This is hands down my favourite of Shakespeare's comedy plays!

It was so incredibly well written that it truly stands out among his works. The characters are vivid and full of life, each with their own unique personalities and quirks. The world that Shakespeare has created within this play is both enchanting and believable, drawing the reader or viewer in and making them feel as if they are a part of it.

The plot is also beautifully crafted, with its twists and turns keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. It is a masterclass in storytelling, and one that I can't get enough of. I just couldn't help but fall in love with this play from the very first page (or scene). It has everything that I look for in a great piece of literature: humour, romance, drama, and a cast of unforgettable characters. I would highly recommend this play to anyone who loves Shakespeare or just great comedy in general.

Taylor, at the beginning of his famous article, "The Politics of Recognition," simply refers to this play, and I also read it for the same reason. But Taylor had a strange perspective on this story, which made the reading very attractive to me.

This interpretation is of course completely frameless and not very harmonious with Shakespeare's character portrayal. However, precisely this disharmony between the interpretation and the author gives such dusty and believable roots to the dark and bright dimensions of (new and old) colonialism that, in my opinion, not only Caliban but the entire work can be studied with this reading.

Taylor believes that Caliban is a symbol of the colonized people. The natives of the modern world (such as the natives of America in Taylor's view or the people of our country during the British and Soviet occupations) who have not only been humiliated but also find themselves inferior.

With this brilliant postcolonial interpretation, suddenly the entire play takes on new dimensions. Prospero, who has been exiled from his homeland but, by virtue of his former position, also becomes the owner of a new island, defeats the witch Sycorax and reigns over that place. He is a symbol of the conquerors of a land who drive out the despotic king there in order to install himself as the national hero of the native people and at the same time be able to plunder the land and its people more than the previous king. Caliban and Ariel are two types over whom Prospero reigns: the first is a symbol of the rebellious ones who are dominated by threat and force, and the second is a symbol of the intelligent ones who take advantage of the desire for freedom from their native power. And finally, the entire island, a location of no importance that serves as the residence of Prospero or the station of our return to the first world of our promised land. Any event that occurs on this island only has significance in relation to the future of our lord, and it itself, like a repulsive outburst, has no significance. Witness that there is no one on the entire island who is Prospero's daughter, but the son of the king of Naples, who played a role in Prospero's exile, has such a status. Caliban, who offers himself to other newcomers in order to drive out Prospero. As if if this one goes and that one comes, his era will be bright. And... the entire work and of course Shakespeare as the author of it will be very worthy of consideration with such a reading. If you have read this text, be sure to approach it again with such a reading.

The Inferno is here... all the devils are here.

What did you want to say, Shakespeare, in your last plays?
In your last games with the characters in your plays like 'Prospero'?
You sent a storm that wrecked the ship of your brother, your flesh and blood, but he betrayed you and wanted to drown you to usurp your rule.
And with it the king who was bought by your brother with money to sell you... and his brother who would also betray him because in the court intrigues go around.
But you did not want to destroy them. With magic, you sent the storm and with magic you saved them so that they would arrive safely on your deserted island.
Just to teach them a lesson... about the weakness of souls, loss, repentance, atonement... and the fate that our hands and our actions make.
Moreover, about pure love... kindness not only for the forms of society but also to preserve the beauty of the marital relationship.
And to restore your right that everyone took from you in your life.
Then you repented completely of magic and playing with the characters.
After we trained the devils of hell among us... the souls that do anything for their benefit... even betraying their closest people.
How many of us have promised "the noble people" who would sell everything for a fleeting benefit.
For a worldly rule.
The world and life are originally like a fleeting dream, beginning with madness and ending with a long sleep.
We learn that magic may exist... but it is not the solution to our problems.
Prospero neglected his rule and was negligent about it to study magic and this is what facilitated the betrayal of his brother and the coup against him.
All of this was shaped by you, Shakespeare, through the events of your plays, the last one you wrote alone as the scholars claim.
You presented the character of Prospero who learned the lesson... and wanted to teach it to his enemies to start a new page and a new life as it should be.
You presented a love story through your daughter with a tender heart and that you were still here presenting women in a very superficial way.
But you also - as you always did - made fun of Caliban and his blind arrow.
As you made fun of the conspiracy of the clowns and the men of interests and presented their dialogue in a comic and satirical way.
And you ended your last play - even if the story was not a drama with the strength that was expected - with the waves of magic and the exhibition of the fairies and the spirits.
The joys, nature, and the happy endings.
In a beautiful calm... the calm that followed the storm.
The last storm of Shakespeare.
Mohamed Al-Arabi
From July 20, 2017
To July 22, 2017

I really liked this one.

