Book
The Tempest
First published 1623
Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, has lived for years on an island with his daughter Miranda, using books and magical knowledge to command the spirit Ariel and dominate Caliban. When a ship carrying Prospero’s political enemies passes nearby, he creates a storm that brings them ashore.
The castaways are separated into groups and subjected to tests, plots and staged illusions as Prospero prepares the recovery of his dukedom. Written in an age of expanding European oceanic travel, the play combines dynastic restoration with shipwreck narrative, servitude and encounters across cultures. Its ending depends on Prospero choosing reconciliation and relinquishing the power that has controlled the island.
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