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| The Tempest by William Shakespeare A Newsletter Guide for AS and A Level IB and AP |
The Tempest by William Shakespeare A Newsletter Guide for AS and A Level IB and AP
This newsletter on The Tempest by William Shakespeare is designed for students preparing for international examinations at IB, A‑Level, AP, and university level . Each play is treated with the same rigorous, exam‑focused approach you have come to expect- detailed act‑wise summaries, in‑depth thematic and character analysis, exploration of literary techniques, model exam answers, and critical perspectives . All sections are written in clear, descriptive prose and every key term is explained fully .
This guide will equip you with the knowledge, analytical tools, and independent critical voice that examiners reward . Read actively, question everything, and do not be afraid to disagree – with the critics, with your teachers, and even with the Bard himself .
Act‑Wise Detailed Summary
The Tempest follows the classical unities of time (the action takes place over approximately three hours), place (the island), and action (a single plot) . The play is divided into five acts .
Act One- The play opens with a violent storm at sea . The ship carries Alonso, the King of Naples; his brother Sebastian; his son Ferdinand; Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan; and other courtiers . The boatswain and sailors struggle to save the ship, but the storm is too powerful . The courtiers panic and blame the sailors . The ship sinks .
The scene shifts to the island . Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, tells his daughter Miranda that he caused the storm with his magic . He reveals his history- twelve years ago, his brother Antonio usurped his dukedom, with the help of Alonso, King of Naples . Prospero and the infant Miranda were set adrift in a leaky boat but survived, thanks to the kindness of Gonzalo, a loyal courtier who provided them with food, water, and Prospero’s books . They landed on this island, where Prospero has since mastered magic and enslaved two inhabitants- Caliban, the monstrous son of the witch Sycorax, and Ariel, a spirit whom Prospero freed from imprisonment in a tree . Ariel reports that the shipwrecked courtiers are safe but scattered across the island . Prospero orders Ariel to bring Ferdinand to Miranda . Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love instantly . Prospero pretends to be angry and enslaves Ferdinand, ordering him to carry logs .
Act Two- On another part of the island, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and others wander in despair . Alonso believes his son Ferdinand has drowned . Gonzalo tries to cheer them, but Sebastian and Antonio mock him . Gonzalo describes his ideal commonwealth – a society without kings, contracts, or private property – a speech influenced by Montaigne . Ariel, invisible, casts a spell that makes everyone except Sebastian and Antonio fall asleep . Antonio persuades Sebastian to kill his brother Alonso and become King of Naples . They draw their swords, but Ariel wakes the sleepers . Sebastian and Antonio pretend they were protecting the King from wild beasts .
On another part of the island, the comic subplot begins . Caliban, carrying wood, curses Prospero . He encounters Trinculo, a jester, and Stephano, a butler, who have also survived the shipwreck . Caliban, who has been drinking, mistakes Stephano for a god and swears allegiance to him . He sings “Ban’Ban’ Cacaliban” and promises to show Stephano the island . Stephano and Trinculo are drunk and foolish . Caliban urges them to kill Prospero and make Stephano king of the island . He also proposes that Stephano take Miranda as his wife .
Act Three- Ferdinand, forced to carry logs, declares that he does not mind the labour because he can see Miranda . Miranda offers to carry the logs for him, but he refuses . They declare their love, and Miranda proposes marriage . Prospero, who has been watching, is pleased .
Meanwhile, Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are still plotting . Ariel, invisible, plays tricks on them, leading them through briars and pools . Caliban urges them to act quickly . Ariel reports the plot to Prospero .
In another part of the island, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo are exhausted . Ariel appears as a harpy (a mythical creature with a woman’s face and bird’s body) and accuses Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio of their crimes against Prospero . He tells them that their punishment is the loss of Ferdinand (who is, in fact, alive) . Alonso is stricken with guilt .
