1
Apr-22
2a. The Tempest – Drama and Poetry pre-1900
Act 1:
Summary:
Shipwreck; nobility get in the way of mariners and Boatswain.
Prospero tells Miranda the story of his usurpation and why he has caused the storm; paid more
attention to his studies than his dukedom, giving Antonio the opportunity to work with the King
to usurp him. Taken to the island and helped by Gonzalo.
Introduced to Ariel, who created the storm. He tells Prospero he has scattered the nobles across
the island. Asks for his freedom in exchange. Prospero reminds him of the torment caused by
Sycorax.
Introduced to Caliban, Prospero’s slave. He is defiant and Prospero threatens him. We learn that
the island is rightfully his, passed down from his mother Sycorax, and of his knowledge of it. Also
learn that he attempted to rape Miranda, explaining Prospero’s rage. Miranda recalls how she
taught Caliban to speak their language.
Ariel charms Ferdinand into thinking his father has drowned. Miranda and Ferdinand meet and
instantly fall in love. Prospero faux-challenges Ferdinand, ultimately attempting to lead him to
marry Miranda.
Key quotes:
o Boatswain: “You do assist the storm” – subversion of GCB
o Sebastian: “You bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog” – subversion of GCB; prose
o Prospero: “The direful spectacle of the wreck” – Prospero as a magus
o Prospero: “Thy false uncle” - betrayal
o Prospero: “Thee, my dear one, thee my daughter” – closeness/intimacy
o Prospero: “My brave spirit”, “Thou liest, malignant thing” – control of Ariel
o Prospero: “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself” – Caliban as inferior
o Caliban: “I must eat my dinner” – quiet defiance
o Caliban: “Fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile”
o Ferdinand: “O, you wonder!”, “I’ll make you the Queen of Naples” – courtly love; sign of
order.
Act 2:
Summary:
Nobles find themselves on the island. Gonzalo tries to cheer up Alonso, who believes his son is
dead; Sebastian and Antonio make fun of him. Gonzalo says if he ruled the island, he would have
no law, no jobs, equality between men/women and different races, no marriage, no crime etc.
Ariel charms Alonso, Gonzalo, and the other nobles to sleep. Sebastian and Antonio remain – evil
characters are given space to plot. Antonio convinces Sebastian to kill his brother in order to
become king, as Antonio himself usurped Prospero. The pair plot to kill the King and Gonzalo.
Caliban complains about Prospero’s torment of him. He sees Trinculo and thinks he is one of
Prospero’s spirits. Trinculo talks of bringing him to England to make money and hides in his cloak
for safety. Stephano enters drunk and Caliban thinks he is another of Prospero’s spirits. Stephano
and Trinculo reunite.
Caliban realises they are not spirits and decided to worship Stephano as his new master.
Stephano and Trinculo take advantage of this and make fun of him. They realise if everyone else
is drowned, they can take over the island as their own (link to being S/A comic sub-plot).
, 2
Apr-22
Key quotes:
o Gonzalo: “No name of magistrate … no occupation … women, too, but innocent and pure.”
o Antonio: “My strong imagination sees a crown / Dropping upon thy head.”
o Antonio: “Look how well my garments sit upon me”
o Sebastian: “But for your conscience?”, Antonio: “Ay, sir, where lies that?”
o Caliban: “All the infections that the sun sucks up / … on Prosper fall”
o Trinculo: “They will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a
dead Indian.”
o Caliban: “The spirit torments me! O!”
o Caliban: “These be fine things … / That’s a brave god”
o Trinculo: “This puppy-headed monster”
o Stephano: “All out company else being drowned, we will inherit here”
Act 3:
Summary:
Miranda and Ferdinand agree to marry; Ferdinand acts as the courtly lover. Prospero watches
from afar, pleased that his plan is unfolding.
Caliban tells Stephano and Trinculo of Prospero and how evil he is. They plot to kill him and take
over the island, Stephano marrying Miranda. Caliban points out that Prospero’s power is in his
books and that they need to be destroyed. His love for the island is shown.
The nobles are faced with the façade of the banquet to test their naivety and primal instincts.
Ariel appears as a harpy, telling them they have sinned and are responsible for the exile of
Prospero and Miranda and deserve to be punished. Prospero watches from afar, declaring that
they are in his power.
Key quotes:
o Ferdinand: “The top of admiration” … “What’s dearest to the world!”
o Miranda: “Do you love me?”
o Caliban: “Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake”
o Caliban: “First to possess his books, for without them / He’s but a sot.”
o Caliban: “This isle is full of … / Sounds and sweet airs … / a thousand twangling instruments”
o Ariel: “You ‘mongst men being most unfit to live”
o Prospero: “Mine enemies, are all knit up / … they now are in my power”
Act 4:
Summary:
Prospero gives Ferdinand his blessing and Miranda’s hand in marriage. He celebrates their love
with a masque, performed by his spirits to bless their union.
Prospero remembers the threats made towards him by Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo. He
announces the masque as nothing but a façade.
Stephano and Trinculo try on robes, which Caliban recognises to be insignificant, preparing to kill
Prospero.
Prospero and Ariel gear up to face Caliban.
Key quotes:
o Prospero: “Worthily purchased, take my daughter”
o Juno: “Honour, riches, marriage-blessing”, Ceres: “Earth’s increase, foison plenty”
o Prospero: “The baseless fabric of this vision … / this insubstantial pageant faded”
o Prospero: “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick”
o Caliban: “It is but trash”
o Prospero: “Lies at my mercy all mine enemies”
Apr-22
2a. The Tempest – Drama and Poetry pre-1900
Act 1:
Summary:
Shipwreck; nobility get in the way of mariners and Boatswain.
