The Tempest Quotes

– The power of Ariel’s magic is fully realised here. – If his power is greater than the elements (‘loud winds”) then how great is the power of Prospero, who Ariel is in service to?Act 3 scene 3 ‘I and my fellows are ministers of fate: the elements of whom your swords are tempered, may as well wound the loud winds’. 3:3
Boatswain act 1 scene 1 “What cares these roarers for name of king”
Prospero’s affectionate relationship with ArielAct 4 scene 1 ‘Dearly, my delicate Ariel’. Prospero to Ariel, 4:1
– Ariel is the one who persuades Prospero to forgive the men. – Prospero only listens to Ariels reason (Miranda tries earlier). – Perhaps shows his relationship with Ariel. Alternatively shows that Prospero’s magic moves him further away from humanity – he can only relate to a spirit.-Act 5 scene 1 ARIEL:’ …if you now beheld them, your affections would become tender’. PROSPERO: ‘Do’st thou think so, spirit?’
Prospero maintains Ariel’s obedience by dangling his freedom just out of reach until he has carried out his revenge and no longer needs him.Act 1 scene 2 ‘thou shalt be as free as mountain winds, but then exactly do all points of my command’
Possessive pronoun shows that Prospero feel as if Ariel is his property. Kind words show Prospero’s affection towards Ariel.Act 1 scene 2 ‘My brave spirit’, Prospero to Ariel, 1:2
Ariel is presented as a loyal and benevolent servant.Act 1 scene 2 ‘I come to answer thy best pleasure’ Ariel, 1:2
Shows changing relationship between Caliban and Prospero from mutually beneficial master/servant to master/unwilling slave.-Act 1 scene 2 “I loved thee and showed thee all the qualities o’th Isle” -Caliban to Prospero.
-Insulting language sets him up as a villainous character. -Anger at his perceived hierarchical roles being challenged – ironic as he challenged the supposed ‘divine right of kings’ when he usurped Prospero.Act 1, Scene 1. “Whoreson, insolent, noisemaker”-Antonio to Boatswain,
Sinful as usurping Prospero goes against GCOB (Great Chain of Being)Act 3, Scene 3. “You are three men of sin”- Ariel to the noblemen,
Antonio presented as a parasite. Act 1, Scene 2. “The ivy which had hid my princely trunk” – Prospero on Antonio,
-Ominous: has he really repented for what he’s done? Antonios silence in Act 5, Scene 1
We can see Miranda is caring, even for those she has never met before, she says this to her father, Act 1, scene 2Shows her compassion/ability for empathy ‘O, I have suffered with those that I saw suffer!’
Miranda seen as a means to an end; to populate the island with people like him ‘calibans’, potentially to gain authority over Prospero. “Thou didst prevent me, else I would’ve peopled this isle with Calibans” – Caliban to Prospero, Act 1, Scene 2.
Shows Miranda’s innocence/lack of worldly education – she has never seen a man except for her father and Caliban. “Nothing ill can dwell in such a temple.”- Miranda when she first sees Ferdinand, Act 1, Scene 2
Prospero uses his daughter as a pawn in his plot to resume his title as Duke, highlighted by objectify language ‘winning’ and ‘prize’. “Lest too light winning make the prize light.” – Prospero’s aside to the audience, Act 1, Scene 2
Shows her power to be assertive, emphasised by the monosyllabic simple sentence- straightforward. “Do you love me?” – Miranda to Ferdinand, Act 3, scene 11
possessive ‘my’ shows Prospero’s possessive/authoritative control over Miranda as her father. “my girl” – Prospero to Miranda, Act 1, Scene 2
Very commanding-Act 1 scene 2 “Dost thou attend me?””Thou attend’st not.”
Possessive language Prospero uses to Ariel ‘My brave spirit!’ ‘that’s my spirit!’Act 1 scene 2
Prospero insults Ariel when he thinks Ariel has forgotten how he rescued him ‘Thou liest, malignant thing’Act 1 scene 2
Dehumanising insults Prospero uses to Caliban Act 1 scene 2 ‘thou tortoise’ ‘thou poisonous slave’
Caliban describes colonisation and how Prospero came and took over the islandAct 1 scene 2 ‘thou tak’st from me’
Prospero reveals how Caliban tried to rape MirandaAct 1 scene 2 ‘thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child’
Caliban tells Prospero what would have happened if he raped Miranda Act 1 scene 2 ‘Thou didst prevent me-I had peopled else this isle with Calibans’
Caliban’s reaction to being reminded that Prospero and Miranda taught him language Act 1 scene 2 ‘You taught me language, and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse’
Caliban is frightened of Prospero’s power Act 1 scene 2 [Aside] ‘I must obey’
Gonzalo’s perfect worldAct 2 scene 1 ‘No occupation, all men idle, all; and women too, but innocent and pure; no sovereignty-‘
Antonio tries to persuade Sebastian to kill Alonso and Gonzalo with him Act 2 scene 1 ‘My strong imagination sees a crown dropping on thy head’
Antonio says that he does not believe in GodShows lack of guilt at what he has done. Act 2, Scene 1. ‘but I feel not this deity in my bosom’
Caliban curses Prospero like Prospero tries to harness the power of supernaturalAct 1 scene 2 “All the charms Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!”!