Act Four- Prospero accepts Ferdinand as his son‑in‑law . He warns Ferdinand not to break Miranda’s “virgin‑knot” before the wedding . He then conjures a masque (a courtly entertainment) with goddesses Iris, Juno, and Ceres, celebrating marriage and fertility . The masque celebrates the bounty of nature and the blessings of marriage . Suddenly, Prospero remembers the plot against his life and dismisses the spirits . He delivers his famous “Our revels now are ended” speech, comparing the masque to the insubstantial pageant of life- “We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep .” He sends Ariel to punish Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo . They are chased off by spirits in the shape of hunting dogs .
Act Five- Prospero, wearing his magic robes, announces that his “project” is now complete . He will forgive his enemies . Ariel brings the shipwrecked courtiers, who are still under a spell . Prospero confronts them but does not punish them . He forgives his brother Antonio and Alonso . He reveals that Ferdinand is alive and with Miranda . The young couple are discovered playing chess . Alonso is overjoyed . Prospero then shows Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, who are still drunk and wearing stolen clothes . Caliban, ashamed, promises to be good .
Prospero announces that he will break his staff and drown his book . He gives Ariel his freedom . The ship, which Ariel reveals was undamaged, is ready to sail . Prospero will return to Milan, where he will rule again . He asks the audience for forgiveness and freedom in the epilogue- “Now my charms are all o’erthrown, / And what strength I have’s mine own .” He asks the audience’s applause to release him .
Major Themes – Part One- Power, Colonisation, and Slavery
The most urgent theme in The Tempest for modern readers is the play’s engagement with colonialism, power, and slavery . The island is a colonial space- Prospero, a European, arrives as a castaway, subdues the native inhabitants (Caliban and Ariel), and imposes his will on the land . The play has been read as both an endorsement of colonialism and a critique of it, depending on one’s interpretation of Prospero and Caliban .
Prospero as Coloniser- Prospero’s relationship with Caliban is the central colonial dynamic . Caliban is the son of Sycorax, a witch who ruled the island before Prospero’s arrival . Caliban claims the island as his inheritance- “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother .” Prospero acknowledges that Caliban was initially treated kindly- “I have used thee, filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee in mine own cell .” But after Caliban attempted to rape Miranda, Prospero enslaved him . Caliban’s punishment is forced labour- “He does make our fire, fetch in our wood, and serve in offices that profit us .” This is a classic colonial relationship- the native is portrayed as savage, lascivious, and incapable of civilisation, and his enslavement is justified as necessary for his own good and for the safety of the colonisers . Prospero’s language is dehumanising- he calls Caliban “fifth,” “poisonous slave,” “tortoise,” and “devil .” Caliban, in response, curses Prospero in Prospero’s own language – a powerful act of resistance . His famous line “You taught me language, and my profit on’t / Is I know how to curse” exposes the double bind of colonialism- the coloniser gives the colonised language, but that language becomes a weapon against the coloniser .
Caliban as Victim or Monster? The play presents Caliban ambivalently . On one hand, he is a brutal, bestial figure . He attempted to rape Miranda . He is described as “a freckled whelp, hag‑born .” He worships Stephano as a god and plots to kill Prospero . On the other hand, Caliban speaks some of the play’s most beautiful poetry . His speech “Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, / Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not” reveals a sensitivity and a connection to the island’s natural magic that Prospero lacks . Caliban is not merely a monster; he is a complex figure whose anger and violence are responses to his enslavement . Postcolonial readings have emphasised Caliban as a symbol of the colonised subject – a figure who is demonised by the coloniser but who retains a dignity and a culture that the coloniser cannot fully destroy .
Ariel and the Politics of Servitude- Ariel is a spirit of the air, whom Prospero freed from imprisonment in a pine tree . In gratitude, Ariel serves Prospero . But Ariel’s servitude is not slavery; it is indentured labour with a promised end . Prospero constantly reminds Ariel of his debt- “Dost thou forget / From what a torment I did free thee?” Ariel is more compliant than Caliban, but he is not free . He asks Prospero when he will be released- “Is there more toil?” Prospero promises freedom after the “project” is complete . At the end of the play, he keeps his promise . Ariel represents the possibility of a more benevolent colonial relationship – one based on mutual benefit rather than brute force . But Ariel is also a figure of assimilation- he has adopted his master’s language, values, and goals . He is the “good native” who serves the coloniser faithfully . The contrast between Ariel and Caliban – between the assimilated native and the resistant native – has been central to postcolonial readings .
