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Summary: ew
Review: ok, whats with shakespeare? the story is impossible to understand! CLIFF NOTES ARE MY SAVIOR!
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Summary: .
Review: One of the best works by Shakespeare and also his final full play (most likely), The Tempest draws on many elements that Shakespeare used in his earlier works and adds a comic twist. Shakespeare doesn't spend much time on character development in the Tempest, other than Prospero and possibly Caliban (e.g. Miranda is the ideal chaste woman, Trinculo & Stephano are lowly schemers). However, Prospero is extremely well developed and the simple aspects of the other characters do not detract from the story at all. There are many different levels of meaning at work in the play...some see it as a pro-colonialist diatribe, others see it as Shakespeare's own swan song, where Prospero himself is based on the Bard, and Prospero's surrendering of his magical powers is representative of Shakespeare giving up his craft. I read it as both, and a million other things, and that is one of the great things about the play...it can be read in so many different ways. The structure of the play seems almost chaotic at first, with so many things going on at once. However, if you read the play over again, or read some of the essays contained in the Signet Edition, it becomes much more clear, although still open-ended. The Signet Edition is excellent, and Signets in general are. Buy this over the Folger Library editions...the footnotes here are much easier to work with and make the reading much smoother overall.
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Summary: A Play Probably Better Watched Than Read
Review: Reading this play is not too interesting. There are a lot of visual elements in this play such as ship wrecks, dancing fairies, the use of magic, and an ugly monster. The themes of power, freedom and forgiveness are touched upon. Propero has had his kingdom usurped by his brother and he seeks to regain his kingdom by the use of his magic. His brother Antonio and company are purposely shipwrecked on the island that Prospero has been banished to. One of the shipwrecked company is a son of a king named Ferdinand who falls in love at first sight with Prospero's daughter Miranda and he becomes a slave to Prospero. Typical Shakesphearian love at first sight silliness ensues. Prospero has another slave, a monster named Caliban. Caliban is an interesting character with some of the best lines in the play. He seeks to regain the island back from Prospero with the help of two lowly comic characters, Trinculo and Stephano. This part is faintly funny to read about. Eventually the play wraps up with the gruff, overbearing, cantankerous, and somewhat cruel windbag Prospero forgiving his brother's trespasses, regaining his kingdom, and stifling Caliban's rebellion. And, of course, no Shakespheare play is complete without a marraige--this time Miranda and Ferdinand will be wed. Prospero also frees his trusty servant-fairy Ariel and having accomplished all this, mentions that he is ready to die. Prospero is a psychologically complex character worth reading about. I also liked the scene in which his betraying brother Antonio seeks to subtlely persuade Sebastian to kill Alonso, the duke of Naples, and capture his kingdom. It had a lot of moody, dramatic tension to it. But for the most part I couldn't get into this play.
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Summary: Excellent Commentary on an unusual play
Review: Shakespeare is not my favorite author, although I do understand the concept of his Iambic Pentameter and its style and flourishes are highly regarded. While I can appreciate the labor it must take to put a story in such format, I frankly find the poetics of it hard to read. That makes the commentary (which is about half of this version) very helpful to people such as myself. By reading the corresponding notes, I was better able to put the story together with the style, making for an exciting tale. I would highly recommend this version to people who have difficulty deciphering Shakespeare's style.
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Summary: Excellent Commentary on an unusual play
Review: Shakespeare is not my favorite author, although I do understand the concept of his Iambic Pentameter and its style and flourishes are highly regarded. While I can appreciate the labor it must take to put a story in such format, I frankly find the poetics of it hard to read. That makes the commentary (which is about half of this version) very helpful to people such as myself. By reading the corresponding notes, I was better able to put the story together with the style, making for an exciting tale. I would highly recommend this version to people who have difficulty deciphering Shakespeare's style.
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Summary: Not Easy to Figure out
Review: Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, is thought to be the most complex of his plays. The Island can be seen as a microcosm of life, and how Miranda comes alive after being captive to her father's tormented imprisonment of his own making.
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Summary: A Great Book
Review: The Folger Series of Shakespeare's works are easy to read, not cluttered with too many notes, but there with help on any words that have fallen out of use overtime. If you like "The Tempest" try "MacBeth" and/or "Lear", which have a similar feel. MacBeth is by far the easier read, but Lear is well worth the effort despite its length. The Tempest is a must read for lovers of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series of graphic novels, along with "Midsummer's Night's Dream", both of which Gaiman refers to constantly. Shakespeare fans with a love of the bizarre that haven't tried Gaiman might like to check him out. Gaiman's "Brief Lives" is as good a place as any to start... keep in mind though he is addictive as Shakespeare.
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Summary: The Tempest Review
Review: The Tempest is a play filled with deceit, manipulation and magic. Prospero was dethroned from his dukedom and sent to an island, he uses magic to lure his enemies there. This is unlike any Shakespeare I have read before, I enjoyed but was a bit surprised. Shakespeare doesn't usually lean toward magic but this time he did. It was enjoyable, a fast read, that takes a reader into another world.
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Summary: The Tempest Review
Review: The Tempest is a play filled with deceit, manipulation and magic. Prospero was dethroned from his dukedom and sent to an island, he uses magic to lure his enemies there. This is unlike any Shakespeare I have read before, I enjoyed but was a bit surprised. Shakespeare doesn't usually lean toward magic but this time he did. It was enjoyable, a fast read, that takes a reader into another world.
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Summary: The Tempest,a confusingly great story by William Shakespeare
Review: The Tempest is the best play and also the worst one I have ever read.Actually I think it's just a tale for kids.No one would believe in that kind of magic in the world today(in my opinion).Prospero wanted to sink King Alonso's ship just because he wanted to revenge that he expeled him from his island!On the other hand,I am so impressed in Shakespeare's imagination,the way he created the characters.It's so great.The words he used are like a poem instead of just ordinary conversations.The play itself is kind of dull,but because he added lots of feeling,revenge,and humorous,in it that's make the play a lot better.
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