The Tempest — Act 1, Scene 1: On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise

A violent storm drives a ship toward disaster, and the Boatswain struggles to keep the crew working. The Master urges him to move the sailors quickly, while the Boatswain orders the mariners to shorten sail and ignore the noise from below. Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, and Gonzalo come on deck and demand to know where the Master is, but the Boatswain tells them to stay out of the way and go below. He insists that rank means nothing against the storm. Gonzalo jokes grimly about the Boatswain’s luck, while cries of fear rise from inside the ship and the nobles fear they will all drown.