1. The Tempest by William Shakespeare ENG 273: World Literature

2. William Shakespeare  Approx. 1564-1616  Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England  Perhaps the most well-known and influential English poet and playwright  Most well-known plays written 1589-1613  Tragedies, Comedies, Histories  Globe Theater in London

3. The Play  Written between 1610 and 1611  Published in 1623  Believed to be the last play written by Shakespeare  Complexity of themes, characterizations, and stage directions shows the full range of Shakespeare’s talents

4. Key Characters  On the island  Prospero – sorcerer  Miranda – Prospero’s daughter  Ariel - spirit  Caliban – slave (son of Sycorax)  From the Shipwreck  From Naples  Alonso – the king  Sebastian – the king’s brother  Ferdinand – the king’s son  Trinculo – the king’s jester  Stephano – the king’s steward  From Milan  Antonio – Prospero’s brother  Gonzalo

5. The Plot  Prospero and his daughter Miranda are exiled to an isolated island  A great storm shipwrecks a group of men on the island  Three plots:  Rebellion by Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano  Romance between Miranda and Ferdinand  Revenge by Prospero against his brother and the other conspirators

6. From Stage to Screen 1.Does changing “Prospero” to “Prospera” impact the story? Why or why not? 2.How did costuming influence your understanding of the characters? 3.Was the film able to convey the story in the same way as a staged play? What was different? 4.Did the special effects improve the “magic” of the story or did they seem distracting? 5.Is the adaptation successful? Why or why not?

7. Key Themes  Nature versus Nurture  Different Types of Magic  Learned and Wondrous  Prospero  Untamed and Horrific  Sycorax  Otherworldly  Ariel  Slavery/Imprisonment versus Freedom  Betrayal versus Loyalty  Punishment versus Mercy  Colonialism  Power of Language