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A Survey of William Shakespeare's *The Tempest*

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No labour of this kind is intended to save any one the pains of reading good

books for himself. It is useful only when it quickens the desire to come into

real contact with great minds of the past, and gives the kind of knowledge that

will lessen distance between us and them.

--Henry Morley, *A First Sketch of English Literature*, 1873

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*The Tempest* is a work of Shakespeare's mature years. Indeed, the general

consensus among scholars is that it is the last play Shakespeare wrote before

retiring from the London stage and returning home to Stratford-on-Avon. It is

seen by many as a personal allegory: Shakespeare's farewell to the stage.

The following is a survey of the plot, intended to serve as an introduction to

this great work. It in no way is a substitute for reading the work itself.

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Act I, Scene i

The play opens on board the flagship of a flotilla sailing from Africa towards

Italy. Among the ship's passengers are Alonzo, the King of Naples; Ferdinand,

his son; Sebastian, brother of the King; Antonio, the Duke of Milan; Gonzalo,

an elderly counselor to the Duke; and other lords and servants. They are part

of a royal wedding party returning home from the marriage of Alonzo's daughter,

Claribel, to the King of Tunis.

A tremendous storm has suddenly arisen and is threatening the vessel. The

shipmaster directs the boatswain to call upon his crew to act quickly and save

the ship from running aground on a nearby island. Alonzo, Sebastian, Antonio,

Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and other passengers come on deck. Alonzo, being King,

tries to take charge by telling the boatswain how to supervise his men. The

boatswain warns his would-be overseers to go below and stay out of the way;

their interference is not only hindering his men but is, in fact, assisting the

storm.

Gonzalo begs patience, but the boatswain curtly responds, "When the sea is,"

reminding his critics that the storm's fury is not lessened because there is a

king on board. Again he tells the passengers to get to their cabins and leave

the crew to the job at hand. Gonzalo submits, but cautions the boatswain to

remember that the King's life is at stake. Sarcastically, the boatswain

replies that there is no one on the ship he loves more than himself. If

Gonzalo is able to command the storm to cease, he and the crew will quit their

struggle; otherwise, the passengers should give thanks for having lived so

long, go to their cabins and prepare for the end -- if that is indeed to be

their fate. The boatswain then goes off to supervise another part of the ship.

Gonzalo reasons that they can be in no danger of sinking, for this man

impresses him as one who is destined to hang, rather than drown. He and the

others then go below.

The boatswain reenters and shouts orders to the men: "Down with the topmast!

Yare, lower, lower!" The passengers cry out and he curses their howling which,

to him, seems louder than the storm!

Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo come back on deck while Alonzo and Ferdinand

remain below in prayer. The boatswain, surprised by their return, asks if they

are determined to sink the ship. Sebastian curses in response, and the

boatswain threatens to put them to work if they insist on staying above.

Antonio tells the boatswain to go hang, for they are less afraid of drowning

than he is. Again Gonzalo takes comfort in his belief that this boor is not

destined to drown, "though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as

leaky as an unstanched wench." The boatswain shouts further orders to the crew:

"Lay her a-hold, a-hold; set her two courses; off to sea again; lay her off!"

Several of the mariners enter, drenched, proclaiming that all is lost; prayer

is now their only hope of salvation! As the mariners retreat, the boatswain

realizes their struggle has been in vain. Gonzalo believes they should join

the King and Prince in prayer, for they all share a common fate.

Knowing their lives are now at an end, Sebastian blames the crew, accusing them

of being drunkards whose ineptness has allowed the ship to sink. Antonio calls

the boatswain a blowhard who he hopes will lie drowning for the duration of ten

tides. Despite all, and "though every drop of water swear against it," Gonzalo

still clings to his belief that the boatswain will someday hang.

From within, cries are heard: "We split, we split! Farewell, my wife and

children! Farewell, brother! We split, we split, we split!" The boatswain

rushes off. Sebastian and Antonio hurry below to join the King. Gonzalo

remains alone, musing how he would now exchange a vast expanse of sea for a

small patch of land--any land--no matter how barren. If it is indeed their

fate to drown, he is resigned to the will of Heaven; he would, however, prefer

a dry death. He then leaves to join the others below.

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Act I, Scene ii

On the island, Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, have seen the ship dashed to

pieces by the tempest. Miranda feels great sorrow for those on board who met

their end so violently. She suspects that her father, through his magical

powers, has in some way been responsible, and she pleads with him to allay the

storm. Prospero tells Miranda to put her mind at ease, for no harm has been

done, either to the ship or to any of its passengers. The time has come, he

says, for her to learn of the circumstances into which she was born, her native

country and her father's true identity.

Prospero asks Miranda to help remove his magical robe and, placing it on the

ground, implores her to wipe her eyes and take comfort. They sit while

Prospero reveals how this tempest and the apparent shipwreck are related to

those events which first landed them on the island.

Twelve years earlier, when Miranda was barely three years old and too young to

remember, Prospero had been Duke of Milan. But so great was his love of books

that he delegated much of his authority to his brother, Antonio, and eventually

lost touch with his people. Antonio, desirous of more than the authority and

responsibilities of Duke, conspired with Alonzo, King of Naples, to usurp the

Dukedom from Prospero. Alonzo's army marched on Milan, and, at midnight,

Antonio opened the gates of the city, allowing Prospero and Miranda to be taken

away under cover of darkness.

Knowing he could not openly destroy his brother and niece (for they were

greatly loved by the people of Milan), Antonio had them hurried on board a

ship, taken out to sea and set adrift in a small, unseaworthy vessel, left

there to die of exposure. Gonzalo, an old, honest counselor appointed by

Antonio to carry out this plan, secretly provided Prospero with food, water,

clothing and other necessities, along with those books Prospero most cherished.

It was only through this kindness that Prospero and Miranda were able to

survive and reach the island where they have lived, isolated from the rest of

humanity for most of Miranda's life. Miranda interrupts her father's

narrative to express the desire that one day she might see this man who showed

them such kindness.

Prospero asks Miranda to remain seated while he rises and dons his magical

robe. He continues by recalling the schooling he has given Miranda during

their sojourn -- an endeavor made easier and more profitable by their

seclusion. Miranda, however, is still curious as to the purpose of her

father's having raised the storm. Prospero explains that, by Fortune, all his

enemies have now been brought to this shore and the time has come to set things

aright. He asks Miranda to cease with further questioning, then casts a spell

upon her to sleep.

Summoning Ariel, an airy spirit, Prospero inquires if the tempest he devised

has been carried out exactly as planned. Ariel assures him it has--to every

article. He relates how, during the storm, he boarded the King's ship, burned

as fire on the topmast, the yards, in the cabins and met the lightning with

such force that the cracks and thunder did make Neptune himself shake; how,

when he made the ship appear to be consumed with fire, all on board, except the

mariners, jumped into the sea to escape. The King's son, Ferdinand, was the

first that leapt, crying, "Hell is empty, and all the devils are here!"

"But are they safe," Prospero asks. Ariel assures him they all reached shore

without so much as the loss of a hair, with their clothes unblemished and

fresher than before; furthermore, as instructed, he has dispersed the men about

the island in groups. The King's son, however, is alone, sitting in a cove

with "his arms in a sad knot."

Ariel says he has safely hidden the ship in a deep nook of the island with all

the crew stowed below, asleep under a spell. Meanwhile, the remainder of the

fleet have rendezvoused after being scattered by the storm and are now sailing

home to Naples, believing the King's ship wrecked and all her passengers

drowned.

Reckoning the time to be at least two in the afternoon, Prospero tells Ariel

there is much to be accomplished before six o'clock. Ariel reminds his master

that, for faithful service, he has been promised a reduction of one full year

from his length of servitude. Has Ariel forgotten, Prospero asks, the

circumstances which brought him into that servitude: the torment he suffered

for twelve years, the foul witch Sycorax and the events that landed her on the

island? Ariel insists he has not. Prospero, nevertheless, finds it necessary

to recall the story once a month to remind Ariel of his indebtedness.

