The Tempest

Synopsis

This Norton Critical Edition includes:

 The First Folio (1623) text, accompanied by the editors' preface and detailed explanatory annotations.
 A rich collection of source materials by Ovid, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, King James I, Michel de Montaigne and others centered on the play's major themes of magic, witchcraft, politics, religion, geography and travel.
 Seventeen wide-ranging scholarly essays, seven of them new to the Second Edition.
 Nineteen rescriptings that speak to The Tempest's enduring inspiration and provocation for writers from Thomas Heywood and Percy Bysshe Shelley to Aimé Césaire and Ted Hughes.
 A Selected Bibliography.

About the Series

Read by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format-annotated text, contexts and criticism-helps students to better understand, analyse and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.

Summary

Chapter 1

The play opens on a tempestuous sea, with Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda, shipwrecked on an island. They are accompanied by Ariel, a spirit who serves Prospero, and Caliban, a monstrous slave.

Chapter 2

The ship carrying Alonso, the King of Naples, and his entourage is also caught in the storm. The ship is wrecked and all but Antonio, Alonso's treacherous brother, and a few mariners are drowned. Antonio reveals that he and Sebastian, Alonso's brother-in-law, plotted to overthrow Alonso and seize the throne.

Chapter 3

Prospero uses his magic to separate the survivors and bring them to different parts of the island. Ferdinand, the son of Alonso, is drawn to Miranda and the two fall in love. Prospero, who has been manipulating events from behind the scenes, allows their love to blossom as part of his plan to regain his dukedom.

Chapter 4

Caliban, resentful of his enslavement, plots with Trinculo, a jester, and Stephano, a drunken butler, to overthrow Prospero. They are discovered and punished by Prospero, who reveals his true identity as the rightful Duke of Milan.

Chapter 5

Prospero arranges a grand masque for Ferdinand and Miranda, featuring the goddesses Juno, Iris, and Ceres. The masque is interrupted by Caliban's attempt to kill Prospero, but Ariel intervenes and saves his master.

Conclusion

Prospero renounces his magic and frees Ariel. Ferdinand and Miranda are married, and the survivors of the shipwreck are reunited. Prospero's enemies beg for his forgiveness, and he grants it. The play ends with Prospero's triumphant return to Milan as the rightful Duke, accompanied by his daughter, her husband, and the repentant conspirators.

Real Example

In Chapter 1, Prospero uses his magic to raise a storm that wrecks the ship carrying Alonso and his entourage. This scene can be interpreted as a metaphor for the political upheaval and treachery that occurred in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The storm represents the chaos and instability that plagued the country, while the shipwreck symbolizes the downfall of those who opposed the Queen.