the tempest

Question 1

theme of power

Answer 1

o POWER
In the play, most acts are committed for power; power is also what got them into trouble in the first place. Everyone wants power except for Miranda & Ferdinand as they are lovers– Prospero: His kingdom (and magic); Antonio & Sebastian: Prospero’s (and Alonso’s) kingdom; Alonso: Prospero’s (and his own) kingdom; Caliban: Freedom and the isle; Ariel: Freedom; Triclinio & Stephano: The isle and Caliban; Gonzalo: He dreams of a republic where everyone is free from all constraints

Question 2

theme of revenge

Answer 2

o Revenge
The play occurs due to Prospero wanting revenge over Antonio. At the end, the people who were stranded want revenge over Prospero.

Question 3

theme of colonialism

Answer 3

o Colonialism
Everyone has very different beliefs to Caliban, e.g., the attempted rape of Miranda at that time might not have been thought of as disgust in the ‘New World’ (North & South America) at that time. At that time, the people of the ‘Old world’ (Europe) had brought with them their own social customs, expectations, religion, language and racial discrimination; therefore, when they say the people of the ‘New world’ they thought they were disgusting, babbling, barbaric brutes. In the play, his how the people from Italy think of Caliban, when he might have been perfectly respectable in other places. Shakespeare might have been inspired by the recent expeditions to ‘colonise’ part of America, and colonialism is echoed throughout the play, especially as the natives are thought of as ‘only fit to be slaves’.

Question 4

theme of imprisonment and freedom

Answer 4

o Imprisonment & Freedom
Every character suffers a form of imprisonment:
• Prospero and Miranda are exiled to the island
• Caliban is enslaved by both Prospero and Stephano
• Ariel is imprisoned by Sycorax, he then serves Prospero whilst threatened with a harsh punishment
• The sailors are confined, asleep, below deck
• Stephano, Triclinio & Caliban are tormented by Prospero’s spirits
• Alonso, Antonio & Sebastian are driven into madness

Question 5

theme of uspurption

Answer 5

o Usurpation
In the play, there is rebellion, political treachery & conspiracies and authority is constantly challenged:
• The Boatswain orders the King and courtiers off the deck
• Antonio seizes the dukedom of Milan from Prospero
• Caliban attempts to rape Miranda
• Antonio and Sebastian try to kill Alonso and Gonzalo
• Caliban, Stephano and Triclinio try to kill Prospero

Question 6

quotes of miranda’s love

Answer 6

1:2, 417-418 – Miranda: “I might call him / A thing divine, for nothing natural / I ever saw so noble.” , 1:2, 480-482 – Miranda: “My affections / Are most humble. I have no ambition / To see a goodlier man.”- These quotes express Miranda’s feelings for Ferdinand and display the ‘love at first sight’ concept, as Miranda has never seen another man except for her father and Caliban

Question 7

prospero

Answer 7

5:1, 140-141 – Alonso: “Irreparable is the loss, and Patience / Says it is past her cure.” – This shows that Alonso is not just a mean King, but is a loving father as well, how love affects everyone, not just those who seek it (AND NO, I DID NOT COPY THAT FROM SOMEWHERE!)

Question 8

caliban

Answer 8

2:1, 292-295 – Caliban: “Ay that I will; and I’ll be wise hereafter, / And seek for grace, What a thrice-double ass / Was I to take this drunkard for a god / And worship this dull fool!” – These are Caliban’s last words in the plays, are they sincere? Will he try to be wise, good and ‘seek for grace’? Maybe. Maybe not. But it does show that Caliban does possibly have the capacity to be grateful and that he might try to be better