The Tempest is one of the most magical of Shakespeare’s plays – quite literally, since the central character Prospero is a magician and the play is full of spells, charms and supernatural creatures. The play was first staged in 1611 and has been a favourite of audiences ever since, in part because it is the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays in terms of lines and it obeys the unity of time – that is, the action that the play describes takes place in exactly the amount of time it takes to stage it.

Prospero was once a powerful duke but conspiracy led to him being cast loose in a boat with his young daughter, Miranda. The two finally land on a small island which had once been governed by the witch Sycorax, who had a son named Caliban, who is a brutish, unpleasant creature bent on mischief. Prospero frees the magical spirit Ariel from the prison in which Sycorax had imprisoned him since her death some time previously. All of this takes place before the play’s action takes place and that action begins with a shipwreck, after which a number of men struggle for survival on the island. These include a certain Ferdinand, whom Miranda subsequently encounters and the two immediately fall in love – Ferdinand is the first man Miranda has ever seen apart from her father and Caliban and it is doubtful whether this love at first sight is really a suitable basis for a marriage. Nevertheless, Prospero is quite secure in his manipulation of the events – it is revealed that he caused the shipwreck through the agency of Ariel and he wishes to use this event to inform Miranda about her real past and her legacy.

The survivors of the shipwreck broadly divide themselves into two factions (in addition to Ferdinand, who labours for Prosper alone for love of Miranda). Drunkenness and the prompting of Caliban persuade one set to murder the other and, also, Prospero himself. The various plots and complications that arise from this are orchestrated by Prospero and Ariel, with the latter occasionally appearing to be independent in action. Ultimately, peace is brought to the island and the magician is restored to his Dukedom. Prospero concludes by freeing Ariel, after the latter ensures that the return voyage for all travelers will be plain and calm sailing.

Various interpretations have been put forward concerning the nature of Prospero, his daughter and servants in particular. It is often considered that the magician refers to Shakespeare himself, since this play is conventionally considered to be his last and, therefore, it represents the author’s giving up his talent (i.e. freeing Ariel) and returning to his earthly life. However, many other interpretations are also possible.