William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed by many to be his last play. First performed in 1611, The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, a sorcerer who is stranded on an island with his daughter Miranda. Using his magic, Prospero conjures up a storm that shipwrecks a group of travelers on the island. Among the castaways are Prospero’s enemies, and he must use all his power to defeat them.
The Tempest is thought to be Shakespeare’s last play for several reasons. First, it was written around the time of his retirement from the theater. Second, The Tempest includes several references to death and aging, which may be indicative of Shakespeare’s own thoughts on his mortality. Finally, The Tempest is a very complex play, with numerous subplots and characters, which some scholars believe Shakespeare would not have been able to write had he not had a long career in the theater.
Whether or not The Tempest was actually Shakespeare’s last play is still up for debate. But there is no doubt that The Tempest is a fitting final work for one of the greatest playwrights of all time.
Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan, is the protagonist in The Tempest, Shakespeare’s final play. He is betrayed by his brother Antonio and abandoned on a ship with his daughter Miranda to perish. Prospero and Miranda arrive on an island against all odds.
Prospero is looking for payback. A cruise ship carrying Prospero’s foes is attacked by the storm, scattering its passengers around the island. Prospero employs three key character qualities throughout the tale: strength, protection, and forgiveness, allowing him to reclaim his place in Milan.
The Tempest is a story about magic, love and revenge. The play is usually seen as one of Shakespeare’s most magical and beautiful plays. The Tempest was written in 1610 or 1611 and was first published in the First Folio in 1623. The Tempest is the last play that Shakespeare wrote before his death.
The play is set on an island and has many different settings including a palace, a cave and the island itself. The play has a lot of special effects including thunder, lightning and music. The play is full of symbolism and allegory. The play is also full of quotes that are still famous today. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” and “Full fathom five thy father lies” are just two of the many famous quotes from The Tempest.
The play is also full of puns and wordplay. The Tempest is a very complex play and there are many different ways to interpret it. The play can be read as a political allegory, a social commentary or even as a simple love story. There is no one right way to interpret The Tempest. The play is what you make of it.
Prospero is a powerful figure who can use his spell books to cast some tremendous magic. Perhaps the most potent thing he governs is Ariel (a spirit). When Prospero says, “Hast thou, spirit! Preformed to point the storm I bid thee?” (718), Ariel had the ability to create a massive sea storm and Prospero had the ability to control Ariel, giving him considerable power.
The storm that Ariel caused was so severe that it actually wrecked the ship carrying Prince Ferdinand, Miranda (Prospero’s daughter) and Prospero’s enemies. The fact that Prospero had this much control over Ariel really speaks to Prospero’s power.
Ariel is not the only thing Prospero can control with his magic, he is also able to control animals. An example of this is when Caliban (a deformed creature that Prospero has taken prisoner) says “I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam’s god Setebos, And make a vassal of him.”(713-715) This means that Prospero could make even a powerful god like Setebos do what he wanted. This speaks to Prospero’s great power.
Prospero is also able to control people with his magic. The best example of this is when he makes Antonio (one of his enemies) confess his crimes. Antonio says “ I do repent me; The spirit that I have drunk of, in such quantity As I am ignorant, hath almost crazed my reason: The state whereon I was, it might be said, Was half betwixt the madness of dispair And frenzy.”(992-996) This means that because of the magic Prospero used on him, Antonio was in a state where he was close to being mad. This shows how powerful Prospero’s magic really is.
All of these examples show how powerful Prospero is and how he can use his magic to control anything and anyone he wants. This makes him a very powerful person and the perfect candidate for a play like The Tempest. The Tempest is a play about power and with a character like Prospero at its center, it is no wonder that it is one of Shakespeare’s most powerful plays.
Prospero’s knowledge of the Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo conspiracy to kill the king is another reason why he is so effective. So when Prospero reclaims his position in Milan again, he’ll have some powerful leverage on hand just in case he needs any help or they attempt anything stupid. They’ll think twice before opposing Prospero because of this. In particular, considering that Miranda will become queen. These are some of the reasons why Prospero is strong.
The fact that he was able to take down a whole kingdom and create an island from nothing is pretty impressive. The way he controls the weather and has command over the spirits is also quite notable. And finally, his ability to know what others are thinking and planning makes him very dangerous.
Prospero is definitely a powerful sorcerer and it’s no wonder he’s able to control everyone and everything on his island. The Tempest is without a doubt Shakespeare’s masterpiece and it’s no surprise that it was the last play he wrote. The story is captivating, the characters are well developed, and the themes are thought provoking. The Tempest is an amazing play and it’s definitely worth reading.