The Tempest

1
The Tempest

• Lesson 4

2
Examination tips

• 4 areas of focus character
• theme
• language
• performance
• 2 extracts must write about both Act I scene
  ii 189-321
• Act V scene i 1-134
• quotations relevant and embedded
• word choice use as many words related to the
  key words in the question as possible
• summaries use the grey boxes to help link
  extracts to question in first paragraph
• structure must make a point of view into a
  controlled argument

3
Language questions

• How does Richard use language to deceive others
  and to hide his plans to become King? (2006)
• How does Macbeths language show that he feels
  afraid but is determined to keep his power?
  (2005)
• How does Viola use language to hide her true
  feelings from Orsino and Olivia? (2003)

4
Read the summary of the set scenes and make up 4
language based questions from the information you
are given

• Act I scene ii 189-321
• In this scene, Ariel tells Prospero how the
  storm was created and how the King and his men
  fared. Ariel tells of how he ensured that all
  were safely on the island now and the crew left
  sleeping on the ship. When Ariel asks to be freed
  from Prosperos control, Prospero recalls the
  state he found the spirit in when under the power
  of an Algerian witch. Ariel agrees to do more
  work for Prospero who vows to set the spirit free
  in two days.
• Act V scene i 1-134
• In this scene, Prospero reveals his true
  identity to the King and his men, reclaiming his
  Dukedom of Milan and forgving the crimes of his
  brothers. Ariel prepares to be set free and
  Gonzalo is rewarded with thanks for service to
  Prospero when he was banished.

5
In these extracts, how does the language create a
magical atmosphere?
In this scene, Prospero reminds Ariel of the
world that he was rescued from.
In this scene, Prospero prepares to re-enter the
civil world and relinquishes his magical powers.
PROSPERO Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing
lakes, and groves And ye that on the sands with
printless foot Do chase the ebbing Neptune, and
do fly him 35 When he comes back you
demi-puppets that By moonshine do the green sour
ringlets make, Whereof the ewe not bites and you
whose pastime Is to make midnight mushrooms, that
rejoice To hear the solemn curfew by whose aid
40 (Weak masters though ye be) I have
bedimmed The noontide sun, called forth the
mutinous winds, And twixt the green sea and the
azured vault Set roaring war. To the dread
rattling thunder Have I given fire, and rifted
Joves stout oak 45 With his own bolt. The
strong-based promontory Have I made shake, and by
the spurs plucked up The pine and cedar. Graves
at my command Have waked their sleepers, oped,
and let em forth By my so potent Art. But this
rough magic 50 I here abjure. And, when I have
required Some heavenly music (which even now I
do), To work mine end upon their senses that This
airy charm is for, Ill break my staff, Bury it
certain fathoms in the earth, 55 And deeper
than did ever plummet sound Ill drown my book.

• Extracts
• PROSPERO Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou
  forgot
• The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy
• Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?
• ARIEL No, sir.
• PROSPERO Thou hast. Where was she born? Speak.
  Tell me! 260
• ARIEL Sir, in Algiers.
• PROSPERO O, was she so? I must
• Once in a month recount what thou hast been,
• Which thou forgetst. This damned witch Sycorax,
• For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible
• To enter human hearing, from Algiers, 265
• Thou knowst, was banished. For one thing she did
• They would not take her life. Is not this true?
• ARIEL Ay, sir.
• PROSPERO This blue-eyed hag was hither brought
  with child,
• And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave,
  270
• As thou reportst thyself, wast then her servant.
• And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate

6
In these extracts, how does the language create a
magical atmosphere?

• Do we agree with the question? How can we use
  the summaries?
• The language and the way the language is
  structured helps to create a magical atmosphere
  at key moments in the play. Here, where we have
  Prospero as master magician, with Ariel his
  slave, Prospero enjoys the creation of atmosphere
  through his use of language. And later, when
  Prospero is relinquishing his use of magic, he
  uses language to convey his appreciation of the
  potent art.
• In the first extract, references to the foul
  witch Sycorax with her mischiefs manifold and
  sorceries terrible, suggest that the world we
  are in is peopled by a range of fantastical
  creatures. The alliterative mischiefs manifold
  suggests Prosperos enjoyment of such a world as
  does the descriptive freckled whelp hag-born.
  The sound patterns of these words enhances the
  mysterious images that are conjured.
• In the second extract, Prospero indulges the
  romantic landscape he has inhabited for some
  time. The elves he converses with are referred
  to as chasers of Neptune, demi-puppets that
  make green sour ringlets by moonlight. The
  magic he has performed with the help of elves
  includes the noontime sun being bedimmed,
  calling up the mutinous winds and creating war
  between the green sea and the azured vault.
  The visions of an eclipse, wild winds and raging
  war between sea and sky create a powerful image
  for the audience. The references to the gods and
  nature place the visions in a romantic light and
  we understand how difficult it must be for
  Prospero to abjure.

7
Same extracts different focus

• What might a question on theme/performance/charac
  ter look like using the same texts and how might
  our choice of quotations change?