Classic Poetry

Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....

Robin Kirkpatrick's superb translation of the most famous work of Italian literature, in a one-volume edition. The Divine Comedy describes Dante's descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. Examining questions of faith, desire and enlightenment, the poem is a brilliantly nuanced...

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a profound and deeply moving novel that delves into the life of Esther Greenwood, a young woman who seems to have it all: a prestigious internship at a prominent magazine in New York City, academic success, and a promising future. However, beneath the surface, Esther grapples with a growing sense of inadequacy and...

When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...

Frost was the first American poet who could honestly be reckoned a master-poet by world standards - Robert Graves A wonderful collection of Robert Frost's writing. No poet is more emblematically American than Robert Frost. Hailed as 'the most eminent, the most distinguished Anglo-American poet' by T.S. Eliot, he is the only writer in history to have been awarded four...

Homer's two epics of the ancient world, The Iliad and The Odyssey, tell stories as riveting today as when they were written between the eighth and ninth century B.C. This edition employs Samuel Butler's classic translations of both texts. The Iliad, which tells of the siege of Troy by the Greeks, is an unforgettable tale of nations at war and...

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a gripping semi-autobiographical novel that delves into the complexities of mental health, identity, and societal expectations. The narrative follows Esther Greenwood, an ambitious and talented young woman on the cusp of her future. Enrolled in college, she excels academically and seems to have an enviable life, complete with a prestigious internship in New...

This volume contains all Sylvia Plath's mature poetry written from 1956 up to her death in 1963. The text is preceded by an introduction by Ted Hughes and followed by notes and comments on individual poems. There is also an appendix containing fifty poems from Sylvia Plath's juvenilia. For me, the most important literary event of 1981 has been the...

The greatest of all epics, soon to be a major motion picture directed by Christopher Nolan. Every book lover knows there are certain stories that transcend time, and Homer's The Odyssey stands tall among literature's greatest treasures. This isn't just another ancient epic gathering dust on your shelf—it's a masterfully crafted adventure that speaks to the wanderer in all of...

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Sonnets by Shakespeare's immortal poems with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper, and finished with a silk ribbon. Love sonnets are for romantics, starry-eyed lovers, and ardent hearts. And Shakespeare's sonnets are the best ever written. But this is why they are also for cynics, for star-crossed lovers and for those who...

The great epic of Western literature, translated by the acclaimed classicist Robert Fagles. A Penguin Classic Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning modern-verse translation. "Sing to me of the...

The Iliad, authored by Homer, stands as the greatest literary achievement of Greek civilisation and is now available in a stunning new clothbound edition. The Iliad plunges readers into the throes of the legendary Trojan War. Set during the conflict's final year, this epic poem paints a vivid picture of bloodshed, glory, and the immortal struggles of heroes. The tale...

The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...

STAGED- Timeless tropes, enduring stories - a new Puffin Classics collection With a foreword by Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places and Breathless 'For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.' A bloody feud. A tangled love. A senseless tragedy that brings two families to their knees. After a chance meeting...

Staged - Timeless tropes, enduring stories - a new Puffin Classics collection It will have blood, they say- blood will have blood. On a bleak, stormy night, three witches prophesy - Macbeth will be a lord twice-over, Macbeth will be king, Banquo's sons will be kings. When their predictions start to come true, the ambitious Lady Macbeth vows to help...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king to ensure his ambitions come true. But he soon learns the meaning of terror – killing once, he must kill again and again, and the dead return...

When an essay is due and dreaded exams loom, here's the lit-crit help students need to succeed! SparkNotes Literature Guides make studying smarter, better, and faster. They provide chapter-by-chapter analysis, explanations of key themes, motifs, and symbols, a review quiz, and even possible essay topics. Lively and accessible, SparkNotes is perfect for late-night studying and essay writing.

The best poetic version of The Odyssey to have appeared this century - Hugh Lloyd-Jones Penelope has been waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from Troy for many years. Little does she know that his path back to her has been blocked by astonishing and terrifying trials. Will he overcome the hideous monsters, beautiful witches and treacherous seas that...