It was extremely easy to read, which made it accessible to a wide range of audiences.

The characters in the story were complex, adding depth and dimension to the narrative.

What made it even more interesting was the opportunity it provided to reflect upon the context of settler colonialism and islamophobia that was prevalent at the time it was written.

This added a layer of historical significance to the play, allowing readers to gain a better understanding of the social and political issues that were at play during that era.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking and engaging piece that I would highly recommend to others.

Despite Romeo and Juliet being my second favourite book of all time, I have read remarkably little of Shakespeare's other work. I was truly fortunate to recently receive an ARC for Rose & Poe, a The Tempest retelling. So, I thought the time had finally come to read this epic tragedy.

The story follows the complex lives of Prospero and Miranda. Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, and his precious daughter Miranda. After a plot to take Prospero's life is uncovered, he flees from his highly coveted position and escapes to a remote island with his beloved daughter. There, they live in relative harmony and seclusion. However, one fateful night, a storm is conjured and a ship carrying those who would have once done Prospero harm is wrecked just off the shore of the island. The ship's human cargo is saved from a watery grave and unknowingly deposited at Prospero's mercy or vengeance.

The lyrical prose in this play gives the already profound tale a haunting edge and an atmospheric quality. The sincerity of emotion unleashes the characters' fury and remorse, their joy and despondency, their terror and relief, onto the reader with a ferocity that only, I believe, Shakespeare is capable of producing. Despite the large area of exposition with which this play begins, there is such raw power exhibited by this remarkable storyteller that it made me forget the centuries between my reading and the original penmanship. His lasting power is truly phenomenal and works like this expertly prove why.

With a bit of hard work and a sincere effort to understand the language, I actually found myself enjoying this one!

At first, it was a bit of a challenge as I delved into the text. The words seemed unfamiliar and the concepts not entirely clear. But I refused to give up. I took the time to look up unfamiliar terms, analyze the sentence structures, and really try to grasp the meaning behind each line.

As I persisted, something wonderful happened. The language started to open up to me. I began to see the beauty in the words, the elegance of the expressions. What was once a difficult task became an enjoyable exploration. I found myself looking forward to reading more, eager to discover what new insights and emotions the text had to offer. It just goes to show that with a little determination and a willingness to learn, even the most challenging of things can bring great satisfaction.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air. This beautiful and profound line from Prospero in Act IV, Scene i of "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare sets the tone for a play that is both a magical and thought-provoking masterpiece.

"The Tempest" is my absolute favorite among all of Shakespeare's works. It is a marvel on multiple levels. The playwright's talent had not diminished over the years he had been writing for the stage. This play is Shakespeare's farewell to the stage and public life, and it is truly brilliant.

My perspective on "The Tempest" differs from many others. I view it not just as a reader or a theatregoer, but as a director. Sir Peter Hall's description of the play as "The most blasphemous play Shakespeare wrote" adds an interesting layer to its interpretation. It is about a man on an island who is allowed to play God and not just dabble in witchcraft but actually perform it.

To make "The Tempest" successful, there must be a quality of the fantastic that provokes a sense of wonder. I see Prospero not as a regal duke who attains God-like stature, but as a man who has lived in nature for many years and has become disillusioned with life. He is reluctant to take back his dukedom and leaves the island not triumphantly but reluctantly. Prospero knows that everyone on the island, including himself, is beyond redemption except for Miranda and Ferdinand.

