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126 The Tempest Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Tempest by William Shakespeare is a classic play that explores themes of power, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. With its complex characters and intricate plot, there are many essay topics that can be explored when analyzing this work. In this article, we will provide 126 essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started on writing your own essay on The Tempest.

How does Prospero's use of magic in The Tempest reflect his desire for power and control?
Explore the theme of forgiveness in The Tempest. How does forgiveness play a role in the resolution of the play?
Analyze the character of Ariel in The Tempest. How does Ariel's loyalty to Prospero impact the events of the play?
Discuss the role of Caliban in The Tempest. How does Caliban's relationship with Prospero reflect colonial attitudes towards indigenous people?
Examine the character of Miranda in The Tempest. How does Miranda's innocence and naivety shape her interactions with other characters?
Explore the themes of exile and redemption in The Tempest. How do these themes manifest in the characters of Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel?
Discuss the portrayal of gender roles in The Tempest. How do characters like Miranda and Ariel challenge traditional gender norms?
Analyze the character of Alonso in The Tempest. How does Alonso's guilt over his past actions influence his behavior throughout the play?
Discuss the role of music in The Tempest. How does music contribute to the magical and ethereal atmosphere of the play?
Explore the themes of betrayal and loyalty in The Tempest. How do characters like Antonio and Sebastian betray their own family members in pursuit of power?
Examine the relationship between Prospero and Ariel in The Tempest. How does Prospero's treatment of Ariel reflect his own flaws and shortcomings?
Discuss the theme of revenge in The Tempest. How does Prospero's desire for vengeance shape the events of the play?
Analyze the character of Ferdinand in The Tempest. How does Ferdinand's love for Miranda impact his actions and decisions?
Explore the theme of freedom in The Tempest. How do characters like Caliban and Ariel strive for freedom in a world controlled by Prospero?
Discuss the role of the supernatural in The Tempest. How do elements of magic and enchantment contribute to the overall tone of the play?
Analyze the character of Gonzalo in The Tempest. How does Gonzalo's wisdom and compassion contrast with the greed and ambition of other characters?
Discuss the theme of transformation in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Caliban undergo personal growth and change throughout the play?
Explore the theme of illusion vs. reality in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero use deception and trickery to achieve their goals?
Analyze the symbolism of the storm in The Tempest. How does the tempest at the beginning of the play foreshadow the turmoil and conflict to come?
Discuss the role of language and communication in The Tempest. How do characters like Caliban struggle to express themselves in a world dominated by Prospero's speech and rhetoric?
Analyze the character of Sebastian in The Tempest. How does Sebastian's greed and ambition lead him to betray his own brother?
Explore the theme of power and authority in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Alonso wield power over others, and how does this influence their relationships with those around them?
Discuss the role of nature in The Tempest. How do elements of the natural world, such as the island itself, impact the actions and decisions of the characters?
Analyze the character of Trinculo in The Tempest. How does Trinculo's comedic relief provide a contrast to the more serious themes of the play?
Explore the theme of self-discovery in The Tempest. How do characters like Miranda and Ferdinand come to understand themselves and their place in the world throughout the course of the play?
Discuss the theme of manipulation in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Antonio use manipulation and deceit to achieve their own ends?
Analyze the character of Stephano in The Tempest. How does Stephano's drunkenness and foolishness lead him into dangerous situations?
Explore the theme of family in The Tempest. How do relationships between parents and children, siblings, and other family members shape the events of the play?
Discuss the role of fate and destiny in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Ariel manipulate the course of events to achieve their own goals?
Analyze the character of Antonio in The Tempest. How does Antonio's greed and ambition drive him to betray his own brother and seize power for himself?
Explore the theme of isolation in The Tempest. How do characters like Caliban and Miranda struggle with feelings of loneliness and alienation on the deserted island?
Discuss the role of comedy in The Tempest. How do elements of humor and wit provide relief from the more serious themes of the play?
Analyze the character of Iris in The Tempest. How does Iris's role as a messenger of the gods influence the events of the play?
Explore the theme of redemption in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Caliban seek redemption for their past mistakes and transgressions?
Discuss the role of symbolism in The Tempest. How do symbols like the tempest, the island, and the magic book contribute to the overall meaning and message of the play?
Analyze the character of Adrian in The Tempest. How does Adrian's loyalty to Alonso and Sebastian impact his actions and decisions throughout the play?
Explore the theme of identity in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Caliban struggle with questions of self-identity and self-understanding?
Discuss the role of friendship in The Tempest. How do characters like Gonzalo and Antonio navigate the complexities of friendship and loyalty in a world filled with betrayal and deception?
Analyze the character of Francisco in The Tempest. How does Francisco's loyalty to Alonso and Sebastian influence his behavior throughout the play?
Explore the theme of justice in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Ariel seek justice for past wrongs and injustices?
Discuss the role of morality in The Tempest. How do characters like Antonio and Sebastian grapple with questions of right and wrong in a world where power and ambition reign supreme?
Analyze the character of Ceres in The Tempest. How does Ceres's role as a goddess of the harvest shape her interactions with the other characters in the play?
Explore the theme of reconciliation in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Miranda seek to reconcile with their past actions and mistakes?
Discuss the role of wisdom in The Tempest. How do characters like Gonzalo and Prospero demonstrate wisdom and insight in the face of adversity?
Analyze the character of Nymphs in The Tempest. How do the Nymphs' songs and dances contribute to the magical and enchanting atmosphere of the play?
Explore the theme of transformation in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Ariel undergo personal growth and change throughout the course of the play?
Discuss the role of myth and legend in The Tempest. How do elements of mythology and folklore influence the events and characters of the play?
Analyze the character of Alonzo in The Tempest. How does Alonzo's guilt over his past actions lead him to seek redemption and forgiveness?
Explore the theme of deception in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Antonio use deception and trickery to achieve their own ends?
Explore the theme of betrayal in The Tempest. How do characters like Antonio and Sebastian betray their own family members in pursuit of power?
Discuss the role of power and authority in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero and Alonso wield power over others, and how does this influence their relationships with those around them?
Analyze the character of Miranda in The Tempest. How does Miranda's innocence and naivety shape her interactions with other characters?
Explore the theme of exile in The Tempest. How do characters like Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel grapple with feelings of loneliness and alienation on the deserted island?
Discuss the role of forgiveness in The Tempest. How does forgiveness play a role in the resolution of the play?
Analyze the character of Caliban in The Tempest. How does Caliban's relationship with Prospero reflect colonial attitudes towards indigenous people?
Explore the theme of freedom in The Tempest. How do characters like Caliban and Ariel strive for freedom in a world controlled by Prospero? 62

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101 The Tempest Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best the tempest topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting the tempest topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about the tempest, ❓ the tempest essay questions.

