1. Honors English 10
The Tempest

2. The Tempest in context
The Tempest alludes to the shipwreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda (1609), which resulted in the crew and passengers spending nine months in Bermuda, during which time one faction attempted mutiny.

3. History
Tempest was probably written in the later part of 1610 or 1611; it was acted before King James on Nov. 1, 1611.
The plot of the play appears to be wholly Shakespeare's invention; he used no direct historical sources.
In May 1609, nine ships carrying 500 colonists set sail from England to reinforce the settlers at the colony of Jamestown in the New World, in what is now Virginia.
In a storm, the ships were driven to the Bermudas, where a number of the travelers were stranded for nearly a year.

4. History
Shakespeare almost certainly knew of the controversy surrounding the ownership of Virginia.
Some argued that the natives settled in Virgina owned the land, and that European settlers had no right to take it from them.
The Tempest gives both sides of the controversy. Shakespeare makes Caliban's claim to the island plausible, but also shows him as depraved; and the "colonists" have among them good men along with drunkards and murderers.

5. Themes
The Tempest addresses all of the usual themes found in Shakesperian comedies:
guilt and repentance;
the finding of the lost; forgiveness;
the renewal of the world;
and the benevolence of unseen powers.
ALSO: characters in the play have symbolic value, and that many of their actions are related to the idea of control.

6. Theme
The Tempest concerns itself with those human achievements that result from control of the imagination, producing works of art which have at their strongest a power of transfiguration, a fresh revelation of the wonder of creation.
The power of imagination is emphasized by its relationship to memory.
Shakespeare returns to illusion vs. reality. He is performing a balancing act of opposites, and he uses the spectacle and the illusions to heighten the tensions between them

7. Theme
The romance element of the play, as a whole, is countered by the moral seriousness of the play.
There is a balancing of desire against virtue, lust against love, and discipline against passion--in all things, not just for the lovers

8. Character Prospero Magical, wonderful ruler of all.
He has been exiled on the island with his daughter, Miranda
He is partly dependent on Fortune, and partly master of it
He is human, but has superhuman powers and is the “controlling agent” of the play. He creates a sense of mystery and awe.

9. Character Miranda Prospero’s young, beautiful naïve daughter
She is the perfect audience for her father: Open Minded, willing to be impressed, full of wonder,
She is eager to believe in all that she meets.
Her innocence is full of pathos --- is she not as beautiful as she appears.
Her innocence, but mature wisdom are both part of the truth and create a harmony that doubles the effect of each.

10. Caliban He is the symbol of all that is wrong with Colonialism
Used as a tool to show contrasts:
Childish, yet gruesome
Emotional, yet aloof and outcast
Savage yet traditional
He is measured for art and civilization
Also a stark contrast from Ferdinand, who swears he will not let lust overcome his honor.

11. Shakespeare’s Method
He balances comic and serious and creates analogies which are unified through similar ideas
“Delicate” used for Ariel, weather and air
“Earthy” for Caliban
Confusion between waking and sleep
The Play moves from storm to calm; through punishments and restorations of faith
But the overriding metaphor is CHANGE

12. Change All is changed or transformed.
Ariel speaks of it and has physical transformation
The maturity and loss of innocence that is shown through Miranda
Caliban, reveals this thread by the fact that he CAN’T change, yet words like “dissolve”, “fade” and “blend” are common.
Shakespeare uses all of this transition of things side by side to show with simpler feeling that man’s life is an illusion or a dream….

13. Summary of Intro Prospero is often seen identified as Shakespeare as
A harassed overworked person of import
One who is constantly aware of how much “time” is left
A man who sees that all that he thought was real and good can change with Fate’s whim
The play asks us to consider what we know to be true about our lives, through character, through love and lust, through moral exploration and through the politics of change.

14. Post-Colonial Theory & The Tempest
During the 15th Century until the 19th Century (1400s-1800s) Europe began its first colonial wave.
The earth was being “discovered” and there were myths about the “cannibals” of the Carribean, and distant utopias

15. Post-Colonial Theory & The Tempest
With Caliban, Shakespeare may be offering an in-depth discussion into the morality of colonialism.
Caliban is also shown as one of the most natural characters in the play, being very much in touch with the natural world

16. Post-Colonial Theory & The Tempest
This new way of looking at the text explored the effect of the coloniser (Prospero) on the colonised (Ariel and Caliban).
Ariel is generally viewed by scholars as the good servant, in comparison with the conniving Caliban—a view which Shakespeare's audience may well have shared.

17. Post-colonial theory in The Tempest
Aspects of colonialism:
Europeans’ appropriation of and exploitation of foreign territories
Europeans’ subordination of indigenous populations (such as the different treatment of Caliban and Ariel)
Europeans’ claims that they are colonizing to bring Christianity and civilization (Prospero’s taking credit for the fact that he has taught Caliban how to speak and the fact that he has liberated Ariel)

18. Post-colonial theory in The Tempest
Caliban has been enslaved, as was the case of native people being "colonized" by conquering nations. 
He does not realize that his own choice of leader could be just as destructive. 
Post-colonial Africa is dealing with this still, having ousted nations of Europe only to find themselves in civil war…. Comfort exceeds freedom.

19. Colonizing Caliban Caliban seems to others more monster than man
He is seen this way to show the encounter between an almost completely isolated, “primitive” culture and a foreign, “civilized” one.

20. Gonzalo’s Idea of Governance
Gonzalo’s fantasy about the plantation he would like to build on the island is a remarkable poetic evocation of a utopian society
This vision indicates something of Gonzalo’s own innocence.
Gonzalo would do away with the very master- servant motif that lies at the heart of The Tempest.

21. Stephano’s Idea of Governance
Stephano muses about the kind of island it would be if he ruled it—“I will kill this man [Prospero]. His daughter and I will be King and Queen and Trinculo and thyself [Caliban] shall be viceroys” (III.ii.101–103)
Stephano wants to employ a totalitarian type of regime. This contrasts significantly with Gonazalo’s vision.
Totalitarian: where an individual dictator monopolises political power and controls every element of society.

22. Intertextual Theme In this play are themes of:
love at first sight,
magic as a controlling device,
revenge, usurpation &
ambition.
Shakespearean plays are mainly concerned with the clash between a notable individual and his / her society

23. Intertextual Theme Order vs. Disorder Chaos vs. Calm
Shakespeare uses ‘the supernatural’ to reveal the inner desires and / or fears of his characters

24. Doubles: A Predominance
The Tempest builds its rich aura of magical and mysterious implication is through the use of doubles: scenes, characters, and speeches that mirror each other by either resemblance or contrast.
Caliban/Stephano/Trinculo double and parody what Prospero does throughout the play.
The power-hungry servants Stephano and Trinculo thus become rough parodies of the power-hungry courtiers Antonio and Sebastian. All four men are now essentially equated with Caliban, who is, as Alonso and Antonio once were, simply another usurper.

25. The Feminist Critique
Because of the small role women play in the story in comparison to other Shakespeare plays, The Tempest has not attracted much feminist criticism.
It has been argued that Miranda is typical of women in a colonial atmosphere, has completely accepted the patriarchal order.
The less-prominent women mentioned in the play are subordinated as well, as they are only described through the men of the play.

26. The Feminist Critique
Miranda’s position in the play is unique in that she is central, despite showing “old-fashioned” and stereotypical female qualities.
Not only is she used as a physical form, but also is reminded of her “place”.
Prospero actually uses her as a prize to attain his goal of vengeance. He attempts to control her fate and he objectifies her sexual purpose.

27. The Feminist Critique
Through her, we see society’s view that women are physical/sexual tools. Shakespeare is making commentary with this.
Yet, she is powerful:
Teaches Caliban
Refuses Caliban and his advances
Her actions, show the desire to end oppression and exploitation as she understands these things are inherently wrong.
Will impact the plotline with her relationship and choices as connected to Ferdinand.