Act IV

Synopsis
Act IV begins with Prospero, Ferdinand , and Miranda. Prospero is discussing Ferdinand and Miranda’s future together and gives the young couple his blessing for marriage. After making Ferdinand promise that he will not take Miranda’s virginity before their wedding, Prospero summons Ariel and asks him to bring Iris, Ceres, and Juno to him so they can ‘bless’ Ferdinand and Miranda’s engagement. Iris and Ceres wish the couple good fortune and prosperity and Juno (Jupiter’s wife) begins to sing to them, saying “Honor, riches, marriage-blessing, long continuance, and increasing hourly joys be still upon you, Juno sings her blessings on you.”  After sanctifying Ferdinand and Miranda’s engagement, Iris summons nymphs and reapers to perform a dance for the couple.

However, as soon as the dance begins, Prospero suddenly remembers Caliban ’s plot to murder and overthrow him, and he sends the nymphs and reapers away. After Prospero sends Miranda and Ferdinand away, he and Ariel devise a plan to thwart Caliban’s plan with Trinculo and Stephano. They place lavish, extravagant clothes on a clothesline in Prospero’s cell and wait for Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo to try to steal it. When the three conspirators find the clothes, Stephano and Trinculo immediately become obsessed with the clothing even though Caliban urges them to stick to the original plan of killing Prospero. Caliban does not convince Stephano and Trinculo to leave, and they are all chased out of the cell by Prospero’s spirits of dogs and hounds, ruining their plans.