The Tempest: Characters, Theme, and Personal Opinion Shakespeare’s play The Tempest is a story of the magical loss and restoration of the man’s power, wherein actions develop in the unchronological order, simultaneously showing past and present events.
The Tempest: Ferdinand’s Self-Discovery For instance, Ferdinand promises to make Miranda “the queen of Naples” and it does not even occur to him that he may not be able to fulfill his promise.
Ronald Takaki’s “The Tempest in the Wilderness” Using The Tempest and other plays by Shakespeare, Ronald Takaki tried to show the examples of the attitude of the citizens of New England to Indians. One of the main reasons for Indians to be […]
Themes in “The Tempest” Play by W. Shakespeare The primary themes of The Tempest discussed in this paper are power dynamics, colonialism, and the concept of illusion and reality.
William Shakespeare: Father-Daughter Relationship in “The Tempest” One of the main conditions according to which a daughter is going to be protected in the future is the strong assuredness that a daughter is in good and loving hands, protected like under the […]
Perception of Satire in Gulliver’s Travels, The Tempest, and Diderot’s One of the most effective methods to ensure the satirical sounding of a particular episode in the work of literature, is to overplay the idea that people are actually quite capable of not even noticing […]
Balinese Interpretation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” The Balinese performance was more impressive than the Utah Valley University play because Shakespeare would have chosen the far more delicate quality of this performance to emphasize his ideas on the colonialism theme in “The […]
Comparison of Shakespeare The Tempest, T.S. Eliot The Wasteland, and Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart Magic In the opening of the play Prospero is the one who, had conjured the storm in a desire to entice his, brother Antonio and the king of Naples, Alonso.
Medieval and Classical Traditions in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” In an introduction to The Tempest, Virginia Vaughan, and Alden Vaughan explore the theme of semantic similarity between Shakespeare and Virgil’s plays even to a further extent: “Shakespeare’s play is an imitation of the main […]
Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest” In “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the main character is shown to be sure of his own strength and righteousness of feelings and thoughts.
Claiming Caliban: “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare The character of Caliban is an opposition to that of Ariel, the other servant of prospero, in that Caliban is a human figure while Ariel is a spirit.
Play Analysis: The Postcolonial Interpretation of “The Tempest” This particular reading of the play implies that Shakespeare was deliberately expressing a view of colonialism in the New World in the guise of Prospero the magician, usurping Caliban, the slave.
“The Tempest” by William Shakespeare Literature Analysis This is one of the main arguments that can be put forward. In particular, Ferdinand discovers that he can be committed to the needs of another person.
“The Tempest” by William Shakespeare There is no doubt in the audience’s mind that all the tricks that Antonio thinks of are his own and he only expects to have all the riches to himself.
A Literary Analysis of “A Modest Proposal” and “The Tempest” For example, the mother in the family in the 2019 remake is presented as a kind woman without any sins, with her daughters claiming that she is never angry and her partly corroborating this statement, […]
William Shakespeare’s Play “The Tempest” Considering that this character is not a person but a spirit, one should consider character traits and external features in revealing the character in the staged play.
Language Analysis of The Tempest by William Shakespeare Context: The boatswain of the ship carrying the Italian dignitaries is wrestling with the storm that threatens to destroy the entire ship and all its crew.
Analysis of “The Tempest” Picture by Giorgione The painting’s texture and medium are also relevant to the timeframe of its production, as the vast majority of the paintings were made on canvas with the help of oil paint, creating a somehow simulated […]
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” by Blackfriars Playhouse By mimicking the style of performance that scholars and historians have established to have existed at the end of the 16th century in England, the staging brings forward certain originality.
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Play Scene by Scene The scene opens with the frantic efforts of the master and the boatswain to save the ship and the people therein.
The Tempest and Wonder by Anthony Esolen Literature Analysis In this talk, Professor Esolen discusses the importance of wonder as one of the main themes in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest.
The Means in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” However, in Ferdinand’s case, the emotional pain was the result of a misunderstanding after the ship wrecked, Ferdinand came to the assumption that he was the only survival completely on his own.
W. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Its Main Characters For instance, he instructs Aerial to fly around the boat in which Antonio, Alonso and their acquaintances are, to cause a storm and consequent shipwreck, but finally manages to save all the occupants of the […]
The Theme of Servitude in “The Tempest” In addition, Ferdinand is used to show the theme of ‘service to duty’. In this case, it is clear that the reference to Caliban is used to show the different forms of servitude.
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest” Analysis The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest are two masterpieces, which reflect the life of people who lived in the times when the works were created.
Narrative Techniques Used in Shakespeare’s The Tempest A density of narrative elements used in the play creates dynamics between the character and the plot, motif and problem by including techniques implied by the sources.
The Tempest and the Rape of the Rock On the other hand, the poem the rape of the lock by Alexander Pope ridicules the habits of the upper-class people.
Use of Noise and Music in ”The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Two Different Extremes on the Social Spectrum in ”The Tempest”
Transformation by Theatre In Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Primitive and the Civilized in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Thematic Role of Mise-en-Scene in Adaptations of “The Tempest”
The Story of Joseph in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” vs. the Spirit of Revenge in Montaigne’s “Of Cannibals”
The Theme of Power in the Opening Two Scenes of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Dramatic Uses of Intoxication in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”
The Significance of Sound and Music in “The Tempest”
William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”: An Allegorical Tale of Life in the Theater
Vengeance and Forgiveness in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Concept of Humanism in Giovanni Boccaccio’s “Decameron” and William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Moral Lessons in Euripides’ “Electra” and William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Themes of Manipulation, Power, and Playing God in the Tragical History of “Dr. Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
William Shakespeare’s Show of the Development of Prospero’s Character in “The Tempest”
The Use of Contrasts in Act One of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
Unholy Mothers: Mothers as Negative Characters in “Richard III,” “Cymbeline,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” and “The Tempest”
The Role of Language in Shakespeare’s Play “The Tempest”
The Power of Magic Through Characters in Both “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare and “The Franklin’s Tale” by Geofferey Chaucer
The Presentation of Learning and Education in “The Tempest” and ‘Translations”
Colonialism and Slavery in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Contrasting Characters of Ferdinand and Caliban in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Significance of Time and Place: Comparing “The Tempest” and “The Winter’s Tale”
The Role of the Calibans in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
“The Tempest”: Natural Disasters, Early Shocks, and Children’s Short- and Long-Run Development
The Utopian Solution in “The Tempest”
The Portrayal of Duality Between Nature and Society in “The Tempest”
Discussion of the Historical Context of “The Tempest” With the Focus on Colonization
Water Symbolism in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Theme of Usurpation in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
Utopian Society in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Feminist Critical Approach to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Relationships Between Master and Slave
Non-Human Beings in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Use of Music’s Power in William Shakespeare’s Play “The Tempest”
The Series of Treacheries and Rebellions in “The Tempest”
The Effect of the Changed Gender of Prospero in the Movie Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Development and Transformation of Prospero in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
The Similarities in Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Analysis of Shakespeare’s Messages Hidden Behind the Central Themes in “The Tempest
The Tension Between Humanity and Nature in “The Tempest”
The Dream of a Better World and the Three-Fold Theme of Rebirth-Renewal-Redemption in William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
The Role and Contributions of Prospero to “The Tempest”
How Does Prospero Change Throughout “The Tempest”?
Why Did His Brother Condemn Prospero to Death in “The Tempest”?
How Is Caliban Presented in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Establish the Situation at the Start of “The Tempest”?
Why Did Prospero Decide to Give Up Magical Powers in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Present Control and Power in Act Two Scene One of “The Tempest”?
Isn’t Caliban an Ironic Reflection of Prospero in “The Tempest”?
How Vital Are Audio Impressions and Noises in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Present Parent-Child Relationships in “The Tempest”?
What Is the Reason for Prospero’s Expulsion in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Present the Character of Prospero in “The Tempest”?
Why Does Ariel, Possessing Powerful Spells, Carry Out Prospero’s Instructions in “The Tempest”?
How Does the Composer Create Meaning in “The Tempest”?
What Do You Consider to Be Engaging About the Way Shakespeare Represents Prospero in “The Tempest”?
How Does the Relationship Between Prospero and Ariel Change During “The Tempest”?
What Is Miranda’s Function in the Play “The Tempest”?
How Effectively Does Shakespeare Present Caliban in “The Tempest”?
What Do You Find Interesting About the Way Magic Is Used to Manipulate and Intimidate Characters in “The Tempest”?
How Do Loyalty and Betrayal Affect “The Tempest”?
What Is the Role of Comic Scenes in the Play’s Plot of “The Tempest”?
How Does Prospero Use Magic in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”?
How Did Shakespeare Capture the Audience’s Attention in Act One Scene One of “The Tempest”?
How Does “The Tempest” Reflect the Religious, Political, and Social Environment of the Jacobean Period?
What Roles Does Prospero Take on in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Use the Masque Genre in “The Tempest”?
How Did Shakespeare Portray the Character of Caliban in “The Tempest”?
How Does “The Tempest” Show the Human Condition?
How Does Prospero’s Magic Differ From That of the Witch Sycorax in “The Tempest”?
How Does Shakespeare Present the Idea of Forgiveness at the End of “The Tempest”?
How Far Do You Agree That “The Tempest” Is a Play About the Use and Abuse of Power?
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The Tempest Themes

Themes in the tempest.

Prospero is expelled from his own dukedom when his elder brother rises against him and usurps his powers. The rest of the play is about Prospero plotting on taking the powers back from Alonso. This shows that justice is done if Prospero gets back his throne. However, he keeps Caliban and Ariel his slaves and does not release Ariel despite promises. Prospero uses exploitation and manipulates the situations in his favor, which is contrary to his idea of justice. He uses Ariel against his enemies, as well. When he becomes a merciful monarch, he releases slaves, forgives his enemies, and even abandons using magic. It shows that justice means the happy ending that Prospero establishes by the end of the play.

The play revolves around the happy ending and shows the superiority of human beings in a bleak way. When Prospero and his daughter Miranda are stranded on the island, they live there for almost twelve years. Yet, they know how to exploit other humans and creatures for their ends. Ariel is at the beck and call of Prospero, while Miranda deals with Caliban, who tries to attack her. Though Ariel remains faithful, Prospero does not trust him. He believes that he should keep him until they have the means to escape or leave the island.

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The Tempest Essay Topics: Choose the Best One for You

By: Henrique Bertulino

If professors assign you to write The Tempest essay, but this academic task seems a bit difficult for any reason, read this article that will clarify the situation for you.

List of The Tempest Essay Topics with Clarifications

Step 1: put a question, step 2: formulate a thesis statement, step 3: gather the evidence base and build arguments, step 4: write the conclusion.

Prospero, Caliban, Antonio - who would be the best lord of the island?

Almost every character in the play at different times shows a desire to become the island's lord. Choose a few of them and compare their motives. How does each of them imagine their rule? Who do you think had more power in the play?

The role of Caliban in the play

Is the role of Caliban really nullified at the end of the play? Think about why the author decided to remove this character?

The Moral Side of The Tempest

Morality and justice are topics that run through the Storm, and Shakespeare's attitude to them is particularly interesting. The colonial nature of the play and the ambiguous presentation of justice may even point to Shakespeare's own political views.

Themes of imperialism and colonialism in the play

Use specific examples to analyze how the characters in the play usurp power. What are their motives, what do they want to achieve? Is it related to the colonization of the islanders? Take into consideration The Tempest essays that discuss the same subject to get a better idea of how to outline your literature analysis.

The Tempest: comedy or not?

Strictly speaking, The Tempest is classified as a comedy. However, you will notice that you do not have bouts of laughter while reading or watching. Shakespearean comedies are not "comic" in the modern sense of the word. Rather, they rely on comedy through language, complex love stories, and a false identity. And yet, although The Tempest shares many of these characteristics, it is a completely unique play in the comedy category. Compare it to a classic comedy play like A Midsummer Night's Dream. You will notice that the elements of the tragedy in The Tempest draw the line between these two genres.

The theme of brotherhood and power

Antonio, Prospero, and Alonso - do they have the same thirst for power? Focus on the power struggle between these characters. How does their kingship affect the drive for usurpation of power that they have? Why did Sebastian fail to kill Alonso - the King of Naples?

Element of magic in The Tempest

"The Tempest" is considered the most magical Shakespeare's play. The play opens with a huge magical tempest that can destroy everything around. Magic is used throughout the play by various characters for pranks, control, and revenge, moving the plot forward. How is Prospero magic different from Sycorax?

Prospero - father, friend, or sorcerer?

Prospero in the play has an extremely extensive description. He is depicted in various guises. Think about the significant roles of this character. What role do you think is closest to him?

Is Prospero a positive or negative character?

Prospero, the main character of the play, causes a rather ambiguous attitude. He is the rightful Duke of Milan, but his brother usurped power and sent him on a boat to certain death. But, fortunately, the protagonist survives. In this way, he becomes a victim who tries to get back what rightfully belongs to him. However, in order to achieve his goals, Prospero is often cruel. An example is his unfair treatment of Caliban and Ariel. After such scenes, he looks like a real villain.

The relationship between Prospero and Ariel

Why does Ariel ask if he is in love with the spirit? What does it reveal about their feelings?

Natural and unnatural characters of the play

Pick a few characters that can be described as unnatural and natural. It would help if you explored both their differences and similarities. How do their important characteristics affect relationships between them? Be sure to answer these questions in essays on The Tempest.

Comic scenes with Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano.

Draw parallels between the colonized and the colonizers, compare "men" and "monsters".

How to write an essay on The Tempest?

None of us is born with the knowledge of how to write an essay analysis of a literary work. But, fortunately, these skills can be acquired practically. By reading the relevant literature, you will eventually be able to write excellent essays on the works read. But until you have acquired such knowledge, we offer you a study guide to write a well-constructed literary essay that you can apply to The Tempest.

During the study of a literary work in class, the teacher often pushes students to various tips for writing an essay. Take advantage of this and choose one question that interests you the most. An exciting topic will save your time and bring pleasure in the process of working on the essay. If you have been given the task of coming up with the topic of the essay yourself, do not despair. Either you have too many ideas, or you don't have them at all. In any case, you need to calm down and ask yourself the following:

What impressed you the most?

Just discard all the extras and write down the first thing that comes to mind after reading the play. Was there something that left a mark on your memory for a long time? It can be the hero of the play, the plotline, or the characters' decision. This can help you formulate a good topic and write a great essay.

Examples of questions:

Why did his brother condemn Prospero to death?

Why did Prospero decide to give up magical powers?

Did you notice any patterns or contradictions?

Were there moments in the work that were repeated from time to time? Have there been similar characters? Try to draw analogies and find some inconsistencies - this can be a good hook for the topic of the essay.

Why is there only one female role in the play - Miranda, and other women are absent?

Isn't Caliban an ironic reflection of Prospero? (Both heroes were removed from power.)

Was there anything that confused you?

Analyze those scenes that you did not fully understand. Be a detective. When you open the case, you will understand why the character did just that.

What is the reason for Prospero's expulsion?

Why does Ariel, possessing powerful spells, carry out Prospero's instructions?

At this stage, you have not yet formulated the topic of the essay definitively. You only feel something interesting because exciting major themes grow into discussions, based on which you can develop a really valuable topic for the essay.

In the introduction, you present the topic of the essay, introduce yourself as the author and state your position. The essence of your research paper is to confirm your main idea with strong arguments. This idea is a thesis statement.

