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The Worlds of the Renaissance: Projects - Margaret Wildermann Original Sources: Print
Hakluyt, Richard Two of his books are available from amazon.com
It is widely believed that Shakespeare's inspiration for many of the elements in The Tempest came from the true story of a shipwreck of Englishmen in Bermuda. The crew and passengers of the Sea-Venture safely went ashore on Bermuda, where they were stranded for ten months. William Strachey, one of those stranded, wrote an account of this experience, which Hakluyt later published. Stachey also wrote a letter detailing the adventure.The letter was widely circulated in London and it is believed that Shakespeare would have seen it.
The story of the Bermuda adventure was detailed by Strachey and published by Hakluyt. Hakluyt's books have been reprinted as recently as 1982.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. The European Discovery of America: The Southern Voyages 1492-1611. This volume contains original reports from several explorations of the New World. The name of Caliban's god Setebos supposedly is taken from such these accounts.
In his account of Magellen's voyage, Pigafetta reports that during a five month layover at Puerto San Julian, Magellen kidnapped two natives through trichery. The natives, called Patagonians by Magellen, upon realizing they had been captured "rages like bulls, calling for their god Setebos to aid them." (369)
In the same volume, this god is again mentioned in the account of Drake's voyage of 1577-1579. Accessible to high school students
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