The Tempest: The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]

In Short

This dramatic play depicts Prospero, the ousted Duke of Milan, who uses magic to conjure a terrifying sea storm, stranding his treacherous brother Antonio and King Alonso of Naples on an uninhabited island. Over a single afternoon, Prospero manipulates the castaways through his spirit servant Ariel, orchestrates a romance between his daughter Miranda and the King’s son Ferdinand, and thwarts a drunken murder plot hatched by the island savage Caliban. The drama endures because it deeply explores power, forgiveness, human nature, and the surrender of art.

The Story

The narrative begins in the midst of a violent tempest at sea, where a ship carrying royal passengers struggles against howling winds and crashing waves. On board are Alonso, King of Naples; his son Ferdinand; his treacherous brother Sebastian; Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan; and the honorable counsellor Gonzalo. The crew and royals panic as the vessel appears to split apart, casting everyone into the sea.

On a nearby island, Miranda watches the maritime disaster in horror and begs her father, Prospero, to use his magical powers to calm the waters. Prospero reassures her that no one has perished and takes this moment to reveal her hidden past. Twelve years earlier, Prospero was the Duke of Milan, but his obsession with secret magical studies led him to trust his brother Antonio with state governance. Antonio seized the opportunity, forming a pact with King Alonso to oust Prospero and exile him along with the infant Miranda. Left afloat in a frail boat, they survived thanks to Gonzalo, who secretly stocked their vessel with food, water, and Prospero’s prized library books. They landed on an island previously ruled by the witch Sycorax, whose enslaved spirit, Ariel, Prospero freed, while subjugating her monstrous son, Caliban.

Prospero orchestrates the shipwreck specifically to bring his enemies within his grasp. Using Ariel, he separates the survivors into distinct groups across the island. Ariel leads young Prince Ferdinand directly to Prospero’s cell, where Ferdinand and Miranda instantly fall in love. To test Ferdinand's devotion, Prospero forces the prince to perform grueling manual labor stacking wooden logs.

Meanwhile, Antonio and Sebastian plot to murder the sleeping King Alonso so Sebastian can claim the Neapolitan throne, but Ariel wakes Gonzalo just in time to thwart the assassination attempt. Elsewhere on the island, Caliban encounters the King’s drunken butler Stephano and jester Trinculo. Caliban pledges allegiance to Stephano as a divine master and convinces him to plot Prospero's murder in exchange for the island's control. Ariel overhears their scheme and leads the drunken trio into a filthy horse pond, before distracting them with stolen finery and setting magical spectral hounds upon them.

Prospero confronts his royal enemies by sending Ariel to present a phantom banquet that vanishes in thunder, sternly accusing Antonio, Alonso, and Sebastian of their past crimes. Smitten with remorse, Alonso believes his son Ferdinand has drowned as punishment for his sins. Seeing his enemies humbled and tormented by guilt, Prospero decides to grant full forgiveness rather than exact vengeance. He releases the men from his magical spells, reveals that Ferdinand is alive and happily betrothed to Miranda, and forgives Antonio while demanding the restoration of his dukedom. Finally, Prospero abjures his magical powers, releases Ariel to the wild air, pardons Caliban and the foolish conspirators, and prepares to return home to Milan.

How It Unfolds

A storm strikes at sea A violent tempest batters a royal vessel carrying nobility from Naples and Milan. The frantic sailors argue with the panicked aristocratic passengers while struggling to keep the ship from running aground, but the vessel splits, throwing everyone into the churning ocean waves.

A father reveals the past On a nearby shore, Prospero calms his distressed daughter Miranda and explains that he intentionally raised the magical storm. He recounts how his treacherous brother Antonio usurped his Milanese dukedom twelve years prior, casting them adrift until they miraculously reached this isolated island.

First love kindles The airy spirit Ariel uses enchanting music to lure the stranded Prince Ferdinand directly to Prospero's dwelling. Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love at first sight, though Prospero immediately subjects the young prince to heavy log-stacking manual labor to test his commitment and true devotion.

Treachery in the dark Ariel puts King Alonso and his court to sleep, prompting Antonio to persuade Alonso's ambitious brother Sebastian to murder the king and seize Naples. Ariel intervenes at the critical second by singing in Gonzalo's ear, waking the court and thwarting the assassination plot.

A foolish rebellion brews The island inhabitant Caliban encounters the shipwrecked butler Stephano and jester Trinculo. Fueled by stolen wine, Caliban pledges fealty to Stephano and urges him to kill Prospero during his afternoon nap so they can claim total control of the island.

A spectral judgment Prospero commands Ariel to produce a phantom feast for the starving nobles, only to make it vanish in thunder. Ariel confronts the royals as a vengeful harpy, accusing Antonio, Alonso, and Sebastian of their past betrayals and driving them into guilt-ridden despair.

Reconciliation and freedom After blessing the union of Miranda and Ferdinand, Prospero draws his spellbound enemies into a magic circle. He chooses mercy over vengeance, forgives their transgressions, relinquishes his sorcery, liberates Ariel, and prepares to return home to Milan as Duke.

The People

Prospero seeks complete justice against the usurpers who exiled him, but his magical mastery stands between him and true human connection. Through watching his daughter's pure capacity for love and observing his enemies' genuine suffering, he transforms from a vengeance-obsessed sorcerer into a forgiving ruler who willingly surrenders his magic.

Miranda wants to understand her origins and experience the broader world beyond her isolated upbringing. Her primary obstacle is her total ignorance of human nature and societal deceit, having seen no men other than her father and Caliban. Her innocence and compassionate nature allow her to fall instantly in love with Ferdinand and embrace humanity without bitterness.

Caliban desires liberation from Prospero's harsh enslavement and recovery of the island he considers his birthright. His crude impulses and susceptibility to alcohol make him easily exploited by foolish conspirators like Stephano and Trinculo. Ultimately, he realizes his foolishness in serving a drunken master and resolves to seek grace.

Ariel wants nothing more than absolute freedom from Prospero's service. Held back by the debt of his past rescue from Sycorax, Ariel serves Prospero faithfully and executionally, yet continually demands his promised liberty. By executing Prospero's complex commands with perfection, Ariel earns his final release into the wild elements.

Antonio desires absolute political power and material dominance, willing to overthrow his own brother to secure Milan. Impenetrable to remorse, his main obstacle is Prospero's overwhelming magical control. He remains largely unrepentant, standing as a dark testament to political ambition.

In Its Own Voice

Caliban angrily confronts his master Prospero, pointing out that the only benefit he received from learning European speech was the ability to express his intense hatred for his captors:

You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language!

The invisible spirit Ariel hovers above Prince Ferdinand, singing a haunting ghostly melody that convinces the grieving youth that King Alonso has drowned beneath the sea:

Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade,

Stripped of his magical powers, Prospero steps forward in the play's epilogue to appeal directly to the audience for his freedom and forgiveness through their applause:

Now my charms are all o’erthrown, And what strength I have’s mine own, Which is most faint: now, ’tis true, I must be here confined by you,

What It's Really About

Beneath its magical spectacle, the play examines the nature of political authority, betrayal, and the heavy psychological burden of vengeance. Prospero’s absolute control over the island mirrors a ruler's authoritarian impulse, raising uncomfortable questions about whether power can ever be exercised without coercion and servitude. His subjugation of Caliban and Ariel lays bare the harsh dynamics of colonization, forced labor, and the fundamental human struggle for freedom. Yet the core argument centers on moral restoration: true mastery lies not in manipulating others through artifice or magical force, but in the capacity to relinquish control and choose forgiveness over retaliation. By breaking his staff, Prospero accepts mortality and human vulnerability, demonstrating that reconciliation requires surrendering vengeance.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to philosophical drama, theatrical spectacle, and rich character study will find this work deeply rewarding. The play creates an extraordinary atmosphere—at once eerie, enchanted, and emotionally resonant—as it blends political intrigue with lyrical poetry. What lingers long after reading is the bittersweet weight of Prospero's surrender of magic, alongside its timeless interrogation of liberty, servitude, and human fallibility.

The reading experience presents distinct difficulties. Readers must navigate early seventeenth-century dramatic verse, dense syntax, and period vocabulary, as well as shifts between poetic meter and coarse prose during comic scenes. Furthermore, period attitudes regarding absolute paternal authority and colonial subjugation—evident in Prospero's harsh treatment of Caliban—require thoughtful engagement with the text's historical context. Yet working through these challenges yields immense artistic rewards. Anyone seeking a profound story about breaking cycles of vengeance, or experiencing Shakespeare's final solo masterpiece on the power and limits of human art, will find this drama unforgettable.