Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, has been betrayed. Twelve years ago, his treacherous brother Antonio, aided by the King of Naples, usurped his throne and set him adrift at sea with his infant daughter, Miranda. They were cast upon a lonely island, a place of strange sounds and wild magic. Now, through his arcane arts, Prospero has raised a tempest—a violent storm that shipwrecks his enemies upon his shores. His enemies are within his power: the traitorous Antonio, the foolish King Alonso, and his scheming entourage. Also on the island are the son of the King, Ferdinand, and the island's original inhabitants: the airy spirit Ariel, bound to Prospero's service, and Caliban, the monstrous son of a witch, who claims the island as his own.
What follows is a story of revenge and reconciliation. Prospero uses his magic to manipulate, to punish, and to test. But as he watches his enemies suffer and his daughter fall in love, he must choose between vengeance and the harder path of forgiveness.
Shakespeare's final masterpiece, The Tempest is a magical romance about power, forgiveness, and the journey toward peace. It is the playwright's farewell to his art, a play where the magician breaks his staff and drowns his book, asking us to set him free with our applause.
