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Overview

Synopsis

For twelve years, Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, has been living on a remote, uninhabited Mediterranean Island with only his daughter, Miranda (a young girl who has grown up seeing no other human being but her father), Caliban (the son of the island’s former ruler, a witch named Sycorax), and Ariel (an “airy spirit” who has served as Prospero’s servant). Prospero has learned the magical arts through deep meditative study, and uses his supernatural powers to exert his authority and influence events. At the play’s beginning, he causes a tempest to overtake the surrounding waters, shipwrecking the enemies responsible for his exile. The boat’s passengers are scattered, and the state of the island is thrown into chaos as murder plots, drunken foolery, and love-at-first-sight become the order of the day. But by the end, Prospero has righted the chaos and resolved all conflict, and asks the audience's indulgence to set him free. Likely Shakespeare's last independent play, The Tempest is a fitting capstone to the Bard's prolific career.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
5
First Produced
1611
Genres
Romance, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings, Spectacle
Time & Place
Ship, Mediterranean Island, Renaissance
Cast Size
large
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Early Teen, Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Prospero

Lead

Male

Spoken

Miranda

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Caliban

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Alonso

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Antonio

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Ferdinand

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Gonzalo

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Trinculo

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Stephano

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Ariel

Supporting

Either Gender

Non-singer

Sebastian

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Iris

Featured

Female

Spoken

Ceres

Featured

Female

Spoken

Juno

Featured

Female

Spoken

Adrian

Featured

Male

Spoken

Francisco

Featured

Male

Spoken

Boatswain

Featured

Male

Spoken

Master of the Ship

Featured

Male

Spoken

Mariners, Sailors, Nymphs, Reapers

Ensemble

Either or Both

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Cindi Calhoun

Cindi Calhoun

Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress