I’ve seen several productions of the Tempest.

But I have never read it.

Until now.

My daughter and I read it together actually.

She just started NYU in JAN/25 when she told me she was reading it for a cultural studies class.

I seized the opportunity to get it and dig in.

We also watched the SPELLBINDING 1960 BBC version. The cast was amazing, with Maurice Evans as Prospero, Richard Burton as Caliban, and many others.

IT ROCKS!

It’s available in full, for free on YouTube. Definitely watch it. It’s absolutely amazing.

So why the Tempest? And why now? And why read it for a cultural studies course?

I’m glad you asked. Although there are probably 1 million (or more) words one could say in response to those questions, in very brief, here is my unqualified opinion.

COLONIALISM: The Tempest was written just before the English seized global dominance via colonialism and subjugation of indigenous people. These themes feel strikingly pertinent now, especially considering the current situations in Gaza and Ukraine.

MAGIC/SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/PERSUASION: The play also deals with the use of magic, which can be seen as a metaphor for science or information technology, to confuse and manipulate. In the dawn of AGI and after recent events like the Trump admin’s Group Chat fiasco, this feels uncanny.

ADDICTION: In the Tempest, Stephano and Trinculo ply Caliban with alcohol, representing the exploitation of indigenous people. This theme is even more relevant today.

STORMS/SHIPWRECKS: The play uses the motif of a magical storm and a shipwreck, which is a perfect metaphor for our current situation.

Let’s hope it ends as happily as The Tempest.

LASTLY: It feels silly to rate a Shakespeare play on a 1-5 star scale, but it also feels ironic and apropos. So, 5/5 ⭐️’s.

REREAD (2025):
Willie Shakes was truly an extraordinary figure. His words, such as "Hell is empty and all the devils are here," "We are such stuff as dreams are made on...", "What's past is prologue," and "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!" are simply iconic. The Tempest is Shakespeare's most captivating and relevant play. It delves deep into the mechanisms of colonialism and enslavement. It's an eye-opening read that makes for an afternoon well spent.

REVIEW (2017):
The Tempest is believed to be the last play Shakespeare wrote alone, likely in 1610-11. Set on an unnamed island, it follows Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, as he plots revenge on his brother Antonio and King Alonso of Naples. Prospero uses magic and manipulation to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place. Critics note that The Tempest differs from Shakespeare's other plays in its neoclassical style, respecting the Unity of Time, Place, and Action. It also explores its own nature as a play, with Prospero's magic mirroring theatrical illusion. Some view Prospero as a representation of Shakespeare himself.

The play contrasts Prospero's rational magic with Sycorax's destructive magic. Since about 1950, The Tempest has been analyzed through a post-colonial lens, examining the relationship between the colonizer (Prospero) and the colonized (Ariel and Caliban). Ariel seeks freedom through negotiation, while Caliban is more rebellious. Shakespeare may have been discussing the morality of colonialism through the character of Caliban.

Plot summary
Twelve years before the play begins, Prospero was overthrown by Antonio and fled with Miranda. They landed on an island ruled by the evil witch Sycorax. After her death, Prospero becomes the master of the island and its spirits, including Ariel. Caliban, the only non-spirit, was adopted by Prospero but resents him. At the start of the play, Prospero raises a tempest to bring Antonio, Alonso, and others to the island. Three plots unfold: Caliban's failed coup, the romance between Ferdinand and Miranda, and Antonio and Sebastian's plot to kill Alonso. In the end, Prospero forgives everyone, Ariel is freed, and Prospero pardons Caliban.

Personal thoughts
My favorite scene was the masque at Ferdinand and Miranda's wedding. It was a play within a play, with the goddesses Iris, Ceres, and Juno. I loved the mention of "The Raping of Persephone," one of my favorite myths. The relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda was refreshingly healthy. Miranda's honesty was realistic, as seen in her exchange with Ferdinand. Overall, The Tempest surprised me with its ease of understanding and relatable characters. I was proud to catch some of Shakespeare's puns and loved his graphic language. The father-daughter relationship between Prospero and Miranda was also beautiful. The epilogue was ambiguous and perfect, blurring the lines between illusion and reality.

