Which of these sources is right about "The Tempest"?

Question

This is part of a quote by Ferdinand in the beginning of scene 1 of act 3 of "The Tempest":>But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours, Most busy, least when I do it.According to [literaturepage.com](http://www.literaturepage.com/read/shakespeare-tempest-35.html).But [shakespeareswords.com](https://www.shakespeareswords.com/Public/Play.aspx?Content=Text&WorkId=12&Act=3&Scene=1) offers this from the First Folio:> But these sweet thoughts, doe euen refresh my labours, Most busie lest, when I doe it. and [litcharts.com](https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/the-tempest/act-3-scene-1) offers yet another version (without saying what the "original" is taken from):>But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labors, Most busiest when I do it. Which is right and how should I interpret the sentence?

Answer 1

Building on Audrey K.'s answer, the differences in the text you observe are not "right" or "wrong," but different versions. Audrey mentions the various folios; in case you don't know what she is talking about, we don't have any manuscripts in Shakespeare's hand of the plays (which, remember, were written to be performed by the actors, not for publication as "literature"), so we have to rely on versions that were published after his death. Also, orthography (how words are spelled) has changed over the centuries; in earlier versions of the plays, words were spelled differently than we would spell them now, so most versions of the plays these days modernize the spelling, and often have to make a guess about exactly what words were intended.

Punctuation also has changed (and gotten more formal), so again, modern texts are making their own best guess about exactly where the breaks signified by commas should go. But if you look at the language carefully, you'll see that it isn't really very different in the three versions. If discussion the variations is important to your argument, then you can get into a very elaborate exploration of the subtle differences that might be suggested by the various interpretations of the oldest version (the First Folio), but if your job is simply to analyze what Ferdinand is talking about, follow what Audrey K. has laid out about the basic sense and apply that to your overall argument.

Answer 2

As far as which version should you use, that's a matter of why you are using the quote at all. Is it a performance? Are you writing about it? Which folio did you use for everything else? Does the folio need to matter? These are the questions which determine what should be used for clarity and continuity.

The key to interpreting (I like to say "translating") Shakespeare is context. Ferdinand, a privileged, young, and pampered royal, is collecting firewood. We can safely assume that it's backbreaking work, in part because he has just said that it was. "Sweet thoughts" of Miranda make his work easier and provide him with energy to continue. He works faster when he thinks of this possible blooming romance to a young woman who has no memory of ever seeing a man who wasn't her father, certainly no remembrance of peers.

If you have any other questions, regarding this passage of Shakespeare or any other, don't hesitate to contact me. Ole WillyBilly and I go way back.