The Tempest

First performed in 1611 and published for the first time in 1623, The Tempest is one of William Shakespeare’s final plays, a work in which magic, political intrigue and the mysteries of human nature converge on a remote island. When a violent storm brings a shipload of nobles ashore, its apparent chaos proves to be the work of Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, who commands the island’s spirits with the aid of his servant Ariel. As his daughter Miranda encounters the shipwrecked Ferdinand, old betrayals resurface and Prospero begins to confront the possibility of forgiveness. Around them, the island’s other inhabitants, including the enigmatic Caliban, complicate the play’s vision of authority, freedom and belonging.

Blending romance, comedy and the supernatural, The Tempest is among Shakespeare’s most richly layered explorations of power and reconciliation. Its enchanted island has invited generations of readers to reflect on colonialism, human nature and the uneasy relationship between civilisation and the natural world. Prospero’s mastery of theatrical illusion has also made the play a compelling meditation on art itself, often read as a reflection on Shakespeare’s own career and the act of relinquishing creative control. Published as the opening play in the First Folio, it occupies a distinctive place in the Shakespearean canon, its final movement towards mercy offering a fitting, though never uncomplicated, farewell to the stage.

From the book

The isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

— William Shakespeare, The Tempest

On The Tempest

“The Tempest is a masterful play written for theatrical performance by someone who himself was a working actor.”

— Paul Yachnin, Internet Shakespeare Editions