What is happening as the play begins?
a storm is brewing over the boat that Alonso, Ferdinand, etc are in
How would you compare the Boatswain's attitude to that of the members of the King's party? How do the members of the King's men treat the Boatswain?
Boatswain's attitude is that he is trying to make everyone safe and does not care to whom he is speaking. The attitude of Gonzalo and friends is that the Boatswain should recognize to whom he is speaking and act accordingly. The members of the King's men treat the Boatswain disrespectfully.
What is happening to the ship at the end of the scene?
The ship is sinking, and Ariel is making it seem as though the boat is on fire and the men all jump overboard to avoid drowning.
What do we learn at the beginning of 1.2 about the storm we saw in 1.1?
Prospero and Ariel created the storm.
Who is Prospero?
The wizard who lives on the island and was the former Duke of Milan
What is Prospero's true title?
Duke of Milan
How did Prospero lose it?
He neglected his duties and allowed his brother Antonio to take over; thus, causing him to lose his title.
How did Prospero come to be on the island?
Antonio conspired with Alonso, the King of Naples, to have Prospero removed and sent to sea in a boat.
What kind of books does Prosperp have?
Prospero has books that deal with magic.
How did Prospero get his books of magic?
Gonzalo gave them to Prospero when he set him and Miranda adrift in a dingy.
Who is Miranda?
Prospero's daughter
What does Miranda remember about her past?
She remembers that there were some women that took care of her but not much else.
How does Miranda respond to her father's story?
She wants to know more and wants to know why he is just now telling her.
Why has Prospero told it to Miranda now?
Prospero is about to take his revenge on Alonso and Antonio and he needs Miranda to know who the men are that are now on the shores of the island.
Why does Miranda fall asleep?
Prospero puts her under a spell.
Who is Ariel?
A servant of Prospero who is a spirit/sprite that does Prospero's bidding.
What is Ariel's status? What has Ariel done for Prospero?
He has orchestrated the storm and delivered the men of the ship to the shores of the island safely.
What does Ariel want from Prospero?
His freedom
What gender (if any) is Ariel?
male
What more do we learn from Ariel about the storm we saw in 1.1?
That Ariel has scattered the men over the island, separating Ferdinand from Alonso; and we also learn that Ariel has docked the ship safely in a secret harbor.
What has happened to everyone's clothes after the storm?
they look as fresh as new.
What has happened to the ship and the sailors after the storm?
That Ariel has scattered the men over the island, separating Ferdinand from Alonso; and we also learn that Ariel has docked the ship safely in a secret harbor.
Due to the storm, what has happened to the King and his followers?
They are on a different shore of the island.
Who is Sycorax?
She is the witch that once ruled the island and she is Caliban's mother.
What is Sycorax's relation to Ariel?
She was Ariel's captor and had trapped him in a tree, but she died before releasing him. Prospero finds him and releases him only to make Ariel Prospero's indentured servant.
What is Sycorax's relation to Caliban?
She is his mother.
Who/what is Caliban?
Half-man/half-creature being. That should have been the ruler of the island.
What is Caliban's relation to Prospero and Miranda?
He is their slave
What happened in the past to get him into his present situation? What is his response to that incident? How do Prospero and Miranda react to Caliban?
Caliban was taken in by Prospero and Miranda. He was taught by Prospero about Astronomy and taught language and speech by Miranda. Caliban attempted to rape Miranda, but Prospero stopped him. Caliban said that if Prospero had not stopped him that he would have made more little Calibans with Miranda. He is angry with Prospero because he feels like Prospero stole his position on the island Prospero then enslaves Caliban. Caliban sees Prospero as an ungrateful person because Caliban had shown Prospero all the secrets of the island.
Who is Ferdinand? What does he think has happened to everyone else on the ship?
He is Alonso's son, and he believes that everyone else has perished in the shipwreck.
What is Miranda's response to Ferdinand?
She is immediately infatuated with Ferdinand. She is HOT for him!
What is Prospero's response to Miranda and Ferdinand?
Prospero claims that Ferdinand is a spy and he takes Ferdinand captive.
Why do Prospero and Miranda disagree?
Because Miranda is in love with him and thinks that nothing bad could come from such a sexy body.
What is Gonzalo's advice to Alonso at the beginning of the scene?
we should look on the bright side and be happy that we have our lives.
How did Alonso respond to Alonso's advice?
He told him to shut up.
What do we already know about Gonzalo?
He is optimistic; he was the one that set Prospero and Miranda adrift in a little boat and gave them supplies and Prospero's books on magic.
Sebastian and Antonio are standing apart, commenting to each other on what the other characters say. How does this device affect the scene? (I.e., how would the scene be different if Antonio's and Sebastian's side comments were eliminated?)
It is affects the scene by establishing that Antonio and Sebastian are friends; thus, making it easier to understand how Sebastian can be so quickly influenced by Antonio later in the scene.
