The Tempest by William Shakespeare

I had a few Shakespeare plays left on my Classics Club list, so I decided to try one of them for my next read. I settled on The Tempest, a play I didn't know too much about but was intrigued by. Prior to starting, all I knew was that it contained magic and a wizard-like main character. That sounded so weird for a Shakespeare play that I had to see what it was like. The fact that it was also pretty short interested me as well. I've read a lot of long books lately and I wanted a bit of a break. I went into my reading hoping for a unique experience, and I wasn't disappointed. 

The plot of the drama centers around Prospero, the former Duke of Milan. As the play begins, he's been stranded on a remote island with his daughter Miranda. They've been there for twelve years after Prospero fell victim to a plot to depose him led by his own brother, Antonio, and Alonso, the King of Naples. Prospero is a powerful sorcerer, and he uses his magical abilities to control the only two other beings on the island, Caliban and Ariel, whom he uses as his servants. Caliban is described as a monstrous creature of some sort, and Ariel is a magical spirit. Both submit to Prospero's bidding and are essentially his slaves.

Prospero has little to do on the island aside from tutor his daughter and dream about getting revenge on Antonio and Alonso. He finally gets his chance when they sail near his island on their way back from a royal wedding. He uses his magic to create a tempest and has Ariel to shipwreck them, causing them both to wash up on his beach along with a handful of other prominent nobles, including King Alonso's son, Ferdinand. With all his old enemies within his grasp, Prospero enacts an elaborate scheme to get vengeance on those who wronged him and get his title back. He uses a combination of matchmaking, guilt, and deception to push his way back to the top, and delivers a powerful message about loyalty and family to those who don't understand the value of it.

As I mentioned before, I knew going in that this play was different from the Shakespeare works I was familiar with. That ended up being a bit of an understatement. This play was absolutely wild. It had no rules. There were magic spells, spirits, witches, invisibility cloaks, and even some literal goddesses. You could never predict what would happen next, because it seemed like anything could happen in this world. No background is ever established for all these odd elements. Prospero seemed to have a lot of power, although where it came and the way he used it was very unclear. There was a mention of him needing certain books to wield it, but details on any of those elements were basically nonexistent. Caliban was repeatedly referred to as some kind of misshapen monster, but exactly what he is and what powers he may have had aren't described. It was the same for Ariel. Where he came from, what he could do, and the magic Prospero relied on to control him was never explained. It was all pretty bewildering.

This is a play, of course, and it was written a very long time ago, so I'm not going to knock it for not having modern worldbuilding or descriptions; this was meant to be seen, after all, and not read. My goodness though, it was strange. It felt different than other Shakespeare plays that included magical elements. I read A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth in high school, and of course I read Hamlet just recently. All of those have elements of magic or the supernatural in them. This play felt weirder and more disorienting than all of them though. You definitely had to suspend your disbelief to get into the story.

That being said though, this was still a fun play to read. The setting was bizarre, but the themes were relatable and pretty standard for a Shakespeare play. Prospero suffers a betrayal. He wants his rightful title restored and he wants to punish those who wronged him. His brother Antonio is a ruthless and greedy character, hungry for power and wealth. King Alonso is a man tempted into a misuse of his power, and he regrets it bitterly when confronted with the possible loss of his son. Ariel owes Prospero a debt and must repay it in order to regain his freedom. Miranda and Ferdinand are an innocents struggling under the weight of their families' misdeeds, but hopeful in making their own happiness. All of these situations and characters are compelling and make for an interesting story. Watching them, with their very human problems, interact with the supernatural set dressing was engaging. 

The Tempest is categorized as either a comedy or a tragicomedy depending on which source you look at. It contains both comedic and serious elements, and it doesn't end in a bloodbath, so either label will work. With all the magic and lack of murders, it was definitely a different experience from two of my more recent reads--Hamlet and King Lear. It was more lighthearted for sure, and I think that made it feel less impactful as well. I didn't find myself forming much of a bond with the characters or coming to care deeply about their situations. The stakes never felt particularly high, despite all the dramatic magical displays. I was still entertained though, and I think this would be awesome to see performed in a theater. Out of all the Shakespeare plays I have read, this one falls in the middle of the pack for me. It was a quirky little read and I'm glad I got the chance to experience it.

Challenge Tally

Classics Club (#5 on my list): 95/100 books completed

Total Books Read in 2021: 33