E X T E N S I O N WILLIAM S LETTER TO HIS FRIEND BEN JONSON Benjamin (Ben) Jonson (1572-1637) is a great playwright and one of Shakespeare s friends. They regularly meet on Friday nights at the Mermaid tavern, in London, where they talk, drink and have a good time. Jonson is younger than Shakespeare and becomes the king of playwrights when Shakespeare retires to Stratford. The Globe company often performs1 his comedies (Volpone, The Alchemist) and his masques (plays with dances and music) entertain2 the court of James I. London, 14 October 1611 Dear Ben, I hope you are well and busy. I hear that your latest3 comedy is a success. The Globe company will soon perform one of my plays at Court. It is not a tragedy or a comedy but just a romance, you know, a little fantasy where the theme of love dominates. The title is The Tempest. The story has five acts and includes a lot of magic ingredients, spirits that appear and disappear, music and songs. This is the background4 to a love story between two young noble people and a story of intrigues5. Part of the story is true6 because it takes inspiration from a recent account7 of a shipwreck8 in the Bermudas. The Tempest will entertain the guests9 during the celebrations for the wedding1 0 of the daughter of King James and I hope the audience1 1 will like it. Yours, Willy performs: puts on the stage. entertain: amuse. latest: most recent. background: what is around the story. 5. intrigues: secret plans. 6. true: real. 7. account: narration. 8. shipwreck: destruction of a ship in a storm. 9. guest: person invited to a celebration, a party. 10. wedding: marriage. 11. audience: spectators. 1. 2. 3. 4. 19