La tempestad

Por William Shakespeare

Presentamos en estas páginas la última obra teatral que escribiera William Shakespeare, genio y honra de la literatura universal. Se trata de una representación cuyos actos invitan, más que a la simple distracción, a la sincera reflexión de cualquier lector.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Fondo de Cultura Económica
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 23 ene 2018
• ISBN: 9786071655042

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.

Vista previa del libro

ACTO I

ESCENA I

Un buque en alta mar; se oye el fragor de la tempestad y brillan los relámpagos

(Entran el capitán y el contramaestre)

EL CAPITÁN.— ¡Contramaestre!

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— Aquí estoy, capitán. ¿Qué hay?

EL CAPITÁN.— Bien, bien. Hablad a los marineros; a la obra, en seguida, o vamos a perdernos; andad, moveos un poco. (Sale.)

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— ¡Valor, hijos míos! ¡Serenidad, serenidad, amigos! ¡Mucho ojo; de prisa! ¡Amainad la vela de mesana! ¡Atención al silbato del capitán! ¡Sopla ahora, tempestad, hasta reventar si puedes! (Entran varios marineros.)

EL REY.— Buen contramaestre, tened cuidado. ¿Dónde está el capitán? Emplead a vuestros hombres.

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— Os lo ruego, permaneced abajo.

ANTONIO.— ¿Dónde está el capitán, contramaestre?

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— ¿No lo estáis oyendo? Estorbáis nuestra labor. Quedaos en los camarotes; ahora estáis ayudando a la tempestad.

GONZALVO.— Ten paciencia, buen hombre.

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— Sí, la tendré cuando la tenga el mar. ¿Qué les importa a los rugientes elementos el nombre de un rey? ¡A vuestros camarotes! ¡Silencio! ¡No nos estorbéis!

GONZALVO.— Bien; pero sin embargo, acuérdate de quién tienes a bordo.

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— No tengo nadie a bordo a quien ame yo más que a mí mismo. Vos sois un consejero del rey; pues bien, si podéis imponer silencio a los elementos y conseguir la calma, no manejaremos ni una sola cuerda; emplead, pues, vuestra autoridad. Si es que no podéis, dad gracias a Dios de haber vivido hasta ahora, y preparaos en vuestro camarote a afrontar la muerte, si llega. ¡Ánimo, amigos míos! Fuera de aquí, os digo.

GONZALVO.— Me consuela mucho la presencia de este mozo, pues me parece que no tiene cara de ahogado, sino de nacido para la horca. ¡Cúmplele la palabra, buen destino! Convierte la cuerda de su destino en nuestro cable de salvación, pues de poco nos sirve el nuestro. Si no nació este hombre para la horca, nuestro caso es desesperado. (Salen todos. Vuelve a entrar el contramaestre.)

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— ¡Arriad los masteleros! ¡Aprisa! ¡Más abajo! ¡Más abajo! Ahora dejad que el buque arríe. (Se oye gritar dentro del buque.) ¡La peste los lleve! ¡Gritan más fuerte que las olas y que nosotros! (Vuelven a entrar Sebastián, Antonio y Gonzalvo.) ¡Otra vez! ¿Qué hacéis aquí? ¿Tendremos que abandonar la maniobra y ahogarnos? ¿Os interesa ir a fondo?

SEBASTIÁN.— ¡Las viruelas te coman, perro, hagan cesar tu vocerío y tus blasfemias!

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— Pues bien, haced la maniobra vos mismo.

ANTONIO.— ¡Anda a que te ahorquen, perro, hijo de puta, escandaloso insolente! Tenemos menos miedo que tú a morir ahogados.

GONZALVO.— Le saldría fiador de que no se ahogará nunca, aunque el buque no fuera más fuerte que una cáscara de nuez y tan abierto como el favor de una alegre moza.

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— ¡Una bordada, una bordada! ¡Soltad otra vez dos velas y al mar; soltadlas! (Entran varios marineros mojados.)

LOS MARINEROS.— ¡Todo está perdido! ¡A rezar, a rezar! ¡Todo está perdido!

EL CONTRAMAESTRE.— ¡Qué! ¿Deben pues helarse nuestras bocas?

GONZALVO.— ¡El rey y el príncipe están rezando! Vamos a secundarles, pues nuestro caso es como el suyo.

SEBASTIÁN.— Perdí ya la paciencia.

ANTONIO.— Nos han estafado la vida, estos borrachos; este bribón insolente, con su jeta… ¡Así te hubieses ahogado y lavado en diez maneras!

GONZALVO.— Sin embargo, todavía morirá ahorcado, aun cuando jure lo contrario cada gota del mar y entreabra sus más profundos abismos para engullirle.

VARIAS VOCES.— (Confusamente.) ¡Misericordia! ¡Zozobramos! ¡Nos hundimos! ¡Adiós, mi esposa / mis hijos! ¡Adiós, hermano! ¡Zozobramos! ¡Zozobramos!

ANTONIO.— Hundámonos todos con el rey.

SEBASTIÁN.— Despidámonos de él. (Salen Antonio y Sebastián.)

