THE TEMPEST - Paragraph

           THE TEMPEST

             By William Shakespeare

Introduction:

 The Tempest was considered as one of the Shakespeare's well-written play.  It is believed that the play was based on an actual wreck of a ship called the Sea venture of Bermuda that was headed to Virginia. There is a strong evidence that Shakespeare used elements of the story of the wreck.

My library was dukedom large enough.

                            -      (Prospero,  Act 1 Scene 2)

Tragedy that surrounded Prospero:

When the play, The Tempest by William Shakespeare begins Prospero the overthrown Duke of Milan, and his teenage daughter, Miranda live on an isolated island where they have been marooned for the past twelve years. Their only companions are Ariel, a magical spirit and Caliban, enslaved by Prospero. Prospero was originally Duke of Milan but his position was appropriated by his brother Antonio possibly with the approval of king of Naples.

“Let us not burthen our remembrance with

A heaviness that’s gone.” - Prospero (Act 5, Scene 1)

Ariel’s violent storm:

A ship with king of Naples, his son Ferdinand, Antonio and the other nobles, is wrecked in Sea storm created by the spirit Ariel, under the magic art of Prospero. Ariel explains that he has carried out Prospero’s orders. He admits that he had destroyed the ship and dispersed its passengers across the Island. Prospero instructs Ariel to be invisible and spy on them. Prospero explains to his daughter that the crew members in the ship are all safe and sound when he sees her glum. He puts Miranda to sleep as Ariel comes there to report that the lords are on the island as he had commanded, with Ferdinand separated from the others. Caliban, a vicious  native of the island who is also controlled by Prospero, expresses his hatred to Prospero, but is forced to do his command.

 “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

                                -         Ariel (Act 1, Scene 2)

 Ferdinand meets Miranda:

Prospero gets Ariel to lead Ferdinand across the island so that he meets Miranda, and fall in love. As planned, Ferdinand stumbles across Miranda and they fall in love and decided to marry.  Prospero warns Miranda off and decides to test Ferdinand’s loyalty. To test his worth, Prospero makes Ferdinand’s carry out menial tasks. Ferdinand finds his labour pleasant because of Miranda. Miranda, thinking that her father is asleep, tells Ferdinand to take break. They propose marriage and they accept each other. Prospero who has been on stage invisible to Ferdinand and Miranda is pleased with this development.

       “Good wombs have borne bad sons.”

                               -         Miranda (Act 1, Scene 2)

 Grieving ship wrecked crew:

 The rest of the shipwrecked crew are grieving for their lost, loved ones. The search for Ferdinand goes in vain and Antonio and the king of naplesfear him drowned. Gonzalo and the others think that the spellbound men are suffering from the guilt of their past actions and promise to ensure their safety.

 “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”

                              ― William Shakespeare, The Tempest

King of Naples punished for disloyalty:

           Ariel places a magical delicious banquet before the lords which vanishes when they crave to eat. Ariel leads the lords to Prospero, and they stand in a trance before him.

   “Now I will believe that there are unicorns...”
                                           ― William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Prospero pardons Antonio:

        Ariel rouses them, and they beg forgiveness, which Prospero grants, and he is restored to his dukedom. Ferdinand and Miranda are then revealed to them to their happiness. At the end of the play, Ariel is told to provide good weather to guide the king’s ship back to the royal fleet and then to Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda will be married.

                   “What’s past is prologue.”

-         Antonio (Act 2, Scene 1)