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There was an island in the sea, the only inhabitants of which were an old man, named Prospero, and his daughter Miranda, a very beautiful young lady. She came to this island so young, that she had no memory of having seen any other human face than her father’s.
They lived in a cave made out of a rock; it was divided into several apartments, one of which Prospero called his study; there he kept his books, which chiefly treated of magic. By virtue of his art, he had released many good spirits from a witch called Sycorax who had them imprisoned in the bodies of large trees. These gentle spirits were ever after obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these Ariel was the chief.
Explanation:
The lesson "The Tempest" is an extract taken from Charles and Mary Lamb's "Tales from Shakespeare".
The lesson opens with the narrator stating that there is an island in the sea. The island's only inhabitants were an elderly man and his daughter. Prospero was the old man's name, and Miranda was his daughter. Miranda was a lovely young woman. She arrived on the island when she was an infant. She had no remembrance of seeing any other human face on the island because she had only seen his father's face and knew no one else.
The lesson opens with the narrator stating that there is an island in the sea. The island's only inhabitants were an elderly man and his daughter. Prospero was the old man's name, and Miranda was his daughter. Miranda was a lovely young woman. She arrived on the island when she was an infant. She had no remembrance of seeing any other human face on the island because she had only seen his father's face and knew no one else.
An island in the sea
The narrator then stated that the father and his daughter were lived in a cave. The cave was made up of rock. The room was separated into numerous chambers. He used one of his rooms as a study where he kept his books. The majority of his books dealt with the subject of magic. By using his magic, Prospero had freed several good spirits from a witch named Sycorax (a ferocious and powerful witch and the mother of Caliban), who had imprisoned all good spirits in the bodies of giant trees. Prospero set the good spirits free; they became loyal to him and began obeying his commands and wishes. Ariel was the most important of all the good spirits.
Prospero and Miranda lived in a cave
Meanings of the difficult words:
S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Island | A piece of land surrounded by water |
2 | Inhabitant | A person who lives in or occupies a place |
3 | Memory | Something remembered from the past |
4 | Imprison | To put someone in prison or in a situation that is like a prison |
5 | Obedient | Doing or willing to do what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority |
6 | Will | The wish or thing that one desires for |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-10. The Tempest- William Shakespeare (pp. 21-27). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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