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The Tempest evolved through performance history
The Tempest underwent major transformations after Shakespeare: when theaters reopened after Cromwell the original staging tradition was lost, so in the 18th century it became an opera with added characters like Dorinda, and in the 19th century Caliban was reinterpreted as a romantic Byronic hero because audiences had by then become aware of slavery and the noble savage idea.
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Speaker
Margaret AtwoodEvidence Quote
“When the theaters come back, they can't actually remember how these things were done. So in the 18th century, The Tempest was an opera, and they added some people.”
Created: 6/13/2026, 3:25:42 AM
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