PRODUCTION The Tempest [Baofengyu]
Data Type：production background
Title：A Plot Summary of The Tempest by the Contemporary Legend Theatre
Source：The Tempest 2004 Premiere Program
Place：Taipei
Publisher：Contemporary Legend Theatre [Dangdai chuanqi juchang]
Date：2004/12/30
Pages：92-97
Language：English
Abstract：scene-by-scene synopsis of Contemporary Legend Theatre’s The Tempest
Act 1
Scene 1 Magic
[Enter 4 spirits, and then Prospero]
The song of the spirits comes from afar. The atmosphere is shadowy and fearful. Prospero waves his magic wand, chanting incantation, in which each word is mind shattering. The wind is howling; and the thunder is rumbling…
Scene 2 The Tempest
[Enter Ariel, four spirits, four mariners, Boatswain, the Master of a ship, Ferdinand, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian, and four spirits]
Mariners’ song is drawing near from afar. The King’s ship, under the protection of the shrine aboard, sails on. The spirits wave the sea banner to divide the waves that keep thrashing the ship.
The storm roars. The ship is violently shaken. Alonso, the King of Naples, complains of the tossing of the ship. Sebastian, Alonso’s brother, and Antonio, Prospero’s brother, both blame the Master of the ship and the mariners for not doing their jobs. Boatswain talks back. Gonzalo persuades them to reconcile with one another so that they can work together to cope with the storm. Big waves rise and fall. The spirits use magic to kindle fire that surrounds the passengers. The ship is on fire. All are busy putting out the fire. A huge wave strikes. Prince Ferdinand falls into the sea. The storm rages on. Alonso offers a prize for whoever can save his son. The fire, however, soon devours the ship. All passengers are forced to jump into the sea, striving to survive the storm.
Scene 3 A Dream-like Life
[Enter Prospero and Miranda]
Prospero recalls the past, feeling sad and forlorn. Miranda, sleeping on a high platform, gradually awakes from her dream. She asks her father about the reasons behind the storm and the incessant screams.
Prospero tells her what happened twelve years age, lamenting that his brother Antonio should conspire with Alonso to usurp his dukedom. Luckily, thanks to the secret help of Gonzalo, he and Miranda have survived after drifting to the island. Over the past twelve years, Prospero studies hard and mastered magic, seeking to avenge himself.
Scene 4 Beauty and Ugliness
[Enter Ariel, Prospero, Miranda, and Caliban]
Ariel appears to report to Prospero the successful accomplishment of raising the storm. Upon learning this, Miranda begs her father to forgive the innocent passengers. She does not want to see the brutal violence of the storm. As she is about to lie down on a rock, Prospero drags her to Ariel’s arms. Prospero kicks away the rock, which turns out to be Caliban.
Caliban seeks to approach Miranda only to be scolded by his master Prospero. Caliban cannot understand Prospero’s criteria of beauty and ugliness. He learns assiduously Prospero’s ways of talking and his manners but is only treated as a slave. Caliban sings a song of beauty and ugliness, reproaching Prospero for usurping the island and disallowing him to propagate.
Maddened with rage, Prospero kicks Caliban, berating him for being incorrigible and sending him to carry wood.
Ariel begs Prospero to set her free. Prospero promises to do so. Ariel appreciates it and leaves merrily.
Prospero tenderly wakes up Miranda to show her a world of wonder.
Scene 5 The Song of Love (I)
[Enter the spirits, Ariel, Ferdinand, Miranda, Prospero, and Caliban]
Miranda opens her eyes and is surprised by what she sees. Ferdinand has just been washed ashore by the waves; and the two fall instantly in love.
Prospero, learning that Ferdinand is the Prince of Naples, objects Miranda’s association with him. Miranda begs her father to give them blessing. To test their love for each other, Prospero imprisons Ferdinand and demands him to carry wood for three years. Ferdinand willingly bears this for love. Miranda, however, cannot stand seeing Ferdinand being tormented, but she has no choice but to leave at last.
