The Tempest: Scene-by-scene Summary

Act 1 Scene 1

Act 1 Scene 1

Alonso (King of Naples), Ferdinand (his son), Sebastian (his brother), Gonzalo (his counsellor), Antonio (Duke of Milan, who usurped Prospero) are all returning to Italy after the wedding of Claribel. They are all caught in a storm and they are getting in the way of the crew attempting to control the ship.

Act 1 Scene 2 (5)

• Miranda is upset because she watched the ship get wrecked by the storm so she talks to her father.

• Prospero tells her the story of how they got on the island and then puts her to sleep.

• Prospero calls on Ariel who created the storm and threatens him to do more work

• Prospero then wakes Miranda and calls on Caliban, whom he then argues with

• Ariel lures Ferdinand with music to Miranda and the two instantaneously fall in love

Act 2 Scene 1

• Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian, & Gonzalo all wash up on the island. Gonzalo makes his commonwealth speech, and everyone laments on the marriage of Claribel.

• Ariel sends all but Antonio & Sebastian to sleep, and Antonio persuades Sebastian to betray Alonso, as he did to his brother Prospero. As they draw their swords, Ariel wakes everyone up.

Act 2 Scene 2

Trinculo and Stephano wash up on shore and they encounter Caliban, whom they subjugate as they similarly were previously subjugated.

Act 3 Scene 1

This gives us more insight into the courtly love process as Ferdinand carries logs as ordered by Prospero, who is watching over them the whole time.

Act 3 Scene 2

Caliban Trinculo & Stephano return to the stage and Ariel incites Trinculo & Stephano to fight by mimicking him. Caliban tells them the island is run by a tyrant and persuades Stephano to kill Prospero. Ariel then lures them offstage with music.

Act 3 Scene 3

The noblemen appear again and are tired from searching for Ferdinand. A mystical banquet is laid out from which Alonso decides to eat. However Ariel then appears as a harpy and tells them they are being punished for usurping Prospero.

Act 4 Scene 1 (2)

• The masque scene in which Prospero agrees to let Miranda and Ferdinand marry

• Ariel sets out fancy clothes to distract Trinculo and Stephano, however Caliban tells them to leave it. They are all then chased off stage

Act 5 Scene 1 (2)

• Prospero revokes his studies and forgives/frees everyone. Everyone from Milan returns there.

• Prospero then speaks to the audience directly