The Tempest

What it is

William Shakespeare probably wrote this play around 1610-1611, near the end of his career, and it is thought to be one of the last plays he wrote alone. It is set almost entirely on a remote island where the exiled magician Prospero lives with his daughter Miranda and two servants, Caliban and Ariel.

Why it matters

The Tempest mixes tragedy and comedy and has often been read as Shakespeare's own farewell to the stage, since Prospero gives up his magic by the end. It has also been interpreted as an allegory about European exploration and colonization of distant lands, making it a key text for understanding attitudes of its time.

Look closer

• Why have readers connected Prospero's giving up of magic to Shakespeare's own retirement from writing?
• How does the play present the character Caliban, and what might that reveal about English attitudes to other peoples at the time?
• What does the island setting allow Shakespeare to explore that a city setting would not?