The Tempest

Written to be accessible to middle school students, The Tempest mixes raucous comedy with moving drama in telling the story of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, who is betrayed by his brother, Antonio. Antonio, with the help of Alonso, the King of Naples, seizes the dukedom and puts Prospero and his young daughter, Miranda, aboard a rotten boat adrift at sea. Father and daughter survive, marooned on a small island. Twelve years later, a ship nears the island. Prospero—whose studies have enabled him to harness great powers—uses his magic to command the airy spirit, Ariel, to create a great storm, a tempest that capsizes the ship and sends its passengers to the shores of the island—among them, Antonio, King Alonso, and the king’s son, Ferdinand. Filled with fury, Prospero must learn to use his powers, not for vengeance, but for forgiveness and the restoration of the rightful order—which, he realizes, may require him to give up the very powers he has struggled to master. This Core Classics® volume presents a shortened version of Shakespeare’s play, first as a short story, and then as the script for a play, perfect for readers’ theater or classroom performance, in a specially adapted, condensed version using Shakespeare’s original language. The Core Classics® series presents stories loved for generations in abridged versions for young readers, illustrated and annotated, and faithful to the style, plot, and themes of the originals.