The spirit of play (5)
I believe the answer is:
ariel
'the spirit' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ariel that I've seen before include "Shakespearian spirit" , "Heavenly body" , "Sprite in The Tempest" , "Enchanting islander" , "Free spirit" .)