Act One, Scene Two, C. Essential elements:
* Strong focus throughout on Miranda’s reaction to Caliban; she’s forced into his presence though it’s intolerable to her.
* Prospero has no clear motive for the scene unless it’s directly connected to Miranda’s reaction. He seems to be goading reactions from Caliban that finally push Miranda to curse her former playmate.
* No evidence that “did seek to violate the honor of my daughter” meant an attempted rape; more likely it was clumsy sex play, interrupted, between an innocent 15-year-old and an equally inexperienced, desperate 25-year-old. Caliban’s outburst “O ho!” sounds like impotent bravado.
* Like Ariel, this too is an enslavement, but one with no prospect of freedom.

1:2C – FURTHERING HIS PLOT, PROSPERO ENSURES HIS CONTROL OF MIRANDA BY FORCING HER AGAIN TO WATCH CALIBAN’S HUMILIATION.

01 – Hands remove cloak from Prospero; he comes R to the sleeping Miranda.
>>>Prospero: Awake, dear heart, awake! thou hast slept well;
>>>Awake!

Passes hand over her face; she wakes. Prospero turns and reveals Prospero Puppet.
>>>Miranda: The strangeness of your story put
>>>Heaviness in me.
Prospero Puppet embraces Miranda.
>>>Prospero: Shake it off. Come on,
>>>We’ll visit Caliban my slave, who never
>>>Yields us kind answer.
>>>Miranda: ‘Tis a villain, Sir, I do not love to look on.
She pulls away. He restrains, then cajoles her. Video transition.
>>>Prospero: But, as ’tis,
>>>We cannot spare him: he does make our fire,
>>>Fetch in our wood; and serves in Offices
>>>That profit us.–

02-Cage door appears SL held by Spirit, Caliban behind it, turned away. Prospero holds Miranda, moves with her into RC area.
>>>What ho! slave! Caliban!
>>>Thou Earth, thou! speak.
>>>Caliban: [Within.] There’s wood enough within.
Prospero, demonstrating to Miranda, picks up twig, brandishes it as wand in jest.
>>>Prospero: Come forth, I say; there’s other business for thee:
>>>Come, thou Tortoise! when?
>>>Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself
>>>Upon thy wicked Dam, come forth!
At “wicked Dam,” Caliban turns front sharply. Spirit removes cage door, Caliban charges toward Prospero. Prospero raises twig, Caliban cowers back. Prospero looks to Miranda, laughs, tosses twig away. Miranda looks away, never looking at Caliban.

03-Caliban cowers L as he addresses Prospero RC, trying to sound fierce but fighting tears of humiliation. He has a slight deformation, like Down’s syndrome.

>>>Caliban: As wicked dew as e’er my mother brush’d
>>>With Raven’s feather from unwholesome Fen
>>>Drop on you both! a South-west blow on ye,
>>>And blister you all o’er!
Prospero lowers puppet, reveals himself in full stature to Caliban. The real wand appears in his hand; he points it like a torture instrument. Continuing, Caliban whimpers & involuntarily twitches at each threat.
>>>Prospero: For this, be sure, tonight thou shalt have cramps,
>>>Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; Urchins
>>>Shall forth at vast of night, that they may work
>>>All exercise on thee: thou shalt be pinch’d
>>>As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging
>>>Than Bees that made them.
>>>Caliban: I must eat my dinner.
Starts UL, then turns back at Prospero. Very quiet.
>>>This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,
>>>Which thou tak’st from me. When thou cam’st first,
>>>Thou strok’dst me, and made much of me; wouldst give me
>>>Water with berries in’t; and teach me how
>>>To name the bigger light, and how the less,
>>>That burn by day and night: and then I lov’d thee
>>>And show’d thee all the qualities o’ th’ Isle,
>>>The fresh Springs, Brine-pits, barren place and fertile.
Sob from Miranda. Sudden outburst:
>>>Cursed be I that did so!–All the Charms
>>>Of Sycorax, Toads, Beetles, Bats, light on you!
>>>For I am all the Subjects that you have,
>>>Which first was mine own King; and here you sty me
>>>In this hard Rock, whiles you do keep from me
>>>The rest o’ th’ Island.
>>>Prospero: Thou most lying slave,
>>>Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have us’d thee,
>>>Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodg’d thee
>>>In mine own Cell, till thou didst seek to violate
>>>The honor of my child.
Caliban and Miranda both strong physical reaction, then Caliban outburst, laughter like expulsion of breath.
>>>Caliban: Oh ho! Oh ho!–would it had been done!
>>>Thou didst prevent me;
He cringes back, clutching his groin: he has been castrated. Very weak:
>>> I had peopled else
>>>This Isle with Calibans.

04-Prospero touches Miranda, she explodes, never looking at Caliban. Prospero moves UC, giving her free rein; he holds his puppet effigy.
>>>Miranda: Abhorred Slave, I pitied thee,
>>>Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour
>>>One thing or other: when thou didst not, Savage,
>>>Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like
>>>A thing most brutish, I endow’d thy purposes
>>>With words that made them known: but thy vile race
>>>Had that within which good natures
>>>Could not abide; therefore wast thou
>>>Confined into this Rock,
>>>Who hadst deserv’d more than a prison.
>>>Caliban: You taught me Language; and my profit on’t
>>>Is, I know how to curse: the red plague rid you,
>>>For learning me your language!

Prospero forward, his puppet image clutches Miranda, wielding wand toward Caliban. Caliban into spasm of silent shrieks of terror.

05->>>Prospero: Hag-seed, hence!
>>>Fetch us in Fuel. Shrug’st thou, Malice?
>>>If thou neglect’st, or dost unwillingly
>>>What I command, I’ll rack thee with old Cramps,
>>>Fill all thy bones with Aches and make thee roar,
>>>That beasts shall tremble at thy din.
>>>Caliban: No, pray thee!–
Miranda clutches Prospero’s arm, pleading in spite of herself.
>>>I must obey: his Art is of such power,
>>>It would control my Dam’s god, Setebos,
>>>And make a vassal of him.
Caliban touches earth on mention of Setebos.
>>>Prospero: So, slave; hence!

Miranda looks around into Caliban’s eyes across the stage. A moment, then she looks away. Caliban backs slowly off. Miranda runs into far R area.

06-Prospero covers Miranda’s eyes. She falls asleep.

Next entry: Jan. 5th

A week of steady work on Rash Acts, intermixed with lots of Holiday partying and some serious observances that also included partying. Got a new cheap graphics tablet to help me with storyboarding and other sketches. And getting ready to start the first sculpting for Tempest — three lumps of clay on the sculpting stands and the start of a test mask for the Spirits.

My ultimate goal for this production will be to present something that gives people as much joy as Elizabeth’s new dessert concoction: bittersweet chocolate melted over pomegranate seeds. Intense, juicy, with a hard crackle inside.
Peace & joy–
Conrad