Examples of good thesis statements for The Tempest:

In an effort to restore justice, Prospero appears to be a hypocrite, as he enslaves Ariel and Caliban to achieve his goals.
Miranda and Prospero did not recognize Ferdinand as a full-fledged man because they believed that even education could not overcome his diabolical nature.

In the main part, you will do everything to prove your position. Argument paragraphs constitute the main part of your essay.

When writing the main part, follow three basic rules:

Start with a topic sentence
Pick strong arguments to prove your point
Make soft transitions between paragraphs

See how you can build your argument base in The Tempest essay:

William Shakespeare leaves women in the play behind the scenes. Recall how Gonzalo describes a society without commerce: "No occupation: all men idle, all. / And women too, but innocent and pure". At first, he seemed to forget about women, but later, he mentioned them separately.
Shakespeare's play has a rather subjective and contradictory notion of justice because Prospero in the name of fairness does many wrongdoings.

The conclusion exists in order to once again briefly confirm what you said in the introduction and confirmed in the body. In the introduction to the essay you raised an important issue. Conclude the essay so that readers get answers to this question. What new do they know now? How will this help them better understand The Tempest?

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The Tempest

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Home › Drama Criticism › Analysis of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 26, 2020 • ( 1 )

Many commentators agree in the belief that The Tempest is the last creation of Shakespeare. I will readily believe it. There is in The Tempest the solemn tone of a testament. It might be said that, before his death, the poet, in this epopee of the ideal, had designed a codicil for the Future. . . . The Tempest is the supreme denouement, dreamed by Shakespeare, for the bloody drama of Genesis. It is the expiation of the primordial crime. The region whither it transports us is the enchanted land where the sentence of damnation is absolved by clemency, and where reconciliation is ensured by amnesty to the fratricide. And, at the close of the piece, when the poet, touched by emotion, throws Antonio into the arms of Prospero, he has made Cain pardoned by Abel.

—Victor Hugo , Oeuvres complètes de Shakespeare

It is inevitable, given the position of The Tempest as William Shakespeare’s final solo dramatic work, to hear in Prospero’s epilogue to the play, Shakespeare’s farewell to his audience:

Now my charms are all o’erthrown, And what strength I have’s mine own, Which is most faint. . . . . . Now I want Spirits to enforce, art to enchant; And my ending is despair Unless I be relieved by prayer, Which pierces so, that it assaults Mercy itself, and frees all faults. As you from crimes would pardoned be, Let your indulgence set me free.

Prospero bows out on a note of forgiveness, the tone that finally rules the play along with an affirmation in the essential goodness of humanity. It has been tempting, therefore, to view Prospero’s sentiment and his play as Shakespeare’s last word, his summation of a career and a philosophy, what critic Gary Taylor has called “the valedictory culmination of Shakespeare’s life work.” First performed at court on November 1, 1611, before the playwright’s exit to Stratford, The Tempest , however, is technically neither Shakespeare’s finale nor requiem. Two years later Shakespeare was back in London, collaborating with John Fletcher on The Two Noble Kinsmen, Henry VIII, and the lost play Cardenio. As intriguing as the biographical reading is, it is only one of The Tempest ’s multiple layers of meaning and significance. Called by critic T. M. Parrot, “perhaps the best loved of all Shakespeare’s plays,” and by William Hazlitt as among the “most original and perfect of Shakespeare’s productions,” The Tempest continues to be one of the most performed and interpreted plays in the canon, generating (and withstanding) autobiographical, allegorical, religious, metaphysical, and more recently postcolonial readings. The play’s central figure has likewise shifted from Prospero, who fascinated the romantics, to Miranda, who has claimed the attention of feminists, to Caliban, who is exhibit A in the reading of the play as “a veritable document of early Anglo-American history,” according to writer Sydney Lee, containing “the whole history of imperialist America,” as stated by critic Leslie Fiedler. The Tempest has served as a poetic treasure trove and springboard for other writers, with allusions detectable in John Milton’s Comus , T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, W. H. Auden’s The Sea and the Mirror, and countless other works. Based on its popularity, persistence, and universality, The Tempest remains one of the richest and most fascinating of Shakespeare’s plays.

The Tempest is a composite work with elements derived from multiple sources. Montaigne’s essay “On Cannibals,” whose romantic primitivism is satirized in Gonzalo’s plan for organizing society on Prospero’s island in the second act, is a possible source. So, too, are a German play, Comedy of the Beautiful Sidea, by Jacob Ayrer, about a magician prince whose only daughter falls in love with the son of his enemy, and several Italian commedia dell’arte pastoral tragicomedies set on remote islands and featuring benevolent magicians. Accounts of the Sea-Venture, the ship sent to Virginia to bolster John Smith’s colony that was wrecked on the coast of Bermuda in 1609, may have furnished Shakespeare with some of the details for the play’s opening storm. However, the most substantial borrowing for the plot of The Tempest comes from Shakespeare’s own previous plays, so much so, that scholar Stephen Greenblatt has described The Tempest as “a kind of echo chamber of Shakespearean motifs.” The complications following a shipwreck revisits Twelfth Night ; the relocation of court society to the wilderness is featured in As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which also employs spirits and the supernatural to teach lessons and settle scores. The backstory of The Tempest —Prospero, the former duke of Milan, usurped by his brother—recalls Hamlet and King Lear . Miranda’s being raised in ignorance of her past and status as well as the debate between nature and nurture echo Pericles and The Winter’s Tale. Like both, The Tempest mixes light and dark, tragic and comic elements, yet compared to their baroque complexity, the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays after Macbeth obeys the Aristotelian unities of place and time (the only other Shakespearean play to do so is The Comedy of Errors ), with its action confined to Prospero’s island, taking place over a period roughly corresponding to its performance time.

The Tempest begins with one of the most spectacular scenes in all of Shakespeare: the storm at sea that threatens the vessel whose passengers include King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, and Prospero’s hated brother Antonio, the usurping duke of Milan. Their life-and-death struggle enacted on stage is subjected to a double focus as Prospero reassures his daughter, Miranda, distraught over the fate of the passengers and crew, that he controls the tempest and that their danger is an illusion. The disaster, which he calls a “spectacle,” is artifice, and the play establishes an analogy between Prospero’s magic and the theatrical sleight of hand that initially seemed so realistic and thrilling. Prospero stands in for the artist here: Both magician and playwrights are conjurors, able to manipulate nature and make others believe in a reality without substance. The contrast between illusion and reality will be sounded throughout the play, suggesting that The Tempest is a metadrama: a play about playwriting and the power and limitations of the imagination. Prospero finally tells his daughter how they arrived on the island; how his brother, Antonio, joined in a conspiracy with Alonso to usurp his place as duke of Milan; how 12 years before Prospero and Miranda were set adrift at sea, provisioned only by a compassionate Neapolitan, Gonzalo. Friend and foes, aboard the vessel Prospero has seemed to wreck, are now under his control on the island where Prospero intends to exact his vengeance. Prospero, therefore, will use his long-studied magical arts to stage a reckoning for past offenses. The play proceeds under Prospero’s direction with a cast that either cooperates or complicates his intentions. Serving him are the ethereal Ariel, whom Prospero promises to free after completing his bidding, and the contrasting earthly and brutish Caliban, a witch’s son, whom Prospero says he has “us’d thee / (Filth as thou art) with human care, and lodg’d thee / In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate / The honor of my child.” Prospero, therefore, controls symbols of both sides of human nature: aspects of the imagination and fancy and baser instincts that come in conflict on the island as the play progresses.

As playwright Prospero must juggle three subplots: Miranda’s relationship with Ferdinand, the son of Alonso, who mourns his loss at sea; the plotting of Prospero’s brother, Antonio, and the king’s brother, Sebastian, to murder Alonso and seize his throne; and Caliban’s alliance with the jester Trinculo and butler Stefano to kill Prospero and reign in his stead. The first goes so well—Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love at first sight—that Prospero tests Ferdinand’s fidelity by appearing to punish him by making him his servant. Ferdinand, however, proves his devotion by gladly accepting his humiliation to be near Miranda. Prospero ends Ferdinand’s penance and testing in the first scene of act 4, declaring: “All thy vexations / Were but my trials of thy love, and thou / Hast strangely stood the test.” To seal the nuptial vows a ritual masque is performed by various mythological goddesses and pastoral figures. In the midst of the dance Prospero stops the performance to deliver one of the most celebrated speeches in all of Shakespeare’s plays:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air; And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.

Jaques in As You Like It asserted “All the world’s a stage,” and Macbeth described life as “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” Prospero’s speech suggests the transience of both human life and art, with its reference to “the great globe,” the name of Shakespeare’s theater, that, along with towers, palaces, and temples, “shall dissolve . . . like this insubstantial pageant.”

Made aware by Ariel of Caliban’s conspiracy with Trinculo and Stefano, Prospero distracts them from their purpose of murder by rich attire, which Trinculo and Stefano put on before being set upon by spirits. Their comic rebellion is matched by the more serious plot of Antonio and Sebastian to kill Alonso. An assassination attempt is halted by the appearance of spirits providing a banquet for the hungry men. Just as they try to satisfy their hunger the food disappears, replaced by Ariel, “like a harpy,” who accuses Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio of their crimes against Prospero and delivers their sentences:

. . . But remember, For that’s my business to you, that you three From Milan did supplant good Prospero; Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it ,Him, and his innocent child; for which foul deed The powers, delaying not forgetting, have Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures, Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso, They have bereft; and do pronounce by me Ling’ring perdition, worse than any death Can be at once, shall step by step attend You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from— Which here, in this most desolate isle, else fall sUpon your heads—is nothing but heart’s sorrow, And a clear life ensuing.

Prospero, approving of Ariel’s performance, declares, “They now are in my pow’r,” and the play turns on how he will decide to use that power.

At the start of the fifth act Prospero announces the climax of his plan: “Now does my project gather to a head,” with his victims now imprisoned to confront their guilt and fate. It is Ariel who shifts Prospero from vengeance to forgiveness by saying, “Your charm so strongly works ’em / That if you now beheld them your affections / Would become tender.” Ariel’s suggestion of what should be the reaction to human suffering shames Prospero into compassion:

Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling Of their afflictions, and shall not myself, One of their kind, that relish all as sharply, Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art? Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick, Yet with my nobler reason ’gainst my fury Do I take part. The rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance. They being penitent, The sole drift of my purpose doth extend Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel; My charms I’ll break, their senses I’ll restore, And they shall be themselves.

Prospero turns away from revenge and the pursuit of power that had formerly ruled the destinies of so many Shakespearean heroes, including Hamlet, Macbeth , and many more. Prospero changes the plot of his play at its climax and then turns away from his art to reenter the human community:

. . . But this rough magic I here abjure. And, when I have required Some heavenly music—which even now I do— To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book.

The end of Prospero’s plot, his art, and the play conjoin. Ariel returns with the prisoners, and Prospero pardons all, including his brother, before reclaiming his dukedom and reuniting father and son. Miranda, overcome by so many nobles on their formerly deserted island, declares:

O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world! That has such people in’t!

Prospero, more soberly and less optimistically, responds to her words: “’Tis new to thee.” Finally, Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are brought in. The lowly status and ridiculousness of the latter two are exposed, prompting Caliban to assert:

I’ll be wise hereafter, And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass Was I to take this drunkard for a god, And worship this dull fool!

Having reestablished order and a harmonious future in the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand, Prospero delivers on his promise to free Ariel before turning to the audience to ask for the same compassion and forgiveness he has shown. As Prospero has released the spirit Ariel, we are asked to do the same for Prospero. We now hold the power and the art to use it as we will:

. . . Now ’tis true I must be here confined by you Or sent to Naples. Let me not ,Since I have my dukedom got, And pardoned the deceiver, dwell In this bare island by your spell; But release me from my bands With the help of your good hands.

If the play is not Shakespeare’s last will and testament, there scarcely can be a better: a play that affirms essential human goodness while acknowledging the presence of human evil, written in the full powers of the imagination, while conscious of its limitations and responsibilities.

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Hsc module a: 20/20 essay notes for the tempest and hagseed.

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margaret atwood
textual conversations
the tempest
william shakespeare

What is a textual conversation?

To truly understand what we are supposed to be looking out for in our critical evaluation of Hag-Seed and The Tempest , we refer to the rubric for Module A: Textual Conversations.

The rubric dictates that students are to explore how the “comparative study of texts can reveal resonances and dissonances between and within texts” and consider how the reimagining or reframing of certain facets of a text “ mirror[s], align[s] or collide[s] ” with the other text. Put simply, students are to consider the similarities and differences between the representation of “ values, assumptions or perspectives ” in the two texts to then impute a reasoning to why these aspects of the texts may mirror, align or collide with one another based on context, authorial perspective, audience and more.

The textual conversations between Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest , and Margaret Atwood’s modern appropriation of the tragicomedy , Hag-Seed , is a complex one. To really comprehend this conversation we must consider how each text is influenced by the other, but is also a product of the composer’s context, values and perspective, ultimately shaping overall meaning.

How does context influence this textual conversation?

Context informs composers’ perspectives and so, shapes their purpose and meaning. As such, it is important to keep these social influences in the back of your mind as you navigate the textual conversations.

Some of Shakespeare’s contextual influences include:

Renaissance Humanism vs Christian Providentialism

The growing prevalence of Renaissance Humanist ideals during Shakespeare’s composition of The Tempest espoused the outlook that individuals were capable of acting autonomously and were not following a predetermined path dictated by religious providence. This further fostered a climate of individuals seeking power, knowledge and new adventures. Shakespeare’s presents the nuances within these humanist ideologies through his portrayal of Prospero whose quest for knowledge and agency in creating his own destiny leads to his ethical and moral turpitude as explored further below.

The Age of Discovery

The Tempest was written during a period when many great expeditions were undertaken by Europeans to colonise new lands. In that same period, Montaigne’s Of the Caniballes gained wide recognition following John Florio’s translation of it into English in 1603. The essay introduced the idea of cultural relativism: the concept that human behaviour is a product of culture and as such cannot be judged by those without this cultural context.

These endeavours to colonise the non-European world included the institution of European governance systems in conquered territories and often resulted in the unjust subjugation of native peoples to allow for the exploitation of their land. This is manifested in Shakespeare’s portrayal of how Prospero deems himself of greater civility and intelligence than the island native Caliban. He then enslaves and exploits the spirit as a means to his own selfish ends, serving as an allegorical parable for the intricacies in the implications of European Colonisation at the time.

The Great Chain of Being and the Divine Rights of Kings

The Great Chain of Beings was the Elizabethan belief that there was distinct hierarchy from everything within the universe as dictates by God, and that monarchs were in power by divine mandate itself, and thus had the divine right to only be answerable to God. In alignment with this ideology, Shakespeare’s entire work is a quest to restore this hierarchical structure that was displaced by Antonio’s greed for power and Prospero’s own neglect for his duties as a ruler due to his preoccupation with his studies. As Prospero questions the failure of the Great Chain, he realises that to truly restore order they must all engage in introspection, repentance and forgiveness, in a true display of compassion.

Some of Atwood’s contextual influences include:

High Incarceration Rates

At the time Atwood was composing her work, incarceration in the United States was the highest it had ever been since the early twentieth century. Furthermore, there was a stark disparity in the demographics of these incarcerated peoples where ethnic people of colour were disproportionately represented. Influenced by both the overwhelming incarceration in America, and Canada’s adoption of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice System that challenged traditional adversarial justice, Atwood explores intricacies the inmates’ experiences as an alienated and marginalised collective.

Shifting Social Paradigms

Atwood reflects the growing empowerment of females in modern society through her distinctly different representation of women in Hag-Seed . While in The Tempest , Miranda was characterised to be of innocent purity and passivity, Felix’s daughter is more empowered in her role as the catalyst of his ethical transformation.

Concepts and Themes in the Textual Conversation

Pursuit of Revenge

Both texts ultimately expose the futility of revenge to provide emotional fulfilment and its incapacity to serve as a solution to resolve suffering and loss. Felix and Prospero are both motivated by revenge and as a result, neglect their moral obligations. Prospero is blinded by his desire to restore his position as prescribed by God’s Great Chain of Beings, but in exacting his revenge he is deceitful and cunning, in neglect of the Christian ideals of compassion and mercy. Similarly, Felix too falls prey to the corruption caused by his desire for vengeance against Sal and Tony.

Sample Topic Sentence: In The Tempest , Shakespeare exposes how the sophisticated nexus between hubris and the inherent human desire for power and revenge leads to ethical turpitude and ultimately impedes individuals from achieving personal fulfilment.

Imprisonment

As Felix famously sums up that The Tempest is “ a play about prisons ”, the recurring motif of prisons is evident throughout both texts to the extent that Hag-Seed is quite literally set in a penitentiary centre.

The most salient interpretation of these prisons is both protagonists’ confinement within their obsessive pursuit for revenge. It is only when he forgives his enemies that Prospero is truly set free. We also see that individuals such as Caliban in The Tempest and the prisoners in Hag-Seed are imprisoned within society’s perception of them.

Ultimately, both composers advocate for empathy, compassion and forgiveness for individuals to break free of these internal shackles as further discussed below.

Compassion and Forgiveness for Reconciliation

Shakespeare presents the perils of an obsessive thirst for vengeance only to provide a solution for it through compassion and forgiveness. The Jacobean-Christian principle of unconditional forgiveness and divine absolution of sin underpin Shakespeare’s portrayal of how Prospero’s forgiveness and renunciation of magic and his past grievances in “ this rough magic, I here abjure ”, are the key to his reconciliation. Through returning to the Christian ideals of compassion and forgiveness, Prospero manages to restore order.

While Atwood’s appropriation still asserts the enduring relevance of self-reflection and compassion for personal development, her postmodern secular context challenges Shakespeare’s representation of unconditional Christian clemency through the relative lack of reconciliation between Felix and his adversaries. Despite this distinction, Atwood does, in agreeance with The Tempest , propose the futility of seeking revenge through Felix’s confession after he exact his revenge through the hypophora “ Why does it feel like a letdown? ”.

Both texts didactically warn against the pursuit of vengeance yet explore reconciliation in distinct ways, reflective of their contextual influences.

Good vs Evil and the Alienation of the ‘Other’

Shakespeare represents the conflict between Renaissance Humanism and the predeterminism of Christian Providence through his portrayal of Prospero’s moral ambiguity. Prospero’s kindness towards Miranda and his altruistic reconciliation at the end of the play starkly contrast his cruel subjugation of Caliban and Ariel, and his shipwrecking of his enemies.

Alternatively, Shakespeare also explores the Christian Providence through his relatively one-sided judgement of Caliban to be the ‘evil spirit’ and Ariel as the ‘good spirit’. He presents how Prospero deems that Caliban, as Sycorax’s offspring, must be evil without hope for redemption. Ultimately Caliban is the alienated ‘other’ and his anger at his mistreatment drives his behaviour which ultimately, fulfils Prospero’s judgement of Caliban’s evil tendencies.

In contemporary society, this overly reductionist judgement of good and evil characters leads to incarcerated individuals struggling to reintegrate into society and being marginalised both within the system and after they complete their sentences. Reflective of this, Atwood presents the ethical depravity of individuals in power, such as Sal, and presents a more human side of the prisoners to challenge audiences’ assumptions about the personal characters of incarcerated individuals.

So, both composers blur the distinction between wholly altruistic or wholly corrupt motivations to challenge audiences’ assumptions about the prevalent perceptions of good and evil in their respective contexts.

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100 The Tempest Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on the tempest, 🎓 interesting the tempest essay topics, 📌 easy the tempest essay topics, 💡 simple the tempest essay ideas, ❓ the tempest research questions.

