Other editions of book The Tempest: By William Shakespeare - Illustrated

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where the sorcerer Prospero, rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.

Magic and Intrigue-- Prospero, a wizard, is the rightful Duke of Milan, but his brother, in league with the King, had deposed him and set him adrift with his 3-year-old daughter Miranda 12 years earlier. Through his mystical arts Prospero divines that his brother is on a ship passing close by. Prospero raises a tempest and drives his brother's ship toward the island and puts in motion a plan to restore his daughter to her rightful place. Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange.

* Annotated with author biography." Act I SCENE I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard. Enter a Master and a Boatswain Master Boatswain! Boatswain Here, master: what cheer? Master Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Exit Enter Mariners Boatswain Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others ALONSO Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? Play the men. Boatswain I pray now, keep below. ANTONIO Where is the master, boatswain? Boatswain Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. GONZALO Nay, good, be patient. Boatswain When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not. GONZALO Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard."

The play that scholars see as a forerunner of the less comedies that followed, The Two Gentlemen of Verona remains one of the early Shakespeare finest achievements. A romp between two Veronese friends of this title, this classic romantic parody leaps to life. In Antony and Cleopatra, a grand drama of love and war, Shakespeare presents one of his greatest female characters -- the beautiful and cunning Egyptian queen Cleopatra.The New Folger Library editions feature introductions to Shakespeare's language, illustrations from the Folger collection, scene-by-scene plot summaries, and explanatory notes. Exhibiting a profound concern for stimulating a popular interest in the Elizabethan period, the esteemed and accessible Folger Library Shakespeare editions are favored by teachers, students, and scholars alike.

Play on Shakespeare is a delightful introduction to some of the characters, themes, and literary devices that make Shakespeare so well-loved. The beautiful illustrations bring the play to life and the color-coded text highlights and defines literature elements in the story, both contributing to a rich, multi-layered experience. Prospero and his lovely daughter Miranda live alone on the tiny island where they were marooned years ago, with only the island creatures for company. That is, until a powerful storm brings a boat full of strangers to the island. Magic and mystery fill the island and these pages as the story of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” unfold in a delightful introduction to this classic play.