I own the No Fear Shakespeare version-"Shakespeare side-by-side Plain English".
Shakespeare is challenging for me to read and to comprehend. I am very thankful for the "plain English" translation! My ninth grader will be reading this play for English. I wanted to preview it.
Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, have been living on an island since his brother Antonio usurped his position as King of Milan. Conspiring with Alonso, the King of Naples, Antonio forced Prospero and his young daughter onto a raft to die at sea. Years later, Antonio, Alonso and their crew shipwreck on the exact island where Prospero has been living. Using his magical powers, Prospero causes havoc and trickery on his brother and the crew. Meanwhile, Miranda and Alonso's son, Ferdinand, meet and fall in love.
Five Acts & an epilogue
I did not like this play as much as A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Midsummer Night's Dream was delightful and humorous. The humor in this play stemmed from drunkness and crudeness.
Points to discuss/Warning: simile "as leaky as a menstruating woman", three characters become drunk and exalt wine/alcohol (these characters are supposedly the humor in the play which almost treats drunkness and alcohol abuse too lightly), Prospero accuses Caliban of trying to rape his daughter, Sebastian accuses Alonso of "pimping out his daughter to an African", coarse language-SOB, bastard, h**, Prospero tells Ferdinand he may not have sex with Miranda until after they are married, Stephano sings a song in his drunken state about a girl Kate who liked it when a tailor took her to bed, characters take God's name in vain
-I own this version-
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