“The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
Gender Roles in The Tempest
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
The Tempest: Prospero’s Character Analysis
Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Image Exploration
Utopia in “The Tempest” by Shakespeare
“The Tempest” a Play by William Shakespeare
Prospero’s Rulership in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a non-historical drama that focuses mainly on an act of injustice. One analyzes Prospero’s brother’s takeover of the crown.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being “Civilized” or “Uncivilized” The Epic of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s The Tempest demonstrate that the application of labels is relative, implies adverse outcomes, and is used to critique the colonial process.
Performances of W. Shakespeare’s The Tempest Play The play The Tempest by William Shakespeare is one of the author’s most iconic literary works. Due to insufficient information, it is assumed that it was written in 1610-1611.
The Tempest by Shakespeare: A Play Review The Tempest, written by William Shakespeare, has numerous words that while making the poem sound sophisticated, are intricate to the readers.
Ferdinand and Miranda in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in Terms of Postcolonial Theory In “The Tempest”, Shakespeare depicted humanity in its most important types, from the embodiment of primitive savagery in the person of Caliban to the noble sage Prospero.
”The Tempest” Performance in St. Louis Review The performance shows that nowadays, in the age of movies and series, a thoroughly prepared live theatrical performance can be captivating and evoke strong emotions.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest Directed by Gregory Doran The Tempest is a remarkable play that united classics with modern technology to transform viewers’ experiences into something new.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the Savage Rose Theater For a comprehensive assessment of a theatrical performance, I have chosen the online play The Tempest created by William Shakespeare and revised by the Savage Rose Theater.
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” – Viewing and Reflection Classical interpretation can convey the mood of the era of Shakespeare’s life, and one of such performances is the staging of the play “The Tempest” by Savage Rose Theater Company.
Ahab from Moby Dick and Prospero from the Tempest The paper presents a panel discussion with two main participants, Ahab, a character from Moby Dick, and Prospero, from The Tempest.
The Phaedrus and The Tempest: Compare & Contrast If we try to draw the parallels between these two works, we may say that both Shakespeare and Plato show that we often create illusion for ourselves.
The Tempest and the Contemporary Arts The Tempest is one of the most famous plays of the final period of Shakespearean creative work. The problems that the author revealed in this play to be rather topical for the present day.
“The Tempest” Play by St. Louis Shakespeare Theater This performance of The Tempest by St. Louis Shakespeare theater covered the text of the Shakespearean play, making it a full-length production.
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” by Savage Rose Theatre The present research will review the play named The Tempest, which was performed by the Savage Rose Theatre in 2014.
“The Tempest” Play at St. Louis Shakespeare Festival This paper aims to explain the viewing experience of the play “The Tempest” at the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.
Analysis of “The Tempest” Play During the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival The play “The Tempest” written in the very beginning of the seventeenth century influences the canons of dramatic arts and their role in the modern performing culture.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare: Viewing and Reflection St. Louis Shakespeare’s production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest was staged in 2010 and performed at the Grandel Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Tempest Play at Savage Rose Classical Theater The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the performance of Savage Rose classical theater company regarding the use of the staging and the overall performance of the actors.
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“The Tempest” Performance by Savage Rose Theater The performance The Tempest was running in the Savage Rose Theater. Although it is a modern theatre company, it adheres to classical drama and does not experiment.
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at Savage Rose Theatre The Tempest staged by the Savage Rose Theatre Company represents a fresh look at the known performance and a proper combination of tragedy with comedic elements.
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“The Tempest”: Viewing and Reflection The Tempest performed by the Savage Rose Theater Company is a classical period drama performance of the Shakespearean classic. It is a faithful adaptation of the text.
Exotic Setting And Its Relevance In Shakespeare’s The Tempest
The Ways Shakespeare Presents Ideas of Society in ‘The Tempest’
The Tension Between Humanity and Nature in ‘The Tempest’
The Battle for Political Power in ‘The Tempest’
William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and Relationships Between Master and Slave
Feminism and the Treatment of Women in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
Demonic and Pure Women in Shakespeares ‘The Tempest’: Miranda Versus Sycorax Essays
The Two Different Extremes on the Social Spectrum in ‘The Tempest’
How Shakespere Portrayed the Charactor of Caliban in ‘The Tempest’
Lost Illusions, Bitter Wisdom and Fragile Hope in ‘The Tempest’
William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ as a Consideration of the Important Social Issues of Its Time
The Relationship Between Servants and Masters in ‘The Tempest’
European Colonialism and Imperialism in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
Prospero Constructs ‘The Tempest’ Hierarchy and Returns Affairs to a Natural State
The Conflict Between Passion and Intellect in ‘The Tempest’
How Does the Relationship Between Prospero and Ariel Change During ‘The Tempest’
The Relationship Between Miranda and Prospero in ‘The Tempest’
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”: Colonization and the Brave New World
The Feminist Critical Approach to Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
The Duality Between Nature and Society in The Tempest by William Shakespeare
How Does Shakespeare Establish the Situation at the Start of ‘The Tempest’
The Relation Between Prospero and Ariel in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
The Tempest – Comparison, and Contrast of Ferdinand and Caliban
Distorting the Natural Laws of the World in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare
Temperature Art vs. Nature in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
The Development and Transformation of Prospero in ‘The Tempest’, a Play by William Shakespeare
Colonization and ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare
Common Themes and Characters in Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, and ‘The Tempest’
Colonialism, Race, and Class in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and Patrick Chamoiseau’s Solibo Magnificent
Caliban Inside and Out in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
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Shakespeare Uses His Play ‘The Tempest’ to Depict a Microcosm of His Society
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Apparitions and the Supernatural in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
Overview of the Many Roles of Prospero in Shakespeare ‘The Tempest’
The Beneficial and Abusive Use of Power in Shakespeare’s Play ‘The Tempest’
Human Relationships Between the Central Characters in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’
Caliban’s Original Love for Prospero and Miranda in the Story ‘The Tempest’
The Relationship Between Master and Slave in ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare
What Is the Story of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’?
What Is the Main Idea of ‘The Tempest’?
Why Is Shakespeare’s Play Called ‘The Tempest’?
Is ‘The Tempest’ a Comedy or Tragedy?
How Does Shakespeare Present Control and Power in Act Two Scene One of ‘The Tempest’?
What Happens at the End of ‘The Tempest’?
What Are Three Themes in ‘The Tempest’?
Why Is ‘The Tempest’ Relevant Today?
Why Is ‘The Tempest’ Different From Other Shakespeare Plays?
How Does Shakespeare Present the Idea of Forgiveness at the End of the Play ‘The Tempest’?
Who Is the Main Character in ‘The Tempest’?
What Are the Symbols in ‘The Tempest’?
What Is a Good Thesis Statement for ‘The Tempest’?
How Is Betrayal Shown in ‘The Tempest’?
What Happens to Caliban at the End of ‘The Tempest’?
What Is Shakespeare Saying About Power in ‘The Tempest’?
Who Does Miranda Fall in Love With in ‘The Tempest’?
What Is the Role of Marriage in ‘The Tempest’?
How Is Miranda and Ferdinand’s Relationship Important to ‘The Tempest’?
Is ‘The Tempest’ About Colonialism?
Why Does Shakespeare Start ‘The Tempest’ With a Storm?
What Is the Historical Context of ‘The Tempest’?
Is ‘The Tempest’ a Historical Play?
What Is ‘The Tempest’ a Metaphor For?
Is ‘The Tempest’ Shakespeare’s Final Play?
What Is the Tone of the Play ‘The Tempest’?
What Does the End of ‘The Tempest’ Mean?
What Technique Does Shakespeare Use in ‘The Tempest’?
What Is the Setting of ‘The Tempest’?
What Happens When Ariel Lures Ferdinand to Prospero in ‘The Tempest’?

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This essay topic collection was updated on January 9, 2024 .

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The Tempest

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Loss and Restoration

Prospero's attempt to recover his lost dukedom of Milan drives the plot of the Tempest . But Prospero isn't the only character in the play to experience loss. Ariel lost his freedom to Sycorax and now serves Prospero. Caliban , who considers himself the rightful ruler of the island, was overthrown and enslaved by Prospero. By creating the tempest that shipwrecks Alonso and his courtiers on the island, Prospero strips them of their position and…

From the opening scene of The Tempest during the storm, when the ruling courtiers on the ship must take orders from their subjects, the sailors and the boatswain, The Tempest examines a variety of questions about power: Who has it and when? Who's entitled to it? What does the responsible exercise of power look like? How should power be transferred? The play is full of examples of power taken by force, and in each case…

Magic, Illusion, and Prospero as Playwright

The Tempest is full of Prospero's magic and illusions. The play begins with Prospero's magic (the tempest), and ends with Prospero's magic (his command that Ariel send the ship safely back to Italy). In between, the audience watches as Prospero uses visual and aural illusions to manipulate his enemies and expose their true selves. At nearly every point in the play, Prospero's magic gives him total control—he always seems to know what will happen next…

Colonization

During the time when The Tempest was written and first performed, both Shakespeare and his audiences would have been very interested in the efforts of English and other European settlers to colonize distant lands around the globe. The Tempest explores the complex and problematic relationship between the European colonizer and the native colonized peoples through the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero views Caliban as a lesser being than himself. As such, Prospero believes that…

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The Tempest

By william shakespeare, the tempest essay questions.

To what extent can Prospero can be considered the protagonist of the play?

Many would agree that Prospero is the protagonist of the play, given that he starts out as a sympathetic character who has been robbed of his station and betrayed by his brother. However, Prospero is not a straightforward or traditional hero. Instead, he relies on his magic to control and manipulate others on the island while also maintaining control over his young adult daughter, Miranda. While audiences are likely to sympathize and root for Prospero's success, the play presents a rather nuanced portrait of its protagonist, leading many to compare Prospero to the playwright whose dedication to their craft outweighs their sense of social or filial duty. When Prospero renounces his magic at the end of the play, he is in many ways restored to hero status, having recognized that his ability to control others is a dangerous power to wield.

In what ways is Caliban a representation of colonization?

Caliban is the only character in the play who is native to the island on which The Tempest takes place. As such, he has long been interpreted as a figure of the effects of colonization and specifically of English imperialism. Caliban is treated by Prospero and Miranda as both a monster, a pupil, a son, and a servant: he is grateful to be able to curse Miranda in her own language, but later uses that same language with mastery and eloquence. The play stops short of expressing a direct judgement of English colonization, instead using the relationship between Prospero and Caliban to explore the complex social and filial dynamics that arise from imperial pursuits.

How does Miranda change over the course of the play?

One quality of Miranda's that is stressed throughout the play is her purity and innocence. Both Prospero and Ferdinand appear interested in preserving her virginity, if for different reasons (Ferdinand for assurance that any children they have will be biologically his, and Prospero for continued control over his surroundings). However, as the play develops, Miranda starts to show signs of budding autonomy – specifically sexual autonomy. She all but demands that Ferdinand marry her, and in so doing makes a choice on her own that reflects her growth from a girl to a woman. Prospero's preoccupation with Miranda's continued purity is therefore challenged by Miranda's own expression of love for Ferdinand, showcasing how even Prospero's magic cannot prevent his daughter from maturing.

Why must Prospero relinquish his powers at the end of the play?

At the end of the play, Prospero renounces his magical powers in order to restore his dukedom. However, he does not do so simply to return to power. Instead, Prospero comes to realize that it was his commitment to his magic that led to his usurpation and exile in the first place. When he agrees to renounce his books, he is really agreeing to be a more committed leader and to relinquish false power – his ability to control his surroundings and the experiences of others – for real and meaningful power in the form of political leadership.

Why do many see Prospero as a representative of Shakespeare himself?

Prospero is often compared to the William Shakespeare because of his dedication to his craft – specifically, the craft of creating whole worlds out of nothing, a task that parallels the role of the early modern English dramatist. Shakespeare wrote The Tempest toward the end of his career, and many see Prospero as the manifestation of the Bard's own reckoning with his departure from the theater. Indeed, Prospero's final speech – in which he asks for applause from the audience in order to be set "free" – is frequently understood as Shakespeare's personal farewell to the English stage.

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The Tempest Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Tempest is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

why does miranda have such immediate empathy for the men in the ship?

Because of her nature

I'm not sure how you felt. Prospero is simply winding up his plan. I think Prospero has tempered both his anger and his revenge. I think he is ready to grant mercy to those that have wronged him. He is also ready to give Ariel her promised...

significance of the storm in the Opening act

In The Tempest, the storm at sea serves as the plot's inciting event. The storm washes Prospero 's enemies onto the island's shore, placing them at his mercy. In this sense the tempest or storm represents a disturbance of the social order. It also...

Study Guide for The Tempest

The Tempest study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About The Tempest
The Tempest Summary
The Tempest Video
Character List

Essays for The Tempest

The Tempest literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Tempest.

Similarities Between Principal Characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest
A Post-Colonial Interpretation of The Tempest
The Fierce and Mighty Sea; The Dramatic Function of the Powerful and Ever Present Ocean in The Tempest
The Sensitive Beast: Shakespeare's Presentation of Caliban
Love and Magic Intertwined

Lesson Plan for The Tempest

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to The Tempest
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
Related Links
The Tempest Bibliography

E-Text of The Tempest

The Tempest E-Text contains the full text of The Tempest

List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for The Tempest

Introduction

Here are the many, many good Tempest prompts. I will give the original articulation in italics and my rendition of it in larger, plain type so that you can glimpse the inner, evil workings of a professor composing prompts. And more tangibly, you might get some different ideas about how to approach the prompt as I have rendered it. Remember, the important thing in approaching any prompt such as these is to translate it into your own terms, into your own analysis or argument while still creating a paper that is recognizably a response to one of these questions.

