Act 1

Question 1

Scene 1 opening

Answer 1

-opens in media res
- opens with confrontation of gonzalo and boatswain confrontation: revealed one of most important scenes “class conflict”
-dramatically effective opening
-provides audience with a metaphor for the past turmoil in the lives of the characters + carries the suggestion perhaps “after the storm comes the calm”
-vitally important to capture and hold
attention
-indications if quick passage of time, six entrances an 5 exits suggesting lots of activity over a period of time
Symbols here: struggle and suffering
- courtiers get their first sense of powerlessness

Question 2

“What cares these roarers for the name of the king” -boatswain

Answer 2

-king has no protection from the storm simply because of rank
-storm has little care for a mans social or political position
-acknowledges the earthly rulers are powerless against the elemental forces if nature
- boldness in which he speaks to gonzalo and other emphasises the way that the physical upheaval of the storm has created social upheaval among the characters
-also serve as a reminder that outside of political context man made structures such as rank and behaviour are made meaningkess
- just as the storm does not distuinguish between kings and ordinary ppl in its might, so will the consequences of the storm throw these distinctions into disarray.

Question 3

Gonzalo- “ remember whom thou hast aboard”

Answer 3

-clear reminder that even in a storm class and status remain important part of life

Question 4

Boatswain- “use your authority”

Answer 4

-as far as the boatswain is concerned all men are equally at risk
-reminder that the king has no authority in these circumstances, although he can control men he cannot control nature

Question 5

Storm and rebellion on ship

Answer 5

-metaphor for the rebellion occrung in English society
-English society was defined by class system ‘divine right’

Question 6

Context- gunpowder plot

Answer 6

-society rocked by conflicts
-served as an illustration between Protestant James and catholic subjects
-tried to kill James and failed

Question 7

Nature- storm

Answer 7

-storm emphasises that nature is an important element in society
-parallels to emotional tempests further on in play

Question 8

Scene 2

Answer 8

-Prospero telling audience of past events illustrate how he maintains his power exploring the meticulous methods of controlling those around him

Question 9

“Dost thou attend me?”

Answer 9

• he commands her attention almost hypnotically
  -doe not seem blameless

Question 10

“O i have suffered with those that i saw suffer a brave vessel which no doubt had some noble creature in her”

Answer 10

-gentle, empathetic and kind
-aware of his powers and always obeys him
-he observations reflect gonzalos statement that the boatswain should remember who he has aboard (nobles) she appears to posses a pre science about the characters she will encounter.
- feels connection to the passengers cause she’s like them, was victim of a ship wreck,
Shows her to be compassionate who feels sympathy when she encounters the suffering of others
- pts her in contrast to other characters who are in embittered by their experiences like caliban or who are selfish and power hungry like Antonio

Question 11

The storm itself - dramatic irony

Answer 11

-Shakespeare uses storms as a prelude to transition to one phase of life to the next
-most of he audience would be aware of tempests in the bible
- many characters believe others dies but audience know otherwise e.g alonso and Ferdinand, audience remains aware that everyone is alive and well, which deepen the drama without changing the fact that’s its a comedy
- another e,g
-prospero rules the island and seeks revenge on those who dethroned him, they have no idea prospero caused the storm or is the islands ruler, dramatically ironic as audience knows something the characters do not

Question 12

“Complexion is perfect gallows”

Answer 12

-judging by boatswains appearance the man was born to die on tht gallows rather drowned
-many people in 16 th 17 century believe a persons life and death were predestined and destiny could not be changed
- suggesting a persons physiognomy could give insights into likely death
-similar point made” heel be hanged yet”

Question 13

“Hell be hanged yet”

Answer 13

-suggestion he will be hanged a criminal even tho it looks like he will drown
- suggestion that the boatswains body will be left hanging until he’s absorbed so much water he will burst
-gives modern audience a glimpse of the cruelty meted out to criminals at the time

Question 14

“The washing on ten tides”

