Dramatic Summary Act 3 Scene 2 of Tempest

Abdus Azad
English 220
Dramatic Summary
Dramatic Summary Act 3 Scene 2 of Tempest We begin the scene with Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban. Stephano and Trinculo are drinking and Stephano orders Caliban to have a drink as well. All three of them drink, while Trinculo continues to make fun of Caliban insulting him by calling him things like half fish and half monster repeatedly, and Caliban gets upset of all the insults and also mocks Trinculo saying he is not courageous and will never serve him. He also pleads Stephano to “bite him to death” and to beat and hit him. Stephano defends Caliban and tells Trinculo that he will hang him if he continues to mock his servant Caliban has a request to make, and Stephano tells him to tell him what he needs while kneeling. Caliban explains again that he is enslaved to a tyrant magician who tricked him with magic spells and stole the island away from him. Meanwhile Ariel has come in invisibly and seems to be creating trouble, he calls Caliban a liar. No one can see Ariel so Caliban thinks Trinculo is calling him a liar and gets defensive and calls Trinculo a monkey and says he is not lying. Stephano warns Trinculo if he speaks out once more that he will knock his teeth out. Trinculo seems to be puzzled he tells him he did not say a word. Caliban continues his story and says that if Stephano is willing to kill Prospero he will be the lord of the island and he will serve beneath him. Stephano becomes interested and says how will they be able to do this and can he bring Prospero to him. Caliban tells him that he can take him to Prospero while he sleeps and he can easily kill him them. Ariel interrupts again and calls Caliban a liar, and that this can’t be done. The blame once again falls on Trinculo, who again does not know what’s happening and thinks the whine is getting to Stephano, this time while Stephano is speaking Ariel calls him a liar. Stephano becomes enraged and beats Trinculo. Caliban is really happy now he tells Stephano to beat him again later and he will also beat him too.
Finally Caliban finishes he tells Stephano that Prospero usually sleeps in the afternoon, and tells him various ways he can kill him, he advises either bashing his head in, stabbing his stomach or slicing his windpipe. But first they must remember to take his spell books away. Caliban claims Prospero will be powerless without his spell books, and so they must burn them. He describes Miranda (Prospero’s daughter), she is apparently one of the most beautiful women that they will lay their eyes to. Stephano gets excited and questions is she really that beautiful? Caliban tells him she is and that she will look good in his bed and will make some really good children.
At last Stephano agrees to killing Prospero, he apologizes to Trinculo and tells him after this is done the three of them will rule the island. Ariel starts to play a tune on his drums and flute, they all think it’s a really good melody. Caliban says he hears this fine melody all the time that there seems to be an invisible drummer on the island. The scene ends with the three of them exiting they want to follow the melody as it seems to be going farther away. They all agree to do the dirty deed (killing Prospero) right after.