Witnessing a banquet complete with sprites and the shapes of unicorns, Gonzalo says: "If in Naples, I should report this now, would they believe me?" (III.iii.27-28). His sentiments are echoed by reformed King Alonso in his final word on Prospero's island and magical art:

This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod;
And there is in this business more than nature
Was ever conduct of: some oracle
Must rectify our knowledge.
(V.i.241-244)

In The Tempest illusion competes with reality and wins despite what our minds, and those of its characters, might say. Not only does magic play an instrumental role in the play, the atmosphere of Prospero's Island is in itself magical. The audience cannot trust its senses in the conventional sense of the word trust; it must surrender to its sense and suspend all disbelief.

Consistent with the theme of illusion, the mechanics of The Tempest often turn on mistaken beliefs about what is real: Ferdinand and Miranda mistake each other for super-natural beings; Stephano mistakes Caliban and Jester Trinculo for a two-headed creature; Caliban mistakes Stephano as god. Antonio and his party are mistaken about the death of Ferdinand; Ferdinand is mistaken about his father's death and his sad elevation to being Naples' new king. When Prospero reveals himself to Alonso, "Behold, sir king, / The wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero," a humbled Alonso can only reply "Whe'er thou be'st he or no, / Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me / As late I have been, I not know" (V.i.111-113). At the same time, the theme of illusion as falsehood also has a normative aspect to it, as when Prospero recounts her uncle Antonio's wrongs to Miranda and asks rhetorically, "then tell me / If this might be a brother" (I.ii.118-119).

The Tempest is above all theater, a show in which Prospero presents the audience with a series of shows. In the midst of the proceedings, Prospero says to his actor Ariel, "Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou / Perform'd, my Ariel, a grace it had …" (III.iii.81-82). Shakespeare's last play is self-consciously theatrical, and as its internal author tells us, it is evidently about the theater itself. In the sole scene of Act IV, unable to discern what Prospero's grand plan might be, Ferdinand and Miranda ask about his passion. Prospero addresses his prospective son-in-law:

be cheerful sir:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
(IV.i.147-158)

This speech can be read as Shakespeare's own theatrical epitaph, signaling the end of his career as a playwright, director, and occasional actor on the Elizabethan stage. Seen in this light, the vision to which Prospero alludes is the vision that the play itself has created, the characters are actors, and the "great globe" may well be particularized as Shakespeare's own Globe Theatre.

But there is a broader light in which this passage can be read, for here, as elsewhere in Shakespeare's works, "theater" can be taken as a metaphor for "our little life" as mortal human beings. Here we note a related opposition in the play between Art or civilization, on the one hand, and Nature, or anarchic instinct, on the other. Following out one line of analysis, many scholars have noted that a passage from the French philosopher Montaigne's essay "On Cannibals" is echoed in Gonzalo's ideal commonwealth speech (Act II, scene i, 143-164), in which he says that were he the ruler of an ideal society, he would "execute all things," with no trade, no law nor courts permitted, and furthermore, "No occupation; all men idle, all: / And women too, but innocent and pure; / No sovereignty—" (155-157). What Gonzalo is espousing is a primitive state of humanity, such as Montaigne wrote about and Elizabethans were familiar with from the reports of New World explorers. Largely through that arch-primitive Caliban, Shakespeare distances himself from Gonzalo's vision of a pre-civil society. Indeed, Gonzalo later reinforces part of his argument on this count, when he says of the spirits that Prospero summons to the illusory banquet of Act III, scene iii,

If I should say, I saw such islanders,—
For, certes, these are people of the island,—
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind than of
Our human generation you shall find
Many, nay, almost any (30-35).

As epitomized by Ariel, the original inhabitants of Prospero's island generally exist without need for labor, without standing law, and without customary restraint, for they are good by nature. But there is a two-fold problem here: first, there is the matter of Caliban; second, the people to whom Gonzalo refers are not people, for they are not even human.

