The first printing of William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” appeared in the “First Folio,” a compilation of all of Shakespeare’s plays. Of all Shakespeare’s productions, it is one of the most unique and flawless. The tragic and comedic parts are skillfully combined. Shakespeare’s dramatic technique is perfectly illustrated by this play.
Noblemen Gonzalo and others. As they wandered disconsolately about the island in search of food and shelter, Alonso lamented the death of his son Ferdinand, who, he believed, had been drowned. Some of the nobles did their best to comfort him, for they told him that his son had been seen swimming strongly towards the shore, and that it was quite likely that he had struggled to land and was still alive. Old Gonzalo was struck with wonder at the greenness and fertility of the island, in which, he declared, men might live together very happily if they would. At length weary with wandering, they fell asleep.
“But Prospero had not forgotten to provide for their welfare. His faithful servant Ariel had, at his command. kept them from harm. But just as the old man had not allowed Ferdinand to win his daughter without some trial, so he determined to make this ship wicked party suffer at first for the wrongs they had done him. Accordingly he commanded Ariel to arrange that they should fail into some trouble, for Prospero was very ready to forgive them but he wanted to be quite sure that they really and truly repented of their sins.
“The party soon awakened from their short and troubled sleep, and, in spite of weariness, began once more their wandering in search of food. Just as they were giving up hope, their ears caught the sound of weird music, and suddenly Ariel and his attendant spirits appeared before them, in strange shapes bringing with them a rich banquet. Then spreading out the feast for the weary travelers to eat, the spirits vanished. Marveling at these magical events, the hungry men made ready to eat, when suddenly Ariel appeared again this time in the form of a winged monster. He clapped his wings over the table, causing the food and dishes to disappear.
“But Ariel himself remained before the astonished wanderers and addressed them. He reminded Alonso and Antonio how sinful they were, and told them that they were hardly fit to live, for they had most unjustly supplanted the good Prospero in Milan, and exposed him and his innocent child to the perils of the sea. Now they themselves had been exposed in their turn to the mercy of the winds and waves, and Ariel told them that nothing could save them from a lingering death on the island but sorrow for their past misdeeds, and a good life afterwards. As soon as he had delivered his message Ariel vanished, leaving his hearers dumb founded at his words. Alonso and Antonio, their guilt thus brought home to them were distracted when they realized what they had done, and rushed away wildly in their remorse.
“But how were the company thus brought together in friendliness, to get back again to their homes in Italy? The ship, as they thought, must be a wreck, and her crew all drowned for aunt they knew. But the faithful Ariel had seen to their safety. By Arial’s skill they had all succeeded in landing unhurt, nor had the ship been oddly disabled. The boatswain and the crew, like the rest of those on board, had also wandered across the island. And thus it happened that as Prospero and his newly-made friends were still talking, Gonzalo caught sight of a number of sailors making their way to them from a distance. The sailors were overjoyed to find that their royal passengers had escaped without harm, and the party with Prospero to his guests. ‘you shall rest in my cave with me and I shall entertain you by telling you the story of my life since I left Italy. tomorrow morning I’ll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples, where we shall celebrate the wedding of your dear Ferdinand and Miranda. Afterwards it is my hope to retire to Milan where I shall dwell till my days on earth end.’
“And on the morrow they left the island, but not before Prospero had bade farewell to his faithful spirits, and especially to his beloved Ariel to whom he his heart’s desire, and set him free for ever to roam the earth careless and merry, Ariel, still devoted to his former master, did not desert them, but went with them until the ship arrived safely at Naples.”
- G. Wyatt
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The Story of ‘The Tempest’
‘There was a lonely island in the sea which had been bewitched by an old hag named Sycorax; and in this desolate spot two human beings were living, Prospero, a wise, white-haired and bearded old man, and his beautiful daughter Miranda, who was about sixteen years old. There was indeed someone else on the island who passed for a man, but he was of such monstrous aspect and shape that he was uglier than an ape. This creature was Caliban, the son of the witch Sycorax, who had died before Prospero came to the island. Prospero had seen Caliban in the woods one day, and had taken him home and tried to teach him, but finding this impossible he had made him his servant, and his duty was to do all the menial, heavy and laborious duties, as the only tasks for which a monster like was fitted.