William Shakespeare's sonnets are a beautiful expression of a range of human emotions—from love to grief, anger, jealousy, and lust. Including the instantly recognisable Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? as well as a range of other equally moving works, this compilation brings together the complete collection of all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets.

Now a major movie.HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics All my days are consumed in longing – to travel home and see the day of my arrival dawn. If a god must shatter me upon the wine-dark sea, so be it.One of the most enduring tales ever told, The Odyssey is the original homecoming story....

The Little Black Classics series introduces 46 new books to celebrate the first-ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Love That Moves the Sun and Other Stars by Dante Alighieri evokes happiness beyond all words, portraying a life filled with peace and love, entire and whole.

46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 'It's coming - the postponeless Creature'

Whakaorangia ana i te pukapuka nei e tōna kaiwhakamāori e Te Haumihiata Mason te ao o Rōmeo rāua ko Hurieta ki te reo whakaatu i te wairua Māori. Mauroa ana te kaingākautia o ngā whakaari a Wiremu Hakipia i te ao Māori – mai i ngā whakamāoritanga a Tākuta Pei Te Hurinui o Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Wēneti, o...

Now a major movie. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. All my days are consumed in longing – to travel home and see the day of my arrival dawn. If a god must shatter me upon the wine-dark sea, so be it. One of the most enduring tales ever told, The Odyssey is the original...

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. A Penguin Classics Hardcover So begins Robert Fagles's magnificent translation of The Odyssey, literature's grandest evocation of an everyman's journey through life. Odysseus's reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival against...

Discover Puffin Clothbound Classics - gorgeously giftable editions of the best-loved classics for young readers. Swoon over this stunning Puffin Clothbound Classic edition of Romeo and Juliet. ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow.’ Shakespeare's timeless tale of ill-fated love is the most well-known love story ever told. After a chance meeting at a ball, young Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall...

Age range 14+ Shakespeare everyone can understand - now in this new EXPANDED edition of Macbeth! Why fear Shakespeare? By placing the words of the original play next to line-by-line translations in plain English, this popular guide makes Shakespeare accessible to everyone. And now it features expanded literature guide sections that help students study smarter. The expanded sections include: Five...

American poet Emily Dickinson is revered around the world and influenced many feminist artists and writers. Her work is some of the best known and most quoted or adapted: 'Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all' - Emily Dickinson Dickinson received a very good...

An epic journey of adventure, endurance, and the search for home In The Odyssey, Homer crafts one of the oldest and most influential adventure stories in Western literature. The poem follows Odysseus, the cunning king of Ithaca, as he battles gods, monsters, and temptation on his ten-year quest to return home after the Trojan War. Facing shipwrecks, the wrath of...

A timeless tale of war, pride, and the cost of glory Homer's The Iliad stands as one of the greatest achievements in Western literature. Set during the final weeks of the Trojan War, the epic centres on Achilles, the Greeks' greatest warrior, whose pride and wrath threaten the fate of his comrades. As the armies of Troy and Greece clash,...

Beautifully designed for display and crafted for durability, this collector's edition is perfect for readers seeking to experience the drama, heroism, and mythology of ancient Greece in a single stunning keepsake. Step into a world shaped by gods, warriors, and ancient quests with this luxury edition of Homer's epic poetry. These foundational works of classical literature have inspired centuries of...

Celebrate the genius, passion, and poetry of William Shakespeare with this beautifully bound deluxe edition, featuring his complete plays and poems in one timeless collector's volume. No writer has shaped the English language or the human imagination like William Shakespeare. From the unforgettable tragedies of Hamlet and Macbeth to the wit and romance of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much...

A stunning gift edition of the age-old tale of Odysseus and his journey. This epic poem by Homer, believed to have been written between the eighth and ninth centuries BC, continues to be essential reading for young and old alike. The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus on a ten-year journey back to his home in Ithaca after fighting in...

The bloodiest and brashest of Shakespeare’s plays, this revenge tragedy begins with war and ends in mutilation and cannibalism. Acts of war and sexual violence across borders and within families highlight the importance of empire, Blackness and gender, alongside the familial and literal blood which characterise early modern and contemporary performance. The Arden Shakespeare Fourth Series Titus Andronicus provides: A...

