• The obvious parallel as a burlesque of the power politics of the Milanese and Neapolitan Courts. We should feel that their plotting is absurd, pathetic, but also fraught with danger. The world is rife with the chaos of UBU.

• To both Trinculo and Caliban, Stephano is their liberator. Trinculo can rise from being the butt of jokes and abuse, Caliban from literal enslavement and humiliation. But power is power, and it must be clear that Stephano would be a mad miniature Stalin.

• Stephano derives his power from control of the liquor supply. The flask is the royal treasury. They must handle it as if it’s jewel-encrusted.

• At the crucial moment, Caliban offers Miranda to Stephano. This is his ultimate corruption. Why wouldn’t he aspire to her himself? My premise is that Prospero, for purposes both of vengeance and safety, has castrated him. So he can possess her only by proxy. Their aggrandizing Stephano is the oppresseds’ habit of gaining proxy power by self-enslavement.

• Radical shifts of tone in latter part of scene: rage to lasciviousness to slobbery sentimentality to cold calculation to musical comedy to terror to drunken resolution. This should build the contrast of absurdity with perilous unpredictability.

3:2—STEPHANO PLOTS HIS KINGSHIP AS HIS FLUNKIES JOCKEY FOR POWER.

Music. To black. Recapitulation of musical themes. Audio fragments of Gonzalo’s utopian vision blend in and out.

01-Lights up on the clump of Trinculo R, Stephano C and Caliban L, DC, swaying slowly back and forth. Stephano drinks, hands it to Trinculo.

>>>Stephano: Tell not me:—when the Butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up and board’em.—Servant Monster, drink to me.

Takes it from Trinculo, gives it to Caliban. Trinculo reaches for it, Stephano takes it again, drinks.

>>>Trinculo: Servant Monster! the folly of this Island! They say there’s but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if th’ other two be brained like us, the State totters.
Trinculo takes it, Stephano grabs it back, hands it to Caliban. Caliban takes long drink.

>>>Stephano: Drink, servant Monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are set in thy head.
>>>Trinculo: Where should they be set else? he were a brave Monster if they were set in his tail.

Stephano hands flask to Trinculo, who drinks. Stephano & Trinculo stagger away, then regroup.

>>>Stephano: My man-Monster hath drowned his tongue in sack. Thou shalt be my Lieutenant Monster. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good Moon-calf.
>>>Caliban: How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.

02-Kneels to kiss Stephano’s shoe. Trinculo offers him his ass to lick.

>>>I’ll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trinculo and Stephano stagger away, regroup again.

>>>Trinculo: Thou liest, most ignorant Monster. Why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever a man a Coward that hath drunk so much Sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a Fish and half a Monster?
>>>Caliban: Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my Lord?
>>>Trinculo: ‘Lord’ quoth he!—that a Monster should be such a Natural!
>>>Caliban: Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee.

Stephano grabs Trinculo.

>>>Stephano: Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer, the next Tree! The poor Monster’s my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

03-He puts his hand on Caliban’s head on “my subject,” forcing him down at “he shall not suffer indignity.”

>>>Caliban: I thank my noble Lord. Wilt thou be pleas’d
>>>To hearken once again the suit I made thee?

Stephano X R to distance, as if giving audience to the others. Trinculo realizes he’s leaning on Caliban, follows Stephano, winding up to R of Stephano.

>>>Stephano: Marry, will I; kneel, and repeat it: I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Both collapse. Ariel appears from behind Caliban, then disappears. Caliban makes broad expressive gestures as he makes his petition.

>>>Caliban: As I told thee, I am subject to a Tyrant, a Sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the Island.

04-Ariel reappears to R of Stephano, behind Trinculo.

>>>Ariel: Thou liest.

Ariel disappears.

>>>Caliban: Thou liest, thou jesting Monkey thou;
>>>I would my valiant Master would destroy thee;
>>>I do not lie.
>>>Stephano: Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.
>>>Trinculo: Why, I said nothing.
>>>Stephano: Mum then and no more. Proceed.
>>>Caliban: I say, by Sorcery he got this isle;
>>>From me he got it: if thy Greatness will,
>>>Revenge it on him,—for, I know, thou dar’st;
>>>But this Thing dare not,—
>>>Stephano: That’s most certain.
>>>Caliban: Thou shalt be Lord of it and I’ll serve thee.
>>>Stephano: How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party?
>>>Caliban: Yea, yea, my Lord: I’ll yield him thee asleep,
>>>Where thou may’st knock a nail into his head.

Ariel reappears above Trinculo.

>>>Ariel: Thou liest; thou canst not.

