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The Tempest
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.
William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere, byname Bard of Avon or Swan of Avon, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England-died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and actor, often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time.
Shakespeare occupies a position unique in world literature. Other poets, such as Homer and Dante, and novelists, such as Leo Tolstoy and Charles Dickens, have transcended national barriers; but no writer's living reputation can compare to that of Shakespeare, whose plays, written in the late 16th and early 17th centuries for a small repertory theatre, are now performed and read more often and in more countries than ever before. The prophecy of his great contemporary, the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson, that Shakespeare "was not of an age, but for all time," has been fulfilled.
Shakespeare was a long time coming to his tragic phase, the six or seven years that produced his five greatest tragedies-Hamlet.
It may be audacious even to attempt a definition of his greatness, but it is not so difficult to describe the gifts that enabled him to create imaginative visions of pathos and mirth that, whether read or witnessed in the theatre, fill the mind and linger there. He is a writer of great intellectual rapidity, perceptiveness, and poetic power. Other writers have had these qualities, but with Shakespeare the keenness of mind was applied not to abstruse or remote subjects but to human beings and their complete range of emotions and conflicts. Other writers have applied their keenness of mind in this way, but Shakespeare is astonishingly clever with words and images, so that his mental energy, when applied to intelligible human situations, finds full and memorable expression, convincing and imaginatively stimulating. As if this were not enough, the art form into which his creative energies went was not remote and bookish but involved the vivid stage impersonation of human beings, commanding sympathy and inviting vicarious participation. Thus, Shakespeare's merits can survive translation into other languages and into cultures remote from that of Elizabethan England.
Although the amount of factual knowledge available about Shakespeare is surprisingly large for one of his station in life, many find it a little disappointing, for it is mostly gleaned from documents of an official character. Dates of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials; wills, conveyances, legal processes, and payments by the court-these are the dusty details. There are, however, many contemporary allusions to him as a writer, and these add a reasonable amount of flesh and blood to the biographical skeleton.
For a chronological listing of Shakespeare's plays, see below. Despite much scholarly argument, it is often impossible to date a given play precisely. But there is a general consensus, especially for plays written in 1588-1601, in 1605-07, and from 1609 onward. The dates of composition used here are based on external and internal evidence, on general stylistic and thematic considerations, and on the observation that an output of no more than two plays a year seems to have been established in those periods when dating is rather clearer than others.
William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere, byname Bard of Avon or Swan of Avon, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England-died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and actor, often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time.
Shakespeare occupies a position unique in world literature. Other poets, such as Homer and Dante, and novelists, such as Leo Tolstoy and Charles Dickens, have transcended national barriers; but no writer's living reputation can compare to that of Shakespeare, whose plays, written in the late 16th and early 17th centuries for a small repertory theatre, are now performed and read more often and in more countries than ever before. The prophecy of his great contemporary, the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson, that Shakespeare "was not of an age, but for all time," has been fulfilled.
Shakespeare was a long time coming to his tragic phase, the six or seven years that produced his five greatest tragedies-Hamlet.
It may be audacious even to attempt a definition of his greatness, but it is not so difficult to describe the gifts that enabled him to create imaginative visions of pathos and mirth that, whether read or witnessed in the theatre, fill the mind and linger there. He is a writer of great intellectual rapidity, perceptiveness, and poetic power. Other writers have had these qualities, but with Shakespeare the keenness of mind was applied not to abstruse or remote subjects but to human beings and their complete range of emotions and conflicts. Other writers have applied their keenness of mind in this way, but Shakespeare is astonishingly clever with words and images, so that his mental energy, when applied to intelligible human situations, finds full and memorable expression, convincing and imaginatively stimulating. As if this were not enough, the art form into which his creative energies went was not remote and bookish but involved the vivid stage impersonation of human beings, commanding sympathy and inviting vicarious participation. Thus, Shakespeare's merits can survive translation into other languages and into cultures remote from that of Elizabethan England.
Although the amount of factual knowledge available about Shakespeare is surprisingly large for one of his station in life, many find it a little disappointing, for it is mostly gleaned from documents of an official character. Dates of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials; wills, conveyances, legal processes, and payments by the court-these are the dusty details. There are, however, many contemporary allusions to him as a writer, and these add a reasonable amount of flesh and blood to the biographical skeleton.
For a chronological listing of Shakespeare's plays, see below. Despite much scholarly argument, it is often impossible to date a given play precisely. But there is a general consensus, especially for plays written in 1588-1601, in 1605-07, and from 1609 onward. The dates of composition used here are based on external and internal evidence, on general stylistic and thematic considerations, and on the observation that an output of no more than two plays a year seems to have been established in those periods when dating is rather clearer than others.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1611
About the author
William Shakespeare
24.2k books48.2k followersWilliam Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 12, 2023
The classic drama by the master of English literature. Prospero and his daughter Miranda are abandoned on a magical island by his wicked brother who assumes his dukeship. This is story of their rescue and their return to Milan. Possibly Shakespeare's last play, and definitely one of his best.
September 12, 2023
I had to read this play for school, year 12 externals for literature. For my first Shakespearean play, I can't complain. It was pretty good, considering I was forced to read it. It explores themes of revenge/forgiveness, parenting, master-servant relationships, love and power.
May 3, 2024
The illustrations are lovely, done in classic fairy tale or King Athur style, but the text is too dense and heavy to work for a picture book.
February 21, 2025
I made the mistake of reading this the first time without an accompanied viewing of some theatrical production, which probably isn't how you should ever read Shakespeare.
June 28, 2026
Lido para o trabalho
October 11, 2023
O brave new world, which has such people in it!
No Fear Shakespeare: The Tempest: Act 5, Scene 1, stanza 185
Transliterated as:
Oh, what a wonderful new world, which has such people in it!
Though on occasion transliteration on the opposing page can clarify the original wording, it can just as easily obscure the original meaning.
The “No Fear” intention is not to annotate but to transliterate so one does not spend time looking at footnotes or holding a dictionary in one’s hand.
Naturally, the magic or feel of the play is lost in place of an understanding made by one person’s interpretation.
It may be better to watch one of the movie presentations or take a class before reading this book.
There are some blank pages for taking notes.
No Fear Shakespeare: The Tempest: Act 5, Scene 1, stanza 185
Transliterated as:
Oh, what a wonderful new world, which has such people in it!
Though on occasion transliteration on the opposing page can clarify the original wording, it can just as easily obscure the original meaning.
The “No Fear” intention is not to annotate but to transliterate so one does not spend time looking at footnotes or holding a dictionary in one’s hand.
Naturally, the magic or feel of the play is lost in place of an understanding made by one person’s interpretation.
It may be better to watch one of the movie presentations or take a class before reading this book.
There are some blank pages for taking notes.
April 28, 2013
Tämä sarjakuvaromaani Shakespearen klassikosta on kauniisti piirretty ja sen värimaailma sopii hyvin tarinaan. Mutta mutta...en muistanutkaan, että Myrsky olisi ollut näin tylsä tarina. Jotenkin tarinan kulku ei vain tässä imaissut mukaansa. Prosperon tyly asenne henki-Arielia ja etenkin noidan poikaa Calibania kohtaan oli albumissa alleviivaavaa. Ja sitä kerrattiin vielä lopun tietoiskussa eli kuinka eurooppalaiset kohtelivat tylysti muiden maiden alkuasukkaita, yksi yhteen.
November 20, 2020
Good book to read if you wanna go through the story but not with much effort, which was exactly the case with me at that moment. I'm not much into Shakespeare but wanted to give it a try and would not say that I was disappointed. In fact, now that I've read it as a graphic novel, I may want to give it a try sometime. Not meant for a hard core Shakespeare over though. The stories written by Shakespeare are quite complicated and twisted but that's what is so nice abut him, Isn't it?
July 7, 2023
An excellent graphic novel of Shakespeare's play. The dialog is sensibly simplified and modernized with the result that this is a good comic, not a stodgy hybrid using dialog that was not written for the comic book page. The only real problem with this book is the educational material in the back which presents some fringe ideas as facts.
May 26, 2014
Grafisk novelle med flotte og farverige illustrationer. Nem måde at få kendskab til Shakespeares mere kendte skuespil. Eneste minus er at teksten er i moderne sprog, men de kendte og huskede replikker er bevaret.
July 29, 2024
A good book for English beginners with some difficult vocabularies.
2024 July - A reread. It is a story of betrayal, revenge and love and also some magic. I don't know what I feel about the story. Am I missing something here?
2024 July - A reread. It is a story of betrayal, revenge and love and also some magic. I don't know what I feel about the story. Am I missing something here?
Read
January 2, 2016I love this one!
May 29, 2017
My first experience of Shakespeare and I found it tough going. Although I do remember enjoying the story and it was cool to act out using physical theatre!
Want to Read
October 29, 2013read
June 13, 2015
Necesito comprarlo en otra edición
June 7, 2023
Doesnt do shakespeare books any justice!! Didnt rlly like the art style
May 28, 2010
Attractive children's picture book of Shakespeare's late play.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews