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1 The Tempest
An Extract from Charles Lamb's
Tales From Shakespeare
Supplementary

There was an island in the sea, the father,” said she, “if by
only inhabitants of which were an old your art you have raised
man, named Prospero, and his daughter this dreadful storm, have
Miranda, a very beautiful young lady. pity on their sad distress.
She came to this island so young, that she See! the vessel will be
had no memory of having seen any other dashed to pieces. Poor
human face than her father’s. souls! they will all perish.”

They lived in a cave made out

of a rock; it was divided into several
apartments, one of which Prospero called
his study; there he kept his books, which
chiefly treated of magic. By virtue of his
art, he had released many good spirits
from a witch called Sycorax who had
them imprisoned in the bodies of large
trees. These gentle spirits were ever after
obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these
Ariel was the chief.

Ariel took rather too much pleasure

in tormenting an ugly monster called
Caliban, because he was the son of his old
enemy Sycorax. Caliban was employed
like a slave, to fetch wood, and do the most “Be not so amazed, daughter
laborious offices; and Ariel had the charge Miranda,” said Prospero; “there is no
of compelling him to these services. harm done. I have so ordered it, that no
person in the ship shall receive any hurt.
With the help of these spirits,
What I have done has been in care of you,
Prospero could command the winds, and
my dear child. You are ignorant. Can you
the waves of the sea. By his orders they
remember a time before you came to this
raised a violent storm, in the midst of
cell? I think you cannot, for you were not
which, he showed his daughter a fine large
then three years of age.”
ship, which he told her was full of living
beings like themselves. “Oh my dear

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“Twelve years ago, Miranda,” “Heaven thank you, my dear father,”

continued Prospero, “I was Duke of Milan, said Miranda. “Now tell me, sir, your
and you were a princess, and my only heir. reason for raising this sea-storm?”
I had a younger brother, whose name was
Antonio, to whom I trusted everything; “Know then,” said her father, “that by
My brother Antonio being thus in means of this storm, my enemies, the King
possession of my power, began to think of Naples, and my cruel brother, are cast
himself the duke indeed. The opportunity ashore upon this island.”
I gave him of making himself popular
Having so said, Prospero gently
among my subjects awakened in his bad
touched his daughter with his magic wand,
nature a proud ambition to deprive me of
and she fell fast asleep; for the spirit Ariel
my dukedom: this he soon effected with
just then presented himself before his
the aid of the King of Naples, a powerful
master, to give an account of the tempest,
prince, who was my enemy.”
and how he had disposed of the ship’s
“Wherefore,” said Miranda, “did they company, and though the spirits were
not that hour destroy us?” always invisible to Miranda, Prospero did
not choose she should hear him holding
“My child,” answered her father, conversation (as would seem to her) with
“they dared not, so dear was the love that the empty air.
my people bore me. Antonio carried us
“Well, my brave spirit,” said Prospero
on board a ship, and when we were some
to Ariel, “how have you performed your
leagues out at sea, he forced us into a small
task?”
boat, without either tackle, sail, or mast:
there he left us, as he thought, to perish. Ariel gave a lively description of the
But a kind lord of my court, one Gonzalo, storm, and of the terrors of the mariners;
who loved me, had privately placed in the and how the king’s son, Ferdinand, was
boat, water, provisions, apparel, and some the first who leaped into the sea; and
books which I prize above my dukedom.” his father thought he saw his dear son
swallowed up by the waves and lost. “But
“O my father,” said Miranda, “what a he is safe,” said Ariel, “in a corner of the
trouble must I have been to you then!” isle, sadly lamenting the loss of the king,
his father.
“No, my love,” said Prospero, “you
were a little angel that did preserve me. “That’s my delicate Ariel,” said
Your innocent smiles made me bear up Prospero. “Bring him here: my daughter
against my misfortunes. Our food lasted must see this young prince. Where is the
till we landed on this desert island, since king, and my brother?”
when my chief delight has been in teaching
you, Miranda, and well have you profited “I left them,” answered Ariel,
by my instructions.” “searching for Ferdinand, whom they have
little hopes of finding, thinking they saw

