A storm strikes a ship carrying
Alonso, Ferdinand, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Stephano, and Trinculo, who
are on their way to Italy after coming from the wedding of Alonso’s
daughter, Claribel, to the prince of Tunis in Africa. The royal
party and the other mariners, with the exception of the unflappable
Boatswain, begin to fear for their lives. Lightning cracks, and
the mariners cry that the ship has been hit. Everyone prepares to
sink.
The next scene begins much more quietly. Miranda and Prospero stand
on the shore of their island, looking out to sea at the recent shipwreck.
Miranda asks her father to do anything he can to help the poor souls
in the ship. Prospero assures her that everything is all right and
then informs her that it is time she learned more about herself
and her past. He reveals to her that he orchestrated the shipwreck
and tells her the lengthy story of her past, a story he has often started
to tell her before but never finished. The story goes that Prospero
was the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, conspiring with
Alonso, the King of Naples, usurped his position. Kidnapped and left to die
on a raft at sea, Prospero and his daughter survive because Gonzalo leaves
them supplies and Prospero’s books, which are the source of his magic and
power. Prospero and his
daughter arrived on the island where they remain now and have been
for twelve years. Only now, Prospero says, has Fortune at last sent
his enemies his way, and he has raised the tempest in order to make
things right with them once and for all.
After telling this story, Prospero charms Miranda to sleep
and then calls forth his familiar spirit Ariel, his chief magical
agent. Prospero and Ariel’s discussion reveals that Ariel brought
the tempest upon the ship and set fire to the mast. He
then made sure that everyone got safely to the island, though they
are now separated from each other into small groups. Ariel, who
is a captive servant to Prospero, reminds his master that he has
promised Ariel freedom a year early if he performs tasks such as
these without complaint. Prospero chastises Ariel for protesting
and reminds him of the horrible fate from which he was rescued.
Before Prospero came to the island, a witch named Sycorax imprisoned
Ariel in a tree. Sycorax died, leaving Ariel trapped until Prospero
arrived and freed him. After Ariel assures Prospero that he knows
his place, Prospero orders Ariel to take the shape of a sea nymph
and make himself invisible to all but Prospero.
Miranda awakens from her sleep, and she and
Prospero go to visit Caliban, Prospero’s servant and the son of
the dead Sycorax. Caliban curses Prospero, and Prospero and Miranda
berate him for being ungrateful for what they have given and taught
him. Prospero sends Caliban to fetch firewood. Ariel, invisible,
enters playing music and leading in the awed Ferdinand. Miranda
and Ferdinand are immediately smitten with each other. He is the only
man Miranda has ever seen, besides Caliban and her father. Prospero
is happy to see that his plan for his daughter’s future marriage
is working, but decides that he must upset things temporarily in
order to prevent their relationship from developing too quickly.
He accuses Ferdinand of merely pretending to be the Prince of Naples
and threatens him with imprisonment. When Ferdinand draws his sword,
Prospero charms him and leads him off to prison, ignoring Miranda’s
cries for mercy. He then sends Ariel on another mysterious mission.
On another part of the island, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo,
and other miscellaneous lords give thanks for their safety but worry
about the fate of Ferdinand. Alonso says that he wishes he never
had married his daughter to the prince of Tunis because if he had
not made this journey, his son would still be alive. Gonzalo tries to
maintain high spirits by discussing the beauty of the island, but his
remarks are undercut by the sarcastic sourness of Antonio and Sebastian.
Ariel appears, invisible, and plays music that puts all but Sebastian
and Antonio to sleep. These two then begin to discuss the possible
advantages of killing their sleeping companions. Antonio persuades
Sebastian that the latter will become ruler of Naples if they kill
Alonso. Claribel, who would be the next heir if Ferdinand were indeed
dead, is too far away to be able to claim her right. Sebastian
is convinced, and the two are about to stab the sleeping men when
Ariel causes Gonzalo to wake with a shout. Everyone wakes up, and
Antonio and Sebastian concoct a ridiculous story about having drawn
their swords to protect the king from lions. Ariel goes back to
Prospero while Alonso and his party continue to search for Ferdinand.
Caliban, meanwhile, is hauling wood for Prospero when
he sees Trinculo and thinks he is a spirit sent by Prospero to torment
him. He lies down and hides under his cloak. A storm is brewing,
and Trinculo, curious about but undeterred by Caliban’s strange appearance
and smell, crawls under the cloak with him. Stephano, drunk and singing,
comes along and stumbles upon the bizarre spectacle of Caliban and
Trinculo huddled under the cloak. Caliban, hearing the singing,
cries out that he will work faster so long as the “spirits” leave
him alone. Stephano decides that this monster requires liquor and
attempts to get Caliban to drink. Trinculo recognizes his friend
Stephano and calls out to him. Soon the three are sitting up together
and drinking. Caliban quickly becomes an enthusiastic drinker, and
begins to sing.
