The Tempest

Question 1

History context of The Tempest

Answer 1

The sea venture, old world/new world, Italy and Africa

Question 2

Political context of the play

Answer 2

Island becomes a microcosm for Italian society and governance, usurpation

Question 3

Religious context of the play

Answer 3

Caliban and Sycorax represent evil, magic- dark magic of Sycorax, prospero using magic for good

Question 4

Social context of the play

Answer 4

Family structures, language and social class: prose, poetry

Question 5

When and where was the sea venture

Answer 5

1609 to Virginia

Question 6

What are the themes in the play

Answer 6

Usurpation, nature/nurture, imprisonment/freedom, forgiveness/reconciliation, illusion/magic, colonialism, sleep/dreams and change/transformation

Question 7

What events show the theme of usurpation

Answer 7

Boatswain orders the king and courtiers off the deck, Antonio’s usurpation of Prospero, caliban tries to rape Miranda, Antonio and Sebastian’s plot to kill alonso and gonzalo, Calibans plot to kill Prospero

Question 8

What events show the theme of nature/nurture

Answer 8

Antonion had an evil nature when he usurped Prospero, prosperos attempts to civilise Caliban, Gonzalos commonwealth speech, alonso is guilty about what he did to Prospero

Question 9

What events show the theme of imprisonment/freedom

Answer 9

Prospero and Miranda’s exile, calibans enslavement, Ariel’s imprisonment in the tree, Ariel’s enslavement, Ferdinands enslavement

Question 10

What events show the theme of illusion/magic

Answer 10

The storm, the banquet and the harpy, the masque, the hunters and dogs, the chess game, prospero, Ariel and Sycorax

Question 11

What events show the theme of colonialism

Answer 11

Prosperos colonisation of the island and enslavement of Caliban and Ariel, economic exploitation of Caliban, social class power, calibans race and language- imposing white western culture on him

Question 12

What events show the theme of sleep/dreams

Answer 12

Prospero sends Miranda to sleep, Ariel sends gonzalo and alonso to sleep, the sailors are kept asleep, the banquet and masque are dream-like, gonzalos commonwealth speech is his dream

Question 13

What events show the theme of change/transformation

Answer 13

The turbulence of the storm, the masque suggests changing seasons, alonsos despair becomes joy, prosperos vengeance becomes forgiveness, calibans murderous intentions become desire for forgiveness

Question 14

Harold Bloom’s criticism of Prospero

Answer 14

“Prospero is dubiously fair to Ariel, and almost too grimly censorious towards the wretched Caliban”, “there is a subtle sense in which Prospero has been deeply wounded by his failure to raise a higher Caliban”, “Prospero never loses his anger or sense of outrage in regards to Caliban”

Question 15

Thompson’s criticism of Prospero

Answer 15

“Prospero seems to claim he gave second birth to Miranda on the voyage to the island “under my burdened groaned””

Question 16

Barbara Howard Traister’s criticism of Prospero

Answer 16

“Within the large structure that Prospero manages, a number of small, self-contained scenes, almost plays-within-the-play, are also directed by Prospero.”
• “Prospero uses spectacle anyway, for didactic purposes: each little show is especially selected for its audience”
• “Prospero’s magic in the storm is pure illusion, rearrangement of appearances to play tricks on men’s senses… Excepting Ariel’s reported release from the tree and Caliban’s alleged bruises, Prospero’s magic leaves no permanent physical changes.
“Prospero makes no pretence to the lovers that the masque is anything but his own creation”
• “No verbal warning or lesson accompanies this scene, for its audience will not respond to mere words, as Prospero has proved in his experience with Caliban”

Question 17

Prospero quotes act 1 scene 2

Answer 17

Prospero: No harm. / I have done nothing but in care of thee -
Prospero: Twelve years since, Miranda, twelve years since, / Thy father was the Duke of Milan and /
A prince of power -
Prospero: Thy false uncle - / Dost thou attend me?
Prospero: I, thus neglecting all worldly ends, all dedicated / To closeness, and the bettering of my mind… in my false brother / Awaked an evil nature/
Prospero: How now? Moody? / What is’t thou canst demand? / Ariel: My liberty.
Prospero: This damned witch Sycorax, / For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible Prospero: A freckled whelp, hag-born - not honoured with / A human shape.
Prospero: It was mine art, / When I arrived and heard thee, that made gape / The pine, and let thee out.
Prospero: If thou more murmur’st, I will rend and oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howled away twelve winters.
Prospero: We’ll visit Caliban, my slave
Prospero: Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself
Prospero: till thou didst seek to violate / The honour of my child.
Prospero: [Aside] They are both in either’s powers; but this swift business / I must uneasy make, lest too light winning / Make the prize light.
Prospero: Silence! One more word / Shall made me chide thee, if not hate thee.

Question 18

Prospero quotes act 3 scene 1

Answer 18

“Prospero: [aside] poor worm, thou art infected;/ this visitation shows it”

Question 19

Prospero quotes act 3 scene 3

Answer 19

“Prospero: they are now in my power”

Question 20

Prospero quotes act 4 scene 1

Answer 20

Prospero: [To Ferdinand] If I have too austerely punished you / Your compensation makes amends Prospero: Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition / Worthily purchased, take my daughter. But / If thou dost break her virgin-knot before / All sanctimonious ceremonies may / With full and Holy rite be ministered, / No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall / To make this contract grow; but barren hate, / Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew / The union of your bed with weeds so loathly / That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed, / As Hymen’s lamps shall light you.
Prospero: What, Ariell My industrious servant Ariel!
Prospero: [Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy / Of the beast Caliban and his confederates /
Against my life.
Prospero: A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains /
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost Prospero: Let them be hunted soundly.

Question 21

Prospero quotes act 5 scene 1

Answer 21

Prospero: Though with their high wrongs… The rarer action is / In virtue, than in vengeance.
Prospero: My charms I’ll break, their senses I’I restore / And they shall be themselves
Prospero: I’ll break my staff… / I’ll drown my book.
Prospero: I do forgive thee, / Unnatural though thou art.
Prospero: Now my charms are all o’erthrown, / And what strength I have’s mine own - / … Since I have my dukedom got / And pardoned the deceiver, dwell / In this bare island, by your spell; / But release me from my bands / with the help of your good hands / … As you from crimes would pardoned be, / Let your indulgence set me free.