The Tempest is a fascinating play, blenidng large scale politics with the personal, drawing on strong natural imagery and dabbline with magic - lots of the best Shakespeare ingredients. Obvious comparions can be made with "A MIdsummer Night's dreams" but this is by far the more focused text, and has a far smaller cast. The Plot: Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, but due to some politicking, he's an exile, trapped on a small island with his daughter. Fate, chance or mahgic brings a boat to flounder on the island's shore - on that boat is Ferdinand, son of the King of Naples, and the Duke who userped Prospero, amongst others. On the ...  Read the complete review

The Tempest is believed to be William Shakespeare's final play, written around 1611. Rather notably, it is the first of all of Shakespeare's works to use the dramatic unities - unity of time, unity of location and unity of action. For a play to conform to the unities, the play must take place in the natural progression of time, the location must remain the same, and there should only be one real plotline. The Tempest technically has two locations; at sea and then the island. The time almost conforms to the length of the play - it takes two hours to perform the play, and the action supposedly takes place over 4 hours, and the plot is focused on Prospero getting ...  Read the complete review

Wow what a great play, its actually thrilling which is rare for an oldie play! The characters develop well throughout the play Characters ---------------- Prospero · Aged 40 - 45 but looks older · Name means to be 'prosperus' and to bring ' good fortune' · Learned, intelligent man · Deposed from his position as the duke of Milan by his brother Antonio · Usually dressed as a magician or wizard to symbolise his knowledge · Living in exile on the island for the last 12 years Miranda · Prospero's daughter aged 15 · Mother died in childbirth · Name means a mirror or wonder in Latin · ...  Read the complete review

I don't want to provoke a Bard war, so I won't say that this is the best, merely my favourite Shakespeare. As his career comes to an end, Shakey seems to be experimenting: 'A Winter's Tale' is half tragedy, half comedy, with the pivotal arrival of a bear suddenly rushing the play into farce. 'The Tempest' tries to mesh the two together all the way through. Prospero is marooned on an island by his enemies, and years later, uses his magic to bring them to him. Prospero could be a tragic figure, a man consumed by his hatred and ultimately destroyed by it. Miranda is a perfect victim, an innocent like Desdemona or Cordelia, but it ...  Read the complete review

The “Tempest” is, of all Shakespeare’s plays, probably the most interesting and in depth, it manages, despite having the most boring scene two in Shakespeare, to combine political intrigue, a thorough discussion of Machiavellian techniques with a, somewhat tinted, love story. The tale is set entirely on a small island, the disposed duke of Milan (Prospero) has raised his only daughter on this island for many years, by a stroke of luck all his rivals happen to be sailing past his island. Using the magic he has learned over his sojourn Prospero brings his brother (who deposed him), the king of Naples (who helped his brother) and his old ...  Read the complete review