The Tempest
William Shakespeare (1564 C.E.-1616 C.E.)
Published in the First Folio of 1623 C.E.
England
The Tempest is regarded as the last play Shakespeare wrote alone, based on the fact that it uses material only available in late 1610 C.E. and it was performed before King James on Hallowmas Night, 1611 C.E. After writing this play, Shakespeare soon retired to Stratford, but he also collaborated on at least two other plays. Scholars group The Tempest among Shakespeare’s late plays called “romances,” a modern term for a genre of plays that blend elements of tragedy and comedy. It was published in the First Folio of 1623, which is the first published edition of the collected works of William Shakespeare. The actions of The Tempest take place in a single location in a single day (keeping the unities of time and place), beginning with a storm raised by Prospero, the former duke of Milan, whose position has been usurped by his brother Antonio and King Alonzo of Naples. The play has lent itself to numerous adaptations, including Aimé Césaire’s 1969 postcolonial adaptation, Une Tempête (“A Tempest”).
Written by Kyounghye Kwon
The Tempest
William Shakespeare
License: Public Domain
ALONSO, King of Naples.
SEBASTIAN, His Brother.
PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan.
ANTONIO, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan.
FERDINAND, son to the King of Naples.
GONZALO, an honest old Counsellor.
ADRIAN, Lord
FRANCISCO, Lord
CALIBAN, a savage and deformed Slave.
TRINCULO, a Jester.
STEPHANO, a drunken Butler.
Master of a Ship.
Boatswain.
Mariners.
MIRANDA, daughter of Prospero.
ARIEL, an airy Spirit.
IRIS,
CERES,
JUNO, presented by Spirits
Nymphs,
Reapers,
Other Spirits attending on Prospero.
Scene—A ship at sea: an uninhabited island
ACT I
Scene I—On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard
[Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain]
Mast.
Boatswain!1
Boats.
Here, master: what cheer?
Good, speak to the mariners: fall to’t, yarely, or we run
ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. [Exit.]
[Enter Mariners.]
Boats.
Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! 5
Take in the topsail. Tend to the master’s whistle.
Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!
[Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.]
Alon.
Good boatswain, have care. Where’s the master?
Play the men.
Boats.
I pray now, keep below.10
Where is the master, boatswain?
Boats.
Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep
your cabins: you do assist the storm.
Gon.
Nay, good, be patient.
Boats.
When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for 15
the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.
Gon.
Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
Boats.
None that I more love than myself. You are a Counsellor;
if you can command these elements to silence, and work
the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; 20
use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have
lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin
for the mischance of the hou