Miranda : You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp’d And

1.	Miranda : You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp’d And left me to a bootless inquisition, ’ Concluding, “Stay; not yet.”Prospero : The hour’s now come; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; Obey and be attentive…(i) Where are Prospero and Miranda at this moment? What had Miranda seen, a little while ago, that had moved her emotionally? (ii) What had Prospero often tried to tell her earlier? (iii) Which ‘hour’ does Prospero refer to? What does he want Miranda to do now? (iv) Explain the phrase— “bootless inquisition. ” (v) What does Prospero ask Miranda immediately after he tells her to be attentive?
Answer» (i) Prospero and Miranda are on the island at this moment. Miranda has witnessed the scene of ship-wreck which has moved her emotionally. (ii) Prospero had tried to tell her about the events of their lives that brought them to this remote island, i.e., the story of the government by which he was overthrown and expelled from his dukedom. (iii) Prospero refers to the maturity that Miranda has attained, i.e., she is now matured enough to understand everything that Prospero is going to narrate at this moment. He wants Miranda to pay total attention to what he is going to state and explain. (iv) “Bootless inquisition” means an unsuccessful enquiry. Here Miranda wants to say that she has never been satisfied by her father’s answers to her queries about her past. (v) Immediately after telling her to be attentive, Prospero asks Miranda to recall the time and incidents when she was just a child.

Miranda : You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp’d And left me to a bootless inquisition, ’ Concluding, “Stay; not yet.”Prospero : The hour’s now come; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; Obey and be attentive…(i) Where are Prospero and Miranda at this moment? What had Miranda seen, a little while ago, that had moved her emotionally? (ii) What had Prospero often tried to tell her earlier? (iii) Which ‘hour’ does Prospero refer to? What does he want Miranda to do now? (iv) Explain the phrase— “bootless inquisition. ” (v) What does Prospero ask Miranda immediately after he tells her to be attentive?

Answer»

(i) Prospero and Miranda are on the island at this moment. Miranda has witnessed the scene of ship-wreck which has moved her emotionally.

(ii) Prospero had tried to tell her about the events of their lives that brought them to this remote island, i.e., the story of the government by which he was overthrown and expelled from his dukedom.

(iii) Prospero refers to the maturity that Miranda has attained, i.e., she is now matured enough to understand everything that Prospero is going to narrate at this moment. He wants Miranda to pay total attention to what he is going to state and explain.

(iv) “Bootless inquisition” means an unsuccessful enquiry. Here Miranda wants to say that she has never been satisfied by her father’s answers to her queries about her past.

(v) Immediately after telling her to be attentive, Prospero asks Miranda to recall the time and incidents when she was just a child.

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