The Tempest

Overview

'The Tempest', written around 1610-1611, is a late romance play by William Shakespeare. It explores themes of power, colonialism, magic, and forgiveness on a mysterious island. Examiners look for a nuanced understanding of characters like Prospero and Caliban, rather than simplistic readings. They reward candidates who can integrate contextual knowledge—such as Jacobean exploration and beliefs about magic—seamlessly into their analysis of Shakespeare's dramatic methods. This guide will help you move beyond basic plot retelling to achieve the critical, perceptive analysis required for Levels 5 and 6.

Plot/Content Overview

Act 1: A violent storm (the tempest) wrecks a ship carrying King Alonso of Naples and his court. We learn the storm was conjured by Prospero, the usurped Duke of Milan, who lives on the island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero commands the spirit Ariel and has enslaved the native Caliban. Ferdinand, Alonso's son, meets Miranda and they fall in love.

Act 2: The shipwrecked royals wander the island. Prospero's treacherous brother Antonio convinces Sebastian to plot to kill King Alonso. Meanwhile, Caliban meets the drunken sailors Trinculo and Stephano and plots to overthrow Prospero.

Act 3: Ferdinand labours for Prospero to win Miranda. The royals are confronted by Ariel in the form of a harpy, who accuses them of their past crimes against Prospero.

Act 4: Prospero blesses Ferdinand and Miranda's betrothal with a magical masque. He suddenly remembers Caliban's plot and abruptly ends the revels, delivering his famous "our revels now are ended" speech.

Act 5: Prospero's enemies are entirely in his power. Moved by Ariel's pity, Prospero chooses forgiveness over revenge. He reveals his identity, reclaims his dukedom, frees Ariel, and renounces his magic. In the Epilogue, he asks the audience for applause to set him free.

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Themes

Theme 1: Power and Control

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Power is the central engine of the play. Shakespeare explores political usurpation (Antonio stealing Prospero's dukedom), colonial control (Prospero enslaving Caliban), and patriarchal authority (Prospero arranging Miranda's marriage). The play asks whether power inevitably corrupts and what it takes to relinquish it.

Key Quotes:

• "I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with humane care" (1.2) - Prospero's justification of his power over Caliban, highlighting the coloniser's mindset.
• "My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore" (5.1) - The moment Prospero chooses to relinquish his magical power, suggesting that true strength lies in restraint.

Theme 2: Colonialism and 'The Other'

The play reflects Jacobean anxieties and fascinations with the New World. Caliban represents the colonised subject—initially nurtured, then enslaved and dispossessed. The play interrogates the morality of empire.

Key Quotes:

• "This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou tak'st from me." (1.2) - Caliban's assertion of sovereignty and the injustice of colonial dispossession.
• "You taught me language, and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse." (1.2) - Highlights how the coloniser's 'gift' becomes a tool of resistance.

Theme 3: Magic, Illusion, and Art

Magic in the play is both a literal force and a metaphor for theatrical art. Prospero acts as a playwright, directing the action and creating illusions. His renunciation of magic is often read as Shakespeare's farewell to the theatre.

Key Quotes:

• "We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep." (4.1) - Prospero's meta-theatrical reflection on the fleeting nature of life and art.
• "But this rough magic I here abjure" (5.1) - Prospero's decision to abandon his art and return to the real world.

Character Analysis

Prospero

Role: The protagonist, usurped Duke of Milan, and master of the island.

Key Traits: Controlling, protective, vengeful yet ultimately merciful, authoritative.

Character Arc: He moves from a desire for absolute control and revenge to an acceptance of human limitation and the necessity of forgiveness.

Essential Quotes:

• "The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance." (5.1)
• "I'll break my staff... I'll drown my book." (5.1)

Caliban

Role: The native inhabitant of the island, enslaved by Prospero.

Key Traits: Resentful, eloquent, earthy, morally complex.

Character Arc: He moves from rebellion to a grudging acceptance of authority, vowing to "be wise hereafter, And seek for grace."

Essential Quotes:

• "The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not." (3.2)
• "I must obey. His art is of such power." (1.2)

Ariel

Role: A spirit of the air, bound to serve Prospero.

Key Traits: Ethereal, obedient but longing for freedom, devoid of human emotion but capable of prompting it in others.

Character Arc: Ariel faithfully executes Prospero's commands until finally granted the long-promised freedom.

Essential Quotes:

• "All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure." (1.2)
• "Mine would, sir, were I human." (5.1)

Writer's Methods

Shakespeare uses a variety of dramatic and linguistic methods to shape meaning. The play observes the classical unities of time and place—the action unfolds in real-time on a single island, intensifying the pressure. He contrasts the blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) of noble characters like Prospero with the prose of lower-class characters like Stephano, though notably, Caliban speaks in beautiful verse, elevating his status. The use of spectacle—the storm, the harpy, the masque—reinforces the theme of illusion.

Context

Examiners expect candidates to integrate context. Key areas include:

• Age of Discovery: The 1609 wreck of the Sea Venture in Bermuda heavily influenced the play's colonial themes.
• The Great Chain of Being: Jacobean belief in a strict hierarchy; Antonio's usurpation disrupts this, causing chaos.
• Magic and Witchcraft: King James I was fascinated by (and fearful of) witchcraft. Prospero's 'white' magic (theurgy) is contrasted with Sycorax's 'black' magic (goety).
• Divine Right of Kings: The belief that monarchs are appointed by God, making usurpation a sin against heaven.

Listen to our comprehensive podcast episode for a deeper dive into these themes and characters, along with a quick-fire revision quiz!