The tempest .

Plot 1 Magician Prospero, Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded for twelve years on an island

2 after Prospero's jealous brother Antonio (aided by Alonso, the King of Naples deposed him and set him adrift !ith the then"#"year"old $iranda.

# %on&alo, the King's 'ounsellor, had se'retly supplied their boat !ith plenty of food, !ater, 'lothes and the most"pri&ed boo(s from Prospero's library.

4 Possessing magic powers due to his great learning, Prospero is reluctantly served by a spirit, Ariel, !hom Prospero had res'ued from a tree in !hi'h he had been trapped by the !it'h )y'ora*.

+ Prospero maintains Ariel's loyalty by repeatedly promising to release the "airy spirit" from servitude.

, ycora! had been banished to the island, and had died before Prospero's arri-al" #er son, $aliban, a deformed monster and the only non%spiritual inhabitant before the arrival of Prospero, !as initially adopted and raised by him.

#e taught Prospero how to survive on the island, !hile Prospero and Miranda taught Caliban religion and their own language.

7 &ollowing $aliban's attempted rape of Miranda, he had been compelled by Prospero to serve as the magician's slave.

. 'n slavery, $aliban has come to view Prospero as a usurper and has grown to resent him and his daughter. Prospero and Miranda in turn view Caliban with contempt and disgust.

/ (he play opens as Prospero, having divined that his brother, Antonio, is on a ship passing close by the island, has raised a tempest which causes the ship to run aground. Also on the ship are Antonio's friend and fello! 'onspirator, King Alonso of Naples, Alonso's brother and son !ebastian and "erdinand#, and Alonso's advisor, $on%alo. All these passengers are returning from the !edding of Alonso's daughter 0laribel !ith the King of Tunis. Prospero contrives to separate the shipwreck survivors into several groups by his spells, and so Alonso and &erdinand are separated, each believing the other to be dead"

11 (hree plots then alternate through the play.

11.1 'n one, $aliban falls in with tephano and (rinculo, two drunkards, whom he believes have come from the moon. &hey atte'pt to raise a rebellion against Prospero, which ulti'ately fails. 11.2 2n another, Prospero works to establish a romantic relationship between &erdinand and Miranda3 the two fall immediately in love, but Prospero worries that "too light winning )may* make the pri+e light,4 and compels &erdinand to become his servant, pretending that he regards him as a spy" 11.# 2n the third subplot, Antonio and !ebastian conspire to (ill Alonso and $on%alo so that !ebastian can beco'e King. Ariel th!arts them, at Prospero's 'ommand. Ariel appears to the )three 'en of sin) Alonso, Antonio and !ebastian# as a harpy, repri'anding the' for their betrayal of Prospero. Prospero manipulates the course of his enemies' path through the island, drawing them closer and closer to him"

,,", 'n the conclusion, all the main characters are brought together before Prospero, who forgives Alonso" #e also forgives Antonio and ebastian, but warns them against further betrayal" ,,"- Ariel is charged to prepare the proper sailing weather to guide Alonso and his entourage including Prospero and Miranda# bac( to the *oyal fleet and then to Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda will be married. After discharging this tas(, Ariel will finally be free.

11.+ Prospero pardons Caliban, who is sent to prepare Prospero's cell, to which Alonso and his party are invited for a final night before their departure. (2t is ho!e-er not 'ade clear whether, after their departure, Caliban will re'ain on the island or whether he will

be ta(en to Naples . Prospero indi'ates that he intends to entertain them !ith the story of his life on the island.

12 Prospero has resolved to brea( and bury his 'agic staff, and )drown) his boo( of 'agic, and in his epilogue, shorn of his magic powers, he invites the audience to set him free from the island with their applause.