The witch Sycorax was banished from her birthplace, Algiers, because of the

terrible sorcery she practiced there. She was brought to these shores by a

group of sailors, long before humans first set foot on the island, and here she

was abandoned. Pregnant at the time, she soon delivered a son, Caliban (a

subhuman creature sired by the devil himself), who now labors as Prospero's

slave. Ariel was then in her service and, because of his refusal to obey her

abhorrent commands, was punished with confinement in the bowels of a pine tree.

There he was left to suffer and groan incessantly. When Sycorax died, Ariel

was condemned to an eternity within that tree. Fortunately, Prospero was

landed on the island and, upon hearing Ariel's groans, used the power of his

art to split the tree in two. The spirit was thus freed after twelve long

years of imprisonment. Now, Prospero threatens, if Ariel continues to

complain, he will be locked in an oak tree to howl away another twelve years.

Ariel relents, begs for pardon and promises to obey. This pleases Prospero

greatly, and he vows to discharge Ariel within two days! Eager to end his

bondage, Ariel asks what he should do next. Prospero instructs him to leave,

attire himself as a water-nymph and return promptly, remaining invisible to all

others.

Prospero now directs his attention back to his daughter, releasing her from the

spell. She believes it is the strangeness of her father's story that has

caused her to sleep. Prospero tells her to shake off the drowsiness and

accompany him to visit Caliban, his hateful slave who never speaks kindly.

Miranda regards Caliban as a villain, and she cannot bear to look upon him.

Prospero understands her aversion, but they are dependent upon this creature

who gathers their firewood, builds their fires, and performs other chores

necessary for their survival.

As they approach Caliban's cave, Prospero calls his slave forth. Caliban

shouts back: "there's wood enough within." Prospero commands Caliban to come

out, for there is other work to be done. He then chides his servant and calls

him a tortoise for being so slow to respond.

Ariel suddenly reenters, clad, as instructed, in the guise of a water-nymph.

Prospero whispers instructions and Ariel rushes off. (We will soon learn that

he has been sent to lure Ferdinand into this vicinity).

Prospero again demands that Caliban come forward. The man-monster grudgingly

emerges, cursing both Prospero and Miranda. For this insolence, Prospero

warns, Caliban shall tonight suffer side-cramps and be pinched by urchins until

his skin is honeycombed. The savage grumbles that he should be allowed to eat

his dinner.

Recalling that his mother, the witch Sycorax, had possessed the island long

before Prospero's arrival there, Caliban insists it was rightfully his by

birth. He accuses Prospero of having stolen it from him. Caliban remembers

how, in the beginning, Prospero had been friendly towards him, had given him

"water with berries in it" and taught him to name the sun and moon. In return,

he had loved Prospero and shown him the island's riches: the fresh springs and

areas most favorable for growing food. But now Caliban regrets his generosity,

for Prospero has made him a slave in his own kingdom, keeps him pent in a cave

and restricts him to a small part of the island.

Denouncing Caliban as a liar, Prospero reminds him that for years he had been

allowed to live in the same cell alongside his master -- that is, until Caliban

tried to take advantage of Miranda's virginity. Caliban makes no attempt to

deny this. He brags in fact that, had Prospero not interfered, he would have

peopled the island with Calibans!

Miranda leaps into the conversation, calling Caliban an abhorred slave,

incapable of goodness. She recalls the time spent teaching him to speak when

he could only babble; how she educated him hour after hour in one thing, then

another. But Miranda believes Caliban's nature is so vile that no one with a

kind nature can tolerate his presence, and for this he is confined to a cave

-- a punishment she feels is light, since his behavior is worthy of prison.

Caliban concedes that Miranda is responsible for his ability to speak; but the

main use he has for language is to curse, and he curses her for having taught

him.