1. By the end of the play, Caliban’s character seems to be somewhat unimportant. What might be the purpose of including such a character in the play? What is Caliban’s role? Use Kermode and Barker and Hulme’s essays to support your thesis.

By the end of the play, Caliban seems less threatening and less important. What might be the purpose of including such a character in the play? What is Caliban’s role? You may want to use Kermode along with Barker and Hulme to support your thesis.

2. How much could Caliban actually be 'civilized'? Should Prospero have expected him to stay 'trained'? Was his rebellion/attempted rape inevitable? Are his actions representative of all colonized peoples?

At the beginning of The Tempest , we learn that Prospero and Miranda attempted a project of civilizing Caliban . To what degree does the play suggest Caliban could be 'civilized'? Should Prospero and Miranda have expected him to stay 'trained'? Was his rebellion/attempted rape inevitable? If you read the play through the lens of post-colonial theory, does it suggest that Caliban is representative of all colonized peoples?

3. Compare and contrast Prospero’s, Caliban’s , and Ariel’s powers. Where do they each derive these powers and can the reader (you) come to some sort of conclusion as to who has the greatest powers? If so, how did you come to this conclusion?

Compare and contrast the powers of Prospero, Caliban and Ariel. From what does each derive his powers and how does the source of power affect characterization or even the kind of magic performed?

4 . Colonialism and imperialism are major themes in the Tempest . Throughout the play the characters usurp power from each other. Analyze a few examples of usurpation in the play. What are the characters’ motives for usurpation and what do they hope to gain? Finally, how does this usurpation relate to colonialism and imperialism of the island and its inhabitants?

How is the theme of usurpation carried out in the play? Which usurpations are expected and which ones are surprises?

Authority—legitimate and illegitimate—is a major preoccupation in The Tempest . Throughout the play the characters usurp power from each other, and some argue that the island is essentially a colony—claimed first by Sycorax and then by Prospero. Choose 2 or 3 examples of usurpation in the play and analyze the characters’ motivations. What motivates their actions and what do they hope to gain? How are some moves to take power explained as legitimate and others condemned as treasonous? Which attempts to seize power are expected and which ones are surprises?

5. I am interested in the idea of brotherhood between Sebastian and Alonso and Antonio and Prospero and how that relationship and their greed for power led them to be “unnatural” as they claimed Caliban was .

While many readers note the themes of usurpation and power in The Tempest , the kinship that is a part of these power struggles is not always as apparent. Discuss the power struggles among siblings in this play. How does their kinship affect their drive to power? You might consider Miranda and Caliban as “foster siblings” in the play.

6. Choose two characters, one described as “natural” and the other as “unnatural.” Explore the similarities and differences between these two characters and how their characteristics affect their relationship.

In The Tempest, the “natural” man is read both positively (as in natural affection or sympathy for others) and negatively (as in uncivilized). Likewise the opposite of the natural man might be “unnatural” and betray his brother, or might be “noble” and therefore learned and gentle. Choose two characters, one described as “natural” and the other the opposite. Explore the similarities and differences between these two characters. You might discuss how their characteristics affect their relationships, whether they switch during the play into different categories, how they are defined as “natural” or not.

7. In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest , the character of Prospero is portrayed by having many characteristics, such as father, a sorcerer and a friend. Discuss Prospero’s roles throughout the play, and tell which role you think he will more likely take on when he returns with everyone to Naples .

Prospero takes on many roles in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. He is portrayed as father, sorcerer, friend, puppetmaster , creator, brother, and king’s subject. Based on when and how he occupies these roles in the play, speculate on how he will conduct himself when he returns with everyone to Naples .

8. Describe Ariel and Prospero’s relationship. At the beginning of Act IV, Ariel asks Prospero if he loves her/him. Why does Ariel ask this?

At the beginning of Act Iv, Ariel asks Prospero, “Do you love me, master? No?” (IV.1.48). Why does Ariel ask this question here? And what might the question and Prospero’s response reveal about their relationship? You may want to consider other places in the play where these two interact, or you may want to compare their relationship to Prospero’s relations with other characters.

9. I think it would be interesting to compare the portrayal of Caliban in the play we saw to how he was portrayed in the book. We could also compare the natural man and the noble man in the play compared to the natural man and noble man in the text .

Ariel and Prospero never look directly at each other in the play; instead, they stare off into space when they speak to each other. Of what significance is this, if any?

In the play, how did Ariel's positioning in the ship rigging while speaking with Prospero represent his position in the island's hierarchy? Why did he appear there in some scenes and not others?

In staging The Tempest , the representation of Caliban and Ariel are arguably the most interesting or the most difficult. Analyze the presentation of these characters in the Purdue Theatre production. You might consider the following details: in the production, the actor playing Caliban changes costumes and makeup radically, while Ariel adds on to her costume, but doesn’t essentially change her character; Ariel and Prospero never look directly at each other in the play; instead, they stare off into space when they speak to each other. Ariel is often positioned in the ship rigging while speaking with Prospero—but not in every scene. Be sure to compare your observations of the production with the printed text.

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Essays on The Tempest

The Tempest is a timeless play by William Shakespeare that offers a myriad of themes, characters, and plot points to explore. Choosing the right essay topic is crucial to producing a compelling and insightful piece of writing. In this guide, we will discuss the importance of selecting the right topic, offer advice on how to choose one, and provide a detailed list of recommended essay topics.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial when writing an essay about The Tempest. The play is rich in symbolism, themes, and complex characters, offering a wide range of potential topics to explore. A well-chosen topic can make the writing process more enjoyable and help you produce a more engaging and insightful essay.

When selecting a topic for your essay on The Tempest, consider your interests, the themes you find most compelling, and the aspects of the play you want to explore in-depth. It's also important to consider the requirements of the assignment and the audience for your essay. Aim to choose a topic that allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the play and offers ample opportunities for analysis and interpretation.

30+ The Tempest Essay Topics for Your Academic Writing

Are you looking for an interesting and unique topic for your essay on The Tempest? Look no further! We have compiled a list of over 30 essay topics that cover a wide range of themes and elements from this classic play by William Shakespeare.

Themes and Motifs

The use of magic and supernatural elements in The Tempest
The theme of power and control in the play
Colonialism and imperialism in The Tempest
The concept of freedom and servitude in the play
The role of forgiveness and reconciliation in the play
Familial relationships and the theme of forgiveness
Nature versus nurture in the character of Caliban
The theme of colonization and imperialism

Characters Analysis

An analysis of Prospero's character and his role as a father and a ruler
The portrayal of Ariel as a symbol of freedom and captivity
Caliban as a representation of the oppressed and the other
The role of Miranda in the play and her relationships with other characters
Exploring the character development of Ferdinand throughout the play
The role of Caliban as a symbol of colonialism
The portrayal of power and authority through the character of Alonso

Symbolism and Imagery

An exploration of the significance of the tempest in the play
The use of music and sound as a symbol in The Tempest
The significance of the island as a setting in the play
The portrayal of the masque as a reflection of the play's themes
An analysis of the use of clothing and disguise in the play
The use of symbolism in The Tempest
The significance of the storm in the opening scene
Shakespeare's use of language and imagery in the play
The role of music and sound in The Tempest
The use of comedy and humor in the play

Plot and Structure

An examination of the role of the storm in the opening scene
The use of the supernatural elements to drive the plot forward
An analysis of the resolution and the restoration of order in the play
The role of the subplot involving Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban
An exploration of the play's use of comedy and tragedy

Comparative Essays

Comparing The Tempest with other Shakespearean plays
The Tempest and the theme of revenge in other literary works
Comparing the portrayal of magic in The Tempest and other works of literature
The Tempest and its relation to the genre of tragicomedy

With these diverse and thought-provoking essay topics, you are sure to find the perfect inspiration for your academic writing on The Tempest. Whether you're interested in analyzing the play's themes, characters, symbolism, or plot, there are numerous avenues for exploration within the text. By choosing a topic that resonates with you and allows for in-depth analysis, you can produce a compelling and insightful essay that showcases your understanding of Shakespeare's timeless play. Happy writing!

Shakespearean Principles in The Tempest: Information, Integrity, and Compassion

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Analysis of How Caliban is Presented in The Tempest

The role of loyalty in shakespeare’s the tempest, analysis of prospero as a public ruler or solitary wizard in the tempest, the power of love in william shakespeare’s play the tempest, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Analysis of Prospero Portrayed as a Victim in The Tempest

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The Ulterior Theme in The Character of Miranda from The Tempest

Analysis of prospero's behavior in the tempest, daughters: the principal driving force in the tempest, the power over "the other": isolation and injustice in literature, elemental powers in shakespeare’s the tempest, shakespeare’s criticism of colonialism in acts 1 and 2 of the tempest, analysis of prospero and ariel relationship in the tempest, "creator" and "creature" monsters in the tempest and frankenstein, the obsessive creativity of prospero in the tempest, the refinement of caliban in the tempest, comic elements in our country's good and the tempest, the combination of love and witchcraft in the tempest, the story of joseph in shakespeare’s the tempest vs. the spirit of revenge in montaigne’s cannibals, significance of the menacing force of the sea in the tempest, the use of stories as a literary device in the tempest and othello, a cinematic perspective of the relationship between art and nature in the tempest, another version of prosperity: undermining the authority of prospero, the influence of caliban and ariel on prospero, the shakespearean dystopia of aldous huxley, power in doctor faustus and the tempest.

November 1, 1611

William Shakespeare

Shakespearean Comedy, Tragicomedy

Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, Caliban, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, Trinculo, Stephano, Juno, Ceres, Iris, Master, Mariners, Boatswain, Nymphs, Reapers

c.1611 by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s tragicomedy is about a major act of betrayal, ill treatment, the development of magic arts and a plot of revenge.

Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, Caliban, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, Trinculo, Stephano, Juno, Ceres

The play is set on a remote island and Prospero's home is near the shore. The island is inhabited by spirits, lead by Ariel, who have magical powers.

Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Their celebrations are cut short when Prospero confronts his brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflict is resolved. Prospero grants Ariel his freedom and prepares to leave the island.

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” “What's past is prologue.”

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The Tempest Themes

Shakespeare tends to focus on very specific issues in each of his masterpieces. In The Tempest , the themes of power and magic are the dominant ones. However, a little bit of attention is also drawn to the topic of colonization .

Looking for The Tempest themes? Find them all described here! This article prepared by Custom-Writing.org experts contains descriptions and analysis of the key themes in The Tempest . If you wish to dive deeper into the world of this play and understand the underlying issues, this section is for you!

The picture lists the key themes of The Tempest: power, magic, and colonization.

⛓️ Colonialism

🔗 References

💪 power in the tempest.

It seems like almost every scene goes back to the questions about power in The Tempest . Even in the opening scene, the audience has the pleasure of observing the boatswain commanding the royal party, who are the passengers. Moreover, an exciting aspect of this play is that power is taken by force in most cases. As it would be anticipated, it leads to even more instability in the relationships and the vicious cycle of desiring even more. One of the best examples is how Antonio and Alonso betray Prospero. It is an immensely political problem, which yet shows that no illegal manipulation with authority can be left in the past. Later on, it leads to Antonio wishing for more power and attempting to murder the king. At the same time, the audience sees that this time his attempt fails. Therefore, it proves that violence is not a universally successful tool when it comes to gaining power.

