Story of the Shakespearean Drama

Prospero, Duke of Milan, was a learned and studious man who lived among his books, entrusting his brother Antonio with the administration of his dukedom. Antonio intended to wear the duke’s crown himself, and to achieve his goals, he would have murdered his brother if not for the affection the people had for him. However, with the assistance of Prospero’s worst opponent, Alonso, King of Naples, he was able to acquire the dukedom along with all of its dignity, power, and wealth. They dragged Prospero out to sea, and when they were far from shore, they put him on a small boat without a rudder, mast, or sail. In their malice and anger, they placed his not-yet-three-year-old daughter Miranda in the boat with him and sailed away, abandoning them to their destiny.

But one of the courtiers accompanying Antonio was loyal to Prospero, his real lord. It was difficult to defend the duke from his opponents, but much could be done to remind him of his subjects’ affection. This nobleman, whose name was Gonzalo, put fresh water, groceries, clothing, and Prospero’s most prized possessions, his books, on the boat in secrecy.

The boat was wrecked on an island, and Prospero and his daughter made a safe landing. Now, this island was magical and had been for years under the spell of a wicked witch, Sycorax, who had imprisoned all the good spirits she discovered on the island inside the tree trunks. Shortly before Prospero was thrown onto those beaches, she died, but the spirits, of which Ariel was the leader, stayed locked up.

Prospero was a superb magician because, during the years when he permitted his brother to govern the administration of Milan, he devoted himself almost entirely to the study of magic. He was able to free the imprisoned spirits while keeping them subservient to his commands thanks to this skill; they were more genuinely his subjects than his Milanese subjects.For as long as they did his bidding, he treated them affectionately, and he exercised his authority over them wisely and effectively. Caliban, the son of the evil old witch, Sycorax, was the only creature he felt it necessary to treat harshly; he was an ugly, disfigured monster who was violent and nasty in all his habits.

Miranda had matured into a beautiful young woman. Antonio, brother of Prospero and Alonso, king of Naples, together with Sebastian, his brother, and Ferdinand, his son, were at sea with old Gonzalo, and their ship approached Prospero’s island. Prospero, aware of their presence, conjured a violent storm with his magic, so that even the sailors on board gave themselves up as lost; and first of all, Prince Ferdinand jumped into the ocean and, as his father believed in his despair, was drowned. But Ariel brought him safely ashore, and the rest of the crew, although swept overboard, were landed unharmed in various areas of the island, while the beautiful ship, which they all believed had sunk, lay at anchor in the port Ariel had brought her to. Such miracles might be performed by Prospero and his spirits.

While the storm was still roaring, Prospero showed his daughter the courageous ship toiling in the sea’s trough and informed her that it was populated by living people similar to themselves. In sympathy for their lives, she begged that the one who had caused this storm would calm it. Then, her father told her not to be afraid, as he meant to rescue everyone.

Then, for the first time, he told her the narrative of his life and hers, including how he had provoked the storm so that his enemies Antonio and Alonso would be delivered into his hands.

After concluding his tale, he lulled her to sleep since Ariel was approaching and he had work to complete. Ariel, who desired complete freedom, complained about being forced to work.However, when he was reminded of the hardships he endured under Sycorax’s rule and the debt of gratitude he owed to the master who ended those sufferings, he ceased to complain and promised to do whatever Prospero commanded.

“Do so,” answered Prospero, “and I will free you in two days.”

Then he ordered Ariel to assume the appearance of a water nymph and sent him to find the young prince. And Ariel, who was invisible to Ferdinand, hovered close him while singing.

“Enter these golden dunes.”
Then, shake hands:
when you have courted and kissed
(wild waves while whistling)
Briskly advance here and there.
And, beautiful spirits, bear the weight!

And Ferdinand followed the magical singing as it took on a gloomy mood, and the lyrics caused him sorrow and tears since they ran as follows:

“Thy father lay five fathoms deep;”
His bones are made of coral.
These pearls served as his eyes.
Nothing fades about him.
But everything changes.
into something exotic and rich.
Hourly, sea nymphs sound his death knell.
Hark! Now I hear them: jingle bells!

