Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest
Grade 7 Up–The enduring strength ofThe Tempestlies in Shakespeare's poetic language, and this abridgment offers richly illustrated sound bites of some of its most famous lines. The theatrical qualities of manga are well suited to the romantic drama and fairy-tale elements of the play, moving the story forward while enhancing the meaning of the poetry. This art form lends itself well to the images of Ariel's invisibility to all but Prospero, Antonio and Sebastian plotting the deaths of Alonso and Gonzolo as they circle the sleeping bodies, Miranda's large eyes weeping as Ferdinand declares his love, and Prospero's finger drying her tears while saying, Fair encounter of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace on that which breeds between them. This adaptation follows the series format: the book is read from left to right and the cast of characters appears up front. Both the introduction and a map showing the location of major events help readers follow the plot. One obstacle is the abrupt change of scenes with no visual clue that the story has shifted to another scene. Back matter includes a plot summary and brief biography of Shakespeare. This adaptation would be useful both as an introduction to the play and as a companion piece for classroom study of it, using images to illuminate the Bard's eloquent poetry.–Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.