Prologue: Prospero, by his magic art, raises a storm with the aid of his spirit minister, Ariel.

Scene 1: The shipwreck. A ship – bearing King Alonzo of Naples; his son, Ferdinand; Alonzo’s brother, Sebastian; and Prospero’s brother, Antonio – is wrecked close to Prospero’s island. Dispersed, the company is cast ashore.

Scene 2: Prospero and Miranda. Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, has joined her father; with dismay, she watches the destruction of the ship and apparently of all aboard. Prospero assures their safety and speaks of earlier times: he was Duke of Milan once; his brother, Antonio, conspired with the King of Naples to depose Prospero; he and the infant Miranda were set adrift in a small boat, but a kindly old lord, Gonzalo, furnished their boat with provisions and also with books of magic art; Providence brought them to this island. This day, Prospero’s and Miranda’s lives will alter.

Pursuing his design, Prospero casts a gentle sleep on Miranda and summons Ariel for further commands. Prospero wakes Miranda and prompts her memories of their arrival on the island – deserted, except for Ariel, an airy sprite whom the witch Sycorax had imprisoned in a cloven pine, and Sycorax’s son, Caliban, a brutish creature. Miranda recalls that Prospero freed Ariel and befriended Caliban, whom her father tried to civilize. Prospero, in return, was introduced by Caliban to the natural resources of the island. But one day, he attempted to violate Prospero’s daughter and since then has been enslaved.

Scene 3: The meeting of Ferdinand and Miranda. Ariel’s singing leads Ferdinand toward the meeting with Miranda that Prospero has planned. When Ferdinand and Miranda see each other, they fall in love. But Prospero, intending to test the young man’s worthiness of his beloved daughter, feigns harshness.

Scene 4: The royal party. King Alonzo, Gonzalo, Sebastian, Antonio and attendant lords are searching for Ferdinand. Alonzo despairs. Gonzalo pictures the fertile, unspoiled island as the scene of a new, idyllic society and, undeterred by the sarcastic interjections of Sebastian and Antonio, dreams of the establishment of a new Golden Age.

Ariel appears and casts a sleep on Alonzo, Gonzalo and the courtiers. Sebastian and Antonio, wide-awake, see an opportunity to murder King Alonzo and Gonzalo so that Sebastian may seize the crown of Naples. But Ariel intervenes, waking Gonzalo with a song. He wakes Alonzo. The party resumes its search for Ferdinand.

Scene 5: Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano. Caliban curses Prospero, conqueror of the island that once was his. Prospero, at first, was friendly but then enslaved him; now Prospero’s spirits torment Caliban. He thinks he sees one approaching and hides under his gabardine. But it is Trinculo, Alonzo’s jester, who enters. The storm threatens to return, and Trinculo creeps under Caliban’s gabardine for shelter. Stephano, Alonzo’s drunken butler, enters; he came ashore on a barrel of wine, which he has happily broached. There is a reunion with Trinculo, and Caliban gets his first taste of strong drink, which moves him to worship Stephano as his king.

Ferdinand and Miranda; the royal party; and Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are on different parts of the island. Prospero observes them all.

Ferdinand and Miranda – Prince Ferdinand has been set to Caliban’s task of bearing logs. Miranda joins Ferdinand and endeavors to help him.

The royal party – An apparition of spirits sets a banquet before the royal party, and the members move toward it.

Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo – As the three reel on, Ariel plays pranks on them. Caliban advises Stephano how he may murder Prospero and become king of the island. Ariel’s music sounds, and Caliban tells his companions not to be afraid: the isle is full of noises that give delight and hurt not.

Ferdinand and Miranda – They declare their love.

The royal party – The party is moving toward the banquet when Ariel suddenly appears as a harpy and taxes Alonzo, Antonio and Sebastian with their crime against Prospero.

Finale – All the characters become visible, marveling at the strange events. Prospero, on his eminence, observes them. His plan is working. But he must now undertake a triple resignation as he prepares to reenter the world of men: give his cherished daughter to Ferdinand; set free his dearly loved Ariel; and renounce his dominion over the enslaved Caliban and the spirits.

The masque – Prospero displays his magic powers as he entrusts his daughter to Ferdinand and calls upon the spirits to enact a masque. Iris, Ceres, Juno and a band of nymphs and reapers bless the couple.

The antimasque – Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are punished for their plot on Prospero’s life; Prospero’s spirits appear now in the guise of fierce dogs, who hunt the trio.

Prospero and Ariel – Ariel receives his last command: to gather the company before Prospero’s cell. Then, the spirit minister will be free – “Merrily shall I live now.”

Finale – Prospero embarks on his last incantation. He traces a magic circle. The royal party, directed by Ariel, enters it. Prospero abjures his supernatural art, breaks his magic staff, snaps the spell and rejoins his fellows. He restores Ferdinand to Alonzo. Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are brought in by Ariel, then chided and pardoned. On the morrow, the company will sail for Naples. Everyone retires to Prospero’s cell.

Epilogue: Alone, Prospero reflects on transitoriness and illusions, on life and its metaphors and on his relations with Ariel, Caliban and Miranda: Ariel is no longer the bright embodiment of Prospero’s will but is now an independent spirit; Caliban, Prospero’s failure, is now left again as master of the island and its abundance; Miranda was once all Prospero’s but now belongs to another. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”