Ariel lured the enchanted prince into the presence of Prospero and Miranda by singing. Then, behold, everything transpired as Prospero intended. Miranda, who had never seen any human being but her father since she could remember, gazed at the young prince with admiration in her eyes and love in her heart.

She remarked, “I may call him a heavenly being, considering I’ve never seen anything so noble among the natural world!”

And Ferdinand, amazed and delighted by her beauty, exclaimed:
“Surely the goddess to whom these winds are dedicated!”

Nor did he try to conceal the desire she instilled in him, as he swore to make her his queen if she consented after exchanging just six phrases with her. But Prospero, although privately pleased, seemed to be angry.

“You have come as a spy,” he told Ferdinand. “I’ll bind your neck and feet together, and you’ll eat fresh water mussels, withered roots, and husk while drinking salt water. Follow me.”

“No,” Ferdinand said, drawing his sword. But at that moment, Prospero enchanted him so that he remained there as motionless as a statue, and Miranda begged her father for forgiveness for her beloved. But he denied her and forced Ferdinand to follow him to his cell. Here, he put the prince to work by ordering him to transport and stack tens of thousands of massive wood logs. Ferdinand obediently complied, and he considered the affection of the lovely Miranda sufficient compensation for his labor and suffering.

She would have assisted him with his laborious task out of sympathy, but he would not allow it. However, he could not keep the secret of his love from her, and upon hearing it, she was delighted and agreed to be his wife.

Then Prospero liberated Ferdinand from his slavery, and he consented to their marriage with a joyful heart.

“Take her,” he instructed; “she is yours.”

In the meantime, Antonio and Sebastian plotted the assassination of Alonso, the King of Naples, in another part of the island, believing that Sebastian would accede to the kingdom upon Alonso’s death, because Ferdinand was dead. And they would have carried out their evil plan as their victim slept, if Ariel hadn’t already awakened him in time.

Ariel played them several pranks. Once, he put a banquet before them, and just as they were about to eat, he appeared to them in the form of a harpy amid thunder and lightning, and the banquet vanished. Then Ariel chastised them for their transgressions and departed with them.

By means of his enchantments, Prospero led them all to the garden outside of his cell, where they waited, shivering in fear and now deeply repenting of their crimes against Prospero and his daughter Miranda.

Prospero was resolved to utilize his magical power for the last time. “Then,” he continued, “I’ll break my staff and bury my book lower than any sound has ever plummeted.”

So he filled the air with celestial music and appeared to them in his rightful form as the Duke of Milan. Due to their repentance, he forgave them and told them the story of his life after they brutally abandoned him and his infant daughter to the mercy of the wind and waves. Alonso, who seemed the most remorseful for his previous offenses, regretted the deaths of his successor and son, Ferdinand. However, Prospero pulled back a curtain to reveal Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess. Great was Alonso’s delight to see his beloved son again, and when he learned that the lovely girl with whom Ferdinand was frolicking was Prospero’s daughter and that the young couple had taken their vows for marriage, he exclaimed, “What a happy day!”

“Give me your hands, and let pain and sorrow continue to touch the hearts of anyone who does not wish you happiness.”

Thus, everything ended pleasantly. The next day, everyone set out for Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda were to wed. Ariel granted them calm waters and favorable winds, and the wedding was filled with joy.

Then, after many years of absence, Prospero returned to his dukedom, where he was greeted with great enthusiasm by his loyal followers. He no longer practiced magic, but his life was pleasant, not only because he had rediscovered himself but also because, when his most savage enemies, who had wronged him fatally, lay at his mercy, he took no revenge on them but instead forgave them.

Prospero gave Ariel the freedom of the air so that he could go wherever he pleased and sing his charming song with a light heart.

“Where the bee suckers, so do I
I sleep in the bell of a cowslip.
There, I recline when owls scream.
I fly on the bat’s back.
After the summer, merrily
Joyfully, merrily, will I now live?
“Under the petal hanging from the branch.”