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A review by brenticus
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Shortly after I started this book I got to see it live - my first time attending a Shakespeare play! - and I have to say it tainted my perception of this book greatly. The comedy of the situation is a bit hard to notice at times, and the plot is quite serious on the whole, but it really does share a lot of structure with other Shakespearean comedies and, if you poke at it a bit, it really is quite funny. Trinculo is a gem.
If it was just that it would probably just be 3 stars, I quite like how it eases some reflections on colonization in among the rest. Caliban is presented as decrepit and stupid next to the others, but when he is on his own we see that he really is more intelligent than he is given credit for. While many of the themes to consider are things that Shakespeare discusses elsewhere, and often better, this is a concept that is both unique to this play and adds a layer of depth to the characters and their interactions that is very interesting.
If it was just that it would probably just be 3 stars, I quite like how it eases some reflections on colonization in among the rest. Caliban is presented as decrepit and stupid next to the others, but when he is on his own we see that he really is more intelligent than he is given credit for. While many of the themes to consider are things that Shakespeare discusses elsewhere, and often better, this is a concept that is both unique to this play and adds a layer of depth to the characters and their interactions that is very interesting.