The First Folio is the sole authority for this play. The print house copy appears to have been Ralph Crane’s transcript of Shakespeare’s foul papers.
Subdivisions of ACTS & SCENES are all according to the FOLIO.
• 1.1: line 1 (reads “Act 1 scene 1 begins at line 1″)
• 1.2: line 80
• 2.1: line 672
• 2.2: line 1037
• 3.1: line 1234
• 3.2: line 1050
• 3.3: line 1513
• 4.1: line 1650
• 5.1: line 1945
• Epilogue: 2320
_______________
Entrances & exits of Characters
According to order of appearance.
• (2,9) reads “enters at line 2, exits at line 9″.
• (Harpy 1583,1616)
reads “character (in this case, ARIEL) is disguised as a «Harpy» from line 1583 to 1616”.
• (1250 [invisible to 1344] 1349)
reads “character (in this case PROSPERO) enters at line 1250 but remains invisible to other stage characters until line 1344, character exits at line 1349”
• ([invisible] 1016,1210)
reads “character enters at line 1016 and exits at line 1210 but remains invisible to other characters throughout the scene”.
• (673 [sleeps 877,1011] 1035)
read “character (in this case ALONSO) enters at line 673, but sleeps onstage from lines 877 to 1011, character exits at line 1035”.
• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
Shipmaster
(2,9) (2200,2319)
Boatswain
(2,9) (42,79) (2200,2319)
ALONSO, King of Naples
(15,41) (673 [sleeps 877,1011] 1035) (1514,1639) (2009,2319)
SEBASTIAN, Brother of Alonso
(15,41) (45,75) (673,1035) (1514,1642) (2010,2319)
ANTONIO, usurping Duke of Milan
(15,41) (45,75) (673,1035) (1514,1642) (2010,2319)
FERDINAND, son of Alonsa
(15,41) (519,671) (1235,1344) (1651,1835) (2141,2319)
GONZALO, an honest councillor
(15,41) (45,79) (673 [sleeps 867,1010] 1035) (1514,1649) (2009,2319)
PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan
(81,671) (1250 [invisible to 1344] 1349) ([invisible] 1535,1629) (1651,1944) (1946,2341)
MIRANDA, daughter of Prospero
(81 [sleeps 298,438] 671) (1250,1344) (1651,1835) (2141,2319)
ARIEL, an airy spirit
(299,437) (453,456) (519,671) (862,878) (999,1036) ([invisible] 1392,1512) (Harpy 1583,1616) (1687,1706) (1837,1861) (1868,1944) (1946,1983) (2009,2060) (2200,2244) (2247,2319)
CALIBAN, Prospero’s slave
(458,518) (1038,1233) (1351,1512) (1869,1944) (2247,2295)
Adrian & Francisco, lords to Alonso
(673 [sleeps 868,1011] 1035) (1514,1649) (2009,2319)
TRINCOLO, a jester
(1054,1233) (1351,1512) (1869,1944) (2247,2297)
STEPHANO, a drunken butler
(1081,1233) (1351,1512) (1869,1944) (2247,2297)
•••PLAY WITHIN THE PLAY (1707,1806)•••
Iris
(1717,1808)
Juno
(1730,1808)
Ceres
(1733,1808)
Nimphes
(1799,1808)
Reapers
(1805,1808)
•••••••••
Spirits (1536,1538) (1616,1618) (1929,1944)
___________
In a sense, THE TEMPEST is what got this whole project going since it bears the obvious signs of having been carefully “planned-out” structurally by Shakespeare. The play is composed of nine scenes, the first four being the mirror image of the last four. Hence the play’s two halves seem to neatly fold-in over the THEMATICALLY central “betrothal scene” between Ferdinand & Miranda.
Scene 1 (1.1) Shipwreck
Scene 2 (1.2) Prospero / Miranda / Ariel / Ferdinand / Caliban
Scene 3 (2.1) King of Naples & attendants
Scene 4 (2.2) Caliban/Jester/Butler
Scene 5 (3.1) Betrothal: Miranda / Ferdinand / Prospero
Scene 6 (3.2) Caliban / Jester / Butler
Scene 7 (4.3) King of Naples & attendants
Scene 8 (4.1) Prospero / Miranda / Ferdinand / Ariel / Caliban (w.Jester / Butler)
Scene 9 (5.1) Ship restored
Furthermore, the social status of characters appears to reinforce the play’s structural design :
• Magus PROSPERO is the “emperor” of his island and so holds (along with MIRANDA) the highest degree;
• ALONSO is a King and (along with his train) holds the second highest degree;
• while Prospero’s slave CALIBAN, along with the butler STEPHANO and the jester TRINCULO, hold the lowest degree.
•PLAY WITHIN THE PLAY: MASKE of Juno (1707,1806). Maske (red)
•DISGUISE: ARIEL as Harpy (1583,1616). Conscious (yellow)