NARRATOR: This is a tale of wizards, magic, murder and monsters. It takes place longago on an island with no name in the middle of a great sea. If you werebrave – or foolish – enough to sail close to the island you would think thatnobody lived there. You would be wrong. For in the heart of the jungle atthe top of a mountain is a cave. And in the cave an old man called Prospero and his beautiful young daughter, Miranda, have lived happily fortwelve years.
They weren’t born here. Oh no. Twelve years ago, to the day, they weresent to sea - deliberately - in an old boat full of holes and with no sails.They were meant to die. Miranda was only three. Prospero cried as heheld her in his arms. Who would want to murder an old man and his littlegirl? Who could be so evil?
Well, as it happens, the very people responsible are ona ship sailing pastthe island with no name right now. They’ve been to a wedding in Africaand they’re going home to Italy. They think.
It is night. In the cave, Miranda is asleep. But Prospero stands outsidestaring at that ship. He wears a cloak which shimmers and sparks withlight. In one hand he holds a great leather-bound book. In the other hegrips a wooden staff. With a deep breath he raises the staff as if to drawupon the sky itself. Instantly, a jagged bolt of lightning courses throughthe air and cracks into the ocean. He sweeps the staff around his headand boiling storm clouds explode from nowhere and blacken the stars.He whistles and a living thing, a spinning, mischievous sprite, cartwheelsthrough the air and hovers in front of him.
PROSPERO: Ariel! Are you ready?
ARIEL: Master! Their ship is trapped in the web – there is no escape!
PROSPERO: Time for me to teach them a lesson. Time for you to do your stuff!
ARIEL: Yes! At last! Sprites to the rigging! Come on sprites! Just what lesson areyou teaching them, master?
PROSPERO: Never…ever…mess with wizards!
Video summary
This is a tale of wizards, magic, murder and monsters.
It takes place long ago on an island with no name.
Prospero and his beautiful daughter, Miranda, live in an cave on the Island, but they weren't born there. Twelve years ago they were cast out to sea in a boat full of holes.
They were meant to die, but who would want to murder them…?
It so happens that the people responsible are on a ship sailing past the island on their way home to Italy.
Prospero intends to teach them a lesson by way of punishment.
He calls on Ariel - his helper sprite - and conjures up a storm so tempestuous it will change all their lives forever.
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 2 - Set me free. video
Prospero explains to daughter, Miranda, how the two of them came to live on the island
Episode 3 - Full fathom five video
Prospero and Ariel tour the island to check on those who have been washed ashore
Episode 4 - Toledo steel. video
Antonio sees an opportunity - if he can persuade Sebastian to murder King Alonso