Prospero’s Magic as Colonial Power- Prospero’s magic is the source of his power over the island and its inhabitants . He controls the elements, the spirits, and even the minds of his enemies . His magic is book‑learned – derived from his library, which he brought from Milan . This is significant- knowledge (especially European knowledge) is a form of power . Prospero’s magic allows him to create a tempest, to conjure spirits, and to orchestrate events . But it also allows him to see and control everything . The play’s masque (Act 4) is a demonstration of his magical power – a spectacle that he creates and controls . However, Prospero’s magic is also limited . He cannot control human nature; he cannot force Caliban to love him . And at the end of the play, he renounces his magic . He breaks his staff and drowns his book . This renunciation has been read as a critique of colonial power- the coloniser must eventually give up control . But it has also been read as a warning- magic (like colonial power) is ultimately illusory and cannot create lasting order .
Gonzalo’s Ideal Commonwealth- In Act 2, Scene 1, Gonzalo describes his vision of an ideal society- “No sovereignty; … All things in common nature should produce / Without sweat or endeavour .” This speech is directly influenced by Montaigne’s essay “Of Cannibals,” which praised the simplicity and equality of New World societies . Gonzalo’s utopia is a critique of European civilisation – a society without kings, contracts, property, or labour . But the speech is also comic- Gonzalo is naive, and the other courtiers mock him . The play does not endorse Gonzalo’s vision; it presents it as a fantasy . Yet the presence of the speech suggests that Shakespeare was aware of contemporary debates about colonialism and that he was not simply endorsing the colonial project . The contrast between Gonzalo’s peaceful utopia and the actual violence of the colonial encounter (Prospero’s enslavement of Caliban) is striking .
The Problem of Caliban’s Inheritance- Caliban’s claim that the island is his by inheritance (“This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother”) raises questions about property and legitimacy . Prospero argues that Sycorax was a witch and that her rule was illegitimate . He also argues that Caliban’s attempted rape of Miranda forfeits any claim to humane treatment . The play does not settle the question . Is the island Caliban’s by right of birth? Or does Prospero’s “civilising mission” justify his rule? Modern audiences are likely to side with Caliban, but the play’s early audiences may have sided with Prospero . This ambiguity is the play’s strength . It forces us to question the assumptions that underlie colonialism .
Slavery and Freedom- The play ends with Prospero freeing Ariel but leaving Caliban enslaved . Caliban’s final words – “I’ll be wise hereafter, / And seek for grace” – suggest a grudging submission . He is not freed; he is left on the island with Prospero’s permission to remain . The play thus ends with unresolved colonial relations . Some critics argue that this reflects the reality of colonialism- the colonised are never truly freed . Others argue that Shakespeare is critiquing colonialism by showing its unresolved contradictions . Either way, the play’s treatment of power, colonisation, and slavery remains deeply relevant .
Major Themes Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and the Nature of Art
The second major thematic cluster in The Tempest concerns forgiveness, reconciliation, and the nature of art . The play is a romance – a genre that typically ends with the restoration of order, the reunion of families, and the promise of new life . But The Tempest is also a meditation on the limits of revenge and the difficulty of true forgiveness .
Prospero’s Choice- Revenge or Forgiveness? For twelve years, Prospero has nurtured his desire for revenge . He has used his magic to create the tempest and to torment his enemies . He has separated Alonso from Ferdinand, making Alonso believe his son is dead . He has sent Ariel to terrify the courtiers with visions of a harpy . He has the power to destroy them . But at the end of the play, he chooses forgiveness . He says- “The rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance .” This is the play’s moral centre . True power, Prospero suggests, is not the power to destroy but the power to forgive . However, the forgiveness is not unconditional . Prospero does not forgive Antonio, his brother, without a warning . He says- “I do forgive thee, / Unnatural though thou art .” The word “unnatural” suggests that Antonio’s betrayal was a violation of the natural order – a brother betraying a brother . Forgiveness does not erase the past; it acknowledges it and chooses to move beyond it .