Prospero is the controller of both the tempest and the play. He is a troubled man engaged in a race against time. This is the essence of his dispute with Ariel and Ariel's demand for freedom. Prospero has been exiled for 12 years, during which time he has lost his princely virtues and has become more savage, as seen in his treatment of Ariel, Caliban, and to a lesser extent, Miranda. He is not tolerant, and many of his speeches are more like outbursts.

Antonio is the negative pole of "The Tempest." There is no forgiveness between the brothers; they are irreconcilable. However, the biggest blow to Prospero is Ariel's leaving him. Ariel is the love of Prospero's life, and their relationship is one of the most compelling in the play. It is a complex relationship marked by Ariel's identity as Prospero's slave, his desire for freedom, and his need for Prospero's love and praise.

Ariel is a male sprite, and it is important that he is portrayed by a male actor. Casting Ariel as a woman weakens the play and the relationship between Prospero and Ariel. Their love is homoerotic, although in Shakespeare's time, it was perhaps not as openly acknowledged. Ariel's feelings for Prospero are a mix of pride in being useful, impatience for freedom, and a desire for praise. The question of whether Prospero is a father figure or something more to Ariel adds to the complexity of their relationship.

Caliban is another interesting character. Prospero enslaves him and keeps him subjugated using magic. His need to do this may stem from his fear of Caliban, a virile young male whose sexuality is focused on his daughter. Caliban is a figure of physical strength who knows how to survive in the harsh island environment.

The major theme of "The Tempest" is reconciliation, not forgiveness. In the end, Prospero is reconciled with his brother and the king, but true forgiveness eludes them all. At the close of the play, Prospero renounces magic, frees Ariel, makes peace with Caliban, and reconciles with Antonio. In his final soliloquy, the play's epilogue, Prospero reflects on the diminishing of his powers and the ravages of age. He asks the audience for their applause, freeing him from his "project... Which was to please."

Ultimately, I interpret "The Tempest" as a farewell to the theatre. The broken staff is a perfect metaphor for the writer laying aside his pen. It is a play that continues to captivate audiences and inspire interpretations, a testament to Shakespeare's enduring genius.

Relectura septiembre 2017*


Reseña de 2014


"No tengáis miedo; la isla está/ llena de ruidos,/ sonidos y aires dulces, deliciosos,/ que no lastiman./ Algunas veces tañen/ mil instrumentos y me ronronean/al oído; otras me vienen voces [...]"


I feel that when I review Shakespeare, I become repetitive. Each work is interesting, unique, captivating… And yes, "mind-blowing" too, especially if we take into account that even in the tragedies there are scenes where the clowns of the play do their thing. The Tempest is a definitive intersection (I say "definitive" because I remember what happens in Hamlet, for example) between the reality of a Court and the supernatural that interrupts it. In this case, magic is crucial.


Everything takes place on an island. There is a ship that is shipwrecked because of a storm that was not unleashed naturally, but was conjured by a magician called Prospero, who lives on the aforementioned island together with his daughter Miranda, the slave Caliban and other curious beings. Prospero has a particular interest in a group of the ship's crew, formed by the King of Naples and the Duke of Milan, among others. I will not tell the reasons, although they are given at the beginning, because the explanation given by the wizard himself is very beautiful.


It leaves several themes to think about, such as the condition of Caliban, power, love and renunciation. They are not treated in the same way in all of Shakespeare's works, in my opinion, and it shows that it is one of the last ones he created. The language has a lot of weight, as do the actions themselves. The characters (who are the ones who carry them out, sometimes involuntarily) of The Tempest may not be to everyone's liking, but they are suitable for analysis and I love everything that gives me something to talk about. I would have liked the presence of more female characters, although I must admit that the contrast between Miranda and Sycorax is extremely interesting. And if in this rating a star is missing, the fault lies with some characters with interactions that did not appeal to me (and I think they were even superfluous…) and an argument that did not completely fascinate me. A rereading could be useful.


The Tempest is among the best of Shakespeare's works, but I confess that, of the ones I read this year, I liked Julius Caesar and Hamlet more. Still, it met my expectations.


