The Tempest

SYNOPSIS:

Alonso, the king of Naples, is returning from his daughter’s wedding in Tunis. He is accompanied by his son, Ferdinand, his brother, Sebastian, and Antonio, the Duke of Milan. An old Milanese courtier, Gonzalo, is also on board. The ship is wrecked in a storm and all the passengers and crew are thrown into the furious sea.

Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, and his fifteen year-old daughter, Miranda, are watching the shipwreck from an island. He tells her, for the first time, how they came to be on the island. Twelve years before, when he had been Duke of Milan, his brother Antonio had usurped him, but with Gonzalo’s help, he had escaped in a small boat with hbaby Miranda, and his library of books about magic.

The ship’s passengers are cast upon the island unharmed, and even their clothes are not wet or damaged. Alonso believes his son to be dead, but Ferdinand has landed on another part of the island. He encounters Miranda and they fall in love at first sight. He is the first man (apart from her father and his native servant Caliban) she has ever seen. Prospero puts Ferdinand to work manually, controlling all his movements with magic. Ariel, local spirit to the island, pesters Prospero for his freedom and Prospero promises it once he has done some things for him.

Ariel leads the party towards Prospero’s cell. During this journey, Antonio and Sebastian plan to kill Alonso so that Sebastian can be king. Two other members of the party, Trinculo, the court jester, and Stephano, a boisterous butler, are also wandering about on the island. Caliban recruits them to help him overthrow Prospero. They all get drunk then set off for Prospero’s cell. Ariel reports the plot to Prospero.

Prospero releases Ferdinand and given his blessing to the marriage of the two young people. When the three would-be usurpers arrive at his cell they are distracted by some brightly coloured clothes that have been hung out for them, then they are chased away by a band of spirits who have taken on the form of dogs.

Ariel brings the party to the cell. Prospero renounces his magic and reveals himself. He forgives his brother and prepares to return to Milan to resume his dukedom. Miranda and Ferdinand are betrothed. Sailors arrive and announce that the ship hasn’t been wrecked after all, and is safely anchored off the island. Ariel is set free. Caliban and the drunken servants are also forgiven. There is a final celebration of their reunion.