Iseult Gillespie: Why should you read Shakespeare's "The Tempest"?

Why should you read Shakespeare's "The Tempest"?

Claps of thunder and flashes of lightning illuminate a swelling sea, as a ship buckles beneath the waves. It is no ordinary storm, but a violent and vengeful tempest, and it sets the stage for Shakespeare's most enigmatic play. Why does this play still resonate with modern readers? Iseult Gillespie investigates. [Directed by Héloïse Dorsan Rachet, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott, music by Jarrett Farkas].

A raging storm and shipwreck introduce a world where power, freedom, and justice clash on a desert island. Prospero, exiled and betrayed, uses magic to rule both spirits and humans, including the bitter Caliban and the desperate Ariel. The play exposes cycles of abuse and revenge rooted in betrayal, colonization, and the struggle for control. In the end, Prospero’s surrender and plea for the audience’s applause mirror the playwright’s own final bow.