There be some sports are painful... (The Tempest)

"There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off. Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead
And makes my labours pleasures."
(III.i.1 - III.i.7)

In this passage at the opening of III.i, Ferdinand is speaking in monologue, explaining that he is accepting of the ridiculous work tasks that Prospero has created for him, because of Miranda's love. This passage suggests that Ferdinand believes that everything happens for a reason, or "for the best," which is an ironic sentiment in this specific context, since he is being freely manipulated by Prospero despite Prospero's approval of him; it is also an ironic sentiment in the larger scheme of the play, since all things on the island, in the play, and "on the globe" are suggested to be illusory. The scene of Ferdinand and the logs also ties in with a common theme of punishment and exchange throughout the play, in which sacrifice for many of the characters is necessary to claim/reclaim their "reward"/status/freedom.


Stephanie Solis
Ian Hoch, 1B