Ariel disappears. Caliban in extreme rage:

>>>Caliban: What a pied Ninny’s this! Thou scurvy patch!—
>>>I do beseech thy Greatness, give him blows,
>>>And take his bottle from him: When that’s gone
>>>He shall drink nought but brine; for I’ll not show him
>>>Where the quick Freshes are.

Stephano grabs Trinculo.

>>>Stephano: Trinculo, interrupt the Monster one word further, and, by this hand, I’ll turn my mercy out o’ doors and make a Stock-fish of thee.

Turning away, pounding his own hand.

>>>Trinculo: Why, what did I? I’ll go further off.
>>>Stephano: Didst thou not say he lied?

Grieved blurt from Caliban. Ariel appears behind Trinculo, trilling merrily.

>>>Ariel: Thou liest.
>>>Stephano: Do I so? take thou that.

05-Ariel disappears. Stephano beats Trinculo.

>>>As you like this, give me the lie another time.
>>>Trinculo: I did not give thee the lie:—

Trinculo shakes loose.

>>>Out o’ your wits and hearing too?—A pox o’ your bottle! this can Sack and drinking do.—A mildew on your Monster, and the devil take your fingers!

Caliban in fit of laughter, painful.

>>>Caliban: Ha, ha, ha!
>>>Stephano: Now, forward with your Tale.—Prithee stand further off.

Stephano hauls Trinculo to Left, Caliban around above them to R. Then Stephano waves Trinculo farther L but himself moves backward to R as Trinculo remains immobile. Caliban fierce.

>>>Caliban: Beat him enough: after a little time
>>>I’ll beat him too.
>>>Stephano: Stand further.—Come, proceed.
>>>Caliban: Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him
>>>I’ the afternoon to sleep: there thou may’st brain him,
>>>Having first seiz’d his books; or with a log
>>>Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
>>>Or cut his windpipe with thy knife. Remember
>>>First to possess his Books;

06-Silver books appear before them, floating. All watch these as if hallucinogenic visions.

>>> for without them
>>>He’s but a Sot, as I am, nor hath not
>>>One Spirit to command: they all do hate him
>>>As rootedly as I. Burn but his Books;
>>>And that most deeply to consider is
>>>The beauty of his daughter;

Miranda mask appears before them, floating. Caliban reaches to touch it, then remembers himself. Grieving:

>>> he himself
>>>Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman,
>>>But only Sycorax my Dam and she;
>>>But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
>>>As great’st does least.
>>>Stephano: Is it so brave a Lass?
>>>Caliban: Ay, Lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant,
>>>And bring thee forth brave brood.
>>>Stephano: Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be King and Queen,—save our Graces! and Trinculo and thyself shall be Viceroys.

Pats and hugs Caliban, then turns to Trinculo, far L.

>>>Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?
>>>Trinculo: Excellent.
>>>Stephano: Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee;

07-Stephano & Trinculo embrace. Caliban joins in. They build to a copious weeping. Then Stephano suddenly regains dignity:

>>>but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

Whacks Trinculo on head.

>>>Caliban: Within this half hour will he be asleep;
>>>Wilt thou destroy him then?
>>>Stephano: Ay, on mine honour.
>>>Ariel: This will I tell my Master.

Ariel appears above behind them, then disappears.

>>>Caliban: Thou mak’st me merry. Will you troll the Catch
>>>You taught me but while-ago?
>>>Stephano: At thy request, Monster: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.

Sings.

>>>Flout ‘em, and scout ’em; and scout ‘em, and flout ’em;
>>>Thought is free.

They sway back and forth singing, then lose balance, fall.

>>>Caliban: That’s not the tune.

Sound of music. All sudden attention.

>>>Stephano: What is this?
>>>Trinculo: This is the tune of our Catch, played by the picture of Nobody.
>>>Stephano: If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, do as thou list.

Stephano and Trinculo turn about, looking all directions.

>>>Trinculo: O, forgive me my sins!
>>>Stephano: He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee.—Mercy upon us!

Fist raised, then suddenly cowers, clutching Trinculo, both near weeping with terror.

>>>Caliban: Art thou afeard?
>>>Stephano: No, Monster, not I.

08-Music, light change. Great wonder, with instinctive gestures.

>>>Caliban: Be not afeard: the Isle is full of noises,
>>>Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
>>>Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
>>>Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
>>>That, if I then had wak’d after long sleep,
>>>Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
>>>The clouds methought would open and show riches
>>>Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak’d
>>>I cried to dream again.

In the same dreamy tone:

>>>Stephano: This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my Music for nothing.
>>>Caliban: When Prospero is destroyed.
>>>Stephano: That shall be by and by.

Eager, then reluctant:

>>>Trinculo: The sound is going away: let’s follow it, and after do our work.
>>>Stephano: Lead, Monster; we’ll follow.—I would I could see this Drummer! he lays it on. Wilt come?