Tempest Quotes by Character & Theme
Prospero
Theme Quote
Magic and loss of • “to my state grew stranger, being transported and rapt in secret
power in studies”
Dukedom • “I, thus neglecting worldly ends”
• “knowing I loved my books, he [Antonio] furnished me from
mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedom”
Giving up magic • “I’ll break my staff, burry it certain fathoms in the earth and
deeper than ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book”
• “this rough magic I here abjure”
Want for revenge • “mine enemies, are all knit up in their distractions. They are now
in my power” (after P and A scare the group; before P confronts them
properly)
• “hath mine enemies brought to this shore”
• “my brother and thy uncle, called Antonio…whom next thyself of
all the world I loved ”
Acceptance & • “most wicked sir, whom to call brother…I do forgive thy rankest
Forgiveness fault – all of them; and require my dukedom of thee” (Prospero to
(Antonio and Antonio)
Alonso) • “I embrace thy body, and to thee and thy company I bid a hearty
welcome”
• “let us not burden our remembrances with a heaviness that’s
gone”
• “I’ll deliver all, and promise you calm seas”
• “the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” (to Ariel)
• ‘nobler reasons ‘gainst my fury’
• “one of their kind”
Prospero and • “o good Gonzalo, my true preserver and a loyal sir… I will pay thy
Gonzalo grace”
Prospero and • “dost thou forget from what torment I did free thee”
Ariel at beginning • “what is’t thou canst demand?...No more”
• “after two days I will discharge thee”
Prospero Freeing • “my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee but yet thou shalt have
Ariel freedom”
• “bravely my diligence. Thou shalt art be free” (aside after Ariel fixes
the boat)
, Prospero and • “Caliban my slave, who never yields us kind answers”
Caliban at the • “thou most lying slave… till thou didst seek to violate the honour
beginning of my child”
• “thou poisonous slave got by the devil himself”
Prospero and • “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine”(P recognises he caused
Caliban at the Caliban to become evil to an extent)
end • “set Caliban and his companions free. Untie the spell”
•
Prospero and • “I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit than other princess’
Miranda can”
• “Thou wast that did preserve me”(Miranda kept him hopeful when
shipwrecked)
Prospero with the • “I must bestow upon the eyes of this young couple some vanity
wedding of mine” (magic show)
• “Your compensations make amends…all thy vexations were but
trials of thy love”
Prospero realising • “our revels now are ended…baseless fabric of this vision”
Humanity over • “We are such stuff that dreams are made on; and our little life is
magic rounded with sleep”
• “my old brain is troubled” (rethinking his actions)
After the elaborate masque Prospero realises that although it was enduring at the
time, it is merely an illusion which quickly faded and compares this to the idea of
inevitable death. He begins to question the meaning of his existence and what he has
actually achieved
• ‘Lies at my mercy all mine enemies”
Epilogue • “my charms are all o’erthrown and what strength I have’s mine
own” (he threw away his magic but the audience keeps him trapped)
• “Mercy itself and frees all faults”(audience has power to forgive)
• “you from crimes would pardoned be, let your indulgence set
me free”(power lies within the audience – they can also choose forgiveness)
Ariel
Theme Quote
Ariel praising • “all hail, great master!”
Prospero • “I come to answer thy best pleasure”
• “what thou my potent master”(asking what he has to do for the
wedding)
Ariel acting as • “brimful sorrow and dismay” (tells Prospero of the state he’s put
counsellor the prisoners in)
• If “I were human” (Ariel reminds Prospero that since he is actually
human he should have more remorse)
Prospero
Theme Quote
Magic and loss of • “to my state grew stranger, being transported and rapt in secret
power in studies”
Dukedom • “I, thus neglecting worldly ends”
• “knowing I loved my books, he [Antonio] furnished me from
mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedom”
Giving up magic • “I’ll break my staff, burry it certain fathoms in the earth and
deeper than ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book”
• “this rough magic I here abjure”
Want for revenge • “mine enemies, are all knit up in their distractions. They are now
in my power” (after P and A scare the group; before P confronts them
properly)
• “hath mine enemies brought to this shore”
• “my brother and thy uncle, called Antonio…whom next thyself of
all the world I loved ”
Acceptance & • “most wicked sir, whom to call brother…I do forgive thy rankest
Forgiveness fault – all of them; and require my dukedom of thee” (Prospero to
(Antonio and Antonio)
Alonso) • “I embrace thy body, and to thee and thy company I bid a hearty
welcome”
• “let us not burden our remembrances with a heaviness that’s
gone”
• “I’ll deliver all, and promise you calm seas”
• “the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” (to Ariel)
• ‘nobler reasons ‘gainst my fury’
• “one of their kind”
Prospero and • “o good Gonzalo, my true preserver and a loyal sir… I will pay thy
Gonzalo grace”
Prospero and • “dost thou forget from what torment I did free thee”
Ariel at beginning • “what is’t thou canst demand?...No more”
• “after two days I will discharge thee”
Prospero Freeing • “my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee but yet thou shalt have
Ariel freedom”
• “bravely my diligence. Thou shalt art be free” (aside after Ariel fixes
the boat)
, Prospero and • “Caliban my slave, who never yields us kind answers”
Caliban at the • “thou most lying slave… till thou didst seek to violate the honour
beginning of my child”
• “thou poisonous slave got by the devil himself”
Prospero and • “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine”(P recognises he caused
Caliban at the Caliban to become evil to an extent)
end • “set Caliban and his companions free. Untie the spell”
•
Prospero and • “I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit than other princess’
Miranda can”
• “Thou wast that did preserve me”(Miranda kept him hopeful when
shipwrecked)
Prospero with the • “I must bestow upon the eyes of this young couple some vanity
wedding of mine” (magic show)
• “Your compensations make amends…all thy vexations were but
trials of thy love”
Prospero realising • “our revels now are ended…baseless fabric of this vision”
Humanity over • “We are such stuff that dreams are made on; and our little life is
magic rounded with sleep”
• “my old brain is troubled” (rethinking his actions)
After the elaborate masque Prospero realises that although it was enduring at the
time, it is merely an illusion which quickly faded and compares this to the idea of
inevitable death. He begins to question the meaning of his existence and what he has
actually achieved
• ‘Lies at my mercy all mine enemies”
Epilogue • “my charms are all o’erthrown and what strength I have’s mine
own” (he threw away his magic but the audience keeps him trapped)
• “Mercy itself and frees all faults”(audience has power to forgive)
• “you from crimes would pardoned be, let your indulgence set
me free”(power lies within the audience – they can also choose forgiveness)
Ariel
Theme Quote
Ariel praising • “all hail, great master!”
Prospero • “I come to answer thy best pleasure”
• “what thou my potent master”(asking what he has to do for the
wedding)
Ariel acting as • “brimful sorrow and dismay” (tells Prospero of the state he’s put
counsellor the prisoners in)
• If “I were human” (Ariel reminds Prospero that since he is actually
human he should have more remorse)