“Prospero and his daughter lived in a cave where the old man kept his books and studied magic. This art he found very useful to him on the island, for by it he freed many good spirits who had been imprisoned in trunks of trees by Syrorax”, because they would not carry out her wicked orders, before Prospero had come to the island. By these kind act he won the love of the spirits he has freed, who served him gratefully. The chief of them was called Ariel, who was always ready when his master called him. He had the power of flying through the air unseen, and could to many other superhuman things. For instance he could change himself into different shapes at will, and become, if he liked, a hedgehog or any animal. He was very lively and energetic, and used to play all kinds of tricks on the clumsy, Caliban when the latter was lazy and slow in carrying out Prospero’s orders.
“Now it happened that one day a great storm arose and raged furiously round the island.
“Amidst the wild waves, a ship was seen in great distress tossing about at the mercy of wind and billows. Miranda was watching from the shore which her father, and pitying those on board the doomed vessel. She asked him to use his magic power to stop the storm. Prospero calmed his daughter’s fears, assuring her that all would be well, and that the sailors would be saved. ‘But now,’ he added, ‘the time has come to tell you how you and I came here twelve years ago. And Miranda listened while her father told his story.
“Twelve years ago, he told her, he was no less a person than the Duke of Milan, with lands and wealth and power. But because he loved study more than the active life of a ruler, he had entrusted to his brother Antonio the management of state affairs. Antonio, however, had not been true to his trust. Instead of showing loyalty to Duke Prospero, he had plotted to get rid of him. Craftily he obtained the help of Alonso, the neighbouring King of Naples, and one dark night the plotters seized Prospero and his little daughter, took them in a ship out to sea, and set them adrift in a rotten boat that they had brought with them. The carrying out of this wicked order had been entrusted to a kindly man-Gonzalo one of Alonso’s nobles, who put in the boat, with Prospero and his daughter, water and food and clothes, and he most prized books from Prospero’s library. In time the boat reached a little island, where for twelve years Prospero had been occupied with the teaching and upbringing of his child and with the study of magic from the books that had come with them.
“Now those on board the wrecked ship were his old enemies whom a strange chance brought to the same shore. for it so happened that Alonso, the king of Naples, had arranged for his daughter’s marriage with the prince of a country across the sea, and had sailed with a great fleet to carry his daughter to this distant land and to celebrate the wedding. With the king sailed Prospero’s traitor brother, Sebastian, and the son of the King of Naples, named Ferdinand. The kindly Gonzalo was also one of the company. And Prospero by his magic art had raised this storm which blew the king’s vessel to the island shore and was at that moment being broken to piece on the rocks.
“Most of this story Prospero told to Miranda as they watched the storm- tossed ship from the shore, the ship which held the very men who had plotted against his life twelve years before. But though Prospero himself had raised the storm, he did not wish his enemies harm. His plan was just the opposite : he was about to use his magic art to bring about repentance in his enemies and to restore good will between them and him. To carry out his purpose he summoned to his presence the chief of the good spirits whom he had released from bondage, the faithful fairy Ariel. It was Ariel who at Prospero’s command had raised the tempest. Now again at his command Ariel so terrified the royal party on board that they leapt from the vessel into the sea, but came safe to land.
“Ferdinand, son of the king of Naples, landed alone, and was led by magic into presence of Prospero and Miranda. At the sight of him Miranda was struck with wonder. Living alone with her father she had seen no youth like Ferdinand before. As for Ferdinand, her beauty and gentleness moved his heart to love. That his daughter and the Prince of Naples should love and wed was part of Prospero’s plan, but to test the young man’s sincerity he resolved to put difficulties in his way.
‘This other business to which he now attended was the welfare of the King of Naples and his party, who had been cast ashore on some other part of the island. Besides, Alonso, King of Naples, and Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan.
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