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him perish. Of the ship’s crew not one is thought he was upon an enchanted island,
missing; though each one thinks himself and that Miranda was the goddess of the
the only one saved: and the ship, though place, and as such he began to address her.
invisible to them, is safe in the harbour.”
She timidly answered, she was no
Ariel then went to fetch Ferdinand. goddess, but a simple maid, and was
going to give him an account of herself,
“O my young gentleman,” said Ariel, when Prospero interrupted her. He was
when he saw him, “I will soon move you. well pleased to find they admired each
You must be brought, I find, for the Lady other, but to try Ferdinand’s constancy,
Miranda to have a sight of your pretty he resolved to throw some difficulties in
person. Come, sir, follow me.” their way: therefore advancing forward,
he addressed the prince with a stern air,
He followed in amazement the sound telling him, he came to the island as a spy,
of Ariel’s voice, till it led him to Prospero to take it from him who was the lord of
and Miranda, who were sitting under the it. “Follow me,” said he, “I will tie your
shade of a large tree. Now Miranda had neck and feet together. You shall drink
never seen a man before, except her own sea-water; shell-fish, withered roots, and
father. husks of acorns shall be your food.” “No,”
said Ferdinand, “I will resist this” and
“Miranda,” said Prospero, “tell me
drew his sword; but Prospero, waving his
what you are looking at yonder.”
magic wand, fixed him to the spot where
“O father,” said Miranda, in a strange he stood, so that he had no power to move.
surprise, “surely that is a spirit. Lord! How
Miranda hung upon her father,
it looks about! Believe me, it is a beautiful
saying, “Why are you so ungentle? Have
creature. Is it not a spirit?”
pity, sir; I will be his surety. This is the
“No, girl,” answered her father; “it second man I ever saw, and to me he seems
eats, and sleeps, and has senses such as we a true one.”
have. This young man you see was in the
“Silence,” said the father: “one word
ship. He is somewhat altered by grief, or
more will make me chide you, girl! What!
you might call him a handsome person. He
An advocate for an impostor! You think
has lost his companions, and is wandering
there are no more such fine men, having
about to find them.”
seen only him and Caliban.” This he said
Miranda, who thought all men had to prove his daughter’s constancy; and she
grave faces and grey beards like her father, replied, “My affections are most humble. I
was delighted with the appearance of this have no wish to see a goodlier man.”
beautiful young prince; and Ferdinand,
“Come on, young man,” said
seeing such a lovely lady in this desert
Prospero to the Prince; “you have no
place, and from the strange sounds he had
power to disobey me.”
heard, expecting nothing but wonders,
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Prospero had commanded Ferdinand “Fear nothing, my child,” said he; “I

to pile up some heavy logs of wood. Kings’ have overheard, and approve of all you
sons not being much used to laborious have said. And, Ferdinand, if I have too
work, Miranda soon after found him severely used you, I will make you rich
almost dying with fatigue. “Alas!” said she, amends, by giving you my daughter. All
“do not work so hard; my father is at his your vexations were but trials of your love,
studies, he is safe for these three hours; and you have nobly stood the test. Then as
pray rest yourself.” my gift, take my daughter.”

When Prospero left them, he called

his spirit Ariel, who quickly appeared
before him, eager to relate what he had
done with Prospero’s brother and the
King of Naples. Ariel said he had left them
almost out of their senses with fear, at the
strange things he had caused them to see
and hear. When fatigued with wandering
“O my dear lady,” said Ferdinand, “I about, and famished for want of food, he
dare not. I must finish my task before I had suddenly set before them a delicious
take my rest.” banquet, and then, just as they were going
to eat, he appeared visible before them in
“If you will sit down,” said Miranda, the shape of a harpy, a voracious monster
“I will carry your logs the while.” But with wings, and the feast vanished away.
this Ferdinand would by no means agree Then, to their utter amazement, this
to. seeming harpy spoke to them, reminding
them of their cruelty in driving Prospero
Prospero, who had enjoined from his dukedom, and leaving him and
Ferdinand this task merely as a trial of his his infant daughter to perish in the sea;
love, was not at his books, as his daughter saying, that for this cause these terrors
supposed, but was standing by them were suffered to afflict them.
invisible, to overhear what they said.
The King of Naples, and Antonio the
Ferdinand inquired her name, which false brother, repented the injustice they
she told, saying it was against her father’s had done to Prospero.
express command she did so.
“Then bring them here, Ariel,” said
And then Ferdinand, in a fine long Prospero.
speech, told the innocent Miranda he was
heir to the crown of Naples, and that she Ariel soon returned with the king,
should be his queen. Antonio, and old Gonzalo. This Gonzalo
was the same who had so kindly provided
Prospero then appeared before them. Prospero formerly with books and

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provisions, when his wicked brother left Prospero now told them that their
him, as he thought, to perish in an open ship was safe in the harbour, and the
boat in the sea. sailors all on board her, and that he and
his daughter would accompany them
Grief and terror had so stupefied
home the next morning.
their senses, that they did not know
Prospero. He first discovered himself to Before Prospero left the island, he
the good old Gonzalo, calling him the dismissed Ariel from his service, to the
preserver of his life; and then his brother great joy of that lively little spirit.
and the king knew that he was the injured
Prospero. About the author
William Shakespeare
Antonio with tears, and sad words
(1564–1616) was
of sorrow and true repentance, implored
born in Stratford-
his brother’s forgiveness and Prospero
upon-Avon, England.
forgave them; and, upon their engaging to
He was an English
restore his dukedom, he said to the King of
poet, playwright and actor. Widely
Naples, “I have a gift in store for you too;”
regarded as both the greatest writer in
and opening a door, showed him his son
the English language and the world's
Ferdinand playing chess with Miranda.
pre-eminent dramatist. His surviving
Nothing could exceed the joy of body of work includes 37 plays, 154
the father and the son at this unexpected sonnets and two narrative poems, the
meeting, for they each thought the other majority of which he penned between
drowned in the storm. 1589 and 1613.

