The Tempest – Bullet-Point Revision Notes

Key Characters

• Prospero – Rightful Duke of Milan; sorcerer ruling the island; father to Miranda; seeks reconciliation and justice.
• Miranda – Prospero’s innocent daughter; falls in love with Ferdinand.
• Ariel – Air-spirit bound to Prospero; executes magic (tempest, masques); longs for liberty.
• Caliban – Son of witch Sycorax; native of the island; enslaved by Prospero; plots rebellion with Stephano & Trinculo.
• Ferdinand – Prince of Naples; loves Miranda; proves worth through labour.
• Alonso – King of Naples; father of Ferdinand; regrets past wrongs.
• Antonio – Prospero’s usurping brother; remains treacherous.
• Sebastian – Alonso’s brother; tempted to murder Alonso.
• Gonzalo – Honest Neapolitan counsellor; aided Prospero’s escape; voice of optimism.
• Stephano & Trinculo – Comedic drunkards; manipulated by Caliban.

Plot Flow (Act by Act)

• Act I
  • Shipwreck staged by Ariel; royal party scattered.
  • Prospero reveals past betrayal (Antonio + Alonso) to Miranda.
  • Ariel reports safe dispersal; Caliban’s enslavement shown.
  • Miranda & Ferdinand meet → instant affection.
• Act II
  • Gonzalo attempts to cheer Alonso; Antonio persuades Sebastian to plot regicide (thwarted by Ariel).
  • Caliban recruits Stephano & Trinculo to overthrow Prospero.
• Act III
  • Ferdinand labours with logs; mutual love professed; Prospero secretly pleased.
  • Caliban trio advance rebellion; island’s music and wonders described.
  • Banquet scene: Harpy-Ariel condemns Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian for past crimes.
• Act IV
  • Prospero approves Ferdinand-Miranda union; presents masque of Iris, Ceres, Juno.
  • Remembers Caliban plot; spirits (hounds) drive conspirators off.
• Act V
  • Prospero renounces “rough magic,” breaks staff, plans to drown book.
  • Reveals himself; forgives enemies; restores dukedom; engages marriage.
  • Caliban repents; Ariel freed; all prepare to sail for Naples.
  • Epilogue: Prospero seeks audience’s “release.”

Major Themes & Ideas

• Forgiveness vs. Vengeance – Prospero chooses mercy; “rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.”
• Power & Usurpation – Political (Antonio’s coup) and colonial (Prospero over Caliban) dimensions.
• Illusion & Reality – Masques, spirits, magical tempest question perception.
• Servitude & Freedom – Ariel’s quest for liberty; Caliban’s bondage; sailors’ and nobles’ constraints.
• Nature vs. Civilization – Island embodies wild nature; contrasted with courtly intrigues.
• Art & Creativity – Prospero’s magic as metaphor for theatrical art; epilogue breaks the “fourth wall.”

Symbols / Motifs

• The Tempest – Disruptive force initiating change & revelation.
• Prospero’s Staff & Books – Source of magical authority; their destruction = relinquishing control.
• Masque of the Goddesses – Celebration of chastity & harmony; reminder of transient art.
• Music & Sounds – Ariel’s songs, island’s “twangling instruments” guide, soothe, or chastise.

Quick Recall Quotes

• “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” – Prospero (IV.i)
• “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” – Ferdinand (I.ii)
• “O brave new world that has such people in’t!” – Miranda (V.i)
• “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.” – Prospero on Caliban (V.i)
• “My liberty.” – Ariel’s constant request (I.ii)

Scene Structure at a Glance

• Ship → Prospero’s Cell → Island wanderings → Masque & Betrayal → Cell (Resolution)
• Converging arcs: Love plot (Ferdinand/Miranda), Political redemption (Prospero/Alonso/Antonio), Comic rebellion (Caliban/Stephano/Trinculo), Spiritual release (Ariel).

Exam Tips

• Link Prospero’s magic to Shakespeare’s craft; epilogue viewed as playwright’s farewell.
• Contrast Ariel’s obedient service with Caliban’s resistant servitude for colonial readings.
• Note symmetrical betrayals: Antonio vs. Prospero; Stephano vs. Prospero; both fail yet enable forgiveness climax.
• Remember masque’s sudden end signals fragility of art and foreshadows relinquishing power.