The Tempest AO2

Question 1

The government I cast upon my brother’

Answer 1

gave his responsibilities to his brother, the verb cast suggests that he doesn’t care about his responsibilities

Question 2

‘rapt in secret studies’

Answer 2

sibilance implies his neglect for his Dukedom as he took more interest in his books than his dukedom. Knowledge also gives him power

Question 3

‘a confidence sans bound’

Answer 3

he had complete unlimited trust in his brother. Deeply naive and unintelligent move as it allowed Antonio to overthrow

Question 4

‘This island’s mine by Sycorax…which tho tak’st from me

Answer 4

flattered Caliban into teaching him about the island then betrayed and enslaved him. Cruel, exploitative

Question 5

‘I will rend an oak and peg thee in his knotty entrails’

Answer 5

Prospero uses his rescue of Ariel to exercise physical and intellectual control over him by threatening further punishment. Again shows how he is a cruel leader

Question 6

‘My Ariel, chick…be free’

Answer 6

use of endearment shows a friendly and loving side of Prospero in contrast to his cruel self earlier. Setting him free shows that he is no longer cruel

Question 7

‘To have my pardon, trim it handsomely’

Answer 7

doesn’t release Caliban as he tells him to behave. However, ‘seek for grace’ reveals that Caliban appears to accept Prospero’s rule. Despite this, there is doubt whether he is expressing his real feelings because he has been enslaved by Prospero previously which means he might not be fully forgiving.

Question 8

Context: magic

Answer 8

During the 1600s there was a debate about whether magic was good (magia) or bad (goetia). Through his rule on the island Prospero can be seen as both a magia (releases Ariel, gives up his magic) or bad (enslaves both Ariel and Caliban, causes the tempest which led to Alonso thinking his son was dead).

Question 9

Context: Divine right of kings

Answer 9

belief that the right to rule was given by God. Prospero ignoring his dukedom would be seen as going against God’s will as he gave the responsibilities to his brother who was not selected by God

Question 10

Context: Rudolf II

Answer 10

Rudolf II also usurped by his brother

Question 11

Context: James I rule

Answer 11

Neglected his rule in order to study

Question 12

AO5: about Prospero’s rule

Answer 12

’Prospero rules the place with an iron grip, enslaving and torturing Caliban and forcing the spirit Ariel to do his bidding’

Question 13

AO5: Prospero’s downfall

Answer 13

‘contributed to his own downfall’

Question 14

‘Not honoured with a human shape

Answer 14

dehumanising Caliban, in the age of exploration european colonists saw native people as inhuman and uncivilised

Question 15

‘Thou strok’st me and made much of me’-

Answer 15

developed a relationship that is close to familial. ‘Lodged thee in mine own cell’ supports this-treated him like his own child

Question 16

‘Whiles you do keep me from the rest o’the’island

Answer 16

removed from king as he is the rightful ruler, now he is enslaved to Prospero

Question 17

‘Thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child’

Answer 17

attempted to rape Miranda which would’ve given him heirs to the island. Raises the question of whether Caliban was innately evil or is genuinely good and attempted as an act of revenge. Was Prospero ever sincere or was his ambitions always to exploit Caliban?

Question 18

‘Savage’ ‘brutish’ ‘thy vile race’

Answer 18

colonial language used for racism? Sees him as inferior and uncivillised. Oppressive

Question 19

Context: Age of exploration

Answer 19

the play was written during the Age of Exploration when Europe was sailing out to discover the rest of the world.
During this time many countries were colonised which appears to be what’s happened here. Prospero has come to the island from Italy and assumed rule, enslaving Caliban who appears to be the rightful ruler of the island

Question 20

AO5: Pulitano

Answer 20

‘Prospero enacts the role of omnipotent Western patriarch and Caliban that of the ‘native’’

Question 21

‘I have done thee worthy service

Answer 21

pleads for his liberty after Prospero says his service isn’t up. Demonstrates the control Prospero has over ariel and his inferiority by challenging his authority

Question 22

‘I must once in a month recount what thou hast been’

Answer 22

treats Ariel like a pet and a pupil. To ensure his fickle nature does not cause him to be disloyal he forces him to remember what Sycorax did to him and how he saved him-owes Prospero because of it.

Question 23

‘I thank thee, master’

Answer 23

Prospero controls how he thinks about his life to make it difficult for them to imagine that challenging his authority is a good thing

Question 24

‘After two days I will discharge thee’

Answer 24

slight softening of his original harshness when Ariel asks for his liberty. Shows that he is not as cruel as he may appear because he is willing to let Ariel go after doing one final task

Question 25

Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou performed, my Ariel’

Answer 25

endearing, full of praise for Ariel. A change from Prospero’s treatment earlier on

Question 26

‘Dearly, my delicate Ariel’

Answer 26

another endearing term. First display of affection and love towards Ariel

Question 27

‘My dainty Ariel, I shall miss thee’

Answer 27

the use of endearment again shows a deep relationship between the two. Despite this he says ‘thou shalt have freedom’ which shows that he is being fair to Ariel by finally letting him go

Question 28

Context: spirits

Answer 28

Spirits like Ariel were seen during the Elizabethan/Jacobean period as either the agents of the devil or of God.

Question 29

AO5: McLeish and Unwin 1998

Answer 29

‘despotically threatening Ariel…he is a tyrant’

Question 30

‘I might call him a thing divine’

Answer 30

sense of amazement conveyed through heavenly, courtly language. Demonstrates Miranda’s innocence-never seen another boy

Question 31

‘O you wonder-if you be maid, or no?’

Answer 31

courtly, elevated language. Fascinated by her.
Feeds into AO3

Question 32

‘I’ll make you the Queen of Naples

Answer 32

already fallen in love, immediate vow to marry.

Question 33

‘These sweet thoughts’

Answer 33

dreaming about Miranda, innocence and purity of his love displayed here

Question 34

‘You, so perfect and so peerless, are created of every creature’s best’

Answer 34

declares his love for her, there is no one else like her. She is all the best parts of every women he’s loved put together

Question 35

‘Fair encounter of two most rare affections’

Answer 35

Prospero’s aside here reminds us that because of him they have fallen in love perhaps with the intent to create a dynasty. However ‘rare’ suggests that it is true love

Question 36

‘I am your wife, if you will marry me’

Answer 36

Miranda’s earlier naivety and innocence contrasted here by her being forward and proposing to him demonstrating a confidence we hadn’t seen yet. Jacobean audience would find this unusual as marriages were arranged for women and would never propose due to strict gender roles, making her behaviour transgressive for the time. However a modern audience wouldn’t find this unusual as gender roles have become less strict and it is less unusual for women to propose to men nowadays

Question 37

I ratify this my rich gift

Answer 37

formal consent, transactional language. Civillised approach. Treating Miranda like an object

Question 38

‘Thou dost break her virgin-knot’

Answer 38

Warning not to have sex before marriage, huge emphasis on chastity.

Question 39

‘How beauteous mankind is!’

Answer 39

reminder of her innocence as she has only ever seen three men before. We can question whether her love for Ferdinand is real because she is so naive and appears fascinated by the other men.

Question 40

Context: marriage

Answer 40

arranged marriages were common during the Jacobean era-Miranda and Ferdinand could be said to be one because Prospero caused them to meet for the first time and fall in love.

Question 41

Context: chastity

Answer 41

Requirement for women to be chaste before marriage to preserve womb for children in a patriarchal society. If women were not chaste they were seen as impure and their children tainted.

Question 42

AO5: Thompson

Answer 42

‘attributes enormous power to female chastity and fertility’