With its spirits and jesters, wizards and goddesses, the playwright’s late-era romance may seem a frothy concoction – yet it also tells us much about gender dynamics in the 17th century

By Matt Elton

Published: Wednesday, 29 November 2023 at 14:01 PM


Featuring shipwrecks and sorcery, betrayal and revenge, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest blends fantastical elements with insightful commentary on real-life gender relations. Chris Laoutaris reveals more about the window it offers on to the Shakespearean age.

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