ABSTRACT
Ariel is a sprite or fairy – invisible to all but the magician Prospero, who rules the island (the setting of the play) and controls everybody and everything on it. Ariel’s chief job is to carry out Prospero’s wishes. At the beginning of the play she (or ‘he’ or ‘it’) contrived the wreck of the ship containing Prospero’s enemies (Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio and others) whilst making sure that no-one was physically harmed. He leads the scattered survivors various merry dances round the island and not long before this speech Prospero arranges (magically) for a banquet to appear to the hungry men. They are just starting to eat when Ariel suddenly appears to them.
