Original: My brother and thy uncle, call’d Antonio—
Modern: My brother and your uncle, named Antonio—

Original: I pray thee, mark me—that a brother should
Modern: I’m begging you, pay attention to me—that a brother would

Original: Be so perfidious!—he whom next thyself
Modern: Be so treacherous!—he who, after you,

Original: Of all the world I loved and to him put
Modern: I loved more than anyone else in the world, and I gave him

Original: The manage of my state; as at that time
Modern: Control of my kingdom; because at that time

Original: Through all the signories it was the first
Modern: Among all the Italian city-states, Milan was the most powerful

Original: And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed
Modern: And I, Prospero, was considered the greatest duke

Original: In dignity, and for the liberal arts
Modern: In honor, and for my knowledge of learning and magic

Original: Without a parallel; those being all my study,
Modern: Without equal; since those subjects were all I studied,

Original: The government I cast upon my brother
Modern: I handed over the government to my brother

Original: And to my state grew stranger, being transported
Modern: And became disconnected from my own kingdom, being completely absorbed

Original: And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle—
Modern: And lost in my private studies. Your lying uncle—

Original: Dost thou attend me?
Modern: Are you paying attention to me?

Original: Being once perfected how to grant suits,
Modern: Once he learned how to approve requests,

Original: How to deny them, who to advance and who
Modern: How to reject them, who to promote and who

Original: To trash for over-topping, new created
Modern: To hold back for getting too ambitious, he created new

Original: The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed ‘em,
Modern: Followers who used to be loyal to me, or he changed them,

Original: Or else new form’d ‘em; having both the key
Modern: Or completely transformed them; having control

Original: Of officer and office, set all hearts i’ the state
Modern: Of both the people and their positions, he made everyone in the state

Original: To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was
Modern: Dance to whatever song he wanted; so that now he became

Original: The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,
Modern: Like ivy that had covered my royal tree

Original: And suck’d my verdure out on’t. Thou attend’st not.
Modern: And drained all the life out of it. You’re not listening.

Original: I pray thee, mark me.
Modern: Please, pay attention to me.

Original: I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
Modern: I, ignoring practical matters, completely devoted

Original: To closeness and the bettering of my mind
Modern: To solitude and improving my mind

Original: With that which, but by being so retired,
Modern: With knowledge that, only because I was so withdrawn,

Original: O’er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother
Modern: Was more valuable than anything people normally prize, awakened in my lying brother

Original: Awaked an evil nature; and my trust,
Modern: An evil nature; and my trust in him,

Original: Like a good parent, did beget of him
Modern: Like a loving parent, created in him

Original: A falsehood in its contrary as great
Modern: A dishonesty just as enormous

Original: As my trust was; which had indeed no limit,
Modern: As my trust had been; which truly had no limits,

Original: A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,
Modern: A faith without boundaries. Him being given power like this,

Original: Not only with what my revenue yielded,
Modern: Not only over the income my lands produced,

Original: But what my power might else exact, like one
Modern: But also over whatever else my authority could demand, like someone

Original: Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Modern: Who, by repeating a lie so often,

Original: Made such a sinner of his memory,
Modern: Corrupted his own memory so badly

Original: To credit his own lie, he did believe
Modern: That he believed his own lie—he actually thought

Original: He was indeed the duke; out o’ the substitution
Modern: He really was the duke; from just being a substitute

Original: And executing the outward face of royalty,
Modern: And performing the public duties of royalty,

Original: With all prerogative: hence his ambition growing—
Modern: With all the privileges: this made his ambition grow—

Original: Dost thou hear?
Modern: Are you listening?

Original: To have no screen between this part he play’d
Modern: To remove any barrier between the role he played

Original: And him he play’d it for, he needs will be
Modern: And himself, he decided he had to become

Original: Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library
Modern: The absolute ruler of Milan. As for me, poor fool, my library

Original: Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties
Modern: Was kingdom enough for me: he now thinks I’m incapable of earthly rule;

Original: He thinks me now incapable; confederates—
Modern: so he makes an alliance—

Original: So dry he was for sway—wi’ the King of Naples
Modern: He was so thirsty for power—with the King of Naples

Original: To give him annual tribute, do him homage,
Modern: To pay him yearly tribute, bow down to him,

Original: Subject his coronet to his crown and bend
Modern: Make his duke’s crown subject to the king’s crown and force

Original: The dukedom yet unbow’d—alas, poor Milan!—
Modern: The dukedom that had never bowed before—oh, poor Milan!—

Original: To most ignoble stooping.
Modern: Into the most shameful submission.

In Act I, Scene ii of “The Tempest,” Prospero reveals to his daughter Miranda the story of their arrival on the island twelve years earlier. He explains that he was once the Duke of Milan, but his brother Antonio usurped his position with help from Alonso, King of Naples, while Prospero was absorbed in his magical studies. Antonio and Alonso set Prospero and the infant Miranda adrift at sea in a rotten boat, though the kind nobleman Gonzalo secretly provided them with supplies, books, and provisions that enabled their survival.

Prospero then uses his magic to put Miranda to sleep and summons his spirit servant Ariel. Ariel reports that he has successfully carried out Prospero’s orders to wreck the ship carrying Prospero’s enemies near the island, creating the illusion of a terrible tempest while ensuring no one was actually harmed. The passengers are now scattered across the island in small groups, with Ferdinand (Alonso’s son) separated from the others. Ariel reminds Prospero of his promise of freedom, and Prospero assures him that his liberty will come after more tasks are completed. The scene concludes with Ariel departing to fetch Ferdinand while remaining invisible to all except Prospero.

The Tempest opens with a violent storm at sea that shipwrecks a vessel carrying Alonso, King of Naples, his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian, Antonio (the usurping Duke of Milan), the counselor Gonzalo, and others. The tempest has been conjured by Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, who lives in exile on an island with his daughter Miranda. Twelve years earlier, Prospero was overthrown by his brother Antonio with the help of Alonso, and set adrift at sea with the infant Miranda. They survived and reached this island, where Prospero has spent years studying magic and commanding the spirit Ariel, whom he freed from imprisonment in a tree.

The shipwreck separates the survivors into different groups across the island. Ferdinand becomes separated from the others and encounters Miranda, with whom he immediately falls in love, though Prospero tests the young man by enslaving him temporarily. Meanwhile, Antonio and Sebastian plot to murder Alonso and Gonzalo while they sleep, but Ariel awakens Gonzalo just in time. Another group, including the drunken butler Stephano and jester Trinculo, meets Caliban, Prospero’s reluctant servant who is the island’s original inhabitant. Caliban persuades them to help him kill Prospero and take control of the island.

Prospero orchestrates a series of magical interventions: he presents a banquet to Alonso’s group that vanishes when they try to eat, and Ariel appears as a harpy to remind them of their crimes against Prospero. Ariel also disrupts Caliban’s murder plot by leading the conspirators into a stinking pond and then tormenting them with spirits disguised as hunting dogs. Ferdinand proves his love for Miranda by completing the tasks Prospero sets him, and Prospero gives his blessing to their betrothal, celebrating with a masque of spirits.

In the final act, Prospero reveals himself to all the castaways, forgives his enemies, and renounces his magic, breaking his staff and freeing Ariel. Alonso repents his past actions and restores Prospero to his dukedom. Ferdinand and Miranda’s engagement is celebrated, Caliban acknowledges Prospero’s authority and promises to be wise hereafter, and Prospero prepares to return to Milan. The play concludes with Prospero’s epilogue, in which he asks the audience to free him with their applause, as he has freed Ariel.