The Tempest

By William Shakespeare

It is entirely probable that the date of "The Tempest" is 1611, and that this was the last play completed by Shakespeare before he retired from active connection with the theater to spend the remainder of his life in leisure in his native town of Stratford-on-Avon. The main thread of the plot of the drama seems to have been some folk-tale of a magician and his daughter, which, in the precise form in which Shakespeare knew it, has not been recovered. The storm and the island were, it is believed, suggested by the wreck on the Bermudas in 1609 of one of the English expeditions to Virginia. Traces are found, too, of the author’s reading in contemporary books of travel. But the plot itself is of less importance than usual. Supernatural elements are introduced with great freedom, and the dramatist’s interest was clearly not in the reproduction of lifelike events. The presentation of character and the attractive picturing of the beauty of magnanimity and forgiveness are the things which, along with its delightful poetry, make the charm of this play. It is not to be wondered at that readers have frequently been led to find in the figure of the great magician, laying aside his robes and wonder-working rod in a spirit of love and peace toward all men, a symbol of the dramatist himself at the close of his great career; and it is surely legitimate to play with this idea without assuming that Shakespeare consciously embodied it. One can hardly conceive a more fitting epilogue to the volume which is the crown of the world’s dramatic literature than the romance of "The Tempest."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781596251359

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright the world has seen. He produced an astonishing amount of work; 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 5 poems. He died on 23rd April 1616, aged 52, and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.

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Reviews for The Tempest

[phoenixterran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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

[velmeran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's Shakespeare. Really, what else can I say?

[glenline · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shakespeare at his best.

[katieloucks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

love it!!!!

[potterhead9.75 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

His weakest work.

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[pjulian-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[antao-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[alcracka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!

[datrappert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[frozenplums · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[leslie398 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3½ stars - I found I had some trouble in parts with following the action just reading this rather than seeing a performance. I also found Prospero's sudden reconciliation with his brother rather unconvincing.

[fleurdiabolique · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. His vision and poetic skill have come to full maturity in this fantasy of loss and redemption.

[dancingant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is so-said Shakespeare's last play. Very clear plots attracted me as my first peek at English literature.

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[rmagahiz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A strange but moving work, performed here by a wonderful set of players.

[chrisblocker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For the past year, the fates have been telling me I needed to read William Shakespeare's final work The Tempest. Alright fates, I did it! Now you can shove it!!!

Honestly, I was disappointed. There was so much potential in this one, but it was as though Shakespeare, “The Man,” was giving up. Great premise, great setting, great characters with witty dialogue, but why, Prospero? Why do you relent so easily? Ferdinand, what do you see in Miranda? What was the point of it all, Shakespeare? It wasn't clear. These characters just could not convince me of this world.

The ending was classic. C-L-A-S-S-I-C. It seems “The Man” knew he was retiring. Having the magician, Prospero—possibly a reflection of Shakespeare himself—address the audience was brilliant. He explains his mission was to entertain, begs pardon for all his wrongs, and asks to be set free. Loved it.

If only the rest of the play could have been so affecting and clever. Nonetheless, I thank The Man for his entertainment, forgive him his wrongs, and set him free. Run, Shakespeare run.

[cyafer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jpsnow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This wasn't quite a comedy and isn't a tragedy. Prospero is an interesting character -- a scholar, a duke, a stranded man, a plotter, and a dad.

[davefragments · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this before I saw it staged at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. This is Shakespeare's masterpiece.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this, though it was a little hard to keep track of everyone and the spirits too.

[crowyhead · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, in terms of the richness of the story and the language.

[deckla_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[neverstopreading-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

 Dramatized audio recordings of are difficult for to listen to because there are so many minor characters. This one was a bit more manageable.

[melissalenhardt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[scott_hercher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not one of the Bard's best.

[aramissciant · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick reread ahead of seeing Julie Taymor's big-screen adaptation. The first/last time I read this play was aeons ago in school, and since it's not one of my favorite ones --the ones I read/see again and again-- I found I needed some help from time to time. I enjoyed the re-encounter with the play as I only remembered vaguely that there was a sorcerer and his daughter, and the most popular quotations: strange bedfellows, brave new world and such stuff as dreams are made of.. Now, I'm ready but it's still not one of my favorite plays.

[jenniferthomp75 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thunder, lightning, magical creatures and islands. A lovely fantasy.

[maferpabe · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The tragic story of Prospero, a wizard that is actually the duke of Milan. He is send to and island after his jelous brother. Propero is send with his only daughter, Miranda. Tweleve years had pass now and the beautiful Miranda is now fifteen.In the island, Prospero now has under control Arial, a spirt, and Caliban a men that is now his slave. With the help of Ariel and his own magic, Prospero sank the fleet in were his bother and some other friends were trabeling. His plans of revenge for the moment seem to work out perfectly, it is needed time to see what happens.This is a story full of magic, tangles and mysteries. The characters made this play full of life, letting the reader involves in the events. Although the language used get complicated some times the plot is very interesting.

[m_dow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of a prince who is shipwrecked in a strange land on his journey home is a frequent theme of Classical literature. These strange lands are almost certainly snares, attempts to prevent the hero from fulfilling his destiny and arriving at his homeland, and the usual method of entrapment is seduction.Odysseus on Calypso's island, Aeneas in Carthage, and Jason and Medea as told in the Metamorphoses. In The Tempest, Ferdinand finds himself in just such a situation. Washed up on a strange shore, Ferdinand meets the strange and entrancing woman who bewitches him and inspires him to remain in captivity instead of heading home to rule his city. He believes that he is the king (1.2.435 "Myself am Naples"), but will remain on the island for Miranda's sake. What makes The Tempest different from the other stories is the presence of Prospero, the one who is actually orchestrating the lovers' encounter.Prospero was a philosopher-king defeated by a MachiavelProspero was a stranger ot his state, "being transported / and rapt in secret studies." Antonio is described as having set "All hearts i' the' state / to what tune pleased his ear, . . " (1.2.79-116), who realized that he had to learn Machiavellianism if he was to maintain his throne. He speaks in Machiavellian terms of Fortune bringing him the opportunity which he must not neglect (1.2.178-184). He manipulates the situation to his best possible advantage; intersetingly, he does this through Baconian methods. His whole life has been about studying ways to manipulate nature, achieving power over nature. This is what enables him in the end to achieve power over the shipwrecked men -- for the power of man over Nature really means the power of some men over other men with Nature as the instrument.Prospero takes a fundamentally adversarial stance to Nature as portrayed by both of the original inhabitants of the island, Caliban and Ariel. He originally tried being nice to Caliban (1.2.344-348), but learned to his chagrin that this part of nature is tricksy and unyielding. He also freed Ariel from the pine tree, but only because Ariel is useful to him; he dominates Ariel, praising and scorning him by turns even as a large part of his power depends on the sprite. He cannot afford to alienate Ariel as he has alienated Caliban, but he still dominates. Prospero believes that he is manipulating everything for the greater good, but he is still manipulating it all, and this will eventually lead to what we know as the Brave New World (5.1.182-185).It is possible to argue that Prospero's endeavor is not Baconian, since he rarely directly manipulates nature but instead relies on a cooperative spirit. Lewis described the eschatology of our power over Nature in Miracles, this way: "In the walking on the Water we see the relations of spirit and Nature so altered that Nature can be made to do whatever spirit pleases. This new obedience of Nature is, of course, not to be separated even in thought from spirit's own obedience to the Father of Spirits. Apart from that proviso such obedience by Nature, if it were possible, would result in chaos: the evil dream of Magic arises from finite spirit's longing to get that power without paying that price. The evil reality of lawless applied science (which is Magic's son and heir) is actually reducing large tracts of Nature to disorder and sterility at this very moment." But when Prospero hears of Gonzalo's tears, his reason defeats his baser desires for vengeance and he realizes that all his manipulation is of the same school as Medea's.(5.1.15-20) It's not noble, it's selfish witchcraft, and he renounces it by quoting Medea's own description of her powers.