Prospero puts Ferdinand to work hauling wood. Ferdinand
finds his labor pleasant because it is for Miranda’s sake. Miranda,
thinking that her father is asleep, tells Ferdinand to take a break.
The two flirt with one another. Miranda proposes marriage, and Ferdinand accepts.
Prospero has been on stage most of the time, unseen, and he is pleased
with this development.
Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban are now drunk and raucous
and are made all the more so by Ariel, who comes to them invisibly
and provokes them to fight with one another by impersonating their voices
and taunting them. Caliban grows more and more fervent in his boasts
that he knows how to kill Prospero. He even tells Stephano that he
can bring him to where Prospero is sleeping. He proposes that they
kill Prospero, take his daughter, and set Stephano up as king of
the island. Stephano thinks this a good plan, and the three prepare to
set off to find Prospero. They are distracted, however, by the sound
of music that Ariel plays on his flute and tabor-drum, and they
decide to follow this music before executing their plot.
Alonso, Gonzalo, Sebastian, and Antonio grow weary from
traveling and pause to rest. Antonio and Sebastian secretly plot
to take advantage of Alonso and Gonzalo’s exhaustion, deciding to
kill them in the evening. Prospero, probably on the balcony of the
stage and invisible to the men, causes a banquet to be set out by
strangely shaped spirits. As the men prepare to eat, Ariel appears
like a harpy and causes the banquet to vanish. He then accuses the
men of supplanting Prospero and says that it was for this sin that
Alonso’s son, Ferdinand, has been taken. He vanishes, leaving Alonso
feeling vexed and guilty.
Prospero now softens toward Ferdinand and welcomes him
into his family as the soon-to-be-husband of Miranda. He sternly reminds
Ferdinand, however, that Miranda’s “virgin-knot” (IV.i.15)
is not to be broken until the wedding has been officially solemnized.
Prospero then asks Ariel to call forth some spirits to perform a
masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. The spirits assume the shapes
of Ceres, Juno, and Iris and perform a short masque celebrating
the rites of marriage and the bounty of the earth. A dance of reapers
and nymphs follows but is interrupted when Prospero suddenly remembers
that he still must stop the plot against his life.
He sends the spirits away and asks Ariel about Trinculo,
Stephano, and Caliban. Ariel tells his master of the three men’s
drunken plans. He also tells how he led the men with his music through
prickly grass and briars and finally into a filthy pond near Prospero’s
cell. Ariel and Prospero then set a trap by hanging beautiful clothing
in Prospero’s cell. Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban enter looking
for Prospero and, finding the beautiful clothing, decide to steal
it. They are immediately set upon by a pack of spirits in the shape
of dogs and hounds, driven on by Prospero and Ariel.
Prospero uses Ariel to bring Alonso and the others before
him. He then sends Ariel to bring the Boatswain and the mariners
from where they sleep on the wrecked ship. Prospero confronts Alonso, Antonio,
and Sebastian with their treachery, but tells them that he forgives
them. Alonso tells him of having lost Ferdinand in the tempest and
Prospero says that he recently lost his own daughter. Clarifying
his meaning, he draws aside a curtain to reveal Ferdinand and Miranda
playing chess. Alonso and his companions are amazed by the miracle
of Ferdinand’s survival, and Miranda is stunned by the sight of
people unlike any she has seen before. Ferdinand tells his father
about his marriage.
Ariel returns with the Boatswain and mariners. The Boatswain tells
a story of having been awakened from a sleep that had apparently
lasted since the tempest. At Prospero’s bidding, Ariel releases Caliban,
Trinculo and Stephano, who then enter wearing their stolen clothing.
Prospero and Alonso command them to return it and to clean up Prospero’s
cell. Prospero invites Alonso and the others to stay for the night
so that he can tell them the tale of his life in the past twelve
years. After this, the group plans to return to Italy. Prospero, restored
to his dukedom, will retire to Milan. Prospero gives Ariel one final
task—to make sure the seas are calm for the return voyage—before
setting him free. Finally, Prospero delivers an epilogue to the audience,
asking them to forgive him for his wrongdoing and set him free by
applauding.
