NARRATOR: Prospero sits in his invisibility cloak and watches the miserable courtiers,huddled together weeping under a tree. No matter how evil they oncewere it seems they genuinely have repented. He decides he must forgivethem. He summons Ariel, tells him to find Caliban and the drunks andbring them to the beach. Next he must go to the ship and release all thesailors from their spell. ‘Will I then be free…?’ asks Ariel.
‘Very soon, dear spirit,’ says Prospero. ‘Very soon.’
With a joyful whoosh Ariel’s gone.
Prospero now removes his cloak and hurls it into the air - it disappears!He takes his magic book and closes it - it disappears too. Finally hegrasps his magic staff and breaks it across his knee. A crack of lightningand he steps forward, no longer Prospero, the magician…but once againProspero, Duke of Milan. The courtiers are amazed to see him. Alonsobegs his forgiveness - which is given. ‘If only my dear son, Ferdinand,were still alive,’ says Alonso. At which point, arm in arm, Ferdinand andMiranda emerge onto the beach. ‘And they’re not just alive,’ says Prospero, ‘they have my permission to marry too.’ Well, as you can expect, there are all kinds of hugs and kisses and explanations…
Now Caliban, Trinculo and Stefano appear - miserable, hung-over andfinally, round the point and heading for the beach comes the lost ship, itscrew fit and healthy and the sails looking better even than when they leftport.
PROSPERO: Nicely done, Ariel. Nicely done.
ARIEL: Is that all, master? Am I…?
PROSPERO: Yes, Ariel. You are free. Your work is over. And so is mine. It is time forme, time for us all, to return to our old lives and make them new.
NARRATOR: The ship’s boats pull up on the shore and the castaways climb aboard.Caliban, now free just like Ariel, scratches his head and waves themoff. Soon the ship is ready to leave, the anchors are pulled aboard,the wind fills the sails and the island with no name grows smalleron the horizon. They’re going home.
Video summary
It's time for the finale of Prospero's plan.
He sits wearing his invisibility cloak watching the miserable courtiers.
He decides that no matter how evil they once were, they have repented and he must forgive them.
He removes his cloak, throws it away, and destroys his magic staff.
Then, with a crack of lightening, he steps forward, no longer Prospero the magician, but once again Prospero, Duke of Milan.
The courtiers are amazed and beg for his forgiveness… at which point Ferdinand and Miranda emerge on to the beach.
They're not just alive, they have Prospero's permission to marry.
With everyone now on the beach, the lost ship appears, its crew fit and healthy.
Soon the ship is ready to leave, but before it does, Prospero finally sets Ariel free.
The island now belongs to him and Caliban once more.
The wind fills the sails and the island with no name grows smaller on the horizon… they’re going home.
Teacher Notes
This series provides various opportunities to meet Key Stage 2 National Curriculum requirements, including study of a significant author, reading techniques such as prediction, drawing inferences, clarification and summary; and drama and writing opportunities - including poetry performance, descriptive writing, persuasive writing, letter writing, newspaper article writing, poetry and play scripts.
It could be used as an introduction to the play, consolidation of key aspects or for revision of the plot and characters.
More detail on how to use this series, including detailed lesson plans, can be found in the Teacher's Notes PDF.
This series is relevant for teaching English at KS2, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and at Second Level in Scotland.
Episode 5 - Barracuda. video
Stephano and Trinculo fall in with Caliban...and plan a revolution for the island.
Episode 6 - Love song. video
Prospero sets Ferdinand to work. He and Miranda meet... and it's love at first sight.
Episode 7 - Spellbound. video
Prospero has his enemies in his power and plans to publish them for their past actions
