the tempest quotes

“this cell’s my court”

depicts Prospero as the divine judge and God-like

“the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance”

implies that revenge is more natural - characterises himself as forgiving and of high morality

‘virtue’ implies moral righteousness - symbolised through support of M and F’s relationship

“hell is empty and all the devils are here”

hyperbolic language relating to sin - evil nature of court

religious metaphor to describe humanity as a whole - critique of corruption

“mine would sir, were I human”

highlights how Prospero’s incessant need for revenge has clouded his ethical compass

irony - Ariel isn’t human, yet Prospero;s need for revenge has corroded his humanity as a non-human entity has shown more empathy

“O brave new world with such people in’t”

Miranda’s utopia - optimistic outlook on humanity, world flourishing w/ people and free of sin

link to discovery of ‘New World’

demonstrates her naivety

“and were king on’t…no sovereignty” “and yet he’d be king on’t”

epitomises hypocrisy of utopian ideals

Gonzalo’s speech reveals paradoxes and inconsistencies of imagining a perfect state

“thou liest malignant thing!”

lying as a sin - importance of religion

juxtaposes complimentary language ‘brave spirit’

‘thing’ juxtaposes ‘spirit’ and degrades Ariel - demonstrates ultimate inferiority

“I am your wife if you will marry me” “I’ll die your maid…I’ll be your servant”

‘maid’ and ‘servant’ implies submission

conditional connotes lack of power - alternatively could be a proposal and therefore powerful

semantic field of domesticity

echoes Caliban’s self-enslavement - are women any different in regards to the chain of being?

“I’ll rack thee with cramps, fill all thy bones with aches”

threatening, hyperbolic language

‘command’ highlights dominance and hierarchy

asyndetic listing conveys anger

semantic field of weakness/pain (‘cramps’, ‘ache’, ‘tremble’) - asserting Caliban’s place in the chain of being

“what cares these roarers for the name of the king?”

animalistic imagery shows power of nature

storm itself allows for exploration of class-based authority

metaphor for disturbance of social order

subversion of class hierarchy - nature is apathetic to status

“I’ll break my staff” “I’ll drown my book”

“you taught me language and my profit on’t is I know how to curse”

‘profit’ implies to be of service or advantage

Prospero views education as key to morality - reflects ‘civilising missions’

“make the prize light” “worthily purchased”

objectifying language

“for you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother would even infect my mouth, I do forgive”

“three men of sin…most unfit to live”

religious language - implies Prospero’s forgiveness is like a reconciliation (atonement of sins)

derogatory/morbid language

“this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine”

objectification

‘darkness’ suggests evil but also the unknown - Caliban as an otherworldly creature that nobody can understand

possessive

“my charms are o’erthrown”

“abhorred slave” “savage”

“oh my father, I have broken your hest to say so!”

endearing tone connotes guilt - shows her rebellious nature but ultimately demonstrates that she is under her father’s control

“I have given you here a third of mine own life”

“my industrious servant Ariel”

“thou shalt be lord of it” “she will become thy bed”

Caliban utilises Stephano’s idea of utopia - power and riches

juxtaposes Gonzalo’s utopia

“a devil, a born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick”

‘born’ implies permanence - idea that Caliban will never be civilised

repetition of derogatory language

Prospero embodying coloniser mindset of attempting to civilise ‘inferior beings’

“remember I have done thee worthy service; told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served without grudge or grumblings”

imperative tone - lack of fear

polysemic ‘worthy’ describes good intent or a notable person in a particular sphere - referencing his powers

alternatively could be viewed as tentative and carefully phrased request - demonstrates fear

“worthily purchased…take my daughter”

transactional language - women as property

alternatively ‘worthily’ implies something earned, hence Prospero is caring as he made sure that Ferdinand deserved Miranda

“the fair soul herself weighed between loathness and obedience”

contemplative ‘weighed’ ironic - pointless as she ultimately has no choice

female conscience being supressed

post-colonial viewpoint - Claribel disgusted by African husband due to race

feminist viewpoint - being forced to marry shows aristocratic women’s lack of authority

“my library was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties” “rapt in secret studies”

metaphor shows his apathy towards duties

‘temporal’ implies short-lived

‘rapt’ implies complete consumption - no time for anything else

‘rapt’ used to mean being transported to heaven - justifying his studying as his Godly destiny

sibilant ‘secret studies’ implies wrongdoing, or alternatively arrogance as he believes others aren’t worthy

