The tempest by Shakespeare

WHAT IS A TEMPEST?

  • A tempest is a violent, turbulent storm, typically with strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. In the play, it is a magical storm conjured by Prospero to shipwreck his enemies.

WRITING AND FIRST PERFORMANCE DATE

  • Written: Approximately 1610 to 1611.

  • First Performance: Believed to have been performed on November 1, 1611, at Whitehall Palace in London for King James I and his court, as part of the festivities for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth.

  • First Published: In the First Folio of 1623, where it appears as the opening play.

GENRE

  • Romance (specifically, one of Shakespeare's late romances or tragicomedies). It blends elements of comedy, tragedy, and fantasy, with a heavy dose of magic. Unlike his earlier tragedies or pure comedies, the late romances feature themes of reconciliation, redemption, and forgiveness.

BRIEF PLOT SUMMARY

  • Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, was betrayed and usurped by his brother Antonio and set adrift at sea with his infant daughter Miranda. They landed on a remote island, where Prospero has lived for twelve years, mastering magic and controlling the island's spirit Ariel and the native Caliban. Using his magic, Prospero conjures a storm to shipwreck his enemies (Antonio, King Alonso of Naples, and their court) on the island. He separates them into groups, ensuring his daughter Miranda falls in love with Alonso's son Ferdinand. Meanwhile, Caliban plots with two drunken servants to kill Prospero, while Antonio and Alonso's brother Sebastian scheme to murder the king. In the end, Prospero brings everyone together, forgives his enemies, reveals Ferdinand and Miranda's betrothal, renounces his magic, frees Ariel, and plans to return to Milan as Duke.

MAIN CHARACTERS

  • Prospero: The protagonist and rightful Duke of Milan. A powerful magician who rules the island and orchestrates the shipwreck.

  • Miranda: Prospero's kind-hearted, innocent daughter, raised on the island. She falls in love with Ferdinand.

  • Ariel: A delicate spirit of the air, rescued by Prospero from a witch's curse. He serves Prospero but longs for freedom.

  • Caliban: A deformed, monstrous native of the island, son of the witch Sycorax. He is enslaved by Prospero and represents raw nature and colonialism.

  • Ferdinand: Son of King Alonso. He falls in love with Miranda and represents youthful love and nobility.

  • Alonso: King of Naples. He was complicit in Prospero's overthrow and mourns his son throughout the play.

  • Antonio: Prospero's treacherous brother who usurped his dukedom. He is an unrepentant villain.

  • Sebastian: Alonso's brother. He conspires with Antonio to kill Alonso.

  • Gonzalo: A kind nobleman who provided Prospero with supplies when he was exiled. He represents optimism and loyalty.

  • Trinculo and Stephano: A jester and a drunken butler from the ship. They provide comic relief and ally with Caliban to overthrow Prospero.

MAJOR THEMES

  • Power and Usurpation: The play examines legitimate versus illegitimate rule, authority, and the abuse of power, both political and magical.

  • Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Prospero's eventual choice to forgive his enemies, rather than seek revenge, is the play's emotional climax.

  • Colonialism and The Other: Caliban's enslavement and Prospero's control over the island reflect contemporary European attitudes toward colonized peoples and lands.

  • Magic and Illusion: The play questions reality versus illusion. Prospero's art controls perceptions and events, symbolizing theatre itself.

  • Nature versus Civilization: Caliban represents raw nature, while Prospero represents human civilization and reason, though the line between them is blurred.

  • Freedom and Servitude: Ariel longs for liberation, Caliban is enslaved, and Prospero himself is bound by his magic until he chooses to release it.

  • Love and Innocence: Miranda and Ferdinand's pure love provides a hopeful counterpoint to the treachery and ambition of the older generation.

ACT 1 SCENE 1