LIT4 - Tempest - Minor characters - Gonzalo/Alonso/Ant. and Seb. Flashcards
Who is Gonzalo, and generally what does he do?
-a wise, benevolent peacemaker
-the epitome of goodness (like Miranda)
-he has faith in humanity and a positive vision of hope and happiness in his speech, with a utopian vision of a better world
-used to reveal the evil of others (Ant. and Seb.) by contrast
Where is Gonzalo seen as patient?
A1S1 - has a calming influence on the other sailors, telling the boatswain to “be patient”
Where is Gonzalo used to contrast other characters?
A2S1 - G., Ant., and Seb. arrive on the island, and he is mocked with clever wordplay but G. continues to respond with positivity
A3S3 - G. contrasts Ant. and Seb. again when they plot to kill Prospero, and G. is tired as he says “my old bones ache”
Where does Gonzalo present his utopian vision of the world?
A2S1 - arrives on island and says “How lush and lusty the grass looks! How green!” in an empathic/joyous tone
-also conveys idea of a perfect world without violence, where “sword, pike, knife, gun…” were not needed and dismissed in a quick list
A3S3 - G. is positive about the possibility of good creatures on the island, saying “manners more gentle, kind, than of our human generation”
Who is Alonso? How is he presented in the play?
-King of Naples, and a loving father to Ferdinand
-in the past, he allied with Antonio to usurp Prospero (Duke of Milan)
-Alonso contrasts his brother Sebastian, who wants to kill him
Alonso is not related to Prospero
What is Alonso’s trajectory through the play?
his trajectory in the play is one of redemption, as he fears the loss of his son Ferdinand, contrasting Antonio and Sebastian who remain unrepentant
Where is Alonso, King of Naples, seen to care greatly for others?
A2S1 - when he arrives on the island, he cannot be comforted and is convinced his son, Ferdinand, is dead, giving short and sorrowful lines (“Prithee peace”)
A5S1 - he is regretful of when he tried to usurp P., and even says he must “ask my child forgiveness”, since Ferdinand is marrying into their family
Who are Antonio and Sebastian?
-Antonio is Prospero’s brother
-Sebastian is Alonso’s brother
-the antagonists of the play, always portrayed together, often speaking negatively and plotting
Ant and Dec, Ant and Seb
How do Antonio and Sebastian act in the play?
-they never repent for their actions, giving a negative portrayal of nobles and yet they are representatives of the “civilised” European world
-fuelled by ambition and the desire for power
Where are Antonio and Sebastian seen to exhibit confident mockery to others?
A1S1 - Ant. and Seb. curse the boatswain, calling him a “bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog”, immediately presenting the pair of them as bad by nature (ideas of nature vs nurture)
Where do Ant. and Seb. plot against the other characters?
A1S2 - Prospero speaks of how his brother, Antonio, with an “evil nature”, tried to usurp him - their fraternal relationship is emphasised here, highlighting the absolute betrayal
A3S3 - Ant. is obsessed with killing G. and Alonso, taking advantage of their tiredness (“let it be tonight, for now they are oppressed with travail”)
travail - painful or laborious effort
Where do Ant. and Seb. show their colonialist prejudice against others?
A2S1 - Seb. says “the fault’s your own” to Alonso (even though he is clearly distraught), blaming him, and also criticising how Alonso’s daughter is marrying “an African”, showing colonialist prejudice
A5S1 - Caliban enters and they seem to revert to their old style of confident mockery - Seb. says “will money buy ‘em?”, then Ant. says “one of them is a plain fish, and no doubt marketable”
