I haven’t read a play by William Shakespeare since high school, and I didn’t appreciate his work back then. So, when I saw “The Tempest” in a box from my grandmother’s book collection, I decided to read it with a fresh perspective.

When a duke named Prospero is betrayed by his own brother, he takes his step daughter on a ship to a deserted island. On the island, the Duke collects spell books and becomes a powerful sorcerer. He raises his step-daughter as his own daughter and refuses to tell her the truth about himself and herself until the right moment.

One day, Prospero’s brother, who now has taken the title of Duke for himself, is out at sea with his son, coming back home after attending the marriage of his granddaughter. Prospero uses his power to summon spirits to wash the ships and their crews on the island he fled to many years ago.

I found this story very enjoyable. It displayed all of the basic human emotions in the characters: greed, desire, lust, love, revenge, and compassion. After reading this play, I’m going to be sure to check out more of Shakespeare’s work in the future.