Concetti Chiave
- The Tempest, Shakespeare's last play, is a comedy and part of the romances genre, also considered a "problem play".
- Prospero, exiled Duke of Milan, lives on an exotic island with his daughter Miranda after being usurped by his brother Antonio.
- Caliban, the island's native, initially cooperates with Prospero but later rebels and is enslaved as punishment.
- Prospero plans revenge against his brother and the king of Naples using a storm, but love between Miranda and Ferdinand leads him to forgive.
- In the end, Prospero abandons magic, forgives his enemies, returns to Milan, while Caliban regains the island and Ariel is freed.
The Tempest is Shakespeare's last play. It is a comedy and belongs to a group of plays called romances. (It is considered also a "problem play")
Prospero's Exile
The plot is set on an unknow and exotic island. The main characters are Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and Caliban. Prospero is not native to the island: he was the formal Duke of Milan, but his throne was usurped by his brother Antonio, with the help of the king of Naples Alonso, so Prospero was exiled on the island with Miranda. Prospero is responsable for what has happened to him: he was too far concerned in his interests and in white magic, which wasn't accepted in Milan at that time. Prospero neglected the duties of his position, and because of his behaviour, he was condamned to live on the desert island.
Caliban and the Island
On the island he find Caliban, a native. Caliban is the owner of the island, indeed he has inherited it from his mother Sycorax, a witch. She has also imprisoned a spirit, Ariel, and exploited her to achieve her aims.
When he arrived on the island, Prospero destroyed the witch and promised Ariel freedom provided that she help him to realize his projects. Prospero and Miranda became the owners of the island, they took care of Caliban and taught him their language. But then, Caliban kidnapped Miranda and rebelled against Prospero's authority, so he was imprisoned and treated as a slave, as punishment.
The Tempest and Revenge
Then on the island arrive Prospero's enemies. Indeed his brother Antonio, the king of Naples Alonso, and his son Ferdinand, coming back from Marocco, sail near the island. Pospero asks Ariel to provoke a storm in order to have the ships destroyed. Anyway all the sailors and the important people are safe because Prospero's intent is to keep everyone alive. When they arrive on the island they are separated so that each one may live his own experience. Prospero main intent is to punish his brother and the king of Naples for what they have done to him, but at the end the love between Miranda al Ferdinand drives him to give up on his revenge. Prospero abandons magic and realizes that it modifies reality and deprives relationships of their true nature, what is created by magic is not real, it is false appareance.
Prospero's Forgiveness
Prospero decides to forgive his enemies and, before going back to Milan, he breakes his magic rod. At the end everyone comes back to Milan where is celebrated the marriage between Ferdinand and Miranda, except for Caliban, who becames the owner of the island again, and Ariel, who is made free by Prospero.
Domande da interrogazione
- What led to Prospero's exile to the island in "The Tempest"?
- What was Prospero's initial plan for his enemies when they arrived on the island?
Prospero was exiled to the island because his brother Antonio usurped his throne as Duke of Milan with the help of the King of Naples, Alonso. Prospero's preoccupation with his interests and white magic, which was not accepted in Milan, led to his neglect of his duties, resulting in his exile.
Prospero's initial plan was to punish his brother Antonio and King Alonso for their betrayal by using Ariel to create a storm that shipwrecked them on the island. However, his intent was not to harm them but to separate them so they could each have their own experiences.
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