The overarching thematic issue that Shakespeare presents to us in The Tempest is the question of what is human. The subject surfaces prominently in the text. When Miranda first sees Ferdinand being led to Prospero's cell by the enchantments of Ariel, she exclaims: "What is't? a spirit? / Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir, / It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit. (I.ii.410-412). Immediately thereafter, Ferdinand responds to Prospero's false charge that he is a spy by saying, "No, as I am a man" (457). Shortly thereafter, while Ferdinand is charmed motionless after trying to resist the magician's plans to manacle him, Prospero says to his daughter:

Thou thinks't there is no more shapes as he,
Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!
To the most of men this is a Caliban,
And they to him are angels.
(I.ii.479-482)

Reflecting the richness of the text, there is a parody of Miranda's encounter with Ferdinand in Caliban meeting with Trinculo and Stephano, with Caliban saying in an aside, "These be fine things, and if they be not sprites / That's a brave god; and bears celestial liquor" (II.ii.116-117).

In addition to its exploration through the language of the play, the question of what is human takes place through the characters of The Tempest. Ariel, of course, while he is able to converse with and to serve Prospero, is by no means human. Caliban, on the other hand, is half-human, the primitive, instinctual half of naturally unbounded lusts. Moreover, humanity in The Tempest encompasses three evil characters (Antonio, Sebastian, and King Alonso) and two ridiculous ones (Trinculo and Stephano) along with the positive examples of the good councilor Gonzalo, the king's unspoiled son, Ferdinand, and Miranda, the pure example of humanity's empathetic nature. It is through Miranda's eyes that Shakespeare pronounces his own blessing upon mankind. Near the very end of the play, after King Alonso blesses her marriage to Ferdinand, Miranda proclaims,

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in't!
(V.i.181-184)

The examination of human nature that Shakespeare conducts in The Tempest yields a benevolent result: we are led to hope with Miranda that mankind is good and to know with her that human beings are naturally good and capable of redemption.

Magic
Magic plays a significant role throughout The Tempest, influencing nearly every event in the play. This element gives the work a fairy tale-like quality. However, it's important to understand that during Shakespeare's era, magic was taken much more seriously than it is today. Renaissance scholars, such as Henry Cornelius Agrippa—whose writings Shakespeare might have known—were well-versed in magic and authored books detailing various sources of magical power. In simple terms, Shakespeare's audience would have recognized two types of magic: white (good) and black (evil). Within this framework, Prospero would likely have been seen as a theurgist, a practitioner of white magic. This type of magic, believed to come from divine sources, involves controlling natural elements and is closely related to natural sciences like alchemy, the precursor to modern chemistry. Black magic, on the other hand, is only marginally connected to the events in The Tempest. It was thought to originate from demonic sources and might have been the kind of magic practiced by Caliban's mother, the witch Sycorax.

Prospero and his servant, Ariel, are the primary practitioners of magic in The Tempest. Both wield powers of illusion and deception. At Prospero's command, Ariel conjures a fierce storm at the play's outset, giving the impression that Alonso's ship is destroyed and leaving its passengers stranded on the island. However, by the play's conclusion, the Boatswain reveals that the ship "Is tight and yare bravely rigg'd, as when / We first put out to sea." Similarly, Prospero uses his magic to disorient and separate the new inhabitants of the island, leading each to believe that the others perished in the tempest.

Prospero's manipulation of others through magic highlights one of the play's central motifs: the contrast between appearance and reality. As the illusions dissipate at the end, Shakespeare emphasizes the theme of disenchantment, restoring reality. This is particularly evident in characters like Caliban, who rejects his previous servile behavior, and Alonso, who feels remorse for his past wrongdoings against Prospero.