“my brave spirit” vs “my slave”

botn possessive

‘spirit’ - acknowledges Ariel as fantastical being

complimentary language

‘slave’ contrasts ‘servant’ and implies force/mistreatment

“let me lick thy shoe”

avoids imperative - voluntary enslavement

post-colonial viewpoint - colonised are destined to serve

demonstrates Caliban’s naivety

“twelve year since, thy father was Duke of Milan and a prince of power”

uses third person - illeism - connotes emotional detachment but also to show dominance

‘prince’ ranks above ‘duke’ - sense of self-superiority

alliteration stresses feeling of self-importance

“let me remember thee what thou hast promis’d me, which is not yet perform’d me…my liberty”

assertive tone

mutually beneficial - demonstrates that they are bound by choice rather than force

‘perform’d’ implies a debt - a weakness of Prospero

“let them be haunted soundly. At this hour lies at my mercy all mine enemies”

‘haunted’ connotes prolonged suffering/torture

alliterative m - sinister tone

‘enemies’ implies conflict - Prospero out for revenge?

“when I first raised the tempest”

intentionality - play opens with scene of punishment/revenge

play title itself has aggressive connotations

“tears run down his beard like winter’s drops”

natural simile romanticises the reconciliation

‘tears’ implication of remorse/regret

“dost thou think so, spirit?”

highlights Prospero’s ultimate self-doubt despite attempting to appear self-assured

demonstrates Prospero’s respect for Ariel and how he is valued higher than Caliban

“as the morning steals upon the night, melting the darkness”

imgaery of peace and harmony

juxtaposition of ‘morning’ and ‘night’

‘melting’ of ‘darkness’ metaphorical for forgiveness of wrongdoings

“the ivy which had hid my princely trunk, and suck’d my verdure out on’t”

‘ivy’ is something relentless and overbearing - epitomises Prospero’s helplessness

self-referential metaphor ‘princely trunk’ - wise and stoic

‘suck’d’ implies somethinh forcefully taken

metaphorical language enhances emotional anger

“now does my project gather to a head”

possessive

‘project’ implies something carefully planned and for a particular aim - ill-omened tone

“Prospero on the top, invisible”

suggests superiority

stage directions show how he is both physically and metaphorically above them

“hast thou forgot the foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy was grown into a hoop?”

dergatory language

repetition of ‘forgot’ - obsessed with prevelance of negative image in order for his authority to persist

“where was she born? Speak. Tell me” “o, was she so?” “is this not true?”

manipulative tone - Prospero as calculating

persistent interrogative questioning - Prospero taking authority of story

ironic as Prospero nevet met her - account is merely a construction

“if a virgin…I’ll make you the Queen of Naples”

conditional - importance of female purity

men merely concerned with power - ironic as Ferdinand is trying to convince her with title, which means nothing to Miranda

“earthy and abhorred”

racist connotations

interestingly doesn’t use status as a woman to undermine her but rather indigenous race

“here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda playing at chess”

theatrical tableau highlights how Miranda is merely a pawn in Prospero’s game

‘chess’ symbolises ultimate victory over nobles as aim of chess is to capture the king

“you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother would even infect my mouth, I do forgive thy rankest fault”

superlative language undermines forgiveness

‘infect’ suggests poison/illness

paradoxical idea - labelled as ‘wicked’ yet forgives him and not the lower class characters

‘fault’ suggests inherent moral weakness

“in my false brother awak’d an evil nature”

“I have done nothing but in care of thee”

“poisonous slave, got by the devil himself”

“(aside) it works”

“some of you there present are worse than devils”

“now does my project gather to a head” “my charms crack not, my spirits obey”

“my charms I’ll break, their senses I’ll restore, and they shall be themselves”

“Jove'‘s lightning…most mighty Neptune”

“is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains”

“do you love me master?”

“for I am all the subjects that you have”

“hast thou not dropped from heaven?” “I’ll swear myself thy subject”

“a plague upon the tyrant that I serve!”

“be not afeard, for the isle is full of noises”

“let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash”

“I’ll be wise hereafter…what a thrice double-ass was I to take this drunkard for a god”

“took pains to make thee speak”

“I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble”

“my modesty, the jewel in my dower”

“methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him”

“we are merely cheated of our lives my drunkards”

“keep him tame”

“full many a lady I have eyed with best regard”

“you, so peerless and so perfect are created of every creature’s best”

“a wondered father and a wife makes this place paradise”

“all torment, trouble, wonder and amazement inhabits here”

“what things are these…will money buy ‘em?”