1441000 1623 Shakespeare. The Tempest. Three pages.
10226.
The Tempest. From the First Folio. 1623.
First Printing. Single Leaf plus final page. (13-14, 19).
(Pages 13-14) This single leaf shows Prospero at the height of his magical powers. Prospero, now invisible, conjures “strange shapes” who set out a lush banquet before the courtiers who are amazed. Suddenly there is a flash of lightning and thunder and Ariel appears and accuses Alonso, Sebastian and Antonio of being “three men of sin”. Earlier in the fragment, we have seen Antonio and Sebastian plotting to murder Alonso (King of Naples). As the men draw their swords, Prospero tells them that he and his Ariel are invulnerable and reminds them that their part in his overthrow years ago is the reason they are now being punished and why Alonso is now bereft of his son Ferdinand. There is another of thunder and Ariel vanishes and the strange shapes reappear and begin setting out the banquet again. Meanwhile we have seen earlier in the play that Alonso’s son, Ferdinand,has also washed safely ashore and is now wooing Prospero’s daughter, Miranda.
In a new scene, Prospero explains to Ferdinand that his harsh treatment has been a test of his character and love for Miranda. Having now passed the test, he is rewarded by Prospero giving Miranda’s hand in marriage. Prospero then plans to provide an even more elaborate demonstration of his magical powers, a nuptial masque with the goddesses Iris, Juno and Ceres in attendance.
Final Page (19 - Recto of Title Page of Two Gentlemen ov Verona)
Prospero invites the company to his cell and tells the King and his son, Sebastian, that in the morning he will bring them to their ship and sail with them to Naples where they will witness the wedding of Miranda and Ferdinand. All then exit save Prospero.
In the Epilogue, Prospero tells the audience that he no longer has his "charmes" (powers) only his own strength. He will therefore be confined to the island forever unless they (the audience) indulge him with their breath and hands so he may be pardoned as he is sure they would wish to be pardoned.
Interestingly, The Tempest is one of the few plays in the Furst Folio in which the cast of characters appears, possibly as a result of there being a geat deal of white space remaining on this last page.
Extremely Fine