Miranda is at the centre of Ferdinand’s life and this is when he contrasts work with love,-Act 3 scene 1 ‘makes my labours pleasures’
Ferdinand emotionally expresses his love-sounds like wedding vows-Act 3 scene 1 ‘Do love, prize, honour you’
Miranda says this and it is very shocking for the audience at the time because she is very headstrong as the man normally proposes-Act 3 scene 1 ‘I am your wife, if you will marry me; if not, I’ll die your maid’
Prospero says this aside to the audience when the spirits come with a banquet to greet the king and his followers-Caliban described as devil; greed in civilise man more disgusting than savagery-Act 3 scene 3 ‘for some of you there present are worse than devils’
Prospero says this to Ferdinand after he has taken Miranda-Act 4 scene 1 ‘Worthily purchased, take my daughter’
Prospero describes Caliban as this when he tells Ariel to get the clothes to tempt Trinculo and Stephano, -Act 4 scene 1 ‘A devil, a born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick’
Prospero abandons his magic Act 5 scene 1-Echos Marlowe’s Dr Faustus who sold his soul for knowledge; suggests Prospero recognizes his knowledge may be his downfall (like it was when he was usurped) ‘I’ll break my staff…I’ll drown my book’
Miranda’s comedic lines when she sees the other humans,-Shows Miranda’s innocence – she has encountered very few people -In some productions, this line is delivered comically to imply Miranda’s sexual awakening at the sight of such a variety of men.Act 5 scene 1 ‘O brave new world that has such people in’t!’
‘litter’ and ‘whelp’ imply that Caliban is little more than a beast. Comparing him to a dog also implies his natural subservience.Act 1 scene 2 “she did litter here, a freckled whelp, hag-born – not honoured with a human shape”-Prospero
“Tis a villain, sir, I do not love to look on.”- Miranda.Act 1 scene 2 Immediately cast as evil/wrongdoer.
-Language echoes genesis – elevates his language. Shows him to be sensitive and eloquent (despite lacking correct vocabulary).Act 1 scene 2 “teach me how to name the bigger light, and how the less, that burn by day and night”. – Caliban.
Shows reverence for nature not seen in any of the other characters. ‘I loved thee’ shows his simplistic honesty when speaking.-Act 1 scene 2 “I loved thee, And showed thee all the qualities o’th’ isle”- Caliban.
Prospero no longer has power over Caliban in terms of language – Caliban and Prospero match each other equally with words (structurally) – compare to Prospero’s dominance of discussion with Ariel earlier in the play. “You taught me language, and my profit on ‘t is, I know how to curse.” – Caliban
-Boastful tone. -Plosive alliteration makes it sound emphatic.-Act 1 scene 2 “Thy father was the Duke of Milan and A prince of power”- Prospero.
Shows his natural inclination to subservience. ‘every fertile inch o’th’ island’ mirrors the language used in 1.2, suggesting he was the same when he met Prospero. ‘I will kiss thy foot’ shows Caliban’s debasement of himself – how native people are supposed to behave with Europeans?-Act 2 scne 2 “I’ll show thee every ferile inch o’th’ island. And I will kiss thy foot. I prithee be my god.” – Caliban to Stephano.
-Shows how attuned he is to the Island. -‘I cried to dream again’ generates sympathy and suggests depth to Caliban’s character. -The assonance and sibilance soften his speech.-Act 3 scene 2 “Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises… when I waked, I cried to dream again” – Caliban.
Caliban has learnt his lesson and he swears to Prospero he will be better in the future-Act 5 scene 1 ‘I’ll be wise hereafter, and seek for grace’
Could refer to Caliban’s evil nature, his skin or the fact that he was conceived in the dark-Act 5 scene 1 “thing of darkness”
-Echos lord’s prayer-Rhyming couplet-epilogue “As you from crimes would pardoned be, Let your indulgence set me free.”