William Shakespeare died on April 23rd, 1616—400 years ago today. Herewith are a couple of experts from The Tempest, generally thought to be the last play he wrote alone.
ARIEL sings
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knellBurthen Ding-dong
Hark! now I hear them,–Ding-dong, bell.
Christ of the Abyss, a submerged bronze statue of Jesus Christ. The original is located in the Mediterranean Sea, off San Fruttuoso, between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. This copy, from the original mold, is located off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. Photo by KittyKTs.
EPILOGUE
[Spoken by PROSPERO]
Now my charms are all o’erthrown,
And what strength I have’s mine own;
Which is most faint; now ’tis true,
I must be here confin’d by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon’d the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell:
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be reliev’d by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon’d be,
Let your indulgence set me free.
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