The Tempest
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
A tempest shipwrecks Alonso, the king of Naples; Antonio, the duke of Milan; and several others on a small island in the Mediterranean. Little do they know that the storm was conjured by Prospero, the former duke of Milan, who lives in exile on the island with his daughter Miranda, his slave Caliban, and his spirit servant Ariel. As Prospero manipulates the events that take place on the island using his books and magic, William Shakespeare invites the reader to examine the playwright's powers in the theatrical world. The fantastical, romantic play—believed to be the last one Shakespeare wrote alone—was published in 1623, after his death. This unabridged version is taken from an edition published in 1863.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Prospero-like in their artistry, Spirin's dazzling watercolors dominate this retelling of Shakespeare's final play. Shaped like altar panels fit for a Renaissance church or palace, the illustrations are romantic, regal and magical, richly interpreting the play's themes of betrayal, revenge and all-conquering love. A wispy ethereal air pervades island scenes, beautifully suggesting the atmosphere of enchantment, while Antonio and the King of Naples are pictured in brocade and velvet, the stench of power upon them. The other characters, too, are both otherworldly and very much flesh and blood. Especially well rendered is the monster Caliban, shown here as part man, part beast, part mythical creature, a sense of evil glee lighting his features. While this prose adaptation does not, of course, retain the full magic of the Bard's work, Beneduce nonetheless provides an intelligent, gripping story. Several passages from Shakespeare introduced at key points give a taste of the original. Symbols and small pictures integrated into the text further enhance the lavish presentation. All ages.
