The Tempest Class Notes
Act 1, Scene 1
▪ Storm symbolism: chaos is going to take place -> Boatswain gives orders and people don’t like that.
The storm was engineered by Prospero (by Ariel] to get this boat stranded.
▪ We find out about Ariel and how he is imprisoned and wants to be free.
▪ Everything is set up in the first act.
▪ Antonio and Sebastian are self serving and arrogant
▪ Gonzalo talks about a utopia – very diplomatic.
▪ Boatswain is trying to get everyone to safety and Alonso questions his authority which pisses him off
bc he has years of experience. ‘Just because you’re in a place of authority you think you can tell me
what to do’.
▪ The drowning mark: not making it out alive – mariners were very superstitious and later we learn
that this whole event was done on purpose by P to get everyone to the island.
▪ Born to be hanged: he looks like the type of criminal who should be executed instead of drowning
(juxtaposition)
▪ Just this encounter and then having P tell us his story, makes us understand why P would want to get
his revenge on these fools
▪ Antonio blames Boatswain for this storm
▪ They realize they’re probs going to die. Gonzalo says he wished he could die on land.
▪ This scene opened the play with something great which captivates the audience.
Act 1, Scene 2
▪ P & Miranda were watching this whole fiasco take place from the island.
▪ The idea of colonization is evident here – P took Caliban’s island and made the boy serve him. Caliban
has reason to hate P. Ariel enjoys working for P, but he wants his freedom.
▪ M is very empathetic: “O, I have suffer’d with those that I saw suffer”. She has never seen anyone
aside from those on the island with her. She is very innocent and naïve.
▪ They sit and P talks to M about what’s going on. M says she’s often asked her dad about her past and
he always says he can’t explain to her yet. He tells her to obey and behave. M was 3 when they left
Milan. M says her memories of home are like a dream, she remembers the servants that took care of
her. “Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and a prince of power”. We can only assume that her mother
died when she was little. P says it was both a blessing and a curse that they had to leave. P used to
trust his brother insane amounts and he Left his estate to Antonio so he could study his magic. P was
an irresponsible leader who left everything to Antonio. Antonio felt it was his right to be Duke.
▪ “Thy false uncle”
▪ While P was caught up in his magic studies, his brother was forming his own alliances and was going
on about how terrible P was at being a Duke – “the ivy which hid my princely trunk”. He
acknowledges that while he was bettering his mind, his brother was doing everything. Antonio turned
on his brother and “talked falsely of him”.
▪ Ambition is a big thing bc everyone is trying to get rid of everyone to get more power. You will trample
on anyone to get to the top.
▪ “My library was dukedom enough”
▪ P’s brother went to the king to say he should be the Duke of Milan.
▪ “Good wombs have borne bad sons.”
▪ P has no idea what Antonio promised the king to get the dukedom. P was loved by his people. He
says he was taken out to sea with M on a bad night. M believes she was a burden, but P says she gave
him the strength to carry on. Gonzalo helped them get away – gave them food, clothes, P’s magic
books. P valued his magic over his dukedom.
▪ “Mine enemies” -> there’s a sense of destiny/fate here so he can take his revenge.
▪ Magic: cloaks are a symbol of magic, but they’re also meant to hide things.
Act 1, Scene 1
▪ Storm symbolism: chaos is going to take place -> Boatswain gives orders and people don’t like that.
The storm was engineered by Prospero (by Ariel] to get this boat stranded.
▪ We find out about Ariel and how he is imprisoned and wants to be free.
▪ Everything is set up in the first act.
▪ Antonio and Sebastian are self serving and arrogant
▪ Gonzalo talks about a utopia – very diplomatic.
▪ Boatswain is trying to get everyone to safety and Alonso questions his authority which pisses him off
bc he has years of experience. ‘Just because you’re in a place of authority you think you can tell me
what to do’.
▪ The drowning mark: not making it out alive – mariners were very superstitious and later we learn
that this whole event was done on purpose by P to get everyone to the island.
▪ Born to be hanged: he looks like the type of criminal who should be executed instead of drowning
(juxtaposition)
▪ Just this encounter and then having P tell us his story, makes us understand why P would want to get
his revenge on these fools
▪ Antonio blames Boatswain for this storm
▪ They realize they’re probs going to die. Gonzalo says he wished he could die on land.
▪ This scene opened the play with something great which captivates the audience.
Act 1, Scene 2
▪ P & Miranda were watching this whole fiasco take place from the island.
▪ The idea of colonization is evident here – P took Caliban’s island and made the boy serve him. Caliban
has reason to hate P. Ariel enjoys working for P, but he wants his freedom.
▪ M is very empathetic: “O, I have suffer’d with those that I saw suffer”. She has never seen anyone
aside from those on the island with her. She is very innocent and naïve.
▪ They sit and P talks to M about what’s going on. M says she’s often asked her dad about her past and
he always says he can’t explain to her yet. He tells her to obey and behave. M was 3 when they left
Milan. M says her memories of home are like a dream, she remembers the servants that took care of
her. “Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and a prince of power”. We can only assume that her mother
died when she was little. P says it was both a blessing and a curse that they had to leave. P used to
trust his brother insane amounts and he Left his estate to Antonio so he could study his magic. P was
an irresponsible leader who left everything to Antonio. Antonio felt it was his right to be Duke.
▪ “Thy false uncle”
▪ While P was caught up in his magic studies, his brother was forming his own alliances and was going
on about how terrible P was at being a Duke – “the ivy which hid my princely trunk”. He
acknowledges that while he was bettering his mind, his brother was doing everything. Antonio turned
on his brother and “talked falsely of him”.
▪ Ambition is a big thing bc everyone is trying to get rid of everyone to get more power. You will trample
on anyone to get to the top.
▪ “My library was dukedom enough”
▪ P’s brother went to the king to say he should be the Duke of Milan.
▪ “Good wombs have borne bad sons.”
▪ P has no idea what Antonio promised the king to get the dukedom. P was loved by his people. He
says he was taken out to sea with M on a bad night. M believes she was a burden, but P says she gave
him the strength to carry on. Gonzalo helped them get away – gave them food, clothes, P’s magic
books. P valued his magic over his dukedom.
▪ “Mine enemies” -> there’s a sense of destiny/fate here so he can take his revenge.
▪ Magic: cloaks are a symbol of magic, but they’re also meant to hide things.
