The Tempest

The Tempest is a comic play by William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, along with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The Tempest recounts the story of Prospero, the overthrown duke of Milan, who maroons his betrayers on a magical island. There, he creates spells and enchantments that toy with the evildoers until they promise to restore his throne. The production, first staged in London in 1611, provides spectacle, screwball comedy, and intrigue in a story about Choosing Forgiveness Over Revenge, The Intensity of Love and Human Yearning, and European Ideas About Conquest and Utopia.

Plot Summary

A ship is caught in a terrible storm. Its passengers are Alonso, king of Naples; his brother, Sebastian; his son, Ferdinand; his counselor, Gonzalo; Antonio, who usurped the throne of Milan from his brother; and other members of the court. As the ship makes loud cracking noises, the passengers fear it will sink.