The Tempest

This weekend the free video on Stratford Festival's Youtube channel is The Tempest. I have started to follow this channel for its wonderful offerings of The Bard's plays. Alongside SF, I also follow The National Theatre, after being awed by its performance of Frankenstein. NT's free video this weekend is A Streetcar Named Desire, which I have often heard of, but at present, I would want to immerse myself in the classics. I have already found wonderful gems in Youtube, confining myself not only to England's Shakespeare, but also to other Western European countries whose history boasts of excellent theater pieces, notably Spain and France.

The Tempest features a powerful mage named Prospero who rules an island and lives together with her teenage daughter Miranda, the spirit Ariel, and an adopted monster Caliban whose mother Sycorax is killed by Prospero. In SF's version, Propero is a woman, by the way. Her backstory, told in between dialogues, is that she was the duchess of Milan but her brother Antonio usurped the dukedom and she is cast out to the sea together with her daughter twelve years before the current play timeline. It is only fortunate that Gonzalo packed among her things a book that bestowed upon her the magic she will find useful in ruling the island and in controlling an airy spirit and a monster. At the beginning of the play, she creates a tempest causing a shipwreck. On board the ship are King of Naples Alonso, his son Ferdinand and his brother Sebastian, Prospero's brother Antonio, the goood councilor Gonzalo, a jester Trinculo, a drunken butler Stephano, among others. Three groups are formed from this company, as willed by Prospero: Ferdinand is to meet Miranda, Trinculo and Stephano will eventually meet Caliban in a ridiculously comedic fashion, and the rest are to be with each other in a test of loyalty as Sebastian when everyone is put to sleep by Ariel save for him and Antonio who plot to kill King Alonso so Sebastian can become king. The murder plan is thwarted when Ariel intervenes and causes Gonzalo and King Alonso to wake up.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love with each other and Ferdinand passes Propero's test. they are advised not to have sex prior to their official marriage lest the relationship turn sour and the marriage be cursed. A masque is organized by Prospero and the goddesses Juno, Ceres, and Iris grace the event. Propero suddenly remembers the plot against her life, a coup planned by Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo so they can rule the island after killing the mage. In his first time to taste wine which is given to him by Stephano, he offers to lick the latter's feet and boots, treating Stephano as his lord. This reminds me of how Hernan Cortes was welcomed by the Mayans and treated as a god, unknowingly bringing their own destruction. Propero lays a trap for the three conspirators and true enough as soon as Stephano and Trinculo see the line of beautiful clothes, they put them the clothes on, delaying their mission as Caliban helplessly reminds them that they should act swiftly. The three are chased away by hounds.

Propero reveals herself to group three and reclaims her dukedom. She forgives her brother and blackmails Antonio and Sebastian for plotting against the king's life. King Alonso and Ferdinand are only too happy to find the other alive and well, when each though the other dead. Stephano and Trinculo are sent away. Everbody leaves the island save for Caliban, and Ariel is set free. Naples and Milan are united with the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda.