The book begins with a storm scene, where the ship carrying Alonso, the king of Naples, his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian, Gonzalo and Antonio ends up sinking
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Meanwhile, on the island, Prospero was talking to his beautiful daughter Miranda, who suffers for those on the ship. Her father explained to her that he had caused the storm and that all the crew were safe. Prospero also told her that they live on that island, because when Miranda was very young, hir brother Antonio tried to kill him and put him in a small boat and threw him into the sea and they just didn't die because Gonzalo, put supplies on the boat, so to make them repent, Prospero sank the boat they were on. After that, Miranda fell asleep due to a spell cast by her father, who was now talking to the spirit Ariel, who owes obedience to the magician because it was he who freed him from the witch that inhabited the island previously and kept him trapped in a tree. Both were talking about how the plan was going, and Ariel said that all the crew had already arrived on the island and were scattered all over it.
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Miranda woke up from her sleep, and Ferdinand, who suffered because he thought his father was lost at sea, guided by the music Ariel was reciting, came to the cave where the girl was and when they saw each other, it was like "love at first sight ". The fact that they fell in love was in the Prospero's plan, and to ensure that his daughter would be with a good man, the old magician treated him roughly initially and sent him to do jobs that would normally have been directed at Caliban, son of the Witch, and that now defeated, was his slave and obeyed him because he feared that Prospero would use his magic against him.
Gonzalo, Antônio, Sebastian and Alonso arrived on the island after the wreck of the ship they were on. Alonso suffered from the death of his son Ferdinand (who he thought was dead) and the absence of his newly married daughter Claribel. After a while, Alonso and Gonzalo fell asleep due to a song recited by Ariel, while Sebastian Antonio was planning their death. When they was with swords in hand, ready to kill them, Ariel, who listened to the whole plan of them, woke up Alonso and Gonzalo, ruining Antônio and Sebastian's scheme.
Caliban, weary, complained about the work he was forced to do for Prospero when the Stephano, a sailor, arrived. They talked about their lives and how they hated everyone around them. In that conversation, Caliban mentioned the Magic of Prospero in his magic book. Stephano seemed very interested in this, so Caliban made him a proposal: he would help him kill Prospero and, in return, he would give him the magic book that belonged to the old man and show him the wonderful things of the island.
Ferdinand was doing the heavy job that Prospero had told him to do, so Miranda arrived and told him to get some rest. They began to exchange vows of love, and Prospero, who had overheard everything in secret, gave them permission to marry because he said that Ferdinand was a good man.