Prospero orders Caliban to fetch in fuel, and to do it quickly, for there are

other chores waiting. He threatens Caliban again with aches and cramps if the

work is delayed further. In an aside, Caliban acknowledges that Prospero's

power is so great it could reduce his mother's god, Setebos, to subservience.

Then, after being admonished once more, he reluctantly goes off to gather

firewood.

Ariel now returns, singing, with the King's son, Ferdinand, closely behind.

Ferdinand wonders at the strange music that has lured him to this location:

the power it has to calm the waters, to soothe the sorrow he feels for his

father's death and to entice him to follow. Ariel sings a new verse, one that

reminds Ferdinand of his father's drowning:

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

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.

Bewildered by the music, now emanating from above, Ferdinand fails to notice

Prospero and Miranda standing nearby. At first, Miranda too is unaware of

Ferdinand. Prospero asks her to advance her eyes into the distance and

describe what she sees. Awed by the sight of this man (for she has no memory

of any, other than her father and Caliban), Miranda asks, "is it a spirit?"

Prospero assures her the creature is as human as they, that he is one of those

shipwrecked, in search of his companions. Wistfully, Miranda vows she would

call him a thing divine, for never has she seen anything natural that was so

noble.

Prospero is pleased by Miranda's reaction. It is his intent that she and

Ferdinand shall wed and, through their union, bring about an end to the enmity

of the older generation. Delighted that events are progressing as planned,

Prospero repeats his promise to free Ariel within two days.

Suddenly, Ferdinand realizes he has happened upon inhabitants of the island.

He is at once drawn to Miranda's beauty. Addressing her as a goddess, he asks

if she dwells upon the island, how he may remain there and, referring to her as

a wonder, asks if she is a maid. Miranda responds that she is no wonder, but

indeed a maid. Astonished that she speaks his own language, Ferdinand boasts

that he is the best of those that speak it, were he only where it is spoken.

Prospero inquires as to his meaning, asking how the King of Naples would react

if he heard such insolence. Surprised to hear Prospero speak of Naples,

Ferdinand responds that the king does indeed hear, for *he* is now king, since

his father lies at the bottom of the sea, drowned by the storm.

Immediately, Ferdinand and Miranda begin to fall in love. This is just as

Prospero had hoped, and he commends Ariel for helping bring it about.

Ferdinand tells Miranda that, if she is a virgin and her affections have not

been directed towards another, he will make her Queen of Naples. To prevent

having Miranda too easily won, Prospero now feigns distrust of Ferdinand,

accusing the youth of spying and attempting to steal the island from him.

Ferdinand denies these charges and Miranda pleads his cause saying, "there's

nothing ill can dwell in such a temple." Prospero upbraids Miranda for

defending this traitor. He demands that Ferdinand follow as his prisoner, to

be shackled and forced to subsist on salt water, roots and acorn cups.

Ferdinand resists by drawing his sword and is immediately frozen by Prospero's

magic spell.

Prospero directs Ferdinand to throw down his weapon. Miranda pleads with her

father, hangs on his garments, begs for pity and offers herself as surety in

exchange for Ferdinand's freedom. Prospero warns her to be silent; one word

more will bring down his wrath upon her. He questions why she should defend

such an impostor; having seen no men other than himself and Caliban, she cannot

know that there are many men better than Ferdinand -- that Ferdinand is a

Caliban to most men, and that they to him are angels. This makes no difference

to Miranda; she has no desire for any other man.

As the spell fades, Ferdinand is rendered powerless. He surrenders to

Prospero, proclaiming that imprisonment would seem light, were he but permitted

once a day to see this maid. Prospero ignores his appeal, demands that he

follow and, in an aside, expresses pleasure that events are unfolding as they

are. He praises Ariel, then secretly reveals directives for the next phase of

his plan. Meanwhile, Miranda assures Ferdinand that her father has a better

nature than is apparent from his words; his customary behavior is not as he now

appears.

If his instructions are discharged explicitly, Prospero promises, Ariel shall

be free as the mountain wind. Ariel vows to obey to the syllable. Prospero

directs Ferdinand to follow; he warns Miranda to remain silent and speak no

more in Ferdinand's defense. They all then exit with Prospero leading

Ferdinand to his punishment, Miranda pursuing, and Ariel hastening to his

appointed task.

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Act II, Scene i

On another part of the island, the members of the royal party (Alonzo,

Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others) have all safely

reached shore, assembled together, and are wandering in search of Ferdinand.

Alonzo is grief-stricken, harboring fears that his son has drowned after

jumping overboard during the storm. Gonzalo tries to lift the King's spirits

by pointing out their good fortune in having survived. Alonzo rejects

Gonzalo's well-meant intentions; he refuses to be comforted.

To take Alonzo's mind off his son, Adrian observes that this seemingly

deserted, uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible island must be a temperate

place to live, for the air is most sweet. Gonzalo joins in, agreeing that

everything advantageous to life exists here on the isle. He is especially

impressed by the lush, green grass and by the wondrous fact that their

garments, though drenched in the sea, are now as fresh as when they first put

them on in Africa at the wedding of Claribel.

Adrian asserts that Tunis was never before graced with such a queen as

Claribel. Gonzalo concurs -- that is, at least not since the time of widow

Dido. Adrian quibbles that Dido was of Carthage, not Tunis, but Gonzalo

reminds Adrian that Tunis was at one time known as Carthage. Turning to the

King, Gonzalo asks if he does not agree, at least in part, that their garments

are now as fresh as the day they put them on at his daughter's wedding.

Alonzo begs Gonzalo to say no more; the mere mention of his daughter's marriage

serves only to remind him of the losses he has incurred from it: his son to

the sea, and his daughter to a marriage so far from home that he shall never

see her again. He ponders what type of strange fish may, even now, be feeding

on the remains of his poor son and heir.

Francisco, in a strong, spirited speech (his only lines, save three words in

III, iii), reassures the King that he saw Ferdinand swimming toward the island

during the storm, giving hope that he may still be alive:

Sir, he may live;

I saw him beat the surges under him,

And ride upon their backs. He trod the water,

Whose enmity he flung aside, and breasted

The surge most swoll'n that met him. His bold head

'Bove the contentious waves he kept, and oared

Himself with his good arms in lusty stroke

To th' shore, that o'er his wave-worn basis bowed,

As stooping to relieve him. I not doubt

He came alive to land.

Alonzo refuses to be comforted, insisting, "No, no, he's gone."

So far, during this scene, Sebastian (brother of Alonzo) and Antonio (brother

of Prospero) have stood apart and made derogatory remarks, between themselves,

regarding nearly every word uttered by their compatriots. With each, they have

either contradicted their thoughts, anticipated their words, wagered on who

will be next to speak, or made contemptuous, satirical or catty remarks. These

are evil men, and they regard the goodness in others as foolishness.

Now, Sebastian tells his brother that he has no one to blame for the loss of

his son other than himself. Against the advice and solicitations of everyone

at court, Alonzo allowed his daughter to marry an African, rather than a

European, thereby necessitating this ocean voyage with its disastrous

consequences. Since all the fleet is lost (as they have reason to believe),

Sebastian fears that Milan and Naples may now have more widows than there are

men returning home to comfort them.

While admitting that Sebastian speaks the truth, Gonzalo criticizes his

bluntness: he rubs the sore, when he should bring the plaster. Sebastian

yields, knowing his words have done their work.

Gonzalo tries once more to change Alonzo's mood by describing how he would rule

the island, were he its king: all things would be shared by his people; there

would be no trade, no laws, no money, and no property ownership; men would not

work, women neither; his people would be innocent and pure; no one would hold a

position above another; there would be no crime and no need of weapons or

machines; nature alone would provide food, in abundance, for his people. To

Gonzalo's vision of the perfect commonwealth, Sebastian wonders, "No marrying

'mong his subjects?", and Antonio responds contemptuously, "None, man; all

idle; whores and knaves." Gonzalo asserts that he would, in fact, govern with

such perfection as to surpass the Golden Age.

Alonzo thinks Gonzalo's words mean nothing, so Gonzalo maintains that his

speech was for the benefit of Antonio and Sebastian, who always used to laugh

at nothing. Antonio says it was at Gonzalo that they laughed. Then they may

continue to laugh at nothing, Gonzalo jabs, for that is what he is to them. He

sarcastically remarks that Antonio and Sebastian are such brave men that they

"would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks

without changing," ("when pigs fly," in other words).

Ariel now enters to carry out those orders given him a short time earlier by

Prospero. He plays solemn music, causing the courtiers one by one to succumb

to sleep. Sebastian and Antonio, however, remain impervious to the charm. At

first, Alonzo tries to resist, but he too finally drifts off, after being

convinced by Antonio and Sebastian that sleep is a great comforter of sorrow,

and that they will oversee his safety. Ariel then exits.

Sebastian wonders at the strange drowsiness that has overtaken their

companions. Antonio believes it is due to the climate. But if that were the

case, Sebastian asks, why are they not also inclined to sleep?

Antonio is quick to realize the potential of their situation: Ferdinand, next

in line for the throne, most surely is drowned, and Claribel, now so far from

home, is able to hear of events in Naples only after many years, when it is too

late to take action. Antonio can visualize a crown descending onto Sebastian's

head. He asks: would these men, now sleeping, be any worse off if death had

seized them; are there not others who can rule as well as the King; are there

not other lords who can prattle as well and unnecessarily as Gonzalo? Out of

this "no hope" for Ferdinand, what hope there is for Sebastian; from this

sleep, what awakening can come to him!

Sebastian understands Antonio's meaning; he remembers how Antonio supplanted

his own brother. "And look how well my garments sit upon me," Antonio boasts,

"My brother's servants were then my fellows; now they are my men." Sebastian

asks Antonio about his conscience. Antonio assures his comrade that he has

none, and with three inches of steel from his sword, he can now lay the King to

rest forever -- if Sebastian will do the same for Gonzalo. As for the

remainder of the courtiers, Antonio says, they will be no trouble: "they'll

take suggestion as a cat laps milk."

As Antonio got Milan, Sebastian will come by Naples. They both draw their

swords. For his part in helping usurp the kingdom, Sebastian swears fealty to

Antonio and promises to free him from the tribute he now pays. But before they

do the deed, Sebastian asks to have one word more with Antonio.

While they converse, Ariel reenters. Prospero has foreseen the danger to his

friend, Gonzalo, and has sent Ariel to foil the plans of these would-be

assassins. Ariel sings in Gonzalo's ear:

While you here do snoring lie,

Open-eyed conspiracy

His time doth take.

If of life you keep a care,

Shake off slumber, and beware.

Awake, awake!

Antonio and Sebastian raise their swords. Gonzalo wakes, sees the two ready to

strike, and cries out, "good angels preserve the King!" The others are awakened

by his shouting and jump to their feet. Alonzo asks why the two men are drawn,

and with such ghastly looks. Thinking quickly, Sebastian replies that they

were startled by a strange noise, like that of bulls or lions, while they were

standing guard. He asks if the others were not awakened by the din. Alonzo

says he heard nothing; but Gonzalo, having heard a strange, humming noise

(Ariel's song), thinks it best that they be on guard, or leave the area

altogether. He advises that they draw their weapons.

Alonzo asks Gonzalo to lead the way and resume the search for Ferdinand. The

old man prays that the wild beasts heard by Sebastian will in no way harm the

King's son, for he is certainly somewhere on the island.

As they all exit, Ariel vows: "Prospero my lord shall know what I have done;/

So, King, go safely on to seek thy son."