GONZALVO.— Ahora diera yo mil estadios* de mar por un acre de terreno estéril, fuere brezo o matorral, no importa. ¡Cúmplase la voluntad del cielo! Pero yo hubiese preferido una muerte seca. (Salen todos.)

ESCENA II

La isla. Ante la gruta de Próspero

(Entran Próspero y Miranda)

MIRANDA.— Si con vuestro poder, mi querido padre, habéis excitado a tal furia las bravas olas, calmadlas, pues, ahora. Diríase que el cielo vaya a rociarnos con hedionda resina, pero el mar, elevándose hasta las nubes, hace saltar fuego de ellas. ¡Oh, cuánto he sufrido con los que he visto sufrir! ¡Un gallardo buque hecho pedazos, el cual, sin duda, contenía alguna noble criatura! ¡Sus desgarrados gritos me han atravesado el alma! ¡Pobres gentes, todos han perecido! Hubiese yo tenido el poder de un dios, antes hubiera sumido al océano en las entrañas de la Tierra, que dejarle tragar ese buque con su cargamento de buenas gentes.

PRÓSPERO.— Cálmate; pon fin a tu asombro; dile a tu compasivo corazón que no sucedió mal alguno.

MIRANDA.— ¡Oh, día funesto!

PRÓSPERO.— Mal alguno. No hice nada que no fuera por ti, por ti, hija querida, que ignoras quién eres, como ignoras de dónde provengo yo, y me crees tan sólo ser Próspero, dueño de una humilde gruta, y tu humilde padre.

MIRANDA.— Nunca ocurrió a mi deseo saber más.

PRÓSPERO.— Llegó la hora de informarte mejor. Ayúdame a despojarme de mi manto mágico. Así. (Deja en el suelo su manto.) Quédate ahí, instrumento de mi poder. (A su hija.) Seca tus lágrimas; consuélate. Este doloroso espectáculo del naufragio, que despertó en ti la vena de la misma compasión, lo he ordenado y dirigido con mi poder mágico, de tal forma, que nadie de los que allí estaban perdió un solo cabello de su cabeza; no, ni uno solo de los que oíste gritar y creíste ver perecer en las olas. Siéntate, pues debes todavía saber más cosas.

MIRANDA.— A menudo habéis empezado a contarme lo que soy; pero, interrumpiendo vuestra narración, me abandonasteis a mis incertidumbres,

Comentarios para La tempestad

[katieloucks · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

love it!!!!

[mrslee_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I enjoyed this, though it was a little hard to keep track of everyone and the spirits too.

[crowyhead · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

This is one of my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, in terms of the richness of the story and the language.

[fleurdiabolique · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Absolutely my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. His vision and poetic skill have come to full maturity in this fantasy of loss and redemption.

[bullfinch-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Saw a magnificent production of this at Nottingham Playhouse. The shipwreck took place before the beginning proper. While we the audience were prevented from entering, the duke of milan and his fellows got swept from the foyer into the auditorium which was roaring orange light. Everything went quiet. Then we were allowed in to see Prospero on stage in a totally serene blue stage.

[melissalenhardt · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Even a genius is allowed to be average once in a while. Reportedly the last play Shakespeare wrote on his own, I can't help but wonder if he mailed it in on this. Maybe he needed the money? Maybe he was fulfilling a contract for one more play, much like Hitchcock did with the abhorrent movie Jamacia Inn, his last British production before moving to Hollywood. Whatever the case, The Tempest was neither romantic enough to make me fall in love, tragic enough to make me sad or funny enough to make me laugh. But, it is Shakespheare so even his meh efforts are better than most, but still. Not up to his standards.

I read along with the text while I listened to the audio version, a practice I highly recommend. I wish I could have done that in high school. I'll definitely suggest immersion reading to my children as they enter high school and discover Shakespeare.

[kennethwdavis_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

For me, the most wondrous of the plays.

[aramissciant · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A quick reread ahead of seeing Julie Taymor's big-screen adaptation. The first/last time I read this play was aeons ago in school, and since it's not one of my favorite ones --the ones I read/see again and again-- I found I needed some help from time to time. I enjoyed the re-encounter with the play as I only remembered vaguely that there was a sorcerer and his daughter, and the most popular quotations: strange bedfellows, brave new world and such stuff as dreams are made of.. Now, I'm ready but it's still not one of my favorite plays.

[engpunk77 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I enjoyed this more than other mandatory Shakespeare reads in college because this was required for the best English class ever: "Making Monsters". Ms. Cook's guidance was not annoying like Corum's.

[collingsruth · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

None of the characters sucked me in, but the themes it explores are fascinating within the historical and biographical background.

[datrappert · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

One of Shakespeare's more unusual an fanciful plays. Not as silly as most of the comedies (and I don't mean silly in a good way). Full of great characters and some of Shakespeare's best quotes. And, of course, the inspiration for Forbidden Planet.

[lydia1879 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I read this book in university in my first year and really liked reading it.

I loved Miranda, she's such a sassy character. Maybe even a little bit feminist? She's certainly defiant enough. Of course, like a lot of other people, I prefer Shakespeare's comedies (or at least, his lighter plays) to his tragedies. I love the island and how Shakespeare uses it as a microcosm to explore the possibilities of a world that is turned upside down by magic.


I love some of the description that Shakespeare uses in this piece - he talks about a victim of a shipwreck, saying that his eyes are pears and... how this person has been transformed into a part of the ocean life.

This is a beautiful, magical little play full of witty little quips and Shakespeare's usual messages about human folly and social commentary.

5 stars. c:

[elmyra_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I was prompted to read this by my re-reading of the entire Sandman series by Neil Gaiman - and now I can go back and read the last chapter. I only read the play, and very little of the additional material in this edition - I probably will go back and read the rest and re-read the play. I kept expecting something horrible to happen at the end. I did like it rather more than Midsummer Night's Dream.

[rmagahiz · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

A strange but moving work, performed here by a wonderful set of players.

[pjulian-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Amazingg.. It has the ability to enchant every reader through its imagination. The part that I liked less is how (most probably unwittingly I suppose) did Shakespeare show how did Colonisation worked and the attitude of the colonised towards the coloniser. Overall, it gave me a feel of an old tale finishing up. All the negative characters were simply puppets in the hands of Prospers and it was in the understanding of the endurance that we were able to enjoy the present conquests of Prospero. Overall, a wonderful read.

[aliceanna-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A very visual play -- it is difficult to read because I think it really needs to be seen for impact. Other than Miranda and Prospero, the characters seemed to blend together; they weren't that well-defined in their differences ... except for the monstrous Caliban, of course. Some nice passages -- "We are such stuff as dreams are made on."

[glenline · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Shakespeare at his best.

[frozenplums · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I will start this review by saying I liked this play a lot more after I had time to sit and digest it. I knew from the start that I was going to hate Prospero, which does not leave much hope for a favorable opinion because he's behind everything that happens in the play. Prospero plays a good victim, but he's an amazing manipulator. If you can get past that, you will love this story. Characteristic if Shakespeare, The Tempest's pages are full of tragedy, humor, Romance, murder plots, revenge, and a smattering of mysticism. Short, dense, and enjoyable.4 stars.

[fernandosfjr-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

O que dizer?

"O, wonder!

How many godly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in 't!".

[potterhead9.75 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

His weakest work.

[leslie398 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

3½ stars - I found I had some trouble in parts with following the action just reading this rather than seeing a performance. I also found Prospero's sudden reconciliation with his brother rather unconvincing.

[cyafer · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This is my second read through of the play. I'm still not necessarily a fan; the way that Prospero gives blanket forgiveness to Alonso and Antonio seems forced, even if I have a better understanding of why he did it. In addition, the subplot with Sebastian and Antonio's attempt on the king's life goes nowhere. Prospero is still incredibly unlikeable as a main character.

As far as this specific version goes, it has to be one of my favorite editions in terms of how it handles footnotes. Most versions have ALL notes either lumped into the bottom, or on the facing page to the play. It makes it difficult sometimes to find what you're looking for without disturbing the flow of your reading. This book relegates short notes (one or two word translations of the Renaissance word into modern English) to the left of the line it occurs in, and longer footnotes and explanations to the facing page. Aside from an uncomfortable amount of white space on each page, it is an excellent edition.

[jpsnow · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This wasn't quite a comedy and isn't a tragedy. Prospero is an interesting character -- a scholar, a duke, a stranded man, a plotter, and a dad.

[velmeran · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

It's Shakespeare. Really, what else can I say?

[tiffanyak_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

This is a genuinely good work of drama, which I had to read for my Intro. to Drama class. This is one of those works of Shakespeare that has been done in a multitude of forms and variations, so it is quite likely that everyone has a rough idea of the story. Still, you really cannot replace the original. It's a bit odd, but quite good fun as well. As to the edition itself, I found it to be greatly helpful in understanding the action in the play. It has a layout which places each page of the play opposite a page of notes, definitions, explanations, and other things needed to understand that page more thoroughly. While I didn't always need it, I was certainly glad to have it whenever I ran into a turn of language that was unfamiliar, and I definitely appreciated the scene-by-scene summaries. Really, if you want to or need to read Shakespeare, an edition such as this is really the way to go, especially until you get more accustomed to it.

[jennaelf · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This was the first Shakespeare play I ever read - from an old white-covered paperback I had when I was 9 years old. I probably didn't understand it very well back then. I REALLY liked the title, though.

Now, it's still good stuff.

For me, supplementing my reading with a viewing of Helen Mirren as Prospera... magnified my enjoyment of this book tremendously.

[davefragments · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I read this before I saw it staged at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. This is Shakespeare's masterpiece.

[harrod_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

What's not to like about Will

[neverstopreading-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

 Dramatized audio recordings of are difficult for to listen to because there are so many minor characters. This one was a bit more manageable.

[deckla_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

A great play. Never forget Sir Patrick Stewart in the title role. This version includes: Forward, Intro, essay on The Tempest in performance (through 1984), description of the Globe, essay on Shakespeare's sources (with excerpts), annotated bibliography, memorable lines.