Who is "widow Dido"?
allusion to the Roman epic The Aeneid by Virgil.
Why isn't Alonso impressed with or entertained by what his followers are saying?
He is saddened because he has just married off his daughter to the King of Tunis, and now he fears that his son is dead as well.
What do we know that Alonso doesn't know (dramatic irony!)?
We know that Ferdinand is alive and this creates dramatic irony within the story.
What sort of commonwealth would Gonzalo create on the island?
A Utopian society of which HE is the KING which is the opposite of the kind of society that he declares he wants to create.
What causes most of the characters to fall asleep?
Ariel puts them into a sleep by playing a song.
Who remains awake when Ariel plays a song?
Antonio and Sebastian
What do Antonio and Sebastian decide to do? Were they successful? Why or why not?
They plot to kill Alonso and Gonzalo so that Sebastian can be king of Naples. They are not successful because Ariel alerts Gonzalo and tells him to wake up.
How do Antonio and Sebastian cover for themselves?
Sebastian quickly tells a story saying that they have their swords drawn because they heard a noise (either a lion or a herd of them).
What have we learned about the characters of Sebastian and Antonio?
They are devious and they are both willing to betray their brothers.
What is Caliban doing at the beginning of the scene?
gathering wood
What does Caliban think Trinculo is?
One of Prospero's spirits that has been sent to trouble him
Who is Trinculo?
A member of the boat party
How does Trinculo respond to Caliban?
He thinks Caliban is dead and that maybe he looks and smells the way he does because he has been struck by lightning.
Why does Trinculo crawl under Caliban's garment?
To get out of the coming rain
Who is Stephano? What condition is he in?
He is a drunken sailor from the ship.
How does Stephano respond to Caliban and Trinculo?
He thinks he has found a four-legged two-headed island monster.
How does Caliban respond to Stephano and Trinculo?
He thinks that both of them are spirits from Prospero.
How did Stephano escape from the ship?
Floated to shore on a wine barrel.
What does Caliban offer to do?
To show Trinculo and Stephano all the secrets of the island if they will continue to give him liquor.
What does Caliban's offer say about him?
He is fickle and easily swayed from one master to another.
What is Ferdinand doing at the beginning of the scene? How does it compare to the beginning of 2.2? Why is Ferdinand doing this, and how is his attitude different from Caliban's?
He is gathering wood for Prospero. It compares to the beginning of Act 2 because Caliban ws gathering wood for Prospero in Act 2. Ferdinand's attitude is different because he feels like it is easy to do because he loves Miranda.
What happens in the scene between Ferdinand and Miranda? What is the effect of having Prospero watching them? How does he respond to them?
They declare their love for each other and have a type of "handfasting" ceremony between them. Prospero overhears their conversation and says that he is not sure if this is good or bad.
What does Caliban want Stephano and Trinculo to do? How does Ariel confuse matters? What does Stephano agree to do?
Caliban tells them about the tyranny of his master Prospero, and he wants Stephano and Trinculo to overthrow Prospero and gain control of the island. Ariel confuses things by causing the three to argue. Eventually, Stephano agrees to kill Prospero. Caliban pledges his loyalty to Stephano if Stephano is successful.
Have Sebastian and Antonio learned their lesson from what happened in 2.1?
they have not learned their lesson and decide to try to kill Alonso and Gonzalo later that evening.
How is food brought to Alonso and his followers? What happens when they try to eat? What message does Ariel give them? Who is watching?
Prospero sends out a huge banquet through his spirits (Juno, Iris, Ceres, etc.) and he is there also, but he is invisible.
According to Gonzalo, what has happened to Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio?
They are feeling guilty for the way they treated Prospero.
Alonso
King of Naples
Sebastian
Alonso's brother
Prospero
the right Duke of Milan
Antonio
Prospero's brother, the usurping Duke of Milan
Ferdinand
son to the King of Naples
Gonzalo
an honest old councilor
Adrian and Francisco
lords
Caliban
savage and deformed slave
Trinculo
a jester
Stephano
drunken butler
Miranda
daughter to Prospero
Ariel
an airy spirit
Iris, Ceres, Juno, Nymphs, Reapers
Spirits
Adherent
a follower of a person or idea (disciple)
Incoherent
not able to be understood; nonsensical (confused)
Inherent
existing as a natural part (innate)
Diffuse
not concentrated or focused; wordy
Diffuse
to spread out or distribute
Effusive
overflowing with words or feelings; gushing (enthusiastic)
Profuse
Plentiful; abundant
Resolute
determined; steadfast (unshakeable, persistent)
Dissolute
devoted to sensual pleasure; lacking moral restraint (self indulgent, wild)
Insoluble
impossible to solve or fix (puzzling)
Insoluble
unable to be dissolved
Diligent
hard working and careful
Recollect
to remember; to recall
Sacrilege
an act against a holy person or place