The Tempest | Order and Structure

Perhaps the most important critical observation in regard to The Tempest's structure is that of its adherence to the classical principles of unity. The entire movement of the play is supposed to occur over the course of just a few hours—probably not much longer than the drama would actually take to perform—on or near the small tropical island that has been Prospero's and Miranda's home for the past twelve years. The following critical excerpts explore the order and structure of The Tempest.

Ernest Gohn
[In the following essay, Gohn discusses Shakespeare's use—hitherto unpredecented in his plays—of the classical unities of time and place in The Tempest. He argues that the work's structural unity, with action occurring as it does over the course of approximately three hours, is reflected in a thematic emphasis on the present. Gohn's analysis continues by relating this dramatic sense of urgency and preoccupation with the "now" in the play to its themes of hoped-for redemption and reconciliation.]

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