The King of Naples was almost

as much astonished at the beauty and
excellent graces of the young Miranda, as v The play 'The Tempest' was
his son had been. “Who is this maid?” said written between 1610 and 1611.
he; “She is the daughter to this Prospero, v Many critics and historians
who is the famous Duke of Milan, of whose believe it to be one of the last plays of
renown I have heard so much, but never William Shakespeare.
saw him till now: of him I have received v It is considered as one of
a new life: he has made himself to me a Shakespeare's well-written plays.
second father, giving me this dear lady,”
v It is believed that the play
said Ferdinand
'The Tempest' was based on an actual
“No more of that,” said Prospero: “let wreck of a ship called Sea Venture off
us not remember our troubles past, since Bermuda that was headed to Virginia.
they so happily have ended.” And then There is a strong evidence that
Prospero embraced his brother, and again Shakespeare used elements of the story
assured him of his forgiveness. of the wreck.

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4. Prospero ordered Ariel to bring

to his place.
a. Gonzalo b. Ferdinand
tormenting (v) – making someone suffer c. King of Naples d. Antonio
or worry a lot
5. had provided Prospero
dreadful (adj.) - extremely bad or formerly with books and provisions.
unpleasant
a. Antonio b. Ferdinand
duke (n) - a man of very high social rank c. Gonzalo d. Antonio
in some European countries; a king
deprive (v) - to take something important 6. The second human being that Miranda
or necessary away from someone saw on the island was .
resistance (n) - the act of fighting against a. Ariel b. Prospero
something c. Ferdinand d. Gonzalo
fatigue (n) - extreme tiredness
B. Identify the character or speaker
vexation (n) - worry or anger
1. He imprisoned the spirits in the bodies
famished (adj.) - extremely hungry of large trees.
voracious (adj.) - very eager for something
2. He was the chief of all spirits.
repent (v) - to be very sorry for something
bad you have done. 3. It seems to me like the recollection of a
dream.

A. Choose the correct 4. I was Duke of Milan, and you were a

answer princess.
1. was the 5. What a trouble must I have been to you
chief of all spirits. then!
a. Sycorax b. Caliban 6. Now pray tell me, sir, your reason for
c. Ariel d. Prospero raising this sea-storm?
2. raised a dreadful storm. 7. I will soon move you.
a. Ariel b. Prospero 8. I will tie you neck and feet together.
c. Miranda d. Sycorax
9. I must finish my task before I take my
3. Miranda was brought to the island rest.”
years ago.
10. He repented and implored his brother’s
a. fourteen b. ten forgiveness.
c. twelve d. five

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C. A
 nswer the following questions in one or two sentences.
1. Who were the inhabitants of the island?
2. W
 hat powers did Prospero posses?
3. W
 ho was Caliban? What was he employed for?
4. W
 ho were on the ship? How were they related to Prospero?
5. W
 hy had Prospero raised a violent storm in the sea?
6. H
 ow did Miranda feel when her father raised the storm to destroy the ship?
7. W
 hat was Ariel ordered to do with the people on the ship?
8. G
 ive two reasons why Miranda was so concerned about Ferdinand.
9. W
 hy did Prospero set Ferdinand a severe task to perform?
10. H
 ow was Gonzalo helpful to Prospero when he left Milan?

D. A
 nswer the questions in a paragraph of about 100 – 150 words.
1. W
 rite a detailed character sketch of Prospero.
2. N
 arrate how Prospero made his enemies repent to restore his dukedom.

E. R
 earrange the following sentences in coherent order
 He ordered Ariel to torment the inmates of the ship.

 Miranda was attracted by Ferdinand and had more concern towards him.

 Prospero and Miranda came to an island and lived in a cave.

 Prospero forgave them and restored his dukedom, Milan.

 He raised a violent storm in the sea to wreck the ship of his enemies.

 Prospero wanted to test Ferdinand and gave a severe task to perform.

 Using his powers, Prospero released the good spirits from large bodies of trees.

 The King of Naples, and Antonio the false brother, repented the injustice they had
done to Prospero.

 Ariel was instructed to bring Ferdinand, the prince of Naples to his cave.

 Ferdinand was the second human whom Miranda had seen after her father.

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Unit - 6
A. Fill the globe with an acrostic poem.

B. How can you make the

world a better place?

C. What does the

picture symbolise?

D. Find the names of the various UN organizations with the logo given below and fill in
the blanks.

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