The Tempest : Key info
The Tempest is a notable literary work by William Shakespeare. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of The Tempest.
Key info
Full Title: The Tempest
Author: William Shakespeare
Type of Work: Play (Drama)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy, Tragi-comedy, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy
Acts and Scenes: 5 Acts, nine scenes.
Language: English
Written In: Around 1610–1611
First Published: 1623, in the First Folio (collection of Shakespeare’s plays)
Publisher: Edward Blount and William Jaggard (part of the group who published the First Folio)
Climax: The climax occurs in Act 5, Scene 1, when Prospero confronts his enemies, forgives them, and reveals himself to them, showing that he has chosen mercy over revenge.
Protagonist: Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan and a powerful magician.
Antagonists: Antonio, Sebastian, Caliban
Tone: The tone of The Tempest varies throughout the play:
- Reflective and philosophical (especially with Prospero’s speeches)
- Magical and fantastical
- comic and light-hearted, particularly in the subplot with the drunken trio of Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.
- In the end, the tone is forgiving and redemptive.
Words: 21500
Setting:
- Time Setting: The Jacobean period of Renaissance
- Place Setting: A small island between Malta and the Coast of Africa in the Mediterranean Sea.