The Tempest

The Tempest is one of the most famous plays by William Shakespeare. It is about betrayal, power, magic, love and forgiveness. It shows how forgiveness could enrich life in better ways. It all started with a tempest created by the magician Prospero, the now-exiled, once-Duke of Milan. The play begins with two important keynotes, power and forgiveness. Prospero, busy with his studies, trusted his brother Antonio the dukedom. But Antonio, in his attempt at being the ruler, wronged his brother and banished him and his daughter on a deserted island. Prospero, an accomplished conjurer, made the island his home and raised his daughter Miranda. It was during Prospero’s attempt at avenging the wrong done to him, that he conjured a horrific tempest at the sea. In course of time, Miranda finds love in the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand, Antonio asks his brother for forgiveness and the play ends in a happy note with the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand.

Plot Summary

It all starts with a tempest created by a magician, Prospero, to trouble a ship. The voyagers on the ship were king Alonso of Naples and his son Ferdinand along with their friends Antonio, Sebastian and Gonzalo. They were returning home from king Alonso’s daughter’s wedding in Tunis. As the storm worsens, the crew request the voyagers to stay in their cabin, to avoid panic, so that the crew can manage the ship out of the storm. The first scene ends with a cry of help and panic as the ship starts to sink in the storm. 

Prospero and his daughter Miranda lived on a nearby island. Seeing the voyagers struggle, Miranda was praying for the poor soul. Prospero instructed her to calm down and told her his magic had ensured to keep the passengers safe. He then narrated to his daughter the reality that he was once the Duke of Milan. Antonio and his ally, the King of Naples, betrayed Prospero and banished them from their homeland.

With the help of Gonzalo, Prospero escaped with his infant daughter to a deserted island that was magical and had good spirits entrapped within the trees by a dead witch named Sycorax. Prospero, with his magic, had freed them. Ariel, one of the spirits, obeyed the conjurer. Caliban, the son of Sycorax, a vicious monster, was bound to him as a servant. After telling Miranda their story, Prospero puts her under a sleeping spell and talks to Ariel about the tempest. Ariel informs the tempest was created as instructed to him by Prospero and the passengers are taken safely. Ariel asks for his freedom in return for his deed to the master; Prospero promises him his freedom once his goal is achieved. 

Ariel took Ferdinand to another part of the island. Thinking Ferdinand was dead; king Alonso was in grief. Sebastian, brother of king Alonso and Antonio, plans to kill king Alonso of Naples and his friend Gonzalo so that Sebastian can take over the kingdom. Ariel sings a solemn song, and all four become heavy-headed. They fall asleep. On the other hand, Ariel has lured Ferdinand to Miranda and seeing each other, Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love instantly. Prospero thinks Ferdinand is a spy and orders Caliban to take Ferdinand to fetch logs in the jungle. Ferdinand follows Caliban as he wants to prove his love for Miranda. Caliban meets Trinculo and stephano who fed him alcohol. Caliban decides to serve them and persuades them to kill Prospero for his freedom. 

Seeing Ferdinand’s worth, Prospero agrees to give Miranda’s hand in marriage. Then, Prospero has Ariel drive away Caliban and his allies from the island.

On waking up, Ariel plays a trick on the lords on the other side of the island. They are reprimanded for their past deeds. Ariel leads the lords to Prospero. They stand before him in a trance and beg for forgiveness. Prospero forgave them, and Ferdinand and Miranda are revealed to King Alonso. They all travel back to their home guided by Ariel. Prospero gets back his Dukedom, frees Ariel from his service, and vows not to practice magic again. On the other hand, Caliban promises his new master Trinculo and Stephano to behave well.

Theme 

The main theme of The Tempest is forgiveness above vengeance. Although his brother banished Prospero, he forgave him in time. The tempest that Prospero created reflected his suffering on the island. But still, his magic ensures the safety of the passengers. It shows that the tempest was not an act of vengeance but to show his brother how difficult it was to survive on the island. 

Overview

The Tempest is a comedy by Shakespeare. As it centres around the issues of freedom and forgiveness, it is considered a problem play as well. The first known performance of the play was in London, Whitehall palace, on the first November 1911. It has a total of 10 scenes and 2275 lines. It was written around 1611. The Tempest presents the issue of confinement and freedom and how Prospero chooses forgiveness over revenge. It also revolves around the affair between Miranda and Ferdinand. Prospero gives Ariel freedom upon accomplishing his task of teaching his brother, Antonio, and his allies a lesson. He chooses not to use magic again, which was his strength. He finally is restored as the Duke of Milan and accepts the love of Ferdinand for his daughter. Prospero celebrates their marriage and trusts Ferdinand regardless of what his father did to him. This shows us the superior character of Duke Prospero and his wise choices in life. He chooses the moral of his life to be above the confinement of revenge. 

Conclusion

The Tempest is one of the most famous plays by William Shakespeare, set on a deserted island. It is about the one-time Duke of Milan, Prospero, who creates a devastating wind at sea to avenge the betrayal by his brother, Antonio and his allies. The play focuses on magic, love and forgiveness. It also revolves around the affair between Miranda and Ferdinand. Freedom and forgiveness are the core themes of the play. Prospero gives Ariel freedom and frees himself from the spirit of revenge by focusing on forgiveness. He chose not to use magic again. The play teaches us to win over rage, and betrayal and lives a life enriched by moral values.