Act 1 Scene 1 of The Tempest
Who carries Act 1 Scene 1 of The Tempest?
Boatswain, with 28 lines — about 43% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 7 speakers and the lead holding 43% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.