Summary
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, was published in 1611. The story is set on an island made my one of the main characters, Prospero, when he casts his enemies to the island he was banned to in an attempt of revenge. The story picks up from the storm that sends all of the people there.
Characters
Prospero: The "wizard" that banishes his worst enemies to the island that he once fled to. He banishes them through the help of his soul, Ariel. Also is the protagonist despite his vengeful actions
Antonio: The greedy brother of Prospero who wished to remove his own brother from the position of loyalty in order to be king himself and acclaim total power
Ariel: A genderless soul who can make many things happy through its magic; is in the hands of Prospero's wish. Sort of like the genie in the bottle
Miranda: Raised by her father, Prospero, Miranda has grown up on the island where Prospero has remained for years. She does not know many people considering she has only seen her father and Caliban, but does not have any reason to fear humans themselves because she does not know the evils of the human race. She falls in love with Ferdinand despite conflicting histories
Ferdinand: The son of King Alonso, purity is seen through his relationship and love with Miranda in his efforts to maintain a relationship with her despite their families' conflicts
Alonso: The king of Naples and father of Ferdinand. He also helped Antonio dethrone Prospero of the position of Duke of Milan which led to Prospero being cast away to the island
Sebastian: Alonso's brother who is very anxious to achieve power, so much so that he is willing to kill his brother, the king, to achieve total power over Naples.
Gonzalo: A kind, wise, and honorable lord who aided Prospero and Miranda, when she was just an infant, to the island they are currently on when they were stripped of their royal position
Caliban: The "slave" of the island, is half man and half fish. He has a hideous appearance which casts him under everyone else, and is easily convinced by two men to betray Prospero by attacking him
Trinculo and Stephano: Trinculo is a jester and Stephano a servant as much as he is a drunk. They befriend Caliban which makes them the lowest-class trio
Synopsis
The book begins with Prospero using Ariel as an outlet in order to cause the wreck of a ship in which all of his enemies are on. After all of the crew members awake on the island, Prospero soon uses Ariel to make them drift back off to a magical sleep, except for Antonio and Sebastian, thinking that they would decide to kill their higher-ups, Alonso and Gonzalo, for power. Right before the two assassinate them, Ariel wakes Alonso and Gonzalo up as Trinculo and Stephano trick Caliban into thinking the two are figures equal to deities. Alast, the two lovebirds, Ferdinand and Miranda, plan to get married, so Prospero calls upon the Gods to witness their marriage and bless it. Trinculo and Stephano have convinced Caliban to steal from Prospero, so Prosper lays out nice clothes expecting Caliban to steal from, in which he is attacked by dogs of surreal nature. After these events play out, the remainder of people from the shipwreck are sent to meet the man behind this, Prospero, and they finally understand why they have been tortured all along, however, Prospero forgives Alonso and the rest for their past actions and gives up his magic. He also reveals that Alonso's son, Ferdinand, is not dead and is in love with Miranda and recommends that they rule together and live forever after.
Symbols
1. Caliban's Status: Caliban's status can be a symbol that was not purposeful of Shakespeare's time, but it can easily represent the abrupt social class problems that occurred throughout modern history through today and slavery.
2. Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the end of Act V, Prospero gives up his magic and asks the audience if he may leave the place he has been stranded on for years. This could be symbolic of Shakespeare's feelings or sensations of loneliness and disparity one might feel in a new environment.
Citation
Top Picture: Something Rich and Strange courtesy of New Saint Andrews College