Original: You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,
Modern: You are three sinful men, and Destiny itself

Original: That hath to instrument this lower world
Modern: That uses this earthly world as its tool

Original: And what is in’t, the never-surfeited sea
Modern: And everything in it, including the never-satisfied sea

Original: Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island
Modern: Has spit you up onto this island

Original: Where man doth not inhabit; you ‘mongst men
Modern: Where no humans live; you, who among all men

Original: Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;
Modern: Are the least fit to be alive. I have driven you insane;

Original: And even with such-like valour men hang and drown
Modern: And with this same kind of crazy courage, men kill themselves by hanging and drowning

Original: Their proper selves.
Modern: Their own selves.

Original: You fools! I and my fellows
Modern: You idiots! My companions and I

Original: Are ministers of Fate: the elements,
Modern: Are servants of Fate: the very elements

Original: Of whom your swords are temper’d, may as well
Modern: That your swords are made from might as easily

Original: Wound the loud winds, or with bemock’d-at stabs
Modern: Cut the howling winds, or with your ridiculous stabbing

Original: Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
Modern: Kill the ever-flowing waters, as harm

Original: One dowle that’s in my plume: my fellow-ministers
Modern: Even one tiny feather in my wing: my fellow spirits

Original: Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Modern: Are just as invincible. Even if you could cause harm,

Original: Your swords are now too massy for your strengths
Modern: Your swords are now too heavy for your weakened arms

Original: And will not be uplifted. But remember—
Modern: And cannot be lifted. But remember this—

Original: For that’s my business to you—that you three
Modern: Because that’s why I’m here—you three

Original: From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Modern: Overthrew good Prospero from his position in Milan;

Original: Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Modern: You cast him out to sea, and the sea has repaid you for it,

Original: Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
Modern: Both him and his innocent daughter: for this evil act

Original: The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Modern: The supernatural powers, taking their time but not forgetting, have

Original: Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Modern: Stirred up the seas and coastlines, yes, all living things,

Original: Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
Modern: Against your happiness. From you, Alonso, they have taken your son,

Original: They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:
Modern: And through me they declare:

Original: Lingering perdition, worse than any death
Modern: Slow destruction, worse than any death

Original: Can be at once, shall step by step attend
Modern: That could happen quickly, will follow you step by step

Original: You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from—
Modern: You and everything you do; to protect yourselves from their anger—

Original: Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
Modern: Which will otherwise fall upon you here on this deserted island—

Original: Upon your heads—is nothing but heart-sorrow
Modern: There is nothing but sincere repentance

Original: And a clear life ensuing.
Modern: And a pure life from now on.

In Act III, Scene iii of The Tempest, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco enter, weary from wandering the island in search of Ferdinand. The group is exhausted and dispirited, with Alonso expressing his despair at finding his son and his desire to give up the search. Sebastian and Antonio speak aside, plotting to kill Alonso and Gonzalo that evening when the others sleep.

Suddenly, strange music plays and spirits enter carrying a banquet, which they set before the nobles with gentle gestures and invitations to eat before vanishing. The men marvel at this apparent hospitality, with Gonzalo commenting on the courteous nature of these island inhabitants. However, just as they approach the feast, Ariel appears as a harpy, claps his wings, and causes the banquet to vanish. Ariel then delivers a condemnatory speech to Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio, reminding them of their sins against Prospero and declaring that the sea has now taken Ferdinand as punishment. The three men of sin are left in a state of madness and desperation, while Gonzalo observes their strange behavior with concern. Prospero, who has been invisible and watching, expresses satisfaction with Ariel’s performance before following the distracted nobles.

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.