"The Tempest" is a play written by the author William Shakespeare, known as a tragicomedy telling the story of Prospero, a former Duke of Milan. Prospero is on an island with his daughter Miranda, and with the help of magic powers from his book and staff, he forms a violent storm known as a tempest to bring his enemies close to him on the island. From this, he can have an opportunity for revenge on his enemies. As the play progresses, events lead the characters closer and closer to Prospero's cell, and eventually, all the characters reach a reconciliation. The reason for this was Prospero's discovery of forgiveness for his past actions as the events unfolded.

This play, (The Tempest) is a multi-layered play by Shakespeare. Being one of the last plays he ever wrote, there are vast amounts of hidden meanings, themes, symbols, and more. Desire is a significant example of an underlying meaning in this play and is a motive for moving the plot. Prospero is a paragon of desire; to keep his daughter safe, to be the rightful Duke of Milan, and to seek revenge on Antonio. Other characters include Antonio, Caliban, Miranda, Ferdinand, Stephano, and Trinculo. To explain, Miranda and Ferdinand desire marriage and love, Caliban, Ferdinand, and Trinculo want Prospero dead, and Antonio plans to maintain his power over Milan. Shakespeare skillfully included this underlying meaning of desire throughout the play, assembling the plot and characters intriguing as they grapple with their motivations and longings.