A Tempestuous Noise: On the Acoustics and Vocalics of Storms

This paper analyzes the predominante role of noise and sound in Shakespeare's The Tempest, with reference to the classical literary and dramatic tradition of the acoustic representation of storms, from Euripides to Virgil. It also takes into consideration the staging of Shakespeare's storm and its sounds, from the early modern period to recent times. In The Tempest the primary source of noise is voice, especially the voise of Prospero, whose vocalics coincide with the tempest itself.