January 2007 The Tempest Read the following passage from Act 2, Scene 1.

How does it contribute to your view of Alonso and his followers? Alonso is in deep grief, mourning for his son Ferdinand, whom he believes has drowned. His courtiers form two distinct groups. Gonzalo (much praised by Prospero in the previous scene), Adrian and Francisco seek to comfort the king, trying to find good in what has happened to them. In sharp contrast, Sebastian, (the kings brother) and Antonio (Prosperos treacherous brother), are cynical and mocking towards them. The scene shows the sarcastic, negative quality of their style and the contrast of their character with the well-intentioned courtiers. They see corruption where others see good. Gonzalo expresses amazement that everyones clothes are clean and dry in spite of being drenched by the shipwreck. He tries to encourage Alonso to weigh his sorrow against the relief he can find in their miraculous survival, but Alonso will not listen, Prithee, peace. The exchanges about widow Dido often prove puzzling to the modern audience. She was Queen of Carthage, and in one version of the myth was faithful to her husband. But in another version, recounted in Virgils Aeneid, she had a passionate affair with Aeneas, the Trojan prince who was believed to have founded Rome. When she was later abandoned by Aeneas, she killed herself. With this knowledge derived from Roman mythology, it helps explain why Jacobeans might have found Sebastian and Antonio humorous. Their mockery may lie in their amazement at hearing her described as widow Dido. To them it seems as incongruous description, a sign of Gonzalos lack of sophistication in not knowing Virgils Aeneid. Perhaps Shakespeare wrote the exchange with the more educated members of his audience in mind, who could appreciate the subtlety of the wordplay. Today, some actors try to extract humour from the scene by making widow Dido rhyme as widow Diddo. Alonso regrets that his daughter was married in Tunis, Would I have never/ Married my daughter there, and feels that the marriage has cost him both his son and daughter, believing he will never see them ever again. His words produce very different responses from Francisco and Sebastian. Francisco claims that Ferdinand probably survived the shipwreck. He had seen the kings son triumphing over the huge waves and successfully swam towards shore, I no doubt/ He cam alive to land. After such reassuring optimism, Sebastians comments are in utter contrast, seeming to wish to wound Alonsos feeling as much as possible. He blames Alonso for all the disasters, and with barely concealed racism, he claims that all the courtiers begged Alonso not to permit the marriage of Claribel to the King of Tunis, but Alonso preferred to lose her to an African. He hints that Claribel herself (the fair soul) secretly hated her African husband-to-be, and only married him out of duty to her father s will (Weighed between loathness and obedience). Once again, Sebastians unfeeling nature is revealed in blunt condemnation of his royal brother, The faults/ Your own. He shows no signs of sympathy or distress for the possible loss of his own nephew (Ferdinand). Alonso is shown to have a few redeeming qualities, we can see he loves his son deeply and is grieved by his disappearance, O thou mine heirmade his meal on thee? Contrasting imagery is presented and this provokes conflicting emotions. The sea imagery that Alonso speaks of is negative, frightening and represents Alonsos great fear of what may have happened to his son. Francisco puts sea imagery in a positive light by using words such as, contentious waves and lusty stoker. His words are more hopeful and uplifting compared to Alonsos views. We also see that Alonso is capable of inspiring devotion in his followers. A prime example is Gonzalo, we can see his loyalty is strong towards the king, when he defends him against Sebastian criticism, truth thou speak doth lack some gentleness.