ANSWER KEY

CLASS 11

THE TEMPEST

​ACT 1 SCENE 2

(EXTRACT 1-6)

EXTRACT 1

1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

O, I have suffered------------------souls within her.

(I) Where is Miranda? What makes her suffer?

ANS: Miranda is on the island before Prospero's cell. Seeing the people in the ship
frightened and the ship being swallowed by the sea waves makes her suffer.

(II) Name some of the noble creatures referred to in the extract. How were they in the
brave vessel? ​ANS. The noble creatures referred to in the extract

are Alonso(the King of Naples), Ferdinand(Alonso's son), Sebastian, Gonzalo, Antonio

(usurping duke of Milan), etc.They were returning from abroad, in the brave vessel
after Alonso's daughter Claribel's marriage to the King of Tunis.

(III)Describe the nature of Miranda from the extract.

ANS:Miranda in the most charming feminine creation of Shakespeare. Her most noble
quality is her sympathetic nature. She is emotional and has good feelings for others.

(IV) How is the brave vessel about to be dashed to

pieces? Who is responsible for the destruction?

Why would he do such a destruction?

ANS: The storm or tempest is the reason for the brave vessel to be dashed to pieces.
Prospero is responsible for the destruction. He did such destruction to reform his
enemies and teach them a lesson and to make them realise their wrong deeds.

(V) Why is Miranda ignorant of who Prospero was? Which items were necessary for
Prospero to practice his magic art?

ANS: Miranda was ignorant of who Prospero was because when his dukedom was
taken away from him, she was only three years old.Being so young it was not possible
to recall all the things which happened 12 years ago. The items necessary for Prospero
to practice magic were his books and his cloak.

(VI), Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the
passage

(a) Dashed (b) fraughting

(a) wrecked (b)passenger

EXTRACT 2

2.Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Miranda:O, woe the day!--------,from me.- So:

(I)Why does Miranda say, 'O, woe the day'? How does Prospero console her?

ANS: Miranda says "O woe the day' by noticing the shipwreck and by seeing the
suffering of the passengers on the ship. Prospero consoles her by saying there is no
harm to passengers on the ship and everyone is safe.

(II) Why is Miranda ignorant of who she is? What does she remember of her childhood
days?
ANS: Miranda is ignorant of who she is because she was only three years old when she
was brought to this island. She remembered that she had four or five maids to attend
upon her.

(III) How did Prospero and Miranda reach a particular place?

ANS: Prospero and Miranda reached the particular place i.e. an uninhabited island as a
result of great injustice done to them by Prospero's own brother Antonio but it was a
blessing that they were helped to reach safely.

(IV) Who had helped them? What did the helper do?

ANS: Gonzalo, an honest old courtier of Alonso helped them. He kept in the
dilapidated boat, some food and some fresh water,costly clothes, linens,goods and
essential commodities, and magic books which Prospero valued more than his
dukedom.

(V) Why did Prospero say

" I am more better

Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,

And thy no greater father".

ANS. Prospero said this to hint Miranda that he is not a common man. He told
Miranda that she didn't know his real identity. She only considered Prospero as her
father and the owner of the poor cell, but he was definitely more than that.

(VI). Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the
passage

(a) meddle: (b) pluck

(a) enter (b) take of

 EXTRACT 3

3. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Prospero: Both, both, my girl--------- so perfidious!

(I) What two reasons does Prospero give in the extract for their coming to the
destination? What was the foul play referred to in the extract?

ANS: The following are the two reasons that Prospero gives for their coming to the
island

a) They were thrown out by a foul play (b) It was a blessing in disguise that they have
reached the island. Prospero was the rightful Duke of Milan. He had great interest in
the study of philosophy and magic and left the control of the state's affairs in the
hands of his brother Antonio. He grew ambitious and in order to usurp his dukedom,
he made a secret deal with the king of Naples Then one night Prospero and his
daughter were ousted. from the palace. They were put aboard a small dilapidated
boat with no mast nor sails and were left to die in the sea.

(II) Why was Prospero's coming to the new place a blessing in disguise? What does
Prospero's thinking show about his character? ​ANS:
Prospero and Miranda had survived and found exile on a small island. He has learned
Sorcery from books, and uses it while on the island to protect Miranda and control the
other characters. Prospero's sorcery is sufficiently powerful to control Ariel and other
spirits, as well as to alter weather and even raise the dead. Prospero himself says, "
Graves at my command have waked their sleepers, oped, and let 'em forth, by my so
potent Art" ( Act V, scene 1.) On the island, Prospero becomes master of the monster
Caliban (the son of Sycorax, a malevolent witch) and forces Caliban into submission by
punishing him with magic if he does not obey. Ariel is beholden to Prospero after he is
freed from his imprisonment inside the pine tree. Prospero's thinking shows that he is
generous.

(III) State what Prospero had done for his brother?

ANS: Prospero loved his brother more than anybody else except Miranda in the world.
He gave up all responsibilities and entrusted him the management of state which was
foremost among all the principalities.

(IV).How did the brother prove to be ungrateful to him?

ANS: Antonio proved to be ungrateful to Prospero as his brother Antonio made an

alliance with the King of Naples and drove off Prospero and Miranda from the
Dukedom of Milan.

(V) How was Prospero unparalleled to others in dignity and learning in those days?

ANS: Prospero ignored all the worldly interest. He was devoted to his private life and
to the progress of his mind with studies which were more than all excessive popular
praise. Prospero had been the first among the Dukes. Thus, he was unparalleled to
others in dignity and learning in those days.

