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Tempest Revision Guide: Done by A. Brown
Tempest Revision Guide: Done by A. Brown
Tempest Revision Guide: Done by A. Brown
DONE BY A. Brown
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MIDDLE TIER
LOWER TIER
THEMATIC CONCERNS
THEMES PORTRAYED THROUGH:
Usurpation
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Betrayal
Colonization
Slavery
Revenge
Forgiveness
Magic
DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES
Dramatic techniques are devices that the playwright In Act 3, Scene 1 there are a number of instances
uses to convey his message. There are a number of when Prospero uses asides. These uses of asides
dramatic techniques in the play. We will explore them enable the audience to hear Prospero’s thoughts and
below. plans. Asides also highlight that there are instances of
deceit that are woven into Prospero’s plans.
Asides
Dramatic irony
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Dramatic irony occurs when the audience has presentation of the tempest in Act 1, Scene 1of the
information about the plot or characters that other key play is an example of spectacle.
characters in the play are not privy to. There are a
number of instances of dramatic irony in the play,
namely Act 1, Scene 2 (the audience knows that Ariel Stage directions
is working for Prospero and he created the tempest The stage directions often provide information about
however Miranda does not know) or in Act 2 when setting, characters and characterization. In the play,
Alonso thinks that Ferdinand is dead but the audience the stage directions provide a number of details for us
knows that this is not the case. the readers. The stage directions in Act 2 enable the
reader to understand that Prospero is disguised by his
magic cloak and is observing Miranda and
Ferdinand’s exchange. One also knows Prospero’s
Soliloquy intent and plans with the assistance of the stage
directions.
We see the use of a soliloquy in Act 5, Scene 1 when
Prospero speaks to the audience telling them that he is Imagery
giving away his magic. The soliloquy allows the
Images are created by the use of vivid words which in
audience to hear Prospero’s thoughts and feelings.
turn create imagery. Imagery helps the reader to
The soliloquy at this point also allows the audience to
visualise the different events in the play. Imagery is
have a perspective of what has happened at the end of
seen in Act 1, Scene 2 when Prospero relates to
the play.
Miranda the story of how they came to the island (‘to
Spectacle cry, to th’sea, that roared to us; to sigh/ To th’winds,
whose pity sighing back again/Did us loving wrong’).
A spectacle creates sensory details, evokes interest
From this description the audience can picture exactly
and adds to the excitement of the play by using
what happened. It also appeals to the emotion of the
costumes, sounds, music and the voices of the actors
audience, evoking feelings of pity for Prospero.
to highlight a grandiose event in the play. The
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MOTIFS image of water to tempt Sebastian into killing the king -
'I'll teach you how to flow' (Act 2, Scene 1).
Water
Water is used throughout the play to emphasize the Nature
significance of the tempest itself. The royal entourage first
enter the island with their garments 'drenched in the sea' The play uses a variety of forms of the natural world
(Act 2, Scene 1), Alonso threatens to drown himself in throughout, such as: the sea, air and wind, earth, wildlife
mudded' (Act 3, Scene 3) water after Ferdinand's death, and thunder and lightning. These images of nature are
Ariel leads Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo into a 'foul presented both as benign and as threatening, depending on
lake' (Act 4, Scene 1) for plotting against Prospero, and at the situation of each scene and this suggests that
the end of the play, Prospero promises to 'drown my book' Shakespeare believes that nature is extremely powerful.
(Act 5, Scene 1) which shows that water is extremely The nature of the island is also ambivalent. Gonzalo sees
it to be 'lush and lusty' whilst others view is to be
significant within the play. Also, the play begins with a 'uninhabitable' (Act 2, Scene 1). Prospero seems to revere
storm, and ends with a promise of calm seas for the future nature, arguing that 'bountiful Fortune' brought him to the
and the sea is explicitly mentioned several times. For island (Act 1, Scene 2) and so he uses the natural elements
example, Shakespeare gives several images of the sea, within his magic.
from pleasant ones to dangerous ones, such us 'sea-
swallowed' and 'still-closing waters' and Antonio uses the
1. ‘In The Tempest minor characters are often dramatic role ONE of these characters plays and
essential to the development of the plot.’ In an essay, Comment on ONE technique Shakespeare uses to
briefly outline the role of the following characters in showcase the motives of any ONE of the characters
the play: Alonso, Sebastian and Gonzalo. Examine the mentioned above.
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5. “The Tempest is an exploration of different types
of relationships.” Write an essay in which you
2. ‘Act 1, Scene 1 of The Tempest is an exciting
describe TWO different types of relationships in the
scene.’
play. In this essay, you must also discuss ONE theme
In an essay, describe what happens in the scene. that is portrayed in any ONE of the relationships
Additionally, analyze the dramatic importance of the described, and examine ONE dramatic technique
first scene and comment on the use of spectacle in Shakespeare uses to present relationships in the play
The Tempest as a whole.
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