Lines 1-3

The opening lines of "Darwin in 1881" introduce the comparison between Darwin and Prospero, using the word "as" to indicate a likeness. In The Tempest, Shakespeare's last play, Prospero, the Duke of Milan, is overthrown by his brother, Antonio, and then put to sea with his young daughter to perish. As it turns out, however, Prospero and the child are shipwrecked on an island where magic and sorcery are commonplace thanks to lively spirits such as the friendly Ariel and the mischievous Caliban. Prospero acquires magical powers by donning a magician's robe and carrying a wand, and he performs many tricks over the twelve years that he and his daughter live on the island. Among Prospero's feats is his conjuring, through Ariel, a terrific storm, or tempest, bringing a ship carrying Antonio and a party of others fromMilan crashing into the island. Through various magic tricks, Prospero...