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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.