The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s last plays, and perhaps he had an inkling of this as he penned and produced it. As I was rereading this book for what felt like the hundredth time, I became acutely aware of how powerfully this particular play encapsulates and ties together all the thirty-five plays that preceded it.

The plot is complex yet can be briefly summarized. Prospero, who has been deposed and exiled from his dukedom of Milan (similar to King Lear, the Duke in As You Like It, and the Duke in The Two Gentlemen of Verona), resides on a remote island. With him are his young daughter Miranda, and two opposing spirits or forces of Nature: the ethereal Ariel (comparable to Puck) and the chthonic Caliban, the son of a witch (similar to Aaron and Macbeth’s trio). A ship passing by, returning from Africa (perhaps Othello?), is caught in a storm (like in Lear again) and runs aground. The plot then splits into three parts: 1) the encounter and seemingly complicated love between young prince Ferdinand and Miranda (reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet or the couples in A Midsummer Night's Dream); 2) the regicide plot in the forest by treacherous Antonio and Sebastian against Alonso and Gonzalo (cf. Lear and Macbeth once more); 3) the comical antics between Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo (similar to all the jesters and divine drunkards from Speed to Falstaff).

All these storylines brush with disaster, but The Tempest, although initially appearing as a revenge play, is actually a play about atonement, forgiveness, reconciliation, and ultimately, a journey home. Prospero’s magic powers (represented by the muse-like Ariel) serve as a device that allows Shakespeare to both test and save all his characters, who are finally brought together for the last time before he breaks his staff (his quill) and drowns his books (his plays), “deeper than did ever plummet sound”.

The play has a bittersweet ending and has inspired numerous thinkers, artists, and entertainers, from Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Swift’s Gulliver's Travels to J.J. Abrams' Lost. Additionally, it has had a massive influence on the Science-Fiction genre, especially in cinema, from Forbidden Planet (1956) to the Alien franchise. If you can think of any other similar references, please leave a comment.

Shakespeare, in the play "The Tempest," creates a world in the most colorful and harmonious way possible. It is not necessarily an ideal city, but it is extremely likable. Everything in it is so pure, simple, and without any additional complications. It progresses smoothly and gently, making you truly love it.^^ I liked the description of that magical and colorful island that appears right in the midst of a storm in the ocean and turns into a Garden of Eden for the shipwrecked characters in our story. They, having been purified and reborn, return to life again.

The characters in the play are drawn so simply and borderlessly that you couldn't help but like them.^^ Especially "Miranda," who, in her complete purity and innocence, looks at all the people in the play as if they were created by God. And at the end of the story, when she meets the king and his companions for the first time, she expresses her astonishment, saying:

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't.

Have you caught the point of criticism yet? I won't give any more explanations. :))

---

"The Tempest" is one of the four plays that Shakespeare wrote in the later years of his life. It is a play in the genre of tragicomedy... a tragedy that ends happily, and its main message is that we humans lose something in different periods of our lives in order to gain something bigger and more valuable in return. We die in order to be reborn for a better and more excellent life... And "Prospero" in the story, the Duke of Milan, who is unjustly exiled from his homeland, so that in the future, his descendants will become the kings of Naples.

For the first time, I watched Shakespeare's "The Tempest" in the production of Shakespeare's "Globe" back in about 1986. Well, it was on TV. At that time, the Iron Curtain had just opened, and all kinds of things were coming our way. The performance was subtitled, but at the age of 16, it seemed incredibly boring to me. I don't even remember if I was bored to death or just went to bed. I kept waiting for the magic that the art critic had promised in the preliminary conversation, but these people just kept saying their incomprehensible words against the backdrop of gloomy scenery, and they didn't deliver any miracles to my inquisitive young mind.

Back then, I didn't like the play. But now, 36 years have passed (it's scary to say). There have been several productions of "The Tempest" in my life from different theaters in different cities. I've read and reread it because there are many references to this play in modern literature. When you read a lot, you come across them from time to time. It's time to look at the "Globe" production again. This time, it was on a big screen, with good sound and that special sense of almost presence that the HD Theater project films provide. And it was a completely different feeling.

The story begins with a shipwreck off the coast of an uninhabited island. The ruler there is the exiled Prospero, who lives in seclusion with his daughter Miranda and two servants - the deformed Caliban and the sylph Ariel (do you know who the sylph is? It's the spirit of the air, and here he's called Ariel. Why does he serve? Because Prospero saved him). Ah, it turns out that Prospero caused the storm too? Why? In order to get revenge on his usurper brother who is sailing on the ship and at the same time arrange the fate of his daughter. Besides the treacherous relative Sebastian, there is also the king of Naples, Alonzo, with his son Ferdinand.

Ferdinand predictably falls in love with the beautiful Miranda, and she falls in love with him too. "I would call him divine. There are no creatures on earth so beautiful." Then they should get married, but the stern Prospero prepares a series of tests for the lovers. Let them learn to appreciate each other. And at the same time, he builds a sophisticated mise en scène, during which the key participants of the action (the survivors) are brought together at one point. There is public repentance, justice triumphs, the nations rejoice, the lovers are legally married, and everyone sings and dances. That's all.

This time, everything was more interesting, brighter, and clearer. Maybe it's because I'm at the age of Prospero now, and I already understand a person who is going to devote "every third thought to the demise."

"Tempest" in the production of the "Globe" Theater

"We are made of the same stuff
As our dreams and all our little life
Is rounded with a sleep."

The first time I delved into the works of Shakespeare, I was approximately ten years old. Intrigued by mere mentions of his name, I borrowed a translated collected edition of his plays from the library. I devoured around half a dozen of his renowned works, but alas, it all seemed to sail right over my head. There were merchants engaged in betrayal, ghosts wandering about, bloodshed galore, and even a skull! It was all so bewildering. What on earth was happening?

However, "Tempest" was a shining exception. My younger self was utterly enamored with this play. It had the allure of MAGIC, a sorcerer, a captivating princess, a comical angel, and a magnificent ship being wrecked in a tempest! It was like a dream come true for my young imagination.

Now, more than a decade later, I have decided to embark on this grand play once again. We are thrust into the heart of an island where the sorcerer, Prospero, has been living in exile with his sole daughter for twelve long years. He was once the Duke of Milan, but was betrayed by his own brother, forcing him to flee on a small boat. After a harrowing journey, the boat reached an island ruled by an Algerian witch who had imprisoned the angels of that land. After an epic battle that brought an end to the witch's reign, Prospero emerged as the master of the island.

Of course, we don't get to witness any of these thrilling scenes directly. For us, the story commences at the dawn of Prospero's ultimate PG-13 version of revenge. As the ship carrying his enemies sails through the sea near his island, the sorcerer conjures up a tempest, bringing the visitors crashing onto his shore. With the assistance of his angel, Ariel, he sets his elaborate plan in motion.

This second reading has revealed many aspects that my younger self had conveniently overlooked. I discovered that the mighty sorcerer has his flaws, the beautiful princess is being used as a pawn by her father, the funny angel is actually a slave, and the much-hyped shipwreck wasn't quite as grand as I had imagined.

Yet, despite these revelations, I still find the play utterly mesmerizing. I am particularly enamored with the scenes featuring Caliban. And I have always had a soft spot for Shakespearian prose, especially the insults. "Poor worm, thou art infected!"

----------------------------

Shakesperian First Dates

FERDINAND: Oh god! You are beautiful! Are you a spirit?
MIRANDA: I am certainly a woman.
FERDINAND: If you are not committed to anyone, I shall marry you!
MIRANDA: Oh my dear Ferdinand!
FERDINAND: Oh my...uh... What is your name? And you are a Virgin, aren't you?
PROSPERO: Dude! I am her father and I am standing right here!

\\n   “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” \\n

The last time I delved into a Shakespearean play was during my high school days. It wasn't out of obligation for a class, but rather because the author bestowed my name upon a character in one of his works (and oh, what a delight: Puck the Fae was as diminutive and slender as I was in my teens).
This time around, the dismal autumn weather served as the impetus for me to pick up Shakespeare once more. While Richard III and Macbeth are rife with dramatic tension, The Tempest caught me off guard with its humorous situations and captivating themes.

The Tempest is a bustling play. After a fierce storm (conjured by Prospero, the enigmatic magical man and the rightful duke of Naples) deposits a boat filled with numerous characters onto a tiny island, everyone embarks on a quest to achieve their own objectives.
Prospero desires vengeance against his usurping brother and the Royal Court. Ferdinand wishes to court the girl he has just encountered. Stephano and Trinculo long to get outrageously drunk. And Caliban... Caliban and Ariel yearn for freedom, damn it! Enduring twelve years as a (magical) slave to an authoritarian and self-centered wizard is far from anyone's notion of enjoyment.

With so many people and so many wishes, hilarious misunderstandings and devious schemes are bound to occur. Additionally, as we are well aware from Shakespeare, this play boasts great characters, witty dialogues, and wordplay, along with some very interesting themes simmering in the background. Themes such as betrayal, forgiveness, and the bond between master and slave.

Just consider the relationship between Ariel, Prospero, and Caliban. Prospero is the human master of the spirit Ariel and the'savage' Caliban, yet the latter two conduct themselves in a more human fashion than their master. And given that Prospero is so热衷于studying and teaching his daughter, as well as the audience, about the important aspects of life, why doesn't he educate his servants in the same way? Is it any wonder that Caliban and Ariel become so bitter and rebellious?
As this play ages, more colonial or Darwinian interpretations of The Tempest surface, making it a fascinating play to discuss with your class, theatre friends, or reading group.

So, while The Tempest may not be as thought-provoking or dramatic as Macbeth or Hamlet, the questions it poses are serious enough. Nevertheless, those weighty questions never overshadow the lighter moments, allowing us to freely laugh at the adventures that Prospero, Ferdinand, and Stephano find themselves in.
Overall, I would rate this play 3.5 stars, but since I derived so much enjoyment from reading it, I'm rounding it up to 4.

\\n  \\n    Book Review\\n  \\n

I rate 3 out of 5 stars to The Tempest, a play penned around 1610 by William Shakespeare. Have you ever pondered where the word prosperous originated from? Or could it be that Shakespeare named the lead character in this play, Prospero, as an allusion to the word prosperous? They are, in a way, related. Prospero has been exiled to an island and desires to create a new life for his daughter. Through cunning and imagination, he manages to achieve this to some extent. Although the path is fraught with difficulties, he ultimately learns his lessons. I truly have an affinity for this play. I had the opportunity to witness it on stage, and it was splendidly produced. It is one of his relatively more renowned plays, yet it doesn't enjoy the same level of popularity as some others, if that makes sense. As always, it is highly creative, but to me, it seems like a compilation of all his other plays throughout the years. Written in the last 5 years of his life, it is one of his final works, which might explain this. The characters are vividly portrayed. The action is mostly clear. However, I felt that it lacked a driving force like some of his other plays. I wasn't overly concerned about whether Prospero was successful until the end. I think perhaps because it is more ethereal and aesthetic rather than being full of profound substance, my opinion might be in the middle. I have only read this play once, so I'm overdue for another reading.



\\n  \\n    About Me\\n  \\n

For those who are new to me or my reviews, here's the lowdown: I read an enormous amount. I write a great deal. And now I blog extensively. First, the book review is posted on Goodreads, and then I transfer it to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com. There, you'll also discover TV and Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge, and a plethora of blogging about the places I've visited around the world. Additionally, you can find all my social media profiles to obtain the details about the who/what/when/where and view my pictures. Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thank you for stopping by.

I am a poor man, but my study was my pride. My solitude was peaceful in all aspects, and I had a precious treasure.

In his latest masterpiece, Shakespeare presents to us his latest philosophical story that might heal the deaf to a certain extent in its expression. A story about the philosophy of betrayal, sale, and the lurking hell, because all the devils are here with us on earth. Shakespeare's works have always been a source of inspiration and deep exploration of the human condition. This particular story seems to delve into the darker aspects of life,揭示 the consequences of immoral actions. It makes us reflect on our own choices and the impact they have on ourselves and those around us.

Perhaps through this story, Shakespeare is trying to warn us about the dangers of greed and betrayal, and the importance of staying true to our values. We can learn from the mistakes of the characters in the story and strive to lead more ethical and fulfilling lives.

In conclusion, Shakespeare's latest philosophical story is a thought-provoking piece that challenges us to look deeper into our own souls and question the meaning of life. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for redemption and a better future.

Simple yet profound, The Tempest stands as a heartbreakingly sincere work of elaborate theatrical artifice. Shakespeare, that great magician at the zenith of his powers, is so highly skilled in his craft that he can lay bare the inner workings of his most astonishing tricks and still manage to astonish us.

This time around, I was deeply impressed by the intricate way in which references to language, freedom, power, and transformation are intertwined. They seem to be all pointing towards some sort of metaphysical resolution, although they may not ultimately achieve it. But perhaps, by the mysterious power of Prospero's staff, they do?

The play's exploration of these themes is both complex and thought-provoking. It makes us question the true nature of language, whether it is a tool for liberation or oppression. Similarly, the concepts of freedom and power are presented in a nuanced way, showing how they are often in a delicate balance. And the idea of transformation, both physical and spiritual, adds another layer of depth to the story.

Overall, The Tempest is a masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences with its rich themes and精湛的戏剧技巧.

This work had all the elements to be a drama about vengeance but Shakespeare transformed it into a magical comedy about forgiveness and redemption.

Shakespeare's genius lies in his ability to take a potentially dark and violent theme and turn it into something light and hopeful.

In this play, we see how the characters learn to let go of their grudges and find peace within themselves.

The use of magic adds an element of fantasy and wonder, making the story even more captivating.

By showing that forgiveness and redemption are possible, Shakespeare gives us a message of hope and encourages us to look for the good in others.

This play is a testament to his skill as a playwright and his understanding of the human condition.

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a work of great interest on multiple levels.

It delves into the complex themes of colonialism, presenting both its economic allures and its darker aspects such as exploitation and racism. In the play, Prospero, the banished duke of Milan, seizes control of a small island and enslaves Caliban, whom he deems unworthy of ruling his native land. Shakespeare masterfully portrays the colonizer's attitude of superiority. This has far-reaching implications as England and other European powers compete for global territory in the centuries to come.

The otherworldly setting of The Tempest reveals the mechanism of dehumanizing the colonized. Caliban is repeatedly labeled a monster and criticized for his lack of gratitude, despite the so-called "civilization" brought to him. However, these supposed benefits come at a high cost: oppression, exploitation, and all the vices of "civilization." Prospero further asserts his ownership over the island by using his magical powers to exert complete control over it and its inhabitants.

Crucially, throughout the play, Prospero grapples with his conscience and ultimately relinquishes power (magic) and prepares to exit the stage. This is beautifully expressed in his famous speech: "Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air...".

I have witnessed The Tempest performed twice, most memorably at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Patrick Stewart's portrayal of the aging yet powerful enchanter, Prospero, brought the character's moral struggle to life. Shakespeare's evocative language is on full display in this play, but it also showcases how language can be weaponized by the colonizer. Considered Shakespeare's last completed play, The Tempest is among his finest and most relevant works.