| “I thank thee, master” -Ariel | Power & submissive Prospero is reffered to as “master” which separates himself from the rest, creating a hierarchy of power. Thus, this conveys he is in charge, the master of all |
| ‘Shalt be as free / As mountain winds’ -Prospero | Power & Control |
| “You have a piteous heart…wipe thine eyes” -Prospero @ Miranda | Power & ControlSuggests Miranda is a weak and sensitive character, able to empathize with other characters, unlike Prospero who is taught this human trait by Ariel, “the brave spirit”. |
| “Sit down…obey and be attentive” -Prospero | Power & ControlThe imperatives convey the control and power Prospero has on Miranda. Thus, she is a “spineless tool”, easily manipulated with no personal views/morals. |
| Prospero through the power of Ariel, manipulates the audience’s feelings through the use of music. It setts mood and atmosphere. | Music |
| “Had I not four or five women that tended me?” -Miranda | Power & HierarchyPrevious rich status she comes from. |
| “I’ll be your servant” -Miranda | Submissive & HierarchyIronic, as although the “four or five women” that “tended” her can be interpreted as a typical deed rich people/high statuses would acquire, for marriage she is capable of degrading herself. Power of love/marriage. Miranda’s naivity is displayed because she has never met anybody but Prospero, Caliban and Ferdinad, she is “perfect” and “peerless”, reinforced by her amazed reaction “O brave new world that has such people in it”. This suggests she is unexperienced as she is reliant on Prospero “sit down…obey and be attentive” and she has a “piteous heart”. |
| “I will not take too much for him” -Stephano, selling Caliban | Morality Takes advantage of Caliban.Importance of money, greed within society is highlighted; self-centred |
| “I’ll kiss thy shoe…I’ll kneel to him my noble lord…I’ll take you to the fresh springs” -Caliban | Morality Sympathy for Caliban, good intentions yet is taken advantage. Hierarchy between Stephano, Ariel, Prospero |
| “Be my good…I’ll worship you” -Caliban @ | Submissive & loyalty Shows loyalty through servitude. Uneducated, doesn’t know how to act towards someone besides servitude |
| “Letters should not be known, riches, poverty…No occupation, all men idle; all” -Gonzalo | Utopia |
| “I would with such perfection govern, sir,” -Gonzalo | Utopia & PowerIronic in comparison to his statement above.Seeks to be in control, at the top of hierarchy; ruler |
| “Women…innocent and pure” -Gonzalo | WomenExpectations of women’s purity in the Shakespearean time; held reputation, image and desirability of womenMiranda, with her “virgin knot” holds Prospero’s reputation thus is described as a “rich gift”. This could be interpreted as objectifying women because a gift can be bought with money or be given as a present. Therefore, Shakespeare outlines women as immoral. |
| “Dishonour the virtue of my child” -Prospero | Possessive & Morality & Protection Caliban threatening miranda with rape. Desire “to people the isle with little Calibans”Instinctive nature, immoralEnslaves Caliban |
| “A bastard got by the devil himself” -Prospero | Power & Magic Disallows inheritance of the isle because his mother was |
| “Subject to a tyrant” -Caliban about Prospero | MoralityProspero is an oppressive and cruel leader, TYYYrant |
| “Servant monster” “I’ll bite thee” -Caliban | Alienation Reinforcement that Caliban is a “monster” from his capability to “bite” which is associated with an animalistic view |
| “The isle is mine by Sycorax my mother” -Caliban | ColonisationDesires his freedom back; oppressedHulmes– colonizer and colonized |
| “People the isle with little Calibans” -Caliban | Colonization & Animalistic instincts Caliban desires to gain back his island and his attempt to rape Miranda could be justified due to his loneliness and lust for power. |
| “You taught me language and my profit…is I know how to curse” -Caliban”The red plague rid you…For learning me your language!” | ColonizationDue to Prospero’s colonization of the island, implementing language on Caliban, he turns this power of speech against Prospero. |
| “Your tales could cure deafness” -Miranda | Power & WomenHyperbole; Prospero’s tales are a remedy |
| “perfect and peerless” -Ferdinand | WomenAlliteration suggests over-rehearsed line; had admired many women before Miranda; lack of purity However, it is expected from women |
| “Virgin knot” is a “rich gift” -Prospero | Women & objectification”knot” may symbolize the connection of virginity with reputations and desirability “rich gift” – can be bought, given as a present; manipulated |
| “You have often begun to tell me what I am” -Miranda | Women & PowerMiranda realizes the dependence she has on her father. She is not herself but someone Prospero wants her to be |
| “O brave new world that has such people in it” -Miranda | Women & Innocence Her purity compared to Ferdinand; not exposed to real world, unexperienced and naive under Prospero’s control |
| “a piece of virtue” -Prospero | WomenAbsence of Prospero’s wife, forced him to act as both father and mother to Miranda.Legitimacy from his wife “She said thou wast my daughter” |
| “fairy imp” -Ariel | Magical creature/spirit |
| “your affections would become tender …mine would,sir, if were I human” -Ariel | Morality & HumanityAbility to feel empathy although it’s a spirit; teaches Prospero human traits due to his lack of emotions |
| “Pluck my magic garmet” -Prospero | Magic & PowerImperative, asserts power and hierarchy; division of roles |
| “no sight but thine and mine, invisible to every eyeball else” -Prospero | Magic & PowerAriel shall be invisible to everyone else but him Suppression |
| “thou liest, malignant thing!” -Prospero @Ariel | Power & MagicAriel is under Prospero’s control; as he refuses to perform task asked, he employs an adjective which as also used for Caliban”malignant” highlights that once Ariel disobeys, it transforms him into an evil spirit thus enforcing guilt in order to perform the tasks; manipulates and guilt trips |
| “What cares these roarers for the name of king?” -Boatswain | Social rolesDestruction and ignorance of hierarchy; in life/death situation they lose significance; titles do not help with surviving thus only have purpose within society |
| “my delicate Ariel…my brave spirit…my dainty Ariel…my industrious servant” -Prospero | Power & PossessivenessEmphasizes possessive nature of Ariel, reinforcing it belongs to him thus asserting power to control and manipulate Ariel.Suppression and domination techniques |
| “I must eat my dinner” -Caliban | Power & Authority Prospero’s most powerful weapon over Caliban is withholding of food, as argued by Hulmes. Thus Caliban is reliant on Prospero in order to ensure he survives. He cannot eat unless master Prospero allows him. However, it is ironic as he knows where “the hot springs” and “thee berries” are, as the island is his by “mother Sycorax”. |
| “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” -Prospero | Magic & Illusion Life is a dream, illusion of reality The universe he created on the island is but an “illusion” of his art |
| Lytton (AO5) – “bored with everything in fact…except poetical dreams” -> The Tempest is a result of “boredom” | Exotic location followed by improbable events suggests the play is a play and not “a piece of life” thus reinforcing Shakespeare’s play is an illusion.Entertain James Ist & celebrate his daughter’s marriage -> Juno, Ceres, Iris; blessing spirits for prosperity. Cupid is excluded as marriage is meant to be honest and loyal, not a lust and romance seeker |
The Tempest – A level English literature
July 17, 2019