Another relationship based on gaining power in The Tempest is Prospero and Caliban. After Prospero takes over the island with magic, Caliban swears for revenge and wants his rights and freedom back. However, the culmination of this theme in The Tempest appears to be the moment when the main character decides not to keep going with the vicious cycle. The fact that Prospero refused to seek revenge on Antonio influenced other a lot. They all come to peace and understanding at the end. Shakespeare’s main message regarding this theme is that compromise and forgiveness are a much better tool for settling things down than violence.

The Tempest Quotes about Power

Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere It should the good ship so have swallow’d and The fraughting souls within her. The Tempest act 1, scene 2

I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam’s god, Setebos, and make a vassal of him. The Tempest act 1, scene 2

His mother was a witch, and one so strong That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs, And deal in her command without her power. The Tempest act 5, scene 2

💫 Magic in The Tempest

In The Tempest , magic is one of the main themes. Supernatural elements are not uncommon in Shakespeare’s works , but this piece is full of magic manipulations. Prospero is the character who applies magic almost all the time. The first scene begins with him using it, and the play ends with him using it for the last time. However, it should be noted that a lot of times, he puts on illusions that do not harm his enemies except for psychologically related troubles. At the same time, Prospero possesses almost total control over the events and people on the island. Thanks to the spirit, he knows what is happening everywhere and can think through his next moves.

There is a certain resemblance between the way Prospero alters reality with magic in The Tempest and how the author does the same with words. Many times, Prospero is found peaking from the hiding at some of the scenes, just like the director manages the action. This is quite symbolic , and there have been a lot of assumptions made about these kinds of comparisons. One of the suggestions is that Prospero appears on the scene of the play as Shakespeare himself . It makes sense if we look into the last part of this literary piece. In the epilogue, Prospero asks the audience to set him free by applauding. It wouldn’t be so significant if this play wasn’t one of the last ones that Shakespeare wrote. Such an epilogue might be the way of saying goodbye to the theater. Therefore, as one of the main themes of The Tempest , magic has interpretations.

The Tempest Quotes about Magic

My master through his art foresees the danger That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth– For else his project dies–to keep them living. The Tempest act 2, scene 1

But this rough magic I here abjure, and, when I have required Some heavenly music, which even now I do, To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book. The Tempest act 5, scene 1

Now my charms are all o’erthrown, And what strength I have’s mine own, Which is most faint: now, ’tis true, I must be here confined by you The Tempest Epilogue

⛓️ Colonialism in The Tempest

Colonization in The Tempest appears to be quite a fascinating subject. At least it was exciting for the readers during the time when the play was written. The attempts of colonizing distant lands attracted a lot of attention. In The Tempest , colonialism as a theme is opened up through the complex relationships between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero sees an uneducated islander as less of a human than himself and expects him to be grateful for teaching. However, it has never occurred to him that Caliban might be the rightful ruler of the island because such a savage cannot possibly perform such a complicated role. In return, Caliban understands that Prospero doesn’t respect him at all and traits him as a slave. Finally, it leads the islander to realize that he gave up the ruler’s position for nothing. Naturally, such an unfair situation evokes anger and violence in Caliban, making Prospero even more convinced in the savage nature of his protégé. It perfectly illustrates the relationship between the native people and the colonizers when every little misunderstanding leads to violent conflicts.

Moreover, Shakespeare explores the fears related to the theme of colonialism and slavery in The Tempest . For example, it is evident that people can hardly tolerate the marriage of a king’s daughter and an African. Another situation pointing out colonization and slavery issues is when both Trinculo and Stephano see an opportunity to capture Caliban and make money on him back home. On the other hand, colonization offers the chance to build perfect contemporary societies, just like Gonzalo dreams about.

The Tempest Colonialism Quotes

Thou most lying slave, Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child. The Tempest act 1, scene 2

You taught me language; and my profit on’t Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language! The Tempest act 1, scene 2

This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in’t, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee And show’d thee all the qualities o’ the isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile: Cursed be I that did so! The Tempest act 1, scene 2

Thank you for reading this article! If you need more information about literary themes, check the article about themes in literature . You might also want to take a look at The Tempest essay topics collection . And if you need to make the text of your essay more colorful, try our paraphrasing tool . Any questions left? Check The Tempest QA section !

‘The Tempest’ Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
A Guide to Power Relationships in “The Tempest” – ThoughtCo
The Meaning of Magic in Shakespeare’s The Tempest – Medium
Shakespeare’s Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism – jstor
Post-colonial reading of The Tempest – The British Library
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In Shakespeare’s play, Miranda is described as an innocent and empathetic girl. She is a relatively passive character and the only female character in The Tempest. She may seem quite naïve and helpless to the audience, but a few scenes can prove them wrong. She transcends her traditional gender role...

What Action Does Caliban Suggest When He Discusses Killing Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo?

When Caliban finds new friends, Stephano and Trinculo, he asks them to help him with the assassination of his master. They plot to take away Prospero’s books to disarm him and kill him when he is taking a nap. To motivate his fellows, he promises that they would get control...

What Is Caliban’s Relationship to Prospero in The Tempest

In Shakespeare’s play, Caliban is ultimately seen as Prospero’s slave. Their relationship highlights one of the central themes of The Tempest concerning colonialism and imperialism. He is the only native inhabitant on the island and is not treated well by his master. Caliban wishes ill to Prospero and wants to...

Which Aspect of The Tempest Is the Best Demonstration of a Difference in Power?

Shakespeare’s play includes characters of different levels of power. However, since the latter is one of the key play’s literary themes, the division between them is pretty straightforward. The characters who use magic are way more potent than the ones that don’t. Moreover, Prospero is considered to be in control...

Which Line from The Tempest Is Written in Iambic Pentameter?

There are many lines in The Tempest that Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter, so it is hard to pick only one. As an example, the line where Miranda says, “O brave new world,” is perhaps the most famous one. Mostly, the noble characters speak in verse while the others use...

Prospero is the main character of Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. He was betrayed by his brother and had to seek another home. A remote island appeared to be a nice place, so Prospero and his daughter settled there. Over the years, he has been planning revenge with the help of...

In the play, Prospero is presented as a magician who gets his fantastic powers from the books. There are a lot of things that he managed to achieve thanks to that power. However, by the end of The Tempest, Prospero swears to throw away all his books and put an...

In The Tempest, Why Does Ariel Do as Prospero Orders Him?

In Shakespeare’s play, Ariel is portrayed as a magical spirit under Prospero’s control. Throughout the whole play, he has to complete different tasks the magician gives him. Every time Ariel hopes that it would be the last one, but he doesn’t get his freedom back until the end of The...

What Is a Major Difference in the Way That Caliban and Ariel Are Treated?

Caliban and Ariel live on the remote island which Prospero claimed and took under his control. Both characters of The Tempest have a similar fate since the magician forced them both to serve him. However, the significant difference between them is that Caliban is not treated as respectfully as Ariel....

Which of Prospero’s Actions Most Clearly Indicates That He Is Manipulative?

There seem to be too many things that Prospero does, showing how manipulative he is. The character possessing such a power uses it to alter the events in the play and force others to obey. However, one of his actions shows it most clearly. Prospero uses magic to put his...

Alonso is the king of Naples in the play. Together with the members of the royal party, he gets into the storm and ends up on an unknown island. It appears to be a pretty tragic occurrence since his son, Ferdinand, goes missing. By the end of the play, Alonso...

What Positive Quality Does Caliban Possess?

Caliban is the only islander found by Prospero and Miranda in the play. Even though he shows quite a negative attitude towards other characters throughout the whole story, there is something positive in him. Caliban loves his homeland, and he is ready to share all the knowledge he has about...

It is believed that Shakespeare created his masterpiece in 1610 or 1611. However, it is hard to judge which data is correct. The evidence shows that the first performance of The Tempest was in November 1611. Moreover, it appears to be one of the last plays ever written by Shakespeare....

How Is Ariel Portrayed in the Balinese Production of The Tempest?

In the original play, Ariel is a spirit that was trapped on the island. When Prospero freed him, he made Ariel his servant in return. Therefore, throughout The Tempest, the spirit has to attend to the magician’s wishes. In the Balinese production, Ariel resembles an animal and flies around instead...

Gonzalo is a member of the royal party who appears to be on the boat with the others. He is the king’s counselor and the one who is worried about Alonso the most. Throughout the play, he tries to do everything to help the king and protect him from the...

How Are Themes of Colonialism and Imperialism Most Clearly Shown in Shakespeare’s The Tempest?

Shakespeare included the themes of colonialism and imperialism in The Tempest for a reason. Moreover, they are most clearly represented through Prospero and Caliban’s relationship in the play. Prospero is pictured as a typical colonizer who doesn’t respect the locals and only wants to take over the land for personal...

Which Character Relationship in The Tempest Is the Best Representation of Linguistic Imperialism?

It may not appear obvious, but there is an example of linguistic imperialism in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Prospero and Caliban have a pretty complicated relationship which reflects a typical situation between the colonizer and the locals at the time. It results in the unpleasant occurrence of language barrier and misunderstanding,...

In What Way Does Shakespeare’s The Tempest Resist Traditional Genre Classification?

Usually, Shakespeare’s The Tempest is classified as a comedy. There are all the aspects pointing out at it, such as humorous situations and many misunderstandings that end up being clarified. A happy celebration of marriage at the end also aligns with it. However, some of the play’s scenes include tragic...

Which Production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest Is Most Clearly an Interpretation?

Among the different productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, there are some that can be clearly considered an interpretation. For example, the audience would know that the one in which Prospero shows sympathy to Caliban is far from the original. The magician doesn’t actually act as fair and kind towards his...

Shakespeare’s The Tempest is generally considered a comedy. The plot is based on a series of misunderstandings that turn out to be comic by the end of the play. Moreover, no one dies, even though some of the characters get lost or upset. However, there are some small elements of...

What Interpretation of The Tempest Was the Same in Both the Utah Valley University and Balinese Productions?

In both the Utah Valley University and Balinese productions, several characters from the play are pictured very similarly. The interpretations of Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel appear to be the same in both perceptions. The main character is shown as a powerful magician who made the islander and the spirit his...

Many important characters in The Tempest appear in the first scene of the play. Sebastian is one of them. It already seems like he and Antonio are up to something, but the audience remains clueless until the play ends. Sebastian is the king’s brother who attempts a murder later on....

How Does the Utah Production of The Tempest Emphasize Miranda’s Fear of Caliban?

Caliban is not presented as the most pleasant character of The Tempest. While Prospero rules over him, Miranda is simply afraid of the islander. Indeed, he is portrayed as an angry, uneducated, and untidy man. The girl feels threatened by him and tries to stay away from him as much...

Shakespeare’s The Tempest raises a few quite important and relevant literary themes. One of them is colonization. It was a popular topic back then, and its main issues are well represented in the play. However, power may be considered the central theme in The Tempest and goes throughout the whole...

