This flashcard describes William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," presumed to be one of his final solo works. Set on an island, it features the sorcerer Prospero and explores themes of magic, betrayal, and revenge, with various critical interpretations as an allegory for art or colonialism.
This flashcard introduces William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," likely written in 1610-1611. It is set on a remote island featuring the sorcerer Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and servants Caliban and Ariel. The play explores themes of magic, betrayal, and revenge, and is categorized as a romance, with interpretations ranging from an allegory of art and creation to one of colonialism.
| Front | The Tempest |
|---|---|
| Back | The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, the rest of the story is set on a remote island, where the sorcerer Prospero, a complex and contradictory character, lives with his daughter Miranda, and his two servants—Caliban, a savage monster figure, and Ariel, an airy spirit. The play contains music and songs that evoke the spirit of enchantment on the island. It explores many themes, including magic, betrayal, revenge, and family. In Act IV, a wedding masque serves as a play-within-the play, and contributes spectacle, allegory, and elevated language. Quick facts: Editors, Author … Though The Tempest is listed in the First Folio as the first of Shakespeare's comedies, it deals with both tragic and comic themes, and modern criticism has created a category of romance for this and others of Shakespeare's late plays. The Tempest has been put to varied interpretations—from those that see it as a fable of art and creation, with Prospero representing Shakespeare, and Prospero's renunciation of magic signaling Shakespeare's farewell to the stage, to interpretations that consider it an allegory of Europeans colonizing foreign lands. |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Helen wildfell tenant hall english anne gilbert young
Previous card: Tatler steele published collected literary journal richard addison
Up to card list: Wordsworth companion to literature by Bahman Moradi