The Tempest contains sublime poetry and catchy songs, magic and low comedy, while it tackles important contemporary concerns: education, power politics, the effects of colonization, and technology. In this guide, Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan open up new ways into one of Shakespeare's most popular, malleable and controversial plays. Alden T. Vaughan is an Affiliate Professor at Clark University, USA and a Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, USA. He is co-editor of the Arden Third Series edition of The Tempest . Lisa Hopkins is Professor of English at University of Sheffield Hallam. She has published numerous works on Shakespeare including her most recent work, Beginning Shakespeare (2005) and has written on film adaptations including Screening the Gothic . She is the Senior Editor of the online journal, Early Modern Literary Studies. Virginia Mason Vaughan is Professor Emerita and Research Professor at Clark University, USA. She is a leading international expert on The Tempest , and co-editor of the Arden Third Series edition of the play. Andrew Hiscock is Professor of English at Bangor University, UK.