(VI). Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the
passage

(a) heaved (b) perfidious

(a) removed (b) treacherous

Extract 4 ​Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Being once _ _ _ _ _ _ _ attend'st not.

Qts 1.What did Prospero assign to be done by Antonio? Why did the former
do it?
Ans. Prospero entrusted the administration of Milan in the hands of his
brother Antonio. Being the Duke of Milan, Antonio learnt how to grant and
reject suits, whom to advance and keep down from going too high.
Prospero did so because he engrossed himself in secret studies.
2.How has Antonio "new created / the creatures" that were Prospero's?
Ans. Antonio newly created the men who were of Prospero or replaced
them with his own men with his authority. They all were threatened by
Antonio and dared not to go against his will. As a result no person was left
on Antonio's side.

3. How did Antonio deal with the old office holders? How did he train his
new office holders?
Ans. Antonio was rude with his officeholders who were mostly against his
decision. He trained his new officeholders in such a way that it would be
easier for him to take over the dukedom from Prospero.

4. Explain in what way was Antonio like an ivy?

Ans. Antonio is the evil brother of Prospero, the Duke of Milan. He cheated
his own brother and usurped his dukedom. He tells Miranda that her uncle
is like the creeping ivy. He compares him and says that just like an ivy
covers the oak tree, sucking out all strength from it in the same way
Antonio sucked all the powers and vitality of Prospero.

5. By excluding the material given in the Extract above, state how Antonio
got the total control of the dukedom.
Ans. Prospero was the Duke of Milan. He was more interested in studying
philosophy and magic, and he left the administration of state's affairs to his
brother, Antonio who grew ambitious and made a secret plan with the King
of Naples to oust his brother from his dukedom.

6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context
of the passage:
(a) suits - petition
(b) advance - promote

Extract 5 ​Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Your tale_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ignoble stooping.

1.What is meant by Absolute Milan? What in the Extract shows that Antonio
has become Absolute Milan?
Ans. The word Absolute Milan means the duke all in all. Antonio was
considered to be the Absolute Milan. Prospero tells Miranda that in order to
be a complete Duke of Milan, Antonio wanted to do away with all that stood
between the appearance and the reality. He grew so ambitious that he
joined hands with the King of Naples and expelled Prospero, his own
brother out of his dukedom.

2.What did Antonio think of Prospero's library?

Ans.Antonio became ambitious and wanted to be the Duke of Milan. He
began to consider Prospero a worthless fellow and thought that his library
was a fair substitute for his dukedom.He considered Prospero as totally
unfit to exercise any political authority.

3. What was the relationship earlier between the King of Naples and
Prospero? Now what is the relationship between Naples and Milan?
Ans. Alonso, the king of Naples and Prospero were the arch rivals. But now
Antonio is the Duke of Milan and they are on good terms because they both
conspired against Prospero. Antonio gave him respect as a superior
person and accepted a subordinate position to Naples.

4. What is the most ignoble snooping? How did Antonio cause the ignoble
snooping?
Ans. According to Prospero, the most ignoble snooping is that Antonio has
placed the dukedom of Milan under the humiliating control of Naples.
Antonio had caused the ignoble snooping by entering into an agreement
with the King Naples by paying him an annual tribute and accepting a
subordinate position to Naples.

5. Narrate what harm the King of Naples has done to Milan

Ans. Prospero tells Miranda that Antonio has entered into a contract with
the King of Naples to expel him from his dukedom. He agrees to pay an
annual tribute to the King of Naples and give him respect as a superior
person and accept a subordinate position to Naples. It was a distressing
situation for the unfortunate people of Milan who had never accepted
subservience to any external authority.

6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context
of the passage.
(a) royalties - rights guaranteed by monarch authority
(b) sway - power

Extract 6. ​Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Well demanded _ _ _ _ _ loving wrong.

1.To whom is Prospero speaking? What is 'well demanded'?

Ans. Prospero is speaking to Miranda. Well demanded here refers to a
relevant question asked by Miranda that why their enemies i.e. Alonso and
Antonio, didn't destroy them at once.

2.Why didn't the enemies of Prospero get rid of him?

Ans. The enemies of Prospero didn't have courage to destroy him and
Miranda because the people of Milan were so devoted to him. If they would
have killed him, it would have become a bloody affair. So Antonio and his
associates carried out their wicked designs secretly.

3.What did the enemies do to Prospero?

Ans. Antonio and Alonso plotted against Prospero and his daughter
Miranda. One midnight, the treacherous army of Alonso entered into Milan
and took Prospero and Miranda into a ship, they were carried some
distance out to sea and put in a dilapidated boat and were left to the mercy
of the sea.

4.What is a rotten carcass of a butt? Why is it called so? Describe the

condition of the butt?
Ans. 'A rotten carcass of a butt' means a rotten hulk of an old ship. It is
called so because it was a mere ruin of a boat absolutely unfit for sea. The
boat neither has ropes, sails nor a mast. It was a bare body of a ship,
without any of the usual fittings.
5.Describe how the sea and its surroundings reacted to the anxiety of
Prospero and Miranda.
Ans. Prospero tells Miranda that they were oust from the dukedom in a
dilapidated boat and were left at the mercy of the sea. He says that the sea
and its surroundings were sympathetic to him. He says that when he cries
to the sea, it roars back to them and when he sighed to the winds, it sighed
back in return to them.

6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context
of the passage.
(a) provokes - invites
(b) rigged - stubborn