Act IV: questions for discussion to hand in.

1-Though Miranda is on stage at the start of the scene, she hardly speaks in it. Why is this?

The dialogue between Prospero and Ferdinand is mainly focused on Miranda’s virginity. Miranda is seen as an object,
a “gift” as Prospero says for Ferdinand. As consequence, Miranda’s point of view in this dialogue wouldn’t be
considered because women in those times were considered objects and in this case, Miranda will stop to “belong” to
his father to “belong” to Ferdinand.

2-Comment on Prospero's conversation with Ferdinand, paying close attention to the younger man's responses.

Prospero wants Ferdinand to respect the tradition and so respect Miranda’s virginity up to the wedding. Prospero
emphasizes this because he will reject his daughter’s hand. And Ferdinand responses that thought he has his good and
bad side, he will respect Miranda and that he can only think of Miranda’s pureness. We understand by this that
Ferdinand has what he calls “devil” thought but he will restrain himself in order not to take Mirada’s virginity.

3-What is the purpose of the masque, and what does its content signify? Comment on the structure of this scene. How
does the masque performed by Ariel and the spirits relate to the lovers?

The purpose of the masque seems to be Propero’s intention to reinforce marriage as something crucial in life and to
give meaning to it. It can be a message to Ferdinand, for him to calm down his desire for Miranda.

He shows this by Juno, the symbol of marriage and family life in Roman mythology, and Ceres, the symbol of
agriculture, and thus of nature, growth, prosperity, and rebirth. So marriage is seen as an image of social order.

During the masque Juno, Ceres and Iris talk about lust and how it caused disasters ( because of Pluto kidnaping to
Persephone) and focus on social and natural orders. So this intends to be a reminder for lovers not to currupt the
“natural order”.

The three of them speak on verse which is typically associated with more elevated and formal language in
Shakespeare's plays. By having Juno, Ceres, and Iris speak in verse, Shakespeare elevates their speech, indicating that
these characters are not ordinary mortals but rather supernatural beings.

4-At the end of Act IV Scene1, Prospero begins to deal with the conspiracy against his own life. How do we know
that he is deeply angry with the traitors? What action does Prospero personally take in this scene?

At the end of the act Prospero is angry and he shows it by saying his enemies are “vile race” and “wicked” and “ Let
them be hunted soundly”. And he shows it by using his magic to hunt his enemies as dogs together with Ariel and
other spirits to drive them out.

Prospero shows to be tired of his enemies and wants to finish everything.

5-Explain the significance of the long speech beginning "Our revels now are ended"? (Comment on what it means in
its context and more generally, as well as on the theatrical imagery).

In this quotation Prospero has stopped the masque because he has to continue with his plan for his enemies. He shows
to be angry and sad at the same time. He questions his life as a dream, that is to say that he questions his magic and its
use. We understand that he wants to give up magic.

He emphasizes that he has escaped and created a beautiful world for him and Miranda but he’s sad because the life he
has created is a dream, unreal.

When he mentions the word “rack” which means “clouds decoration” and could refer to these clouds as part of a
theatrical play that he thinks will finish when he ends up everything and gives up his magic. So we understand that
Prospero has evolved and now rethinks his role and life.

6 How does the arrival of the three drunkards change the mood? Comment on the informality of language here, and
the low comedy which precedes the routing of the would-be assassins.

The arrival of the three drunkards introduces a dramatic shift in mood from tension and conspiracy to comic relief.
The informality of language, low comedy, and physical humor in this part of the scene provide a contrast to the
serious themes of the play and offer the audience a humorous interlude before the play's resolution.
The language used by Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban is much more informal and humorous compared to the more
elevated and poetic language used by Prospero and the other characters. They speak in prose and use colloquial
expressions which contributes to the comic tone of the scene.

They bring elements of low comedy to the scene. Their drunken antics, bumbling behavior, and comical
misunderstandings create humor. For example, Trinculo and Caliban mistake Stephano for a god, and their
interactions with him are filled with absurdity and humor. Stephano's exaggerated boasts about becoming king of the
island add to the comedic elements of the scene.

There is also physical comedy in this part of the scene, with Caliban and Trinculo hiding under a cloak to avoid the
rain and Stephano being comically drunk.

The scene serves as a form of comic relief after the tension and anger displayed by Prospero and the conspirators. The
contrast between the serious plot of the conspiracy and the antics of the drunkards provides a break in the dramatic
tension and allows the audience to realice that these are “would-be” assasins