In terms of plot, The Tempest is perhaps the least interesting of Shakespeare’s plays. In Act IV Ariel and some of the other spirits perform a masque, a short form of entertainment that relies more on spectacle and music than it does on plot. However, the entire play of The Tempest is like one grand masque. Audiences enjoy the music and the magic, the splendor and the sense of wonder, more so than any complications or conflicts that appear in the plot of the play. The play is indeed a popular one even today, but that popularity rests upon the sheer pleasure and amusement that resides in the characters and their musical and poetic performance. There is very little intrigue or suspense in the play.
Nevertheless, several plot and subplot elements appear to keep the reader engaged in the action and to provide continuity and unity in the events:
First and foremost, the main action rests upon Prospero getting revenge against his brother and the King of Naples for forcibly removing him from his position as the Duke of Milan: the conflict of Prospero vs. Antonio and Alonso. However, The Tempest is not at all a revenge tragedy. The benevolent magician attempts to teach Antonio and Alonso the error of their ways rather than to bring them to justice. Moreover, from the very beginning of the play, the audience has little doubt that Prospero will be successful in his undertaking. Prospero is a protagonist who has abilities and powers far beyond any ordinary man. He is more like a god; and in any conflict between man and god, man cannot win. Prospero has no real obstacles to overcome: his conflict is over before it really even begins.
Second, a conflict of man vs. fate permeates the whole of the play. At times Prospero symbolizes fate itself, and at other times he is an instrument or tool of fate. Yet Prospero is also a victim of fate – a force that contributed to his downfall in Milan and yet also contributed to the survival of the magician and his daughter. More importantly, fate – not Prospero himself – brought Antonio and Alonso to the island so that Prospero could take action against them. And because fate intervened, Prospero then receives the good fortune of regaining his dukedom and having his daughter become a queen of Naples.
Third (and the first of the subplots), Sebastian (along with Antonio) plots or schemes against his brother Alonso in order to become king himself. The subplot provides a parallel structure for the play and links the characters of Sebastian and Antonio together. Both men are driven by ambition, and both men allow their ambition to lead them to pursue acts of treachery and murder. And the subplot also serves as a keen reminder that those who commit acts of treachery themselves (namely, Alonso) may find themselves as the victim of treachery later. As with the main plot of the play, the audience has little doubt regarding the outcome of this subplot. Prospero will surely not allow such an act of treachery occur on the island where he rules.
Fourth, the lovers Ferdinand and Miranda also are involved in a conflict. Ferdinand must prove his worthiness as a suitor, and Miranda frets over the severity with which Prospero treats the man she adores. However, although some critics refer to The Tempest as a Romance, the play actually falls into the broader category of Comedy. And in the grand tradition of Renaissance comedies, the young lovers are always united by the conclusion of the play. Thus, Renaissance audiences would expect the two young lovers to find happiness before the play’s finish. And, so, their conflict also would also cause no concern or suspense to the audience.
Fifth, Caliban’s plot or scheme to remove Prospero as ruler of the island and have the drunken butler Stefano take his place also provides conflict in the play. However, this subplot is primarily for comic relief. Audiences laugh at their attempt rather than worry about it. Yet the subplot is more than just comic relief. It contributes to a theme on usurpation:
Other subplots in the play include Alonso’s search for his son (man vs. fate) and Alonso’s regret about allowing his daughter to marry an African (man vs. himself). However, both of these subplots merely contribute to the lesson that Prospero is teaching Alonso and are not developed in and of themselves.
In the fifth act Prospero casts a charm that causes Alonso, Antonio, and the others to become spellbound and motionless. This point, though, marks the climax and resolution of the play. Prospero forgives them for their faults: his conflict with them is at an end. Prospero then hugs Alonso and shortly afterwards allows the king to be reunited with his son. The scene lacks action and intensity, yet it provides a peaceful satisfaction and fitting conclusion for the audience.
Shakespeare finalizes the play with some more comic dialogue involving Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo. This is the denouement, the final explanation of the plot elements, for the play. The humor balances the touching, but less exciting, climax of the play. The laughter balances the tears.
Prospero is one of the most unusual characters created by Shakespeare. Over the centuries critics have described Shakespeare’s sorcerer in numerous ways.