THE TEMPEST REVISION GUIDE

DONE BY A. Brown

IMPORTANT AREAS TO CONSIDER

CHARACTER JOURNEY
DRAMATIC ACTION
Drama is about characters who change.
What is the overall action of the play? What is the central
Sometimes characters are driven by a
conflict? What do the characters want, what do they do to
desire for change, other times change is
get it and at what cost? When expressed, the dramatic
forced upon them. Either way, an
 THEMATIC FOCUS
What might the play mean? It’s useful to
consider many meanings before focusing
on a central and orbiting themes.
STRUCTURE
The theme and the dramatic action
should interrelate—they are two ways of How does the playwright develop each scene? What are the
thinking about the same thing. names of the characters who inhabit it? Note the physical
location/setting, understand major scenes and central
Dramatic action describes characters in
characters, as well as analyze the sequence and duration of
conflict thematic focus describes the
scenes that comprise the overall rhythm of the play
meaning extracted from that action and
its results LANGUAGE
THEATRICAL VIRTUES
In the theatre, language is one of the
What keeps the audience interested on a moment-to-
primary means of conveying vital
moment basis? Is it plot, humor, character revelation,
information about character, through
storytelling, suspense, violence, romance, scenic elements,
exposition and delivery: social class,
or something else? No matter what the theme and dramatic
region, culture, age, and more. On the
action might be, it’s vital to understand what a play is made
page, language is also the exclusive
of if one hopes to bring it successfully to life 2|Page
medium, so it’s essential to pay
particularly close attention to the power
and purpose of verse, images, motifs
 THE SETTING

DESCRIPTION Impact on Characters

3|Page
CONTRIBUTION TO PLOT
DEVELOPMENT
CHARACTERS
UPPER TIER

4|Page
 MIDDLE TIER

LOWER TIER

THEMATIC CONCERNS
THEMES PORTRAYED THROUGH:

Usurpation

5|Page
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

6|Page
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
7|Page
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

PRACTICE ESSAY QUESTIONS

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.
8|Page
 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.

3. ‘Magic is pivotal to the plot of the play.’

Examine how magic contributes both to the creation
and resolution of conflict in the play. In your essay,
also comment on Shakespeare’s use of dramatic
techniques in assisting with his presentation of
magic.

4. ‘The sub-plot is an essential aspect of a

Shakespearean play.’ Examine the function of the
sub-plot in the play The Tempest. State how the
subplot influences the main plot as well as its overall
impact on the nature of the play

9|Page