The Tempest
The Tempest by William Shakespeare is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Tempest is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Where to find this book
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About this book
Shakespeare's late romance strands the exiled sorcerer Prospero and his daughter Miranda on an island, where Prospero conjures a storm to wreck the ship of those who wronged him and engineer his revenge — and, ultimately, his forgiveness. Often read as Shakespeare's farewell to the stage, it also invites discussion of power and colonialism. A common grades 9-12 and AP text.
Why widely assigned
This Drama title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 1610s; pairs with curriculum units on power and forgiveness.
Themes
power · forgiveness · colonialism · freedom
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
See all books like The Tempest→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Tempest?
- The Tempest is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- How long does it take to read The Tempest?
- It takes about 5h 35m to read The Tempest (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is The Tempest banned in schools?
- The Tempest does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does The Tempest explore?
- Central themes in The Tempest include power, forgiveness, colonialism, freedom. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 9–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.