Know thus far forth:
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,
Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies
Brought to this shore; and by my prescience
I find my zenith doth depend upon
A most auspicious star, whose influence
If now I court not but omit, my fortunes
Will ever after droop.
– William Shakespeare
The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Prospero, asked by Miranda why he used his magic to raise the sea storm, says that a fortunate accident has delivered his enemies to the island through the shipwreck. He tells her that if he did not act now he may never have a chance again. With the revelation that Prospero engineered the arrival of his enemies who stole his throne and banished him to an island exile, this foreshadows Prospero’s revenge and also that his and Miranda’s circumstances will soon be altered.