Which Events from Acts 1 and 2 Would Most Likely Categorize The Tempest as a Tragedy?

Even though Shakespeare’s The Tempest is considered to be a comedy and maybe a romance, there are some elements of a tragedy. It is especially noticeable in the first two acts. Some of the events just don’t align with the standard genre categorization of this play. One of them is...

Which Opinion about Colonialism Is Best Supported by Events from The Tempest?

Shakespeare seems to have a very definite view on colonization which is reflected in The Tempest. All the issues that Prospero has with Caliban, the native to the island, prove the main idea of the play. Unfortunately, Caliban is treated like a handicapped monster by almost every character. There are...

Steve Symms, senator who was voice of conservative ire, dies at 86

Then-Senator Symms (far left) joined a group of Republican senators posing with shirts showing their support of President Reagan's economic plans in September of 1981. With Symms, from left, were Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming, Charles Percy of Illinois, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Steve Symms, a former Republican lawmaker from Idaho who made staunch conservative views his political brand and rattled the 1988 presidential campaign by falsely claiming that Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis, once burned an American flag, died Thursday at his home in Leesburg, Va. He was 86.

The death was announced by the office of Idaho Governor Brad Little. No other details were given.

Mr. Symms came to Congress in 1973 as a House member and soon established himself as a loyalist — and something of a showman — among GOP factions that found federal agencies a favorite target of scorn.

His campaign slogans riffed off his background as an apple farmer: “Take a bite out of big government!” In a stunt to support privatization of the Postal Service, he once sent two letters to Harpers Ferry, W.Va., about 60 miles from Washington. One letter was carried by a rider on horseback; the other was dropped in a mailbox. The outcome was preordained: The horse got there first.

He served four terms in the House before knocking off a popular Democratic incumbent, Senator Frank Church, in a tight race in 1980. Mr. Symms rode the conservative wave unleashed by Ronald Reagan in his presidential victory. The Senate campaign also included a GOP-bankrolled committee, Anyone But Church, and offered hints of the political culture wars and hard-line entrenchment that could come to define politics.

“In America, freedom and justice have always come from the ballot box, the jury box, and when that fails, the cartridge box,” Mr. Symms once said.

In 1981, he was among a group of Republican senators who opposed Reagan over the Supreme Court nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor. Mr. Symms said he was not satisfied that O’Connor opposed the federal abortion protections in Roe v. Wade. (The court in 2022 overturned Roe.)

Mr. Symms in 1985 joined three other Republican senators, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Barry Goldwater of Arizona, and Chic Hecht of Nevada, to oppose a resolution to condemn South Africa’s apartheid system of white rule.

In a letter to Reagan, Mr. Symms said he did not object to a multiracial government in South Africa. He worried the US policymakers were not doing enough to guard against a “hostile anti-Western” regime taking power after apartheid, he wrote. (Mr. Symms received a $1,000 campaign donation from a leader of a white-supremacist “Hitler Youth” group, but he transferred the funds to Jewish organizations.)

When Reagan proposed seeking an arms control accord with the Soviet Union, Mr. Symms led GOP dissenters.

The biggest political tempest stirred by Mr. Symms came in 1988 during a radio interview with an Idaho radio station when he asserted that Kitty Dukakis burned a US flag during a protest of the Vietnam War. Mr. Symms’ only evidence was that he had “heard” that a photo existed of the incident.

There was no image, but the Dukakis campaign still needed damage control. A statement called Mr. Symms’ claims “beneath contempt.” Mr. Symms later acknowledged that he could not corroborate the accusation. Some Democrats linked the comment to smear campaigns orchestrated by top GOP strategist Lee Atwater.

Mr. Symms’ allegations came as Republicans were struggling with questions over whether Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana, the running mate of presidential nominee George H.W. Bush, joined the National Guard during the Vietnam War to avoid the draft.

“Lies move numbers … how about the one about Kitty Dukakis burning a flag at an antiwar demonstration, another out-and-out lie, which the Bush campaign denied having anything to do with, except that it turned out to have come from a United States senator via the Republican National Committee?” Susan Estrich, the former Dukakis campaign manager, wrote in a 2004 essay,

Atwater, near death from brain cancer in 1991, wrote a deathbed apology for “less than virtuous acts” that included trying to sabotage Dukakis during the 1988 campaign. Mr. Symms sought to avoid revisiting his remarks. “I’ve never claimed to anybody that I am perfect,” he said.

Despite his unyielding reputation, Mr. Symms found common ground at times with Democrats on policies such as infrastructure projects, rural health care, and agriculture assistance. He built a particularly good working relationship with Democratic Senator George Mitchell of Maine on various Senate committees.

“I was always conservative but never really necessarily a partisan,” Mr. Symms said in a 2009 oral history with Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

An opinion column last year in the Idaho State Journal by business executive Trent Clark said Mr. Symms “would likely be classified a RINO [Republican in Name Only] in today’s Idaho GOP” for efforts at bipartisan dealmaking.

In Washington, Mr. Symms also built a name on the nightlife circuit. “A big-time D.C. party animal,” a 1998 story in Salon said. His wife, the former Frances Stockdale, was often at home because of health issues that included an autoimmune disease known as scleroderma.

They separated in the mid-1980s and divorced in 1990. Mr. Symms announced he would not seek a third term as senator. His poll numbers in Idaho had dropped. His son, Daniel, was facing federal charges of falsifying applications for alien farmworker permits at the family fruit ranch. The suspicions of infidelity by Mr. Symms brought headlines such as: “First he duped her, then he dumped her.”

Mr. Symms left the Senate in 1993 to start a Washington lobbying firm.

He had married Stockdale in 1959, and they had four children. In 1992, Mr. Symms married Loretta Mathes Fuller, who later was deputy sergeant of arms of the Senate. She died in 2023. His son, Daniel Thomas Symms, died in 2014. He leaves three daughters, a sister, and three stepchildren.

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126 The Tempest Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Published: Jan 20, 2024. Inside This Article. 126 The Tempest Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. The Tempest by William Shakespeare is a classic play that explores themes of power, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. With its complex characters and intricate plot, there are many essay topics that can be explored when analyzing this work.
101 The Tempest Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
The Tempest: Characters, Theme, and Personal Opinion. Shakespeare's play The Tempest is a story of the magical loss and restoration of the man's power, wherein actions develop in the unchronological order, simultaneously showing past and present events. The Tempest by William Shakespeare: Symbol of Isolation.
The Tempest Suggested Essay Topics
Act V, Scene 1, lines 1-87. 1. The Tempest is often interpreted in the light of the Christian theological concept of sin followed by repentance and forgiveness. Write an essay explaining this ...
Themes in The Tempest with Examples and Analysis
Theme #2. Superiority of Human Beings. The play revolves around the happy ending and shows the superiority of human beings in a bleak way. When Prospero and his daughter Miranda are stranded on the island, they live there for almost twelve years. Yet, they know how to exploit other humans and creatures for their ends.
The Tempest Essay Topics: Writing Guide And Key Tips
Step 3: Gather the Evidence Base and Build Arguments. In the main part, you will do everything to prove your position. Argument paragraphs constitute the main part of your essay. When writing the main part, follow three basic rules: Start with a topic sentence. Pick strong arguments to prove your point.
The Tempest Essay Topics
Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The Tempest Critical Essays
A. Prospero has taught both Caliban and Miranda. 1. Miranda benefits; she recognizes the nobility in. Ferdinand and in the "goodly creatures" of her future. "brave new world". 2. Caliban ...
Analysis of William Shakespeare's The Tempest
Many commentators agree in the belief that The Tempest is the last creation of Shakespeare. I will readily believe it. There is in The Tempest the solemn tone of a testament. It might be said that, before his death, the poet, in this epopee of the ideal, had designed a codicil for the Future. . . . The Tempest is the supreme denouement, dreamed ...
HSC Module A: 20/20 Essay notes for The Tempest and Hagseed
As Felix famously sums up that The Tempest is " a play about prisons ", the recurring motif of prisons is evident throughout both texts to the extent that Hag-Seed is quite literally set in a penitentiary centre. The most salient interpretation of these prisons is both protagonists' confinement within their obsessive pursuit for revenge.
The Tempest Essay Topics & Examples
Shakespeare's The Tempest in the Savage Rose Theater. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being "Civilized" or "Uncivilized". Shakespeare's "The Tempest" - Viewing and Reflection. Ahab from Moby Dick and Prospero from the Tempest. The Phaedrus and The Tempest: Compare & Contrast.
The Tempest Essay Topics
The Tempest Essay Topics. Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. The Tempest is one of Shakespeare's great comedies, and it can be ...
100 The Tempest Essay Topics & Research Titles at StudyCorgi
Prospero's Rulership in "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's The Tempest is a non-historical drama that focuses mainly on an act of injustice. One analyzes Prospero's brother's takeover of the crown. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being "Civilized" or "Uncivilized".
The Tempest Themes
The Tempest is full of Prospero's magic and illusions. The play begins with Prospero's magic (the tempest), and ends with Prospero's magic (his command that Ariel send the ship safely back to Italy). In between, the audience watches as Prospero uses visual and aural illusions to manipulate his enemies and expose their true selves.
The Tempest Essay Questions
The Tempest Essay Questions. 1. To what extent can Prospero can be considered the protagonist of the play? Many would agree that Prospero is the protagonist of the play, given that he starts out as a sympathetic character who has been robbed of his station and betrayed by his brother. However, Prospero is not a straightforward or traditional hero.
Shakespeare's The Tempest essay, summary, quotes and character analysis
Plot Summary: A quick plot review of The Tempest including every important action in the play. An ideal introduction before reading the original text. Commentary: Detailed description of each act with translations and explanations for all important quotes. The next best thing to an modern English translation.
The Tempest Analysis
The Tempest is rich with music, magic, and supernatural elements, much of which emerges during the betrothal masque created by Prospero for Ferdinand and Miranda in IV.i. A masque is a grand ...
Here are the many, many good Tempest prompts
Here are the many, many good Tempest prompts. I will give the original articulation in italics and my rendition of it in larger, plain type so that you can glimpse the inner, evil workings of a professor composing prompts. And more tangibly, you might get some different ideas about how to approach the prompt as I have rendered it. Remember, the important thing in approaching any prompt such as ...
Essays on The Tempest
The Tempest and the theme of revenge in other literary works; Comparing the portrayal of magic in The Tempest and other works of literature; The Tempest and its relation to the genre of tragicomedy; With these diverse and thought-provoking essay topics, you are sure to find the perfect inspiration for your academic writing on The Tempest.
The Tempest Themes: Power, Magic, Colonization, & More
The Tempest Essay Topics & Examples. Students' life is a bumpy ride, and sometimes you can end up with several vital assignments all of which are due the next day. Custom-Writing.org experts have prepared a compilation of The Tempest essay topics. On this page, you'll find best questions, prompts, title ideas on the Shakespeare's play ...
Steve Symms, senator who was voice of conservative ire, dies at 86
When Reagan proposed seeking an arms control accord with the Soviet Union, Mr. Symms led GOP dissenters. The biggest political tempest stirred by Mr. Symms came in 1988 during a radio interview ...

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Steve Symms, senator who was voice of conservative ire, dies at 86

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