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Summary The Tempest IEB notes
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Shakespeare's "The Tempest" Plot Summary, Themes & Characters
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The Tempest [Study Note]
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The Tempest, Full book summary
The Tempest opens in the midst of a storm, as a ship containing the king of Naples and his party
struggles to stay afloat. On land, Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, watch the storm envelop the
ship. Prospero has created the storm with magic, and he explains that his enemies are on board
the ship.
The story Prospero relates is that he is the rightful Duke of Milan and that his younger brother,
Antonio, betrayed him, seizing his title and property. Twelve years earlier, Prospero and Miranda
were put out to sea in little more than a raft. Miraculously, they both survived and arrived safely on
this island, where Prospero learned to control the magic that he now uses to manipulate everyone
on the island. Upon his arrival, Prospero rescued a sprite, Ariel, who had been imprisoned by the
witch Sycorax. Ariel wishes to be free and his freedom has been promised within two days. The
last inhabitant of the island is the child of Syco- rax and the devil: Caliban, whom Prospero has
enslaved. Caliban is a natural man, uncivilized and wishing only to have his island returned to him
to that he can live alone in peace.
Soon the royal party from the ship is cast ashore and separated into three groups. The king’s son,
Ferdinand, is brought to Prospero, where he sees Miranda, and the two fall instantly in love.
Meanwhile, Alonso, the king of Naples, and the rest of his party have come ashore on another part
of the island. Alonso fears that Ferdinand is dead and grieves for the loss of his son. Antonio,
Prospero’s younger brother, has also been washed ashore with the king’s younger brother,
Sebastian. Antonio easily convinces Sebastian that Sebastian should murder his brother and seize
the throne for himself. This plot to murder Alonso is similar to Antonio’s plot against his own
brother, Prospero, 12 years earlier.
Another part of the royal party—the court jester and the butler— has also come ashore. Trinculo
and Stefano each stumble upon Caliban, and each immediately sees a way to make money by
exhibiting Caliban as a monster recovered from this uninhabited island. Stefano has come ashore
in a wine cask, and soon Caliban, Trinculo, and Stefano are drunk. While drinking, Caliban hatches
a plot to murder Prospero and enrolls his two new acquaintances as accomplices. Ariel is listening,
however, and reports the plot to Prospero.
Meanwhile, Prospero has kept Ferdinand busy and has forbidden Miranda to speak to him, but the
two still find time to meet and declare their love, which is actually what Prospero has planned.
Next, Prospero stages a masque to celebrate the young couple’s betrothal, with god- desses and
nymphs entertaining the couple with singing and dancing.
While Ferdinand and Miranda have been celebrating their love, Alonso and the rest of the royal
party have been searching for the king’s son. Exhausted from the search and with the king
despairing of ever seeing his son alive, Prospero has ghosts and an imaginary banquet brought
before the king’s party. A god-like voice accuses Antonio, Alonso, and Sebastian of their sins, and
the banquet vanishes. The men are all frightened, and Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian run away.
Prospero punishes Caliban, Trinculo, and Stefano with a run through a briar patch and swim in a
scummy pond. Having accom- plished what he set out to do, Prospero has the king’s party brought
in. Prospero is clothed as the rightful Duke of Milan, and when the spell has been removed, Alonso
rejects all claims to Prospero’s dukedom and apologizes for his mistakes. Within moments,
Prospero reunites the king with his son, Ferdinand. Alonso is especially pleased to learn of
Miranda’s existence and that Ferdinand will marry her.
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