Meaning of the Tempest in the modern world The Tempest by William Shakespeare is a pastoral tragicomedy written in 1611 during the Renaissance period. The particular context Shakespeare intended and the audience interpreted when the play was written are different from the audience's interpretation today. The ideas we understand watching the show today are different from the ideas the first audiences understood watching the show 400 years ago. For example, the derogatory way in which Shakespeare portrayed women may seem unacceptable in a modern work. The various meanings in The Tempest demonstrate the difference between the distinct readings found in the text today and the meanings simulated by viewing the text from a historical context. One meaning equally applicable during the 17th century and in modern times now, is the idea of ​​how there are always lessons to be learned about your true nature, and always ways to improve yourself. The ruler of the magical island and central character, Prospero, largely influences this idea. Prospero, as the self-proclaimed mentor of the people who have recently entered the island, teaches everyone a lesson about themselves to make them better people. For example, it is unclear exactly how much love Ferdinand and Miranda, Prospero's daughter, share and how much love is engineered by Prospero, but by using love, Prospero transforms the otherwise arrogant Ferdinand into a respectable young man. Prospero gives Ferdinand menial tasks to do such as carrying firewood, freezes him with his magic wand, and keeps him in chains for a while. In doing this, Ferdinand realizes the extent to which he could win Miranda as his wife and exclaims "... I could if not through...... middle of paper... of the island, I was the heir apparent until" Prospero arrived. Caliban exclaims: "This island is mine, by Sycorax my mother, which you take from me" and this is also another example of taking power. However, this is not incorrectly stated in the text as Prospero is a cultured man who replaces nothing other than a "monstrous tortoise". In a more modern interpretation, Prospero could be seen as a racist slaveholder, who also keeps Ariel as his servant. Prospero could also be seen as an overprotective father who ruled his daughter's life. At that time this behavior would be considered normal, so it is important to maintain the context of the time and place in which the work was written. Miranda, however, is closer to the modern image of a "maiden" as she is outspoken and never taught to behave in a quiet and reserved manner as women in those days were expected to behave.