Ariel returns to report to Prospero the miserable condition of Alonso and his fellow companions.
Scene 6 Utopia
[Enter Alonso, Prospero, Ariel, Antonio, Sebastian, and Gonzalo]
Alonso and some of his fellow passengers drift ashore on the island. Alonso is disconsolate at the loss of his beloved son, Ferdinand. Gonzalo attempts to console Alonso. Sebastian and Antonio, however, jeer at him for seeking “to find on the land a person lost in the sea!”
Gonzalo, noting that the island remains undeveloped, reveals his view of utopia, where there is no wealth distinction, no bound of land, no contract; and every race lives peacefully. Sebastian and Antonio keep interrupting Gonzalo’s speech and ridicule him for daydreaming about utopia.
Prospero shares the same view; and the two sing together the vision of a Utopia: “All people are treated equally. No one needs to play up to those in power. Freedom becomes the highest value of life.”
Ariel asks Prospero again to set her free. Prospero responds by telling Ariel his plan to set things right. Prospero bids Ariel to play drums and cymbals and hold a banquet.
Scene 7 A Horrible Banquet
[Enter the spirits, Ariel, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, and Sebastian]
The spirits play drums and cymbals, the sounds of which frighten Alonso and his fellow companions out of their wits. In a short while, however, a sumptuous banquet emerges. Prospero disappears; and beautiful songs chanted by the spirits pervade the air.
Upon seeing the banquet, Alonso and his followers, who have been starving for a long while, starts devouring the food. Ariel, hovering around, comments that these royals do eat like Caliban; and the spirits laugh.
Prospero waves his wand from a high place. Suddenly, tasty dishes are transformed into snakes, scorpions, and poisonous spiders. A jovial banquet becomes a horrid hell. All flee.
A 20-Minute Intermission
Act 2
Scene 1 Spirits at War
[Enter Caliban, the witch, spirits, Ariel, spirits]
Caliban curses Prospero. In front of a great pile of logs, Caliban sets out to build a fire, from which rises thick smoke. The smoke gets thicker and thicker; and the drumming gets louder and louder. From the smoke emerges Caliban’s ancestral spirits, Sycorax; them descends the flying fish. The ancestral spirits of flying fish tribe has been evoked by Caliban’s curses.
Flying fish tribe takes up the sorceress to challenge the other force on the island, which is the airy spirit tribe led by Ariel. While shouting the battle cry, Ariel is taken up to fight against the sorceress. An earth-shattering supernatural warfare ensues.
At length, Ariel is defeated and imprisoned in a cloven pine by the sorceress. Caliban applauds, but only to be knocked down to the ground by the sorceress. The witch reprimands Caliban for having given the island to Prospero. She kicks Caliban and forces him to roll on the ground.
Scene 2 The Drinking Song
[Enter the Jester and the Butler, Caliban, Prospero, Arile, and the spirits]
It turns out, however, that all this is Caliban’s dream. The Jester and the Butler wake Caliban up from his dream by accidentally stumbling upon him.
The Jester and the Butler laugh at Caliban’s strange appearance. Caliban complains to them that Prospero tortures and enslaves him. The two feed Caliban some wine; and they tree start playing a hierarchical game together.
Caliban takes the two on as his new masters. He even confides to them the secret that Prospero’s power derives from his robe, his wand and his book. Once they obtained the three treasures, Prospero would lose his power; and they will be able to invoke the wind and rain. Merrily, the three sing, heading drunkenly toward the cave to steal the three treasures.
Prospero discovers the three’s conspiracy. He charges Caliban with treason and commands Ariel and the spirits to punish Caliban.
Before the wedding, it is necessary to judge and punish those who betray him.
Scene 3 The Song of Love (II)
[Enter the spirits, Caliban, hunting dogs, Ferdinand, Miranda, Prospero, and Ariel]
The spirits raises the tempest. Suddenly, there are thunder and lightning. And the wild winds swirl up and down. Hunting dogs chase Caliban.
Ferdinand carries wood and Miranda accompanies him. Their love grows and becomes more and more steadfast.
Witnessing the scene, Prospero decides to make their wish come true.
Scene 4 Treason
[Enter Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian, and the spirits]
Alonso and his fellow companions weather the storm without being killed. Sebastian and Antonio, however, plan to usurp Alonso’s power. As the two are ready to kill Alonso and Gonzalo, they suddenly are made immobile by the magic of the spirits, who timely stop the murder. Alonso and Gonzalo stand aghast to see Antonio and Sebastian wave their swords right in front of them.
Scene 5 The Trial
[Enter Prospero, Ariel, the Spirits, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, and Sebastian, four spirits]
Prospero, dressed in his robes as Duke, shows up and laughs out loud. After using magic to punish those that betrayed him, he also expresses his gratitude to Gonzalo who saved his life twelve years age. At the moment, Thousand-hand Buddha appears and confirms the divine Law of Retribution.
Scene 6 Reconciliation
[Enter the spirits, hunting dogs, Caliban, the Jester, the Butler, Ariel, Prospero, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian]
The spirits and hunting dogs chase after Caliban, the Jester, and the Butler. Later, Ariel brings the treacherous Caliban to Prospero to admit his crime.
Prospero ends his ancient grudges by opting for reconciliation and forgiveness. Ferdinand and Miranda also arrive to show their gratitude to Prospero for allowing them to get married. Alonso, reunited with Ferdinand, is overjoyed. Witnessing the elegant behaviors of so many stranger, Miranda cannot help exclaiming; “O brave new world. That has such people in it!”
Scene 7 The Wedding
[Enter Ferdinand, Miranda, and all]
The goddesses of the four seasons come to bless the weeding of Ferdinand and Miranda. People sing and dance to celebrate the occasion and wish the couple a happy marriage.
Scene 8 Freedom
[Enter Ariel, Caliban, Prospero, and the spirits]
Prospero sets free Ariel and Caliban. He offers to arrange a match for Ariel and Caliban, who represent, respectively, the spirits of heaven and earth.
Scene 9 Soliloquy
[Enters Prospero]
Prospero proclaims his renunciation of his magic.
Scene 1 Magic
[Enter 4 spirits, and then Prospero]
The song of the spirits comes from afar. The atmosphere is shadowy and fearful. Prospero waves his magic wand, chanting incantation, in which each word is mind shattering. The wind is howling; and the thunder is rumbling…
Scene 2 The Tempest
[Enter Ariel, four spirits, four mariners, Boatswain, the Master of a ship, Ferdinand, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian, and four spirits]
Mariners’ song is drawing near from afar. The King’s ship, under the protection of the shrine aboard, sails on. The spirits wave the sea banner to divide the waves that keep thrashing the ship.
The storm roars. The ship is violently shaken. Alonso, the King of Naples, complains of the tossing of the ship. Sebastian, Alonso’s brother, and Antonio, Prospero’s brother, both blame the Master of the ship and the mariners for not doing their jobs. Boatswain talks back. Gonzalo persuades them to reconcile with one another so that they can work together to cope with the storm. Big waves rise and fall. The spirits use magic to kindle fire that surrounds the passengers. The ship is on fire. All are busy putting out the fire. A huge wave strikes. Prince Ferdinand falls into the sea. The storm rages on. Alonso offers a prize for whoever can save his son. The fire, however, soon devours the ship. All passengers are forced to jump into the sea, striving to survive the storm.
Scene 3 A Dream-like Life
[Enter Prospero and Miranda]
Prospero recalls the past, feeling sad and forlorn. Miranda, sleeping on a high platform, gradually awakes from her dream. She asks her father about the reasons behind the storm and the incessant screams.
Prospero tells her what happened twelve years age, lamenting that his brother Antonio should conspire with Alonso to usurp his dukedom. Luckily, thanks to the secret help of Gonzalo, he and Miranda have survived after drifting to the island. Over the past twelve years, Prospero studies hard and mastered magic, seeking to avenge himself.