Another critical angle is comparing Prospero's magical abilities to an artist's work—specifically, Shakespeare's manipulation of reality through art. Some biographical interpretations of The Tempest suggest that Prospero represents Shakespeare, with the play symbolizing Shakespeare's farewell to the stage. Evidence for this view lies in Prospero's consistent orchestration of scenes and events: he stages masques, creates illusions, directs the island's inhabitants, and ultimately addresses the audience in the epilogue, requesting applause: "But release me from my bands / With the help of your good hands: / Gentle breath of yours my sails / Must fill, or else my project fails, / Which was to please." Prospero's "project," therefore, mirrors Shakespeare's own goal—to entertain (and perhaps educate) his audience. Thus, Prospero's magical manipulations align with Shakespeare's artistic efforts in crafting the play.

Order and Structure
For centuries, critics have shown a keen interest in the structure of The Tempest. They have noted that, in a departure from his usual style, Shakespeare closely followed the classical unities of time and space in this play. The entire action unfolds on Prospero's tropical island, involving characters like Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban, and spans only a few hours—about the same length as a theatrical performance of The Tempest. The only other Shakespearean work adhering to these classical unities is the early play Comedy of Errors. The reasons behind this rare adherence by Shakespeare have puzzled scholars. Some theorists suggest he wanted to demonstrate to critics, such as Ben Jonson, his ability to craft a tightly unified play. Others propose that The Tempest might be an early work where Shakespeare followed the unities out of inexperience. Another interpretation views the play as Shakespeare's theatrical farewell, portraying a perfectly ordered world as his final vision. In this biographical reading, Shakespeare is linked with Prospero, the magician and creator, commenting on his own role as an artist shaping reality.

However, most scholars emphasize Shakespeare's adept use of order and structure in The Tempest to advance themes of reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness. The play's strong use of symmetry, contrast, and parallelism in characterization and structure supports the idea of order achieved by the end. Characters often comment on each other, such as Ariel on Caliban and Prospero on Gonzalo, and various scenes draw parallels that contribute to the overall harmony. Additionally, many commentators have highlighted Shakespeare's treatment of time in the play. Every scene is firmly rooted in the present, with past events referenced only to illuminate the current moment, and the future depicted as an extension of the present. This focus on the present underscores the theme of seizing the moment to foster forgiveness and reconciliation, showcasing Shakespeare's masterful handling of order and structure.

Music and the Masque
The Tempest stands out as one of Shakespeare's most musical plays, featuring more songs and melodies than any other of his works. Much of this music is delivered through Ariel's songs, which are sprinkled throughout the play. Additionally, music plays a crucial role in the betrothal masque that Prospero arranges to celebrate the love between Miranda and Ferdinand. During Shakespeare's era, music was often linked to celestial harmony, a concept partly derived from Aristotle's writings and Medieval Christian commentaries on his work. This theory suggested that the planets, moon, sun, and stars orbited the earth in perfect crystalline spheres, creating a kind of divine music that symbolized the sanctity of the heavens. This celestial harmony ties into the theme of reconciliation that permeates The Tempest. Although the play begins with characters embroiled in conflict, mainly driven by Prospero's desire for revenge over his usurped dukedom, the narrative moves towards reconciliation in the next generation. The love between Miranda and Ferdinand helps mend Prospero's feud with King Alonso, thus ending their political strife through the union of their children in marriage.

Music further underscores the theme of reconciliation in the betrothal masque of Ferdinand and Miranda. Although Shakespeare's inclusion of this masque in Act IV, Scene i, nods to its popularity at the time The Tempest was written, it also encapsulates several key themes of the play. In Shakespeare's era, the masque—a stylized production featuring song, dance, music, and mythology intended as courtly entertainment—was at the height of its popularity. The masque in The Tempest features mythological figures such as Iris, Juno, and Ceres. Ceres, the classical goddess of fertility, bestows a blessing upon Miranda and Ferdinand. This scene also touches on Shakespeare's theme of life as an illusion and the fleeting nature of worldly things. As the masque concludes, Prospero tells Ferdinand, "Yea, all ... shall dissolve / And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, / Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep."