The Tempest
A late romance by William Shakespeare in which Prospero, a sorcerer exiled on an island, uses magic to bring his enemies ashore and confront them.
Prospero: The exiled Duke of Milan who uses books and magic to govern the island and stage the play’s encounters. His choices drive the shipwreck, the confrontations, and the ending.
The Masque in The Tempest: A ceremonial performance of spirits that Prospero stages to bless Miranda and Ferdinand’s betrothal. Its abrupt dissolution exposes the fragile boundary between spectacle and action.
Shakespearean romance: A late Shakespearean dramatic genre combining danger, separation, wonder, and eventual reunion. The play’s shipwreck and reconciliations exemplify the genre’s movement from loss to restoration.
Colonialism: A system in which a power controls another people’s territory, labor, and political life. Prospero’s rule over Caliban has made colonial authority a central interpretive question.
Miranda: Prospero’s daughter, raised on the island and encountering other people for the first time. Her meeting with Ferdinand gives the romance its central courtship.
The Tempest (opening storm): The opening shipwreck, produced by Ariel under Prospero’s direction. The storm separates the cast and sets Prospero’s plan in motion.
William Shakespeare: An English playwright and poet whose works include tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances. The Tempest is one of the plays commonly placed among his late romances.
Forgiveness: The act of releasing resentment or choosing not to punish someone for a wrong. Prospero’s decision to pardon his enemies resolves the play’s revenge plot.
Ariel: A spirit bound to serve Prospero, who carries out the storm and other magical tasks. Ariel’s service makes Prospero’s staged encounters possible.
Dramatic irony: A theatrical effect in which the audience knows something that one or more characters do not. The audience knows the shipwreck is controlled while the passengers fear real disaster.