
- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
The Tempest
About this book
The authoritative edition of The Tempest from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for both students and general readers.
Putting romance onstage, The Tempest gives us a magician, Prospero, a former duke of Milan who was displaced by his treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero is exiled on an island, where his only companions are his daughter, Miranda, the spirit Ariel, and the monster Caliban. When his enemies are among those caught in a storm near the island, Prospero turns his power upon them through Ariel and other spirits.
The characters exceed the roles of villains and heroes. Prospero seems heroic, yet he enslaves Caliban and has an appetite for revenge. Caliban seems to be a monster for attacking Miranda, but appears heroic in resisting Prospero, evoking the period of colonialism during which the play was written. Miranda’s engagement to Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples and a member of the shipwrecked party, helps resolve the drama.
This edition includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books
-An annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Barbara A. Mowat
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
Putting romance onstage, The Tempest gives us a magician, Prospero, a former duke of Milan who was displaced by his treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero is exiled on an island, where his only companions are his daughter, Miranda, the spirit Ariel, and the monster Caliban. When his enemies are among those caught in a storm near the island, Prospero turns his power upon them through Ariel and other spirits.
The characters exceed the roles of villains and heroes. Prospero seems heroic, yet he enslaves Caliban and has an appetite for revenge. Caliban seems to be a monster for attacking Miranda, but appears heroic in resisting Prospero, evoking the period of colonialism during which the play was written. Miranda’s engagement to Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples and a member of the shipwrecked party, helps resolve the drama.
This edition includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books
-An annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Barbara A. Mowat
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Dr. Barbara A. Mowat,Paul Werstine in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & British Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information

THE TEMPEST
ACT 1

ACT 1
Scene 1
A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard. Enter a Shipmaster and a Boatswain.
MASTER Boatswain! | 1 |
BOATSWAIN Here, master. What cheer? | 2 |
MASTER Good, speak to thā mariners. Fall to āt yarely, | 3 |
or we run ourselves aground. Bestir, bestir! | 4 |
He exits.
Enter Mariners.
BOATSWAIN Heigh, my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly, my | 5 |
hearts! Yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to thā | 6 |
Masterās whistle.āBlow till thou burst thy wind, if | 7 |
room enough! | 8 |
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.
ALONSO Good boatswain, have care. Whereās the Mas- | 9 |
ter? Play the men. | 10 |
BOATSWAIN I pray now, keep below. | 11 |
ANTONIO Where is the Master, boatswain? | 12 |
BOATSWAIN Do you not hear him? You mar our labor. | 13 |
Keep your cabins. You do assist the storm. | 14 |
GONZALO Nay, good, be patient. | 15 |
BOATSWAIN Wh... |
Table of contents
- Cover
- Editorsā Preface
- Shakespeareās The Tempest
- Reading Shakespeareās Language: The Tempest
- Shakespeareās Life
- Shakespeareās Theater
- The Publication of Shakespeareās Plays
- An Introduction to This Text
- Characters in the Play
- The Tempest
- Longer Notes
- Textual Notes
- The Tempest: A Modern Perspective by Barbara A. Mowat
- Further Reading
- Key to Famous Lines and Phrases
- Commentary
- Copyright