"The Tempest", written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), is an Elizabethan romance that combines the conventions of drama with that of Shakespearean comedies. The 'tempest' in the title refers to both the tremendous storm that opens the play and the emotional conflicts that are highlighted by what follows. "The Tempest" was commenting on the social context of the period it was written; the fifteenth century, the 'Age of Exploration', and, in this, Shakespeare was specifically referring …showed first 75 words of 3754 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3754 total…are ended..." (Act 4, Scene 1 - ll 148-158) seem to utter Shakespeare's final judgement on man's little life. Sleep and dreams also feature strongly and are interwoven with the central motif of illusion versus reality. "We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep" (ll 156-158). Such references reinforce the world of the imagination by emphasising the discrepancy between what is real and what is only illusionary.