The Tempest

‘The Tempest’ is a play written by William Shakespeare. You will be finding out lots about William Shakespeare. He is the most famous playwright in the whole world because people love his plays! He lived about 500 years ago in Elizabethan times. ‘The Tempest’ was the last play he wrote. He was alive from 1564 to 1616.

Who are the main characters in The Tempest? Prospero is the main character. He was a king but his jealous brother put a hole in his boat just before he went on a boat trip and caused Prospero’s boat to sink. Prospero and his daughter managed to hold on to some floating boxes and were washed up on an island.

Prospero Prospero finds that a witch had lived on the island and made it ugly. He has a lot of time on his hands so he learns how to do magic and becomes a wizard. He transforms the island into one of beauty.

Miranda Prospero has a daughter who was very young when they arrived on the island and doesn’t remember her life before she arrived there.

Ariel Ariel is a water-nymph spirit who helps Prospero. He freed her from imprisonment when he arrived so she is in his debt. She longs to be free. Ariel can do magic too.

Caliban The wicked witch, who made the island ugly, had a son who was half monster and half human. He lived on his own on the island until Prospero came along. At first they were friends and Prospero taught him how to speak. However, Caliban resented Prospero taking over his island and as Caliban became a threat, Prospero used his magic to make him his slave.

The story starts when Prospero has been imprisoned on the island for twelve years. He notices a ship out at sea and recognises it as belonging to his treacherous brother Antonio. So Prospero uses his magic to create a tempest that causes the ship to sink and all the people on board are washed up on different parts of the island, weary but all alive. Prospero wants to make his revenge on…

…his brother Antonio Crafty, devious and greedy Antonio become king when everyone thought Prospero had drowned. Antonio is the number one villain in the play. When he is washed up on to the island Prospero can’t wait to get his revenge! Antonio has a friend who helped him to put a hole in Prospero’s boat…

King Alonso King Alonso helped Antonio and has also been washed up on the island. Alonso is sad because he thinks his son, Ferdinand, has drowned.

However, Ferdinand has not drowned, he has been washed up too and has fallen in love with Miranda.

Meanwhile, Caliban has met some other people who have been washed up on shore from the ship: Trinculo, Alonso’s jester and Stephano, king Alonso’s butler. They plot to kill Prospero but end up getting drunk because Stephano finds some wine washed up on to the shore. This is the funny part of the play!

Ariel sees that the drunken trio are plotting to kill Prospero so she sends goblins after them!

Revenge With Ariel’s help Prospero gets revenge on all his enemies…

Prospero forgives his enemies! Miranda and Ferdinand plan to marry and Prospero decides that they can rule his kingdom when they return home. He gives his daughter a beautiful mask. Finally he sets Ariel free! Prospero gives up his magic as he realises he is not God.