Scene 4 Beauty and Ugliness
[Enter Ariel, Prospero, Miranda, and Caliban]
Ariel appears to report to Prospero the successful accomplishment of raising the storm. Upon learning this, Miranda begs her father to forgive the innocent passengers. She does not want to see the brutal violence of the storm. As she is about to lie down on a rock, Prospero drags her to Ariel’s arms. Prospero kicks away the rock, which turns out to be Caliban.
Caliban seeks to approach Miranda only to be scolded by his master Prospero. Caliban cannot understand Prospero’s criteria of beauty and ugliness. He learns assiduously Prospero’s ways of talking and his manners but is only treated as a slave. Caliban sings a song of beauty and ugliness, reproaching Prospero for usurping the island and disallowing him to propagate.
Maddened with rage, Prospero kicks Caliban, berating him for being incorrigible and sending him to carry wood.
Ariel begs Prospero to set her free. Prospero promises to do so. Ariel appreciates it and leaves merrily.
Prospero tenderly wakes up Miranda to show her a world of wonder.
Scene 5 The Song of Love (I)
[Enter the spirits, Ariel, Ferdinand, Miranda, Prospero, and Caliban]
Miranda opens her eyes and is surprised by what she sees. Ferdinand has just been washed ashore by the waves; and the two fall instantly in love.
Prospero, learning that Ferdinand is the Prince of Naples, objects Miranda’s association with him. Miranda begs her father to give them blessing. To test their love for each other, Prospero imprisons Ferdinand and demands him to carry wood for three years. Ferdinand willingly bears this for love. Miranda, however, cannot stand seeing Ferdinand being tormented, but she has no choice but to leave at last.
Ariel returns to report to Prospero the miserable condition of Alonso and his fellow companions.
Scene 6 Utopia
[Enter Alonso, Prospero, Ariel, Antonio, Sebastian, and Gonzalo]
Alonso and some of his fellow passengers drift ashore on the island. Alonso is disconsolate at the loss of his beloved son, Ferdinand. Gonzalo attempts to console Alonso. Sebastian and Antonio, however, jeer at him for seeking “to find on the land a person lost in the sea!”
Gonzalo, noting that the island remains undeveloped, reveals his view of utopia, where there is no wealth distinction, no bound of land, no contract; and every race lives peacefully. Sebastian and Antonio keep interrupting Gonzalo’s speech and ridicule him for daydreaming about utopia.
Prospero shares the same view; and the two sing together the vision of a Utopia: “All people are treated equally. No one needs to play up to those in power. Freedom becomes the highest value of life.”
Ariel asks Prospero again to set her free. Prospero responds by telling Ariel his plan to set things right. Prospero bids Ariel to play drums and cymbals and hold a banquet.
Scene 7 A Horrible Banquet
[Enter the spirits, Ariel, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, and Sebastian]
The spirits play drums and cymbals, the sounds of which frighten Alonso and his fellow companions out of their wits. In a short while, however, a sumptuous banquet emerges. Prospero disappears; and beautiful songs chanted by the spirits pervade the air.
Upon seeing the banquet, Alonso and his followers, who have been starving for a long while, starts devouring the food. Ariel, hovering around, comments that these royals do eat like Caliban; and the spirits laugh.
Prospero waves his wand from a high place. Suddenly, tasty dishes are transformed into snakes, scorpions, and poisonous spiders. A jovial banquet becomes a horrid hell. All flee.
A 20-Minute Intermission
Act 2
Scene 1 Spirits at War
[Enter Caliban, the witch, spirits, Ariel, spirits]
Caliban curses Prospero. In front of a great pile of logs, Caliban sets out to build a fire, from which rises thick smoke. The smoke gets thicker and thicker; and the drumming gets louder and louder. From the smoke emerges Caliban’s ancestral spirits, Sycorax; them descends the flying fish. The ancestral spirits of flying fish tribe has been evoked by Caliban’s curses.
Flying fish tribe takes up the sorceress to challenge the other force on the island, which is the airy spirit tribe led by Ariel. While shouting the battle cry, Ariel is taken up to fight against the sorceress. An earth-shattering supernatural warfare ensues.
At length, Ariel is defeated and imprisoned in a cloven pine by the sorceress. Caliban applauds, but only to be knocked down to the ground by the sorceress. The witch reprimands Caliban for having given the island to Prospero. She kicks Caliban and forces him to roll on the ground.
Scene 2 The Drinking Song
[Enter the Jester and the Butler, Caliban, Prospero, Arile, and the spirits]
It turns out, however, that all this is Caliban’s dream. The Jester and the Butler wake Caliban up from his dream by accidentally stumbling upon him.
The Jester and the Butler laugh at Caliban’s strange appearance. Caliban complains to them that Prospero tortures and enslaves him. The two feed Caliban some wine; and they tree start playing a hierarchical game together.
Caliban takes the two on as his new masters. He even confides to them the secret that Prospero’s power derives from his robe, his wand and his book. Once they obtained the three treasures, Prospero would lose his power; and they will be able to invoke the wind and rain. Merrily, the three sing, heading drunkenly toward the cave to steal the three treasures.
Prospero discovers the three’s conspiracy. He charges Caliban with treason and commands Ariel and the spirits to punish Caliban.
Before the wedding, it is necessary to judge and punish those who betray him.
Scene 3 The Song of Love (II)
[Enter the spirits, Caliban, hunting dogs, Ferdinand, Miranda, Prospero, and Ariel]
The spirits raises the tempest. Suddenly, there are thunder and lightning. And the wild winds swirl up and down. Hunting dogs chase Caliban.
Ferdinand carries wood and Miranda accompanies him. Their love grows and becomes more and more steadfast.
Witnessing the scene, Prospero decides to make their wish come true.
Scene 4 Treason
[Enter Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian, and the spirits]
Alonso and his fellow companions weather the storm without being killed. Sebastian and Antonio, however, plan to usurp Alonso’s power. As the two are ready to kill Alonso and Gonzalo, they suddenly are made immobile by the magic of the spirits, who timely stop the murder. Alonso and Gonzalo stand aghast to see Antonio and Sebastian wave their swords right in front of them.
Scene 5 The Trial
[Enter Prospero, Ariel, the Spirits, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, and Sebastian, four spirits]
Prospero, dressed in his robes as Duke, shows up and laughs out loud. After using magic to punish those that betrayed him, he also expresses his gratitude to Gonzalo who saved his life twelve years age. At the moment, Thousand-hand Buddha appears and confirms the divine Law of Retribution.
Scene 6 Reconciliation
[Enter the spirits, hunting dogs, Caliban, the Jester, the Butler, Ariel, Prospero, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian]
The spirits and hunting dogs chase after Caliban, the Jester, and the Butler. Later, Ariel brings the treacherous Caliban to Prospero to admit his crime.
Prospero ends his ancient grudges by opting for reconciliation and forgiveness. Ferdinand and Miranda also arrive to show their gratitude to Prospero for allowing them to get married. Alonso, reunited with Ferdinand, is overjoyed. Witnessing the elegant behaviors of so many stranger, Miranda cannot help exclaiming; “O brave new world. That has such people in it!”
Scene 7 The Wedding
[Enter Ferdinand, Miranda, and all]
The goddesses of the four seasons come to bless the weeding of Ferdinand and Miranda. People sing and dance to celebrate the occasion and wish the couple a happy marriage.
Scene 8 Freedom
[Enter Ariel, Caliban, Prospero, and the spirits]
Prospero sets free Ariel and Caliban. He offers to arrange a match for Ariel and Caliban, who represent, respectively, the spirits of heaven and earth.
Scene 9 Soliloquy
[Enters Prospero]
Prospero proclaims his renunciation of his magic.
