Edmund Dorer, a special student of Spanish Literature first called
attention (Jan. 31, 1885,) to the story more closely resembling "The
Tempest" than any other, as it occurs in a collection of tales by
Antonio de Eslava, called Las Noches de Invierno, or "Winter
Nights," published in Madrid in 1609.

Like other such collections of stories, such as the Italian collection of Bandello, and the French of Belleforest, used by Shakespeare, Eslava's collection was translated, and, in default of the original from one of the later editions, as translated into German in 1683 (Noches de Invierno Winternachte aus dem Spanischen in die Deutsche sprach versetzet) a summary of this story was given in English for the first time as a satisfactory source of "The Tempest" in the "First Folio Edition" of the Play (see pp. 85-93 and Introduction; also for an extract and summary of "The Fair Sidea," pp. 94-95).

What may be called the American half of the plot evidently owes suggestions to pamphlet accounts of the storm and wreck and other experiences met with by Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Sommers and others during their voyage of discovery to the Bermudas in 1610 (see pp. 92, 99, and Notes pp. 114, 125-127, etc., for extracts.)

Gonzalo's speech, too, follows pretty closely a passage in Florio's
Montaigue. (For this passage see Note on II. i. 153-160).

ACT I

THE SCHEMES OF PROSPERO.

The first scene shows the storm in progress. Is there any clew given to the reader that it is a magic tempest? What is Prospero's main object in having the ship's crew and passengers cast upon his island? Is it to wreak vengeance on his enemies, to work the charm of love between Ferdinand and Miranda, or by means of that to reinstate himself? In what way would this love work to his advantage? Notice the natural way in which the reader is put in possession of the necessary information about the past of Prospero and Miranda. Warburton says of this that it is the finest example he knows of retrospective narration for the sake of informing the audience of the plot. How much of the plot is permitted to come out in this act? Why does Prospero so repeatedly urge Miranda's attention? Is she abstracted, is he, or is she already beginning to be drowsy? Why was Ferdinand the first to quit the ship? Since Prospero already knows, why does he ask Ariel what time it is?

POINTS. 1. Explain the nautical terms. 'Master's whistle.' In Shakespeare's time naval commanders wore great whistles of gold. A modern boatswain's badge is a silver whistle suspended to the neck by a lanyard. Holt extols the excellence of Shakespeare's sea-terms, but makes an exception of Gonzalo's 'cable,' which he says is of no use unless the ship is at anchor, and here it is plainly sailing; to which Furness replies, Shakespeare anchors Gonzalo's hopes on the boatswain's 'gallows complexion,' and the cable of that anchor was the hangman's rope. 2. 'Washing of ten tides.' An allusion to the custom of hanging pirates at low-water mark. (See Notes I. i. 67 First Folio Edition). 3. Compare this storm with that in 'Pericles,'—'Do not assist the storm,' etc., with 'Per.' III. i. 51-60. 4. Explain 'To trash for over-topping,' I. ii. 98, which is a blending of two metaphors. Trash refers to the habit of hanging a weight round the neck of the fleetest of a pack of hounds, to keep him from getting ahead of the rest; and 'overtopping' to trees shooting up above the others in a grove, which have to be lopped to keep them even. 5. What does Prospero mean by saying, 'Now I arise'? Simply, now I get up, and now my fortunes change? 6. 'Still vex'd Bermoothes.' Bermudas, spelled in several ways in Shakespeare's time, and called 'still vex'd,' from accounts of tempests prevailing there. 7. 'Argier.' The name of Algiers till after the Restoration. 8. 'One thing she did.' What? Are we anywhere told what?

QUERIES FOR DISCUSSION

Does the long monologue of Prospero in this act detract from its dramatic force? Did the arrangement of Shakespeare's stage make this convenient. (See description of the threefold stage of the Globe Theatre in "Anthonie and Cleopatra," pp. 172-173). Is the monologue rightly disused in modern plays? Why? Compare Ibsen's plays in this respect.