Answer 14

-customary in Shakespeare’s day for bodies of pirated to be left hanging on the shore till three tides had come in
-was a punishment as a warning to others of the dangers off piracy
Antonio thinks the boatswain is such a criminal his body should be left and exposed to 10 tides

Question 15

“Not so much a perdition as an hair”

Answer 15

-biblical reference, which would have been significant in the 17th century
-would have reminded the audience of St Luke’s gospel when Jesus tells his followers god loves them so much, that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered”

Question 16

“Had i been any god of powers i would have sunk the sea within the earth”

Answer 16

Indicated Miranda’s sensitivity to the plight of others
- she would have cased the earth to swallow up those rather than allow the ship to sink with everyone on it
-first indication we have of prosperous magical powers.

Question 17

“Thus neglecting worldly ends”

Answer 17

• shouldn’t rely on his self evaluation
  -he neglected the affairs of Tate in order to evoke himself to his studies, s he entrusted his brother with the power, which brought faults in Antonio’s character
• need to remember being a ruler involved rights and responsibilities, Prospero wanted the former not the latter

Question 18

‘Most auspicious star”

Answer 18

-reference to widget held belief that our lives and fortunes are influenced by the movement of the stars and planets

Question 19

“Foul witch sycorax”

Answer 19

-witches were feared in this day and could be put to death
- suggested she would have been killed expect for the fact she was pregnant “ blue eyed”- blue tinged eyelids were usually a sign of pregnancy
- usual punishment was handing or burning but not carried out if woman was pregnant

Question 20

“Litter” “whelp” “dam”

Answer 20

-animal terminology
- reduces Caliban down to the level of an animal
To stress calibans inferiority

Question 21

‘Got by the devil”

Answer 21

-believed that women could have intercourse with an incubus to male demon
- regarded as a sin for which there was no forgiveness

Question 22

“Bigger light” “the less”

Answer 22

-would have reminded audience of language of newly translated King James Bible
“God made two great lights, greater light to rule the dy and the lesser light to rule the night”

Question 23

“Thou shot have cramps” “each pinch more stinging than bees that made them”

Answer 23

-treated like an animal
- controlling him through threats
-initial sympathy for him

Question 24

“I had peopled else this isle with calibans”

Answer 24

-immediate change, no more sympathy as he tried to rape Miranda
- challenges reader views of him

Question 25

“now he was the ivy which had hid my princely trunk and sucked my vendure out”

Answer 25

-metaphor
-refers Antonio to the ivy that hid his princely trunk
- he acted like a vine that grows up a tree and sucks outs its vitality
- strange metaphor considering prospers affinity its nature however
-makes Antonio actions seem inevitable and unstoppable
-could be him trying to demonstrate he could do nothing to stop it it was almost a natural occurrence and has little power to sop it

Question 26

“Hath mine enemies brought it this shore”-prospero

Answer 26

-he has full knowledge of his enemies presence but they remain ignorant of him until later in the play
-dramatic irony serves to show prosepros power
-he’s often portrayed as the playwright figure who controls the actions of the other characters and has more knowledge than anyone else

Question 27

“You taught me language and my profit on’t is, i know how to curse”- caliban

Answer 27

-feels trapped by the requirement to use the language of the captor who has deprived him on his freedom
- language signifies the idea of civility- language is the single privilege caliban, it does him very little good beyond allowing him to curse the rest of his circumstances
- example of situational irony , the very thing that people would assume would ‘civilise’ him, he ends up making hi even more bitter and prone to cursing
- while prospero considers it a gift that he has taught caliban language, caliban refuses to separate his education from prosperos overall imprisonment of him
- the only value in being able to speak is to curse his oppression
-symbolically significant when compared to the ‘education’ that European colonisers impose on colonised populations through the new world

Question 28

‘Hark now i hear them” -Ariel

Answer 28

Ariel explains to prospero he ensured people were washed ashore, and Ferdinand is separate
-example of prospero acting s a playwright by giving Ariel detailed instructions in order to control the event to come