The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare. In this play, Prospero, who is the former Duke of Milan, uses his magic to signal a storm and plague the survivors of a shipwreck which includes his brother, Antonio, the King of Naples. Caliban, who is Prospero’s slave plans to free himself of his master but is prevented by Ariel, Prospero’s spirit servant. The young son of the King, who was thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter, Miranda. Their joy is short-lived when Prospero steps forward and reveals that he is the appropriate Duke of Milan. Once the families are reunited, Prospero grants freedom to Ariel and prepares to leave the island.
Most of the play is written in iambic pentameter, however, some of the play is also written in verse. Shakespeare used this to expose the density of Caliban. In The Tempest, when Caliban speaks in prose, he is conspiring with Stephano, and Trinculo, however, when he talks about how beautiful the island is, he speaks in verse.
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Act I begins with a ship at sea during a terrible storm which is the product of Prospero’s magic. Aboard the ship are King Alonso with his two sons Ferdinand and Sebastian along with Antonio, who is the King of Milan as well as Prospero’s brother Gonzalo. The shipwrecks upon a Mediterranean island where Prospero lives with his 15-year-old daughter, Miranda. Prospero tells Miranda the story of how they came to live on the island and about the betrayal of his brother. He explains how they were removed from the island of Milan after Antonio made a deal with King Alonso. Prospero speaks with his spirit servant, Ariel about the shipwreck, she assures him that all the passengers are safe and unharmed. On the island, King Alonso fears that his son Ferdinand is dead, however, he is on the other side of the island. While there, he meets Miranda, and they fall in love. Prospero fears for his daughter's fate and kidnaps Ferdinand and makes him carry wood. During all of this, Ariel starts to seek independence and Prospero promises her freedom after she completes more responsibilities.
In Act II all of the people, except for Ferdinand, are gathered in one place on the island. Gonzalo is the only one who believes that Ferdinand is safe. It is revealed that the shipwreck happened on a return trip home to England from Italy where they were attending the wedding of Ferdinand’s sister. Unable to be seen, Ariel interferes and puts all of the men to sleep, with the exception of Sebastian and Antonio. Sebastian and Antonio plot to kill Alonso while the others sleep, but Ariel begins to sing into Gonzalo’s ear and wakes him. Gonzalo screams and alerts the others. The two claims that they heard a terrible noise, and their excuse is accepted. On a different part of the island, Trinculo has discovered Caliban. Trinculo uses Caliban to shelter himself from an incoming storm and from the ship’s butler. A drunk Stephano finds them under the cloak with only their legs sticking out. Caliban is intoxicated as well and recognizes Stephano as a God. With Trinculo drunk as well, he does not like Caliban making a God of a drunken butler. The trio explores the island looking for food and water.
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