(*) I had to add a star to the rating because I liked it a lot more than before. Maybe it's not perfect or it's a bit muddled with its characters (some I don't even know what they're for), but I didn't care.

The Tempest holds a significant place in Shakespeare's oeuvre. It was first published in 1623 in the First Folio, and most critics believe it was written in late 1610 or early 1611, the year Shakespeare retired to his country house in Stratford.

Some scholars link the play's composition to an incident in 1609 when an English fleet遭遇灾难，其中一艘船“Sea Adventure”被冲到了无人居住的百慕大群岛。这个消息在1609年末传到了英国，可能激发了莎士比亚创作《暴风雨》的灵感。剧中对“still vexed Bermoothes”的提及也为这一观点提供了可信度。

此外，当时流传的关于那个荒岛上的魔鬼和精灵的故事可能刺激了莎士比亚对超自然的感知，也可能在他的脑海中播下了爱丽儿或卡利班的种子。

《暴风雨》还与一组戏剧（其他包括《泰尔亲王佩里克利斯》《辛白林》和《冬天的故事》）有关，这些戏剧似乎都创作于1608年至1611年之间，在主题、结构和象征概念上非常相似。它们被称为莎士比亚的戏剧传奇，通常也被视为他的最后几部作品。

一些人声称《暴风雨》也是这位伟大剧作家的告别之作，是他在成功的戏剧生涯跨越四十多年后，告别舞台和观众，回到他心爱的斯特拉特福之前的最后一部作品。

这些评论家引用了普洛斯彼罗的伟大演讲，他在演讲中断了他的魔杖，把他的书沉入了数英寻深的海底，作为莎士比亚宣布退休的决定性言论的证据。

然而，内部和外部的证据并不足以证明这种观点是确定无疑的，尽管它肯定是他的最后几部作品之一。因此，从时间顺序上看，《暴风雨》是莎士比亚的最后一部作品之一；从主题上看，它是否也能被视为莎士比亚创作生涯最后阶段的代表作品，还有待考察。

《暴风雨》以及一般意义上的最后几部戏剧在莎士比亚的创作演变中代表了什么？大多数评论家认为，这些戏剧在主题和结构上有着最密切的联系。这些戏剧的核心展示了相似的象征概念和“明确的目的连续性”。

从分裂到和解有一个明显的特定发展过程，一种有机的关系包含了我们可以称之为L. C. Knights所说的“分解和重建”。

这些戏剧中的每一部的开场情节都显示了一位父亲失去了他的孩子；中间部分和主要情节通过这种分离或分解后自然产生的痛苦和悔恨展开，结局是失去的孩子被找回，而这个孩子又成为了甜蜜和解的推动者。这些失去的孩子再次都是女儿，她们的名字都有着非常清晰的代表性联想，无论是《泰尔亲王佩里克利斯》中的玛丽娜、《冬天的故事》中的潘狄塔还是《暴风雨》中的米兰达。

她们都以不同的方式让人想起《李尔王》中与考狄利娅相关的和解主题。这个模式太明显了，所有人都能看到——冲突、分裂、报复或其动机，以及通过无辜的年轻人实现的最终和谐。

莎士比亚已经经历了他的伟大悲剧的炼狱。他的经历现在渴望在一个被邪恶统治的世界中找到纯真，对邪恶的多年调查可能让他疲惫不堪。因此，当我们发现他来到他的浪漫魔法岛时，他已经远离了悲剧浪费的概念，试图用一只可爱的手来恢复平衡。在这些戏剧中，有一见钟情，但没有罗密欧失去他的朱丽叶。

在这里，我们没有看到奥赛罗和苔丝狄蒙娜因纯粹的愚蠢和毫无根据的怀疑而再次发生悲惨的分离。在这里，没有盲目的李尔王失去他可爱的考狄利娅。

冲突和矛盾最终得到解决，老一辈人的错误被年轻人的浪漫激情所纠正，年轻人掌握了莎士比亚创作中最后和谐的关键。莎士比亚刚刚在他可怕的悲剧中探索了深度，如果他在这里的这些戏剧传奇中没有攀登高峰，他至少在这些最后几部作品中尽情地唱出了和谐与纯真的歌曲。