The Reconciliation of Father and Child- The play’s emotional core is the reunion of Alonso and Ferdinand, and the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda . Alonso’s guilt over his role in Prospero’s exile is real . When he learns that Ferdinand is alive, he is overcome with joy- “Though the seas threaten, they are merciful .” The marriage between Ferdinand and Miranda symbolises the healing of the rift between Milan and Naples . It is a political marriage, but it is also a love match . Miranda’s exclamation – “O brave new world, / That has such people in’t!” – is full of wonder . But Prospero’s reply – “’Tis new to thee” – suggests that the world is not new; it is the same old world of power and betrayal . The marriage is a new beginning, but the past cannot be erased .
The Renunciation of Magic- Prospero’s decision to break his staff and drown his book is the most famous symbol of the play’s theme of renunciation . Magic has given Prospero power, but it has also isolated him . He has used his magic to control others, but he has not been able to control himself . The renunciation of magic is an act of humility . He acknowledges that his power is temporary and that he must return to the human world of Milan, where he will rule not by magic but by virtue . The speech “Our revels now are ended” compares the masque – and, by extension, all of life – to a dream . “We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep .” This is a profound meditation on the transience of earthly power and art . The masque vanishes; the spirits dissolve; only the memory remains . The speech is often read as Shakespeare’s farewell to the theatre . Prospero, like Shakespeare, is giving up his art .
The Epilogue and the Audience’s Role- The play ends not with a speech by Prospero to the other characters but with an epilogue addressed directly to the audience . Prospero asks for applause to “release” him from the stage . “Now my charms are all o’erthrown, / And what strength I have’s mine own .” Without the audience’s approval, Prospero is powerless . This is a metatheatrical moment – a reminder that the play is a performance and that the actor depends on the audience . The epilogue also completes the theme of forgiveness . Just as Prospero forgave his enemies, the audience must forgive the actor and release him . The play thus ends with a plea for mercy, not a demand for justice .
Art and Illusion- The Tempest is deeply concerned with the nature of art and illusion . Prospero is a playwright figure, orchestrating events, creating spectacles, and controlling the responses of the other characters . The masque in Act 4 is a play within a play – an entertainment that celebrates marriage but is also an illusion . When Prospero breaks the masque, he is reminding us that all art is illusion . The famous “cloud‑capp’d towers” speech is a meditation on the impermanence of art and life- “The great globe itself … shall dissolve .” The speech is also a joke- the “great globe” was the name of Shakespeare’s theatre . Shakespeare is suggesting that even his own plays will dissolve . Art is temporary, but it is also necessary . The play does not reject art; it embraces it while acknowledging its limits .
The Problem of Antonio- Antonio is the only character who does not repent . He is silent during the forgiveness scene . He does not ask for forgiveness, and Prospero forgives him without being asked . This has troubled critics . Is Antonio beyond redemption? Or is the play suggesting that forgiveness does not require the other’s repentance? Antonio’s silence is powerful . He is the unredeemed figure – the reminder that not all wounds heal . His presence complicates the happy ending .
The Marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand- The marriage is a symbol of reconciliation and new life . Miranda and Ferdinand are young, innocent, and untouched by the sins of their fathers . Their love is immediate and pure . But the play also raises questions about agency . Prospero has orchestrated their meeting . Is their love genuine, or is it a product of Prospero’s magic? The play suggests it is genuine- they fall in love without magic (Prospero merely brings them together) . But the power dynamic is still troubling . Miranda has never seen another man; Ferdinand is her first . The marriage is a union of the two houses, but it is also a continuation of patriarchal control . Miranda is given away by her father; she has no voice in the arrangement .
The Tempest as a Romance- The play belongs to the genre of romance – a late Shakespearean form that mixes comedy, tragedy, and magic . Romances typically involve separation, wandering, trials, and eventual reunion . They end with reconciliation and the promise of new life . The Tempest follows this pattern . But it also subverts it . The reconciliation is incomplete (Antonio is silent); the island is abandoned (Caliban is left behind); and the epilogue asks for the audience’s applause, not for the characters’ happiness . The play is a romance, but it is a romance haunted by its own incompleteness.
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