"Full fathom five thy father lies.
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;(470)
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:..."See in text(Act I - Scene II)
Under strict orders from Prospero, Ariel disguised himself as a water nymph and sings to bewitch Prince Ferdinand, bringing him to Prospero and Miranda. These first several words,"Full fathom five thy father lies" Ferdinand takes to mean that his father has drowned. This whole selection represents the detailed instructions that Prospero has given to Ariel: creating a kind of play within the larger play. Ariel's song emphasizes the fantastic and magical in the play. The lyrical and alliterative language not only persuades Ferdinand that his father is dead, but it also conveys the impression that the play is like a folktale or myth.