布莱克的《天真之歌》之后是他的《经验之歌》。在莎士比亚这里，情况正好相反，原因不同，经历的性质也不同。这并不意味着这些戏剧要么是避免了悲剧的发生，要么是当时非常流行的悲喜剧，正如斯托尔、艾萨克斯甚至格兰维尔 - 巴克等杰出人物所暗示的那样。

这些戏剧更像是莎士比亚在一种新的戏剧体裁中的实验，充满了浪漫主义气息，带有田园诗的味道，让人想起斯宾塞的《仙后》。

在这里，不自然和超自然的事情以自然的方式发生，震惊和惊喜被最终的和解所吸收。

《暴风雨》作为这些最后几部戏剧的一个样本，展示了莎士比亚所构思的戏剧传奇的所有特征。事情发生在一个魔法岛上的浪漫氛围中，在那里，一切自然或超自然的事物都服从于伟大的普洛斯彼罗的魔杖。

米兰达是纯真的化身，没有被文明的接触所腐蚀。当费迪南德在船难后到达岛上时，她看到了除她父亲之外的第一个男人，并一见钟情——这是浪漫的一个真正特征。再次，这种爱将她拖向了经验之路，使她在纯真的状态下所缺乏的成熟。

《暴风雨》无疑以一场暴风雨开始，这场暴风雨是爱丽儿按照他的主人普洛斯彼罗的命令在海上掀起的，普洛斯彼罗的目的是破坏那不勒斯国王的船，然后把船上的乘客聚集在岛上，以达到一个特殊的目的。

他的魔法力量确保了在船难中没有人死亡。而这个特殊的目的是一个持续的目的，是普洛斯彼罗，当时的米兰公爵，与他的兄弟安东尼奥之间争吵的续集，安东尼奥最终在那不勒斯国王阿隆索的帮助下篡夺了他的位置。

因此，普洛斯彼罗被剥夺了他的公爵领地，被迫带着他无辜的小女儿乘坐一艘小船离开，在大海的波涛中漂流。分离是彻底的，但阴谋的受害者幸存了下来。现在轮到主要受害者普洛斯彼罗进行报复了，尽管这将是一次高尚的报复。

所有这些都被压缩在莎士比亚对主题的叙述中，当戏剧开始时，我们只看到了作恶者正在经历的痛苦和悔恨，首先是在汹涌的大海中，然后是在一个充满奇异噪音的魔法岛上。当痛苦结束时，有了幸福的和解，普洛斯彼罗回到了他的人民身边，重新获得了他失去的公爵领地。通过年轻一代米兰达和费迪南德的爱的工具所实现的重建，分解被遗忘了。

《暴风雨》还体现了最后几部戏剧的其他特征。在这里，高雅喜剧与低俗喜剧相互交织，而浪漫的爱情在卡利班对醉酒的管家斯苔法诺的忠诚中找到了奇怪的对应。超自然在普洛斯彼罗身上得到了体现，他扮演着天意的角色，决定了剧中所有人的命运。在这里，我们又来到了最后几部戏剧的另一个特征，即象征概念。

《暴风雨》中的所有角色都是某种情感或思想的象征。然而，普洛斯彼罗是所有这些的精髓，如果没有他的主导地位，其他角色就不会被如此清晰和详细地描绘出来。

然而，就像所有这样的象征结构一样，它们以自己的方式暗示了某些想法或情感。

米兰达是纯真的象征，代表着新鲜的爱情和不受抑制的激情。爱丽儿代表着诗歌和自由，被恰当地描绘成一个空中的精灵。

卡利班是感官的象征，简单而野蛮，他的身体畸形是他精神异常的一个指标。然而，他是一个比爱丽儿更复杂的角色，也更有趣。

他会说诗歌，但这种诗歌更多的是音乐和视觉上的，而不是智力上的。

“《暴风雨》最完整地表达了最后时期的情绪，被道登和利顿·斯特雷奇都视为他们相互冲突的理论的最佳证据。”S. C. 森古普塔博士在《莎士比亚喜剧》中的上述引语可以想象地总结了关于最后几部戏剧，特别是《暴风雨》的相互冲突的理论。

