The Tempest

The Tempest is Shakespeare's final play, a romance about Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, who uses magic to shipwreck his enemies on his island. The play explores themes of power, forgiveness, colonialism, and freedom, ultimately showing Prospero's choice to forgive rather than seek revenge.

• 1Prospero creates a storm that shipwrecks his brother Antonio and others on his island
• 2Ferdinand, son of the King of Naples, meets and falls in love with Prospero's daughter Miranda
• 3Prospero's sprite Ariel executes various magical interventions
• 4Caliban, the island's original inhabitant, plots with drunken sailors against Prospero
• 5Prospero reveals himself to his enemies and forgives them
• 6Prospero frees Ariel, plans to return to Milan, and renounces his magic

• •Power and control
• •Colonialism and the exploitation of others
• •Freedom and imprisonment
• •Revenge versus forgiveness
• •Art, magic, and creativity
• •Nature versus nurture

• Prospero: Exiled Duke of Milan and powerful sorcerer
• Miranda: Prospero's innocent daughter raised on the island
• Ariel: Magical spirit bound to serve Prospero
• Caliban: Native inhabitant of the island enslaved by Prospero
• Ferdinand: Prince of Naples who falls in love with Miranda
• Antonio: Prospero's treacherous brother who usurped his dukedom

• Written around 1610-1611, considered Shakespeare's final complete play
• Reflects Renaissance interest in exploration and colonialism
• Influenced by contemporary accounts of shipwrecks in the Americas
• Explores ideas about legitimate authority and natural rights
• Contains metatheatrical elements about art and performance

• Analyze how Prospero exercises and eventually relinquishes power
• Examine the colonial dimensions of Prospero's relationship with Caliban
• Discuss the significance of magic and its renunciation
• Consider the contrast between different types of servitude (Ariel vs. Caliban)
• Explore the play's themes of forgiveness and reconciliation