A stunning gift edition of the age-old tale of Odysseus and his journey. This epic poem by Homer, believed to have been written between the eighth and ninth centuries BC, continues to be essential reading for young and old alike. The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus on a ten-year journey back to his home in Ithaca after fighting in...

From the highly controversial Leaves of Grass, with its overt sexual imagery and delight of sensual pleasures, to the iconic Captain, oh my captain immortalised in the film Dead Poets Society, this short collection is the ideal introduction to the poetry of Walt Whitman. One of the greats, he was celebrated both during his lifetime and ever since - he...

A selection of spine-chilling tales by the Godfather of Goth. The midnight hour approaches. You lie in bed and try to sleep, but there is the howling of the wind outside, the creak of a floorboard, the scream of a cat, the ticking clock... Your heart beats, your skin crawls, and despite yourself you reach for this book and enter...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. In the Duke's absence from Vienna, his strict deputy Angelo revives an ancient law forbidding sex outside marriage. The young Claudio, whose fiancée is pregnant, is condemned to death by the law. His sister Isabella, soon to become a nun, pleads with Lord...

This edition has a very helpful introduction and good clear text, as well as the exceptionally excellent and detailed notes.Dr Michael Herbert, St Andrews University A useful treatment of a complex playBarry Gaines, University of New Mexico, Shakespeare Quarterly John Wilders - literary advisor to the BBC TV Shakespeare series - brings thorough scholarship and a practical understanding of performance...

This edition of Julius Caesar provides a lively presentation of one of Shakespeare's most familiar and studied plays. The introduction sets the play in the context of the last years of Elizabeth I's reign, with rebellion stirring and conflicts over the calendar. It also explains the conscious use of classical rhetoric in the language of Caesar himself, contrasting with the...

No Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of Macbeth on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right. Each No Fear Shakespeare contains: The complete text of the original play A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language A complete list of characters with descriptions Plenty of helpful commentary Shakespeare's classic tale of witches, murder,...

This Roman play is one of Shakespeare's last tragedies, best known for its political and military themes. Its hero, Coriolanus, is a proud General who does not hesitate to show his arrogant and outspoken contempt of the Roman rabble. The Tribunes banish him, and he raises an army to take his revenge on Rome. He finally concedes to the pleas...

A magnificent new translation of The Odyssey by best-selling author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn. With his Odyssey, best-selling author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn has created a momentous new work, hailed by classicists and poets alike—a translation to stand with those of E. V. Rieu and Robert Fagles. Setting aside the streamlining, modernizing approach of many recent translations, Mendelsohn artfully reproduces...

The Odyssey reveals a universal order where gods intercede in the destinies of men, heroes are both deceitful and brave, and a sea voyage becomes a test of human ingenuity and endurance. Following the fall of Troy, Odysseus sets sail for home. But beset by monsters, Sirens, and sorceresses, and at the mercy of the vengeful sea god Poseidon, he...

Discover and treasure one of the greatest war stories of all time with this luxurious edition of Homer's first great epic, The Iliad. Find yourself swept right into the emotion of the action and characters, including Achilles, Helen, Hector, and other heroes of Greek myth, as they endure the tenth and final year of the Greek siege of Troy. This...

'The world is blood-hot and personal': in her moving and illuminating introduction, the poet Emily Berry remembers her own teenage encounters with Ariel and offers a personal way into this definitive collection. She shows us how Plath can crystallise our most volatile emotions, transforming them into images so potent and precise that they resonate with us all. Plath has been...

Explore the enchanting works of Rumi in this beautifully packaged poetry collection. For more than eight centuries, the poems of Persian mystic poet and Sufi master Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi have enthralled and inspired readers from every faith and background. Rumi's enduring legacy is a testament to the universal themes of love, friendship, and spirituality found in his work. The...

Translated by renowned Rumi expert Nader Khalili, over 120 poems on friendship from the Persian mystic poet and Sufi master have been carefully collected and curated in this beautifully illustrated edition. For more than eight centuries, Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi—commonly referred to simply as Rumi—has enchanted and enthralled readers from every faith and background with his universal themes of love,...

