The tempest
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A05, critics, A03, context, A02, quotes
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50 Terms
james I context
gunpowder plot 1605, represents a significant attempt by Catholic separatists to overthrow the monarch and parliament in hopes of reestablishing Catholicism
Shakespeare’s…
last play, a farewell to theatre
religion
an excessive and powerful influence which imposed how society should function excessively
written..
written and preformed during an age of geographic exploration, during C17th, European countries were exploring new territories around the world and instituting colonies
Montaigne
Shakespeare seems to have drawn on from Montaigne’s ‘of the cannibals’ which was translated into English in 1603, the same name of Prospero’s servant ‘Caliban’ seems to be an anagram or derivative of ‘cannibal’
Masque Elements in The Tempest
The Tempest features numerous elaborate stage directions that call for music, pageantry, and ornately costumed figures. These elements give the play the feel of a masque, a highly stylised and theatrical form of entertainment that combines drama, music, and spectacle. The masque-like quality enhances the sense of magic and theatricality throughout the play.
Definition and Context of the Masque
A masque was a form of aristocratic entertainment popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly among the royal courts. It involved elaborate costumes, music, dancing, and mythological or allegorical themes, often celebrating order and harmony. Shakespeare draws on this tradition in The Tempest to elevate moments of spectacle and create a connection to contemporary elite culture.
Examples of Masque-Like Scenes
The banquet in Act III, Scene iii, which vanishes through magical means, symbolising illusion and punishment.
The wedding masque in Act IV, Scene i, performed by spirits to celebrate the union of Miranda and Ferdinand, featuring gods like Iris, Ceres, and Juno.
These moments are richly theatrical and serve to impress both characters and audience with their visual and musical grandeur.
Tension Between Simplicity and Spectacle
There is a noticeable tension in The Tempest between simple stage effects and unexpectedly elaborate, surprising ones. While some moments rely on minimalistic staging, others explode into full spectacle. This contrast adds to the play’s eerie, dreamlike quality, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion, and keeping both characters and audience in a state of uncertainty and awe.
Complexity Through Theatrical Illusion
Although The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s shortest and most simply constructed plays, it feels rich and multi-layered due to its creative use of theatrical illusion, special effects, and musical elements. The interplay between its structural simplicity and its visual complexity gives it a timeless depth, making it both accessible and richly imaginative.
Context and purpose of Thomas Cook’s Utopia
Published in 1516, Utopia by Sir Thomas More presents a fictional account of a perfect society on a remote island. It was written during the Renaissance, a time of questioning political authority and traditional social structures. The text uses satire to critique European society, particularly inequality, corruption, and poor governance in 16th-century England.
James I’s Daemonologie (1597)
Written by King James I, Daemonologie is a treatise that explores witchcraft, demons, and magic from a religious and legal perspective.
It was intended to justify witch hunts and prosecutions by describing witches’ supposed powers and their pact with the devil.
The work reflects early 17th-century fears of the supernatural and supports the authority of church and state to fight witchcraft.
Daemonologie influenced witch trials in Britain and inspired cultural depictions of witches, such as those in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The "Noble Savage" Concept
Caliban embodies the "noble savage" archetype, portraying a native who is naturally good but corrupted or oppressed by European civilisation. His struggle against Prospero illustrates the exploitation and resistance central to colonial relationships.
The Impact of the New World on Shakespeare’s Audience
Shakespeare’s audience was familiar with stories about the New World, often mixing fascination with fear and exoticism. These perceptions influenced how the island and its inhabitants in The Tempest were imagined, reflecting contemporary views on colonisation.
Commodification of Women
Miranda’s marriage to Ferdinand is arranged by Prospero as a political alliance to secure power and control.
Miranda’s role reflects how women are often treated as pawns or commodities in patriarchal and colonial power structures.
Her marriage symbolizes the transaction of power and alliance, showing limited female agency and highlighting themes of control and possession.
The play critiques how women’s autonomy is constrained within social and political negotiations.
Neil Gaiman
‘The Tempest can be read as metafiction about the nature of literary creation - Prospero’s art can be taken as booklearning, and his magic can be read as literary creation’
Vaughan and Vaughan (illusion..)
‘From the opening storm to the closing epilogue, the play challenges the boundaries between illusion and reality.’
Vaughan and Vaughan (language)
‘The language [of The Tempest] creates the island’s dreamlike effect, contributing to the audience’s sense of suspension from time and space’
Singh (post colonialism)
‘Unlike generations of earlier readers, post-colonial critics view Prospero’s and Miranda’s relations with Caliban as an allegory of European colonialism (how they both attempt to justify his enslavement in A1S2)’
Singh (caliban)
‘Caliban’s assertion in the play “this island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, / which thou tak’st from me” became the rallying cry for AFrican and Carribean intellectuals from the 1960’s to the 1970’s’
Tiffany
Stephano and Trinculo’s ‘exploitation’ of Caliban “parodies European exploitation of New World natives to gain land”
Todd
‘…the island may be seen as a microcosm of the world at large.’
Vaughan and Vaughan (newness)
‘A sense of newness, of wonder, of exciting discovery nonetheless pervades the play, transcending its restricted geography.’
Vaughan and Vaughan (Prospero)
‘Whether Prospero has indeed found himself during the plays course is a matter of intense critical debate.’
Vaughan and Vaughan (parallel)
The parallel between Prospero and Sycorax ‘underlines the play and casts an ambiguous shadow on the magician’
McGinn
Ariel represents the 'creative spirit in the artist.’
Linley
‘The Tempest is about both flawed kingship and flawed fatherhood’
Barton
‘A surprising amount of The Tempest depends upon the surpressed and the unspoken’
Vaughan and Vaughan (meek)
‘Miranda is not as meek and submissive as she is often portrayed’
Leinger
Miranda is an allegory of ‘softer colonialism’
Orgel
‘Repentance is a largely unachieved goal’
Locke
‘Tabula rasa’
(central)
‘Forgiveness is central to the play’
Nuttall
“Ferdinand is a moral blank. Gonzalo and Miranda emerge as the only manifestly good civilizers.” - (civilisers, characters brought out from the primitive stage)
Note 
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