The Tempest

William Shakespeare

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, the rest of the story is set on a remote island, where the sorcerer Prospero, a complex and contradictory character, lives with his daughter Miranda, and his two servants—Caliban, a savage monster figure, and Ariel, an airy spirit.

The Tempest is Shakespeare's first comedy, it explores many themes including magic, betrayal, revenge, and family. 

The Tempest has been put to varied interpretations—from those that see it as a fable of art and creation, with Prospero representing Shakespeare, and Prospero's renunciation of magic signaling Shakespeare's farewell to the stage, to interpretations that consider it an allegory of Europeans colonizing foreign lands.

Background

According to the Glencoe Literature Library, even though The Tempest is set in an imaginary, fairy tale–like world, actual events strongly influence the plot. Like most writers, Shakespeare used real-life events as starting points for his creations and let his artistic imagination transform them. One event that scholars believe influenced Shakespeare as he was writing The Tempest was a famous shipwreck.

In the spring of 1609, nine ships left England for the newly founded colony of Jamestown, Virginia. During the voyage, the lead ship, the Sea-Adventure, was separated from the others during a storm and feared lost. The crew and passengers were shipwrecked in the Bermudas. They survived and eventually reached Jamestown about a year later.

The Tempest

Comprehension Questions - Booklet


Enrichment

If you feel like going further and get bonus points, you can listen to the play and answer some comprehension questions. 

The Play
Part 1
Part 2

Comprehension Questions - Booklet