Prospero, the duke of Milan, finds himself exiled on a desert island with his daughter, when his brother conspires against him. Twelve years later, fate will deal him a good hand. The usurpers of power will travel at sea and he, having for years studied the art of magic and being thus able to control the elements of nature and its spirits, will bring about a terrible storm that will land them shipwrecked on his island. Criminals, kings, princes, honest old men, drunkards, clowns and magic spirits, continue to plot, fear, dream, and fall in love in this miniature representation of humanity. Dream and harsh reality, magic and reason, unyielding power and revenge on the one hand and forgiveness on the other, co-exist in this allegorical tale, this masterly 'swansong' of Shakespearean dramaturgy.