也许是因为莎士比亚打算在《暴风雨》中表达他的最终感受，所以他通过非常细致地遵守时间和地点的统一，使它成为了一件美丽的事物。

整个故事在三个小时内发生，而且实际上都发生在那个充满神奇魔法和潺潺音乐的魔法岛上的一个地方。

然而，在评价这组戏剧时，我们不应该仅仅被感伤所左右。这些传奇与莎士比亚早期的喜剧有很大的相似之处。

在经历了他伟大悲剧的阴影山谷之后，莎士比亚来到了一个休息的地方，在那里他可以再次用欢乐的音乐和迷人的诗歌向世界诉说，这是非常好的。这是一个非常值得的告别。

然而，将这些戏剧称为莎士比亚在经历了之前的悲剧的深度之后攀登高峰的象征是不正确的。这些最后几部戏剧并不是对伟大悲剧所带来的挑战的回应，这些悲剧仍然是莎士比亚在世界文学中无与伦比的天才的最高证据。

也许莎士比亚也不希望它们成为这样的挑战。

正如查里顿所说得很好，“它们是一个老人的安慰”，当他的想象力已经减弱，再也无法承受世界的悲伤负担时。

在他进入深度的悲剧之旅中，他已经破碎了一颗伟大的心，一点诗歌和音乐可以作为对之前伟大对抗中持续伤害的安慰。

作为喜剧，它们也无法与《无事生非》《第十二夜》或《皆大欢喜》相媲美，在那些作品中，莎士比亚已经登上了喜剧的巅峰。

正如查里顿所说，“不要搞错。莎士比亚的最后几部戏剧——传奇——充满了只有莎士比亚才能提供的那种乐趣。但是，作为喜剧，它们并不重要。”

但作为诗歌，它们有很大的价值，当我们被生活的狂热所困扰时，它们仍然可以安慰我们。

Well, this was okay, wasn't it?

-

My funeral is in a month. I hope to see y'all there.

Cause of death: Reading this boring shit in class.

You know, it's kind of a strange situation. Here I am, already thinking about my funeral and joking about the cause of my "death" being the boredom of reading something in class. But in all seriousness, sometimes those long and dull lectures or readings can really make you feel like you're dying inside. It's as if the words on the page are slowly sucking the life out of you. I wonder if anyone else has ever felt this way. Maybe they have, and that's why I'm sharing this. I hope that when my funeral comes, there will be some smiles and maybe even a few laughs as people remember this strange and somewhat humorous way I thought about my untimely end.

Shakespeare's history plays on the page are indeed a challenge for me. Somehow, they seem too dense, with an overwhelming number of footnotes that make them feel heavy and burdensome. However, this particular little gem of a play managed to breeze by in just an hour. It was such an airy and light confection, a delightful departure from the weightiness of the history plays.

As a result, I have decided to focus on the comedies for the time being. I am eager to explore the lighter side of Shakespeare's works, to experience the humor, the wit, and the charm that his comedies are known for. I anticipate that this will be a refreshing and enjoyable journey, filled with laughter and entertainment.

I look forward to delving into the world of Shakespeare's comedies and uncovering the many treasures that lie within. I believe that by focusing on this genre, I will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's genius as a playwright.

I have really liked the setting of the island. Among the characters, none has really impressed me extremely or even exceeded my expectations, but in general, I have liked the work.

It is true that the atmosphere created on the island is quite captivating. The descriptions make me feel as if I am actually there, experiencing the unique environment.

Although the characters may not have had a profound impact on me in the same way as some others in different works, they still contribute to the overall charm of the story.

However, it should be noted that my favorite work of Shakespeare remains "Hamlet". There is something about that play that continues to draw me in and fascinate me with its complex characters, deep themes, and powerful language.

Nonetheless, this work about the island also has its own merits and has provided me with an enjoyable reading experience.