Prospero tells Miranda the story of his usurpation and why he has caused the storm; paid more
attention to his studies than his dukedom, giving Antonio the opportunity to work with the King
to usurp him. Taken to the island and helped by Gonzalo.
Introduced to Ariel, who created the storm. He tells Prospero he has scattered the nobles across
the island. Asks for his freedom in exchange. Prospero reminds him of the torment caused by
Sycorax.
Introduced to Caliban, Prospero’s slave. He is defiant and Prospero threatens him. We learn that
the island is rightfully his, passed down from his mother Sycorax, and of his knowledge of it. Also
learn that he attempted to rape Miranda, explaining Prospero’s rage. Miranda recalls how she
taught Caliban to speak their language.
Ariel charms Ferdinand into thinking his father has drowned. Miranda and Ferdinand meet and
instantly fall in love. Prospero faux-challenges Ferdinand, ultimately attempting to lead him to
marry Miranda.
Key quotes:
o Boatswain: “You do assist the storm” – subversion of GCB
o Sebastian: “You bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog” – subversion of GCB; prose
o Prospero: “The direful spectacle of the wreck” – Prospero as a magus
o Prospero: “Thy false uncle” - betrayal
o Prospero: “Thee, my dear one, thee my daughter” – closeness/intimacy
o Prospero: “My brave spirit”, “Thou liest, malignant thing” – control of Ariel
o Prospero: “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself” – Caliban as inferior
o Caliban: “I must eat my dinner” – quiet defiance
o Caliban: “Fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile”
o Ferdinand: “O, you wonder!”, “I’ll make you the Queen of Naples” – courtly love; sign of
order.
Act 2:
Summary:
Nobles find themselves on the island. Gonzalo tries to cheer up Alonso, who believes his son is
dead; Sebastian and Antonio make fun of him. Gonzalo says if he ruled the island, he would have
no law, no jobs, equality between men/women and different races, no marriage, no crime etc.
Ariel charms Alonso, Gonzalo, and the other nobles to sleep. Sebastian and Antonio remain – evil
characters are given space to plot. Antonio convinces Sebastian to kill his brother in order to
become king, as Antonio himself usurped Prospero. The pair plot to kill the King and Gonzalo.
Caliban complains about Prospero’s torment of him. He sees Trinculo and thinks he is one of
Prospero’s spirits. Trinculo talks of bringing him to England to make money and hides in his cloak
for safety. Stephano enters drunk and Caliban thinks he is another of Prospero’s spirits. Stephano
and Trinculo reunite.
Caliban realises they are not spirits and decided to worship Stephano as his new master.
Stephano and Trinculo take advantage of this and make fun of him. They realise if everyone else
is drowned, they can take over the island as their own (link to being S/A comic sub-plot).
, 2
Apr-22
Key quotes:
o Gonzalo: “No name of magistrate … no occupation … women, too, but innocent and pure.”
o Antonio: “My strong imagination sees a crown / Dropping upon thy head.”
o Antonio: “Look how well my garments sit upon me”
o Sebastian: “But for your conscience?”, Antonio: “Ay, sir, where lies that?”
o Caliban: “All the infections that the sun sucks up / … on Prosper fall”
o Trinculo: “They will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a
dead Indian.”
o Caliban: “The spirit torments me! O!”
o Caliban: “These be fine things … / That’s a brave god”
o Trinculo: “This puppy-headed monster”
o Stephano: “All out company else being drowned, we will inherit here”
Act 3:
Summary:
Miranda and Ferdinand agree to marry; Ferdinand acts as the courtly lover. Prospero watches
from afar, pleased that his plan is unfolding.
Caliban tells Stephano and Trinculo of Prospero and how evil he is. They plot to kill him and take
over the island, Stephano marrying Miranda. Caliban points out that Prospero’s power is in his
books and that they need to be destroyed. His love for the island is shown.
The nobles are faced with the façade of the banquet to test their naivety and primal instincts.
Ariel appears as a harpy, telling them they have sinned and are responsible for the exile of
Prospero and Miranda and deserve to be punished. Prospero watches from afar, declaring that
they are in his power.
Key quotes:
o Ferdinand: “The top of admiration” … “What’s dearest to the world!”
o Miranda: “Do you love me?”
o Caliban: “Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake”
o Caliban: “First to possess his books, for without them / He’s but a sot.”
o Caliban: “This isle is full of … / Sounds and sweet airs … / a thousand twangling instruments”
o Ariel: “You ‘mongst men being most unfit to live”
o Prospero: “Mine enemies, are all knit up / … they now are in my power”
Act 4:
Summary:
Prospero gives Ferdinand his blessing and Miranda’s hand in marriage. He celebrates their love
with a masque, performed by his spirits to bless their union.
Prospero remembers the threats made towards him by Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo. He
announces the masque as nothing but a façade.
Stephano and Trinculo try on robes, which Caliban recognises to be insignificant, preparing to kill
Prospero.
Prospero and Ariel gear up to face Caliban.
Key quotes:
o Prospero: “Worthily purchased, take my daughter”
o Juno: “Honour, riches, marriage-blessing”, Ceres: “Earth’s increase, foison plenty”
o Prospero: “The baseless fabric of this vision … / this insubstantial pageant faded”
o Prospero: “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick”
o Caliban: “It is but trash”
o Prospero: “Lies at my mercy all mine enemies”
