Have you already looked through our complete guide and still have questions? It’s not always easy to grasp the deep meaning of one topic or another just after reading someone else’s opinion. Or do you have an upcoming assignment on Shakespeare’s The Tempest?
This section is the best way to get ready for it! Custom-Writing.org experts have answered some common questions regarding the play. We have created it so that you have everything you need in one place. Just look through the list of questions and answers and pick one that interests you. It only takes a few minutes to read each of them as we tried to squeeze in the most relevant information.
- Which opinion about colonialism is best supported by events from The Tempest?
Shakespeare seems to have a very definite view on colonization which is reflected in The Tempest. All the issues that Prospero has with Caliban, the native to the island, prove the main idea of the play. Unfortunately, Caliban is treated like a handicapped monster by almost every character. There are many misunderstandings as well, so it would be better just to leave him be. - Which events from Acts 1 and 2 would most likely categorize The Tempest as a tragedy?
Even though Shakespeare’s The Tempest is considered to be a comedy and maybe a romance, there are some elements of tragedy. It is especially noticeable in the first two acts. Some of the events just don’t align with the standard genre categorization of this play. One of them is Antonio and Sebastian plotting against the king. - What is the theme of The Tempest?
Shakespeare’s The Tempest raises a few quite important and relevant at the time themes. One of them is colonization. It was a popular topic back then, and its main issues are well represented in the play. However, power may be considered the central theme in The Tempest and goes throughout the whole plot. - How does the Utah production of The Tempest emphasize Miranda’s fear of Caliban?Â
Caliban is not presented as the most pleasant character in the play. While Prospero rules over him, Miranda is simply afraid of the islander. Indeed, he is portrayed as an angry, uneducated, and untidy man. The girl feels threatened by him and tries to stay away from him as much as possible.
- Who is Sebastian in The Tempest?
Many important characters in The Tempest appear in the first scene of the play. Sebastian is one of them. It already seems like he and Antonio are up to something, but the audience remains clueless until the play ends. Sebastian is the king’s brother who attempts a murder later on. - What interpretation of The Tempest was the same in both the Utah Valley University and Balinese productions?
In both the Utah Valley University and Balinese productions, several characters from the play are pictured very similarly. The interpretations of Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel appear to be the same in both perceptions. The main character is shown as a powerful magician who made the islander and the spirit his servants. - Is The Tempest a comedy or tragedy?
Shakespeare’s The Tempest is generally considered a comedy. The plot is based on a series of misunderstandings that turn out to be comic by the end of the play. Moreover, no one dies, even though some of the characters get lost or upset. However, there are some small elements of the tragedy. - Which production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is most clearly an interpretation?
Among the different productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, there are some that can be clearly considered an interpretation. For example, the audience would know that the one in which Prospero shows sympathy to Caliban is far from the original. The magician doesn’t actually act as fair and kind towards his servant. - In what way does Shakespeare’s The Tempest resist traditional genre classification?
Usually, Shakespeare’s The Tempest is classified as a comedy. There are all the aspects pointing out at it, such as humorous situations and many misunderstandings that end up being clarified. A happy celebration of marriage at the end also aligns with it. However, some of the play’s scenes include tragic moments. - Which character relationship in The Tempest is the best representation of linguistic imperialism?
It may not appear obvious, but there is an example of linguistic imperialism in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Prospero and Caliban have a pretty complicated relationship which reflects the typical situation between the colonizer and the locals at the time. It results in the unpleasant occurrence of language barrier and misunderstanding, which Prospero decides to solve in a cruel way. - How are themes of colonialism and imperialism most clearly shown in Shakespeare’s The Tempest?
Shakespeare included the themes of colonialism and imperialism in The Tempest for a reason. Moreover, they are most clearly represented through Prospero and Caliban’s relationship in the play. Prospero is pictured as a typical colonizer who doesn’t respect the locals and only wants to take over the land for personal benefits. - Who is Gonzalo in The Tempest?
Gonzalo is a member of the royal party who appears to be on the boat with the others. He is the king’s counselor and the one who is worried about Alonso the most. Throughout the play, he tries to do everything to help the king and protect him from the dangers. Gonzalo seems to be the kindest character.
- How is Ariel portrayed in the Balinese production of The Tempest?
In the original play, Ariel is a spirit that was trapped on the island. When Prospero freed him, he made Ariel his servant in return. Therefore, throughout The Tempest, the spirit has to attend to the magician’s wishes. In the Balinese production, Ariel resembles an animal and flies around instead of walking. - When did Shakespeare write The Tempest?
It is believed that Shakespeare created this genius play in 1610 or 1611. However, it is hard to judge which data is correct. The evidence shows that the first performance of The Tempest was in November 1611. Moreover