TEMPEST
BENEVOLENT AUTHORITY VS. HIERARCHICAL POWER
ACT 1 SCENE 1 – B vs. Ant + S
“Take in the top sail… Blow till thou burst thy wind” – B
Group of imperatives “take”, “tend”, “blow”
Personification “burst” gives storm power more than men
Mockery a challenge to nature
Monosyllabic emphasises frustration
“You mar our labour, Keep your cabins. You do assist the storm” “I pray now keep below” – B
Continuation of imperatives
“Pray” highlights religious
Boatswain knows best context-dependent authority
“What cares these roarers for the name of the king?” – B
Mockery, rhetorical q, personification
“Roarers animalistic (lion) imagery of sound of predator
“Use your authority!” – B
Mockery of manmade power
Society hierarchy, GCOB, DROK
Significant social values
Imperative, harsh tone
“A pox o’your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog” – S
Imagery of smallpox wishing disease on Boatswain
Triple emphasis
“B” sound plosives
“Dog” view him as lower dehumanisation, mockery, contemptuous tone
“Bawling” B is making senseless noise
“Blasphemous” insult to God
“Incharitable” nothing to offer, not giving, no benevolence
“Hang, cur! Hang you whoreson, insolent noisemaker!” – Ant
Death wish upon B
Triple emphasis
Extending each other’s imagery
“Cur!” dog
“Whoreson” illegitimately born of an unmarried/unethical women
“Insolent” refuse to submit to auth
1
, ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Authority
“A prince of power”
Plosive use of alliteration
Stresses feelings of self-importance
“Thy Father was the Duke of Milan”
Had high status in Naples according to GCOB
Revealed that P was a former Duke
“I lov’d”
Innocent victim of betrayal (Ant)
Juxtaposition in a dual nature sympathetic/calm but angry/vengeful
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Magic
“I have with such provision in mine art/ So safely ordered”
P has used his magic to create shipwreck to bring his enemies to the island
Revenge or reconciliation? not revealed intentionally
Appears destructive yet he says “no harm” has been caused
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Treatment of Ariel
“My brave spirit”
“My” personal pronoun implies intimacy between P and A
“Brave” term of endearment, mutually respective relationship
HOWEVER “My” seen as ownership P nurtures A
“Dost thou forget from what a torment I did free thee?”
Manipulation
Contemptuous tone causes guilt
“Thou liest malignant thing”
Implication of possible betrayal conditional love
Objectification, dehumanisation
P’s authority is challenged
“After two days, I will discharge thee”
Similarities between P and Sycorax
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Treatment of M
“Both, both my girl”
Peaceful, caring tone
He loves her personal pronoun “my”
Has responsibility for her
“I pray thee, mark me”
“Pray” he hopes she pays attention to his fatherly lessons
2
BENEVOLENT AUTHORITY VS. HIERARCHICAL POWER
ACT 1 SCENE 1 – B vs. Ant + S
“Take in the top sail… Blow till thou burst thy wind” – B
Group of imperatives “take”, “tend”, “blow”
Personification “burst” gives storm power more than men
Mockery a challenge to nature
Monosyllabic emphasises frustration
“You mar our labour, Keep your cabins. You do assist the storm” “I pray now keep below” – B
Continuation of imperatives
“Pray” highlights religious
Boatswain knows best context-dependent authority
“What cares these roarers for the name of the king?” – B
Mockery, rhetorical q, personification
“Roarers animalistic (lion) imagery of sound of predator
“Use your authority!” – B
Mockery of manmade power
Society hierarchy, GCOB, DROK
Significant social values
Imperative, harsh tone
“A pox o’your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog” – S
Imagery of smallpox wishing disease on Boatswain
Triple emphasis
“B” sound plosives
“Dog” view him as lower dehumanisation, mockery, contemptuous tone
“Bawling” B is making senseless noise
“Blasphemous” insult to God
“Incharitable” nothing to offer, not giving, no benevolence
“Hang, cur! Hang you whoreson, insolent noisemaker!” – Ant
Death wish upon B
Triple emphasis
Extending each other’s imagery
“Cur!” dog
“Whoreson” illegitimately born of an unmarried/unethical women
“Insolent” refuse to submit to auth
1
, ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Authority
“A prince of power”
Plosive use of alliteration
Stresses feelings of self-importance
“Thy Father was the Duke of Milan”
Had high status in Naples according to GCOB
Revealed that P was a former Duke
“I lov’d”
Innocent victim of betrayal (Ant)
Juxtaposition in a dual nature sympathetic/calm but angry/vengeful
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Magic
“I have with such provision in mine art/ So safely ordered”
P has used his magic to create shipwreck to bring his enemies to the island
Revenge or reconciliation? not revealed intentionally
Appears destructive yet he says “no harm” has been caused
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Treatment of Ariel
“My brave spirit”
“My” personal pronoun implies intimacy between P and A
“Brave” term of endearment, mutually respective relationship
HOWEVER “My” seen as ownership P nurtures A
“Dost thou forget from what a torment I did free thee?”
Manipulation
Contemptuous tone causes guilt
“Thou liest malignant thing”
Implication of possible betrayal conditional love
Objectification, dehumanisation
P’s authority is challenged
“After two days, I will discharge thee”
Similarities between P and Sycorax
ACT 1 SCENE 2 – P’s Treatment of M
“Both, both my girl”
Peaceful, caring tone
He loves her personal pronoun “my”
Has responsibility for her
“I pray thee, mark me”
“Pray” he hopes she pays attention to his fatherly lessons
2
