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    The Tempest
    The Tempest
    The Tempest
    Ebook126 pages1 hour

    The Tempest

    By William Shakespeare

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1867
    Author

    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children—an older daughter Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died in childhood. The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright and poet, but also as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death.

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    Reviews for The Tempest

    4/5

    2,098 ratings54 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Since I was in Ann Arbor when the Royal Shakespeare Company came through in 2006, with Patrick Stewart in tow, how could I give up and opportunity to attend at least one of the performances? It required camping out the night before the student tickets went on sale, and getting very wet and cold, but I became a happy owner of a ticket to see The Tempest. The RSC interpretation was a little unorthodox (it took place on an arctic island, among other things) I absolutely loved it and decided that I should probably actually read it at some point.The Tempest is the last finished play to be attributed completely to Shakespeare and is the favorite of many of The Bard's aficionados. While I have a preference to see his plays performed, reading them is very enjoyable as well. The Tempest occurs in one location over the course of one day; the plot, while inspired, is entirely Shakespeare's own. Prospero, the usurped Duke of Milan and a great sorcerer, has lived in exile with his daughter Miranda on a nearly deserted island for twelve years. When a ship sails close by carrying those who put him in such an unfortunate state, he quickly devises a plan to achieve his revenge and even more quickly puts it into motion.I read the Signet Classics edition which provides a general introduction to Shakespeare, an introduction to the play, excerpts from the sources it was derived from, and various commentaries in addition to the play itself, all of which were very nice to have.Experiments in Reading
    • 4/5
      It's Shakespeare. Really, what else can I say?
    • 5/5
      A great play. Never forget Sir Patrick Stewart in the title role. This version includes: Forward, Intro, essay on The Tempest in performance (through 1984), description of the Globe, essay on Shakespeare's sources (with excerpts), annotated bibliography, memorable lines.
    • 3/5
      Even a genius is allowed to be average once in a while. Reportedly the last play Shakespeare wrote on his own, I can't help but wonder if he mailed it in on this. Maybe he needed the money? Maybe he was fulfilling a contract for one more play, much like Hitchcock did with the abhorrent movie Jamacia Inn, his last British production before moving to Hollywood. Whatever the case, The Tempest was neither romantic enough to make me fall in love, tragic enough to make me sad or funny enough to make me laugh. But, it is Shakespheare so even his meh efforts are better than most, but still. Not up to his standards.

      I read along with the text while I listened to the audio version, a practice I highly recommend. I wish I could have done that in high school. I'll definitely suggest immersion reading to my children as they enter high school and discover Shakespeare.

    • 3/5
      Not one of the Bard's best.
    • 4/5
      love it!!!!
    • 3/5
      His weakest work.
    • 5/5
      Shakespeare at his best.
    • 5/5
      Being Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest is a masterful piece in which he uses Prospero as a stand-in for himself within a play full of the magic of stagecraft and his position as playwright.Using all the mystical techniques at his disposal (theatre), Prospero the magician (playwright) writes his tale of revenge as a ship containing his treasonous brother sails near enough to the island for him to set the stage at long last.The Tempest also stands as a magnificent tale even without the allegory. The rightful Duke of Milan (Prospero) is set adrift along with his daughter by his treacherous brother, but manages to survive on an island for twelve years with the help of his magic and the spirits of the island he has impressed into his service. Now, the King of Naples sails home along with Prospero's brother and he can finally seek his revenge, making sure to set his daughter into a happy role as well before things are done.I just love the way this play uses the stage to show Prospero's magic and Ariel's abilities. It truly is a great work by one of the masters.This particular volume I picked up from a local library sale and intend to add it to my Little Free Library for someone else to discover.
    • 5/5
      Amazingg.. It has the ability to enchant every reader through its imagination. The part that I liked less is how (most probably unwittingly I suppose) did Shakespeare show how did Colonisation worked and the attitude of the colonised towards the coloniser. Overall, it gave me a feel of an old tale finishing up. All the negative characters were simply puppets in the hands of Prospers and it was in the understanding of the endurance that we were able to enjoy the present conquests of Prospero. Overall, a wonderful read.
    • 5/5
      Saw a magnificent production of this at Nottingham Playhouse. The shipwreck took place before the beginning proper. While we the audience were prevented from entering, the duke of milan and his fellows got swept from the foyer into the auditorium which was roaring orange light. Everything went quiet. Then we were allowed in to see Prospero on stage in a totally serene blue stage.
    • 3/5
      A very visual play -- it is difficult to read because I think it really needs to be seen for impact. Other than Miranda and Prospero, the characters seemed to blend together; they weren't that well-defined in their differences ... except for the monstrous Caliban, of course. Some nice passages -- "We are such stuff as dreams are made on."
    • 5/5
      O que dizer?

      "O, wonder!

      How many godly creatures are there here!

      How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

      That has such people in 't!".
    • 3/5
      This was just OK for me. I am pretty fussy about my Shakespeare I guess (I know, what nerve). I liked the audio production and it was entertaining, but pretty standard fare. Deposed ruler living on deserted island with daughter learns magic. Uses magical skills to cause a shipwreck, bringing a suitor for his daughter and the chance to right wrongs. Happy ending. Some familiar bits of language - "stuff as dreams are made on", "brave new world" and "strange bedfellows" - to note.
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed this more than other mandatory Shakespeare reads in college because this was required for the best English class ever: "Making Monsters". Ms. Cook's guidance was not annoying like Corum's.
    • 3/5
      None of the characters sucked me in, but the themes it explores are fascinating within the historical and biographical background.
    • 3/5
      This book a bit different was
      From oth'rs of The Bard I've read.
      More with of the fantastic
      F'r sooth, and f'r the head.
      'Twas an amalgam of stylings.
      Or mashup, if thou wouldst.
      With manipulations, calculations
      machinations, Prospero couldst.
      All through, as always all
      The language play is dear,
      And Merrily doth I findeth it
      When bent towards William's ear.
      7 books of the smith have I read, what, ho!
      And now if thou wilt excuseth me, I have 30 more to go.
    • 3/5
      Wizards, man, who knows.
    • 4/5
      Published 1998.


      On this re-reading I noticed that the word "brave" was used a few times in the movies that I watched (Taymor, 2010 & Jarman 1979).

      I like this word. It generates a very good feeling in my heart. This word often makes me think of someone who has a quality to face something difficult with the strength of heart / mind / body... Does not take me much to feel a respect and admiration for this person...

      I also come to know that the word "brave" describes something wonderful, admirable in appearance...

      And I just got curious to see how often the word "brave" was used in "The Tempest". And I started reading the play to look for the word "brave" and "bravely", and every time I found one of these words, I put a post-it note to the page to keep track of it... No, I did not use any fancy software to sort out the words or count the words... The work was done manually... Though I tried to be as faithful and accurate as possible, there might be a few occasions that I missed finding these words...

      It looks like there are 11 occasions that the words "Brave" or "Bravely" were mentioned...

      The rest of this review can be found elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      This was the first Shakespeare play I ever read - from an old white-covered paperback I had when I was 9 years old. I probably didn't understand it very well back then. I REALLY liked the title, though.

      Now, it's still good stuff.

      For me, supplementing my reading with a viewing of Helen Mirren as Prospera... magnified my enjoyment of this book tremendously.

    • 4/5
      I will start this review by saying I liked this play a lot more after I had time to sit and digest it. I knew from the start that I was going to hate Prospero, which does not leave much hope for a favorable opinion because he's behind everything that happens in the play. Prospero plays a good victim, but he's an amazing manipulator. If you can get past that, you will love this story. Characteristic if Shakespeare, The Tempest's pages are full of tragedy, humor, Romance, murder plots, revenge, and a smattering of mysticism. Short, dense, and enjoyable.4 stars.
    • 5/5
      A strange but moving work, performed here by a wonderful set of players.
    • 5/5
      This is a genuinely good work of drama, which I had to read for my Intro. to Drama class. This is one of those works of Shakespeare that has been done in a multitude of forms and variations, so it is quite likely that everyone has a rough idea of the story. Still, you really cannot replace the original. It's a bit odd, but quite good fun as well. As to the edition itself, I found it to be greatly helpful in understanding the action in the play. It has a layout which places each page of the play opposite a page of notes, definitions, explanations, and other things needed to understand that page more thoroughly. While I didn't always need it, I was certainly glad to have it whenever I ran into a turn of language that was unfamiliar, and I definitely appreciated the scene-by-scene summaries. Really, if you want to or need to read Shakespeare, an edition such as this is really the way to go, especially until you get more accustomed to it.
    • 5/5
      It is so-said Shakespeare's last play. Very clear plots attracted me as my first peek at English literature.
    • 5/5
      I read this book in university in my first year and really liked reading it.

      I loved Miranda, she's such a sassy character. Maybe even a little bit feminist? She's certainly defiant enough. Of course, like a lot of other people, I prefer Shakespeare's comedies (or at least, his lighter plays) to his tragedies. I love the island and how Shakespeare uses it as a microcosm to explore the possibilities of a world that is turned upside down by magic.


      I love some of the description that Shakespeare uses in this piece - he talks about a victim of a shipwreck, saying that his eyes are pears and... how this person has been transformed into a part of the ocean life.

      This is a beautiful, magical little play full of witty little quips and Shakespeare's usual messages about human folly and social commentary.

      5 stars. c:
    • 3/5
       Dramatized audio recordings of are difficult for to listen to because there are so many minor characters. This one was a bit more manageable.
    • 4/5
      i read this on my nook e-book and think it would have been a better experience in tree-book form. with shakespeare, i like to go back and forth and re-read passages and while i highlighted a lot of places in the text, it wasn't the same experience.
    • 5/5
      The Tempest is almost a wisp of a thing. There's little plot and almost no character development. It's like a magic trick: you blow into your hand, and a cloud of flame pops up, and a dove flies out of it, everyone claps.

      So the play is the spectacle, and the magic is the language. Prospero's speech, "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," is second maybe only to "All the world's a stage" in crystallizing Shakespeare's philosophy (and better, poetically); and there's Miranda's line, "O brave new world, that has such people in't!" - these and others are among the best lines Shakespeare wrote; and the feel of the play, the atmosphere - that magical island, populated by beasts and wizards, the evocation of a world we were still exploring - it sticks with you, even though, as I said, dramatically speaking, almost nothing happens.

      And Caliban! Arguably the only memorable character - Prospero is cool, and Ariel differs from Puck, but is no Puck, and the others are just placeholders, a virtuous maid here, a villainous uncle there - but Caliban, that sniveling, backstabbing, savage would-be rapist, searching for a God whose boots need licking - he's a tremendous find. (And what made me love Tennyson.) Caliban's right up there with Iago.

      In some ways, this play is all flash. But what a flash!
    • 3/5
      This is my second read through of the play. I'm still not necessarily a fan; the way that Prospero gives blanket forgiveness to Alonso and Antonio seems forced, even if I have a better understanding of why he did it. In addition, the subplot with Sebastian and Antonio's attempt on the king's life goes nowhere. Prospero is still incredibly unlikeable as a main character.

      As far as this specific version goes, it has to be one of my favorite editions in terms of how it handles footnotes. Most versions have ALL notes either lumped into the bottom, or on the facing page to the play. It makes it difficult sometimes to find what you're looking for without disturbing the flow of your reading. This book relegates short notes (one or two word translations of the Renaissance word into modern English) to the left of the line it occurs in, and longer footnotes and explanations to the facing page. Aside from an uncomfortable amount of white space on each page, it is an excellent edition.
    • 5/5
      One of Shakespeare's more unusual an fanciful plays. Not as silly as most of the comedies (and I don't mean silly in a good way). Full of great characters and some of Shakespeare's best quotes. And, of course, the inspiration for Forbidden Planet.

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    The Tempest - William Shakespeare

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    The Tempest

    by William Shakespeare

    July, 2000 [Etext #2235]

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