74 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



After the denunciation of Ariel, he shouts : 



" But one fiend at a time, 



I'll fight their legions o'er." 



In Act V Ariel, reporting the condition of the prisoners, tells Prospero " The 

 King, his brother, and yours, abide all three distracted." When Sebastian stands 

 in the charmed circle made by Prospero, he is charged with having furthered the 

 plans by which Prospero and Miranda were so cruelly banished. He is spoken 

 of as suffering most strong inward pinches of remorse. 



When Prospero reveals himself he alludes threateningly to his knowledge of 

 the later conspiracy against Alonso. But throughout the scene he is much harsher 

 toward Antonio than toward Sebastian. When Ferdinand is found Sebastian ex- 

 claims, " A most high miracle! " Though this discovery greatly lessened his pros- 

 pect of becoming his brother's successor. 



After the entrance of Caliban and his boon companions Sebastian is found 

 jesting light-heartedly enough with them, laughing, and endeavoring to rouse the 

 spirits of the silent Antonio. 



Sebastian is " high-stomached." He has a blunt, aggressive manner and, up 

 to a certain point, has great ability as well as courage. But a certain coarseness 

 of conception makes him offensive to finer natures, to whom he, in turn, stands in 

 a relation of suspicious irritation. Not naturally bad, he has, however, no purpose 

 except to live suitably in his position as the brother of Alonso. Led by a deep and 

 conscienceless associate, clever to brilliance, he feels that he has discovered his 

 true nature and becomes positively bad. His is the spirit of mercenary soldiers, 

 or of a standing army, an immense force, capable of good or evil. Under the guid- 

 ance of Antonio he appears as an extreme illustration of selfish aggressiveness as 

 distinguished from selfishness of a more distinctly intellectual order. 



Alonso : Conventional Egoism of Rank. 



In the shipwreck scene the King's conduct is marked by dignity and propriety. 

 "Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? Play the men." Having 

 seen that the duties of the situation are in the proper hands, he retires to his cabin 

 and does not reappear. 



Gonzalo reports the king and prince at prayers. It is clear that his example 

 commands the respect even of Antonio and Sebastian, though they shortly after 

 conspire to assassinate him ; such is the power of courtly discipline. 



In the third scene Alonso is manifestly overcome with grief for his lost son and 

 preserves a depressed taciturnity. After a long speech by Gonzalo, meant to com- 

 fort him, he says briefly, " Prithee, peace." After a prolonged silence, he is pro- 

 voked to a longer reply by Gonzalo's well-meant persistence : 



" You cram these words into mine ears, against 

 The stomach of my sense. Would I had never 



