SOURCE: McGovern, D. S. “‘Tempus’ in The Tempest.” English 32, no. 144 (Autumn 1983): 201-14.

In the following essay, McGovern suggests that the title of The Tempest evokes not only the sense of a violent storm and emotional turmoil but also the sense of time or season. In the critic's judgment, the play deals significantly with the nature of time.

I

It has been suggested that a more appropriate title for The Tempest would be The Island because the self-contained strangeness of Prospero's isle pervades the play, whereas the storm is limited to its opening scene.¹ Although this suggestion does not take into account the figurative level on which the word tempest can be understood in relation to the inner crises of many of the characters, it does point to a sense that the full significance of the title, like that of the patterns of language and action within the play...