The Tempest

By William Shakespeare, William Davenant, William Hershaw, et al.

Book Overview

"The Tempest" is one of William Shakespeare's final and most profound works, blending elements of tragedy, comedy, and romance into a masterful exploration of human nature and the supernatural. The play centers on Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, who lives in exile on a mysterious, enchanted island with his daughter, Miranda. Having mastered the magical arts during his years of isolation, Prospero orchestrates a massive storm to shipwreck his treacherous brother and other political enemies upon his shores.

As the survivors wander the island, they encounter the ethereal spirit Ariel and the complex Caliban, leading to a series of encounters that challenge their perceptions of reality, loyalty, and power. At its heart, "The Tempest" is a story of reconciliation and grace, as Prospero eventually chooses mercy over vengeance. This edition, featuring editorial work by Morton Luce, highlights the play's lyrical beauty and its enduring themes of colonialism, justice, and the transformative power of art. "The Tempest" remains a cornerstone of the Western literary canon, celebrated for its complex characterizations and its status as a symbolic reflection on the creative process itself.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1026027179
• ISBN13: 9781026027172
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

What you deserve from Norton at a good price.

I found this a very helpful and interesting adjunct to the play proper (although, of course, it has the play in it). Like most NCE's it is stuffed with extras: primary sources, critical reactions and analyses, and creative reinterpretations. The price is a little higher than the Folger or other popular Shakepeare's paperbacks, but you get a lot of bang for only a few extra bucks. Pretty cool. I found it worked well as a "Teacher's Edition."

Sparknotes Rule!!

We are collecting as many Sparknotes as possible. When you are required to read Shakespeare, you must have a guide. It's that simple. There is no guide better, in our opinion as teachers, and students of literature.

Excellent series for students

The Oxford School Shakespeare series is excellent for students, both high schoolers and undergraduates. They provide play text that is clearly and attractively laid out on the page with copious notes and annotations, as well as line-drawings and illustrations to enliven and elucidate. The introductory material on sources, plot summary, characterizations, thematic interpretations, music, and even suggestions for classwork and projects for expanded study, are excellent. Highly recommended!

Great Study Helper

This was a great helper for my english class. It helped so mcuh for studing and homework. In it you get not only the text, but summaries and translations from the old english to the modern english. It also includes insights into William Shakspears writting technique. It helped me so much i dont know what i'd do without it. I recommend this to anyone who is studing The Tempest, because it will be your bestfriend forever! Definatly choose this edition! It's FANTASTIC!