Gorgeous, collectable new edition of a great American poet, whose lyricism is often overshadowed by his short stories. A new collectable edition of Poe's poetry which demonstrates his skilful and imaginative command of the English language. Often regarded as the founder of the modern short story, Poe also laid the foundations for the symbolist poets and futurists of the 20th...

A stunning new edition with deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. This beautiful collection compiles Edgar Allan Poe's most terrifying and otherworldly works. Included are the very first modern detective stories, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The...

For fans of the Bard comes a deluxe box set of our three classic Shakespeare mini books: Shakespeare: The Bard's Guide to Abuses and Affronts, William Shakespeare: The Complete Plays in One Sitting, and Love Sonnets of Shakespeare. In this collectible slipcase edition, readers will have access to comprehensive summaries of each of Shakespeare's 36 famous plays, the most eloquent...

The timeless, genre-defying classics Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Raven & Other Writings are now available together in this bone-chilling paperback boxed set. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories, the relationship between a well-respected doctor and a...

This second edition of Othello features an illustrated introduction by leading American scholar Ayanna Thompson. This introduction addresses key issues such as race, religion, and gender, as well as exploring ways in which the play has been adapted in more recent times. Othello is one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, written during the same five-year period as Hamlet, King Lear, and...

‘James Anthony has done something I would have confidently stated to be impossible. He has "translated" Shakespeare’s sonnets and he has done so with an insolent, loveable charm … A dazzling success’ – Stephen Fry Rediscover the greatest love poetry ever written Shall I compare you to a summer’s day? You’re more delightful, always shining strong; High winds blow hard...

A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer's "nimble gallop" and brings an ancient epic to new life. The first great adventure story in the Western canon, the Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage, family, and identity; and about travellers, hospitality, and the changing meanings of home in a...

One of the Top 10 "Books We Love" - Fresh Air The definitive edition of Emily Dickinson's correspondence, expanded and revised for the first time in over sixty years. Emily Dickinson was a letter writer before she was a poet. It was through letters that she shared prose reflections—alternately humorous, provocative, affectionate, and philosophical—with her extensive community. While her letters...

"Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation." For sixty years, that's how Homer has begun the Iliad in English, in Richmond Lattimore's faithful translation—the gold standard for generations of students and general readers. This long-awaited new edition of Lattimore's Iliad is designed to bring the book into the twenty-first century—while leaving the poem as firmly rooted...

Charles Singleton's English-language translation of The Divine Comedy is widely considered to be one of the finest renderings of Dante's masterpiece. Singleton's prose is both faithful and scholarly, and sensitive to the subtle nuances of meaning and richness of reference in Dante's epic poem. Here for the first time is the single-volume edition of Singleton's celebrated translation. This beautifully illustrated...

‘Plagued all his life by scandals and rumours, dogged by depression, prey to terrible fantasies and even more terrible phobias, Poe's writing reflects the madness in every lover's heart, the dark side of desire, the terror of being consumed alive by something half-goddess, half-beast’ - Joanne Harris, Daily Telegraph WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY NEIL GAIMAN An inescapable black pit, an...

"Suddenly there came a tapping." The Raven and Other Selected Works by Edgar Allan Poe is a collection comprising his famous poem and 25 of his remarkable short stories. Now available in an exquisite hardcover edition featuring a foiled cover and distinctive interior design elements, it makes an ideal gift for literature lovers, fans of gothic horror and allegorical literature,...

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Poe's most macabre and irresistible stories with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper, and finished with a silk ribbon. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Stories offers a window into Edgar Allan Poe's stories, uncovering the deeply unnerving strangeness lurking within us all. His genius for horror and suspense...

The 100th title in the phenomenally successful and much-loved Penguin Clothbound Classics series. This selection of Poe's stories, poetry, and other writing demonstrates the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. The Fall of the House of Usher describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of...

Edgar Allan Poe is not only the finest, most terrifying writer of Gothic horror tales ever to have lived, he also wrote extraordinary poems. Here, Poe writes of the torments of ingenious, malevolent persecutors and of a mind's own sickening madness. The Pit and the Pendulum is a collection of works from a dark and brilliant genius.

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, must solve a riddle in order to marry the daughter of the King of Antioch, or be put to death. But when the answer reveals a horrific secret, the young man faces his greatest dilemma. Danger and adventure follow...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Henry VI Part Two tells the story of Henry VI, who is tricked into marrying Margaret, the lover of the Earl of Suffolk. Suffolk hopes to rule the kingdom through her influence. There is one great obstacle in Suffolk's path, however—the noble Lord...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Conspiracies and intrigue are rife in the court of Henry VIII as a Duke is executed for treason, having been tricked by the Cardinal. And when the King falls in love with Anne Bullen and decides to divorce his wife, he causes an...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Angered by the loss of his son in battle, the Earl of Northumberland supports another rebellion against King Henry IV, bringing the country to the brink of civil war. Sick and weary, the old King sends out his forces, including the unruly Sir...

Explore the essence of life, love, nature, and time in exquisite verse with this elegantly designed edition of The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson. Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a prominent New England family and educated at Amherst Academy and Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, Emily Elizabeth Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion, devoted to writing. She...

Translated by renowned Rumi expert Nader Khalili, over 120 poems about love from the Persian mystic poet and Sufi master have been carefully collected and curated in this beautifully illustrated edition. For more than eight centuries, Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi—commonly referred to simply as Rumi—has enchanted and enthralled readers from every faith and background with his universal themes of love,...

Journey into Dante's nine circles of Hell in the epic poem, Inferno, with this elegant, unabridged edition featuring the classic translation by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). The Divine Comedy, written in the early fourteenth century by Dante Alighieri, continues to be essential reading for lovers of literature. The Inferno is the first part of Dante's masterpiece, The Divine...

'I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed.' - William Shakespeare Arm yourself with this volume from the Knickerbocker Classics series, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, including 16 comedies, 10 histories, 12 tragedies, and all the poems and sonnets of the world's most influential writer. This collection includes poems and plays that...

Part of the Timeless Classics series, The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe contains every known tale written by the famous gothic American writer. His often macabre and dark works, which span the years from 1827 to his death in 1849, include "The Raven," "The Black Cat," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "Annabelle Lee." For Poe fans worldwide, this...

In this masterful retelling of one of the greatest works of world literature, Alasdair Gray, in his last work, offers an original translation in prosaic English rhyme. Lyrical and modern, this complete edition brings all three parts of Dante's epic journey through Hell and Purgatory and on to Paradise together in a single volume for the first time.

Beautifully designed, clothbound edition Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. When this volume of Shakespeare's poems first appeared in 1609, he had already written most of the great plays that made him famous. The...

Composed for recitation at festivals, these 33 songs were written in honour of the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek pantheon. They recount the key episodes in the lives of the gods and dramatise the moments when they first appear before mortals. Together, they offer a vivid picture of the Greek view of the relationship between the divine and...

In 1855, Walt Whitman published Leaves of Grass, the work which defined him as one of America's most influential voices, and which he added to throughout his life. A collection of astonishing originality and intensity, it spoke of politics, sexual emancipation and what it meant to be an American. From the joyful Song of Myself and I Sing the Body...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. It is the seventh year of the Trojan War. The Greek army is camped outside Troy and Achilles — their military hero — refuses to fight. Inside the city, Troilus, the Trojan King's son, falls in love with Cressida, whose father has defected...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. An embittered Roman General returns from war, having captured the Queen of the Goths and her three sons. Sacrificing the eldest in memory of his own sons killed in battle, he provokes the queen's unending hatred. And when she is made empress by...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. The jealous King of Sicily becomes convinced that his wife is carrying the child of his best friend. Imprisoned and put on trial, the Queen collapses when the King refuses to accept the divine confirmation of her innocence. The child is abandoned to...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. A storm rages. Prospero and his daughter watch from their desert island as a ship carrying the royal family is wrecked. Miraculously, all on board survive. Plotting, mistaken identities, bewitching love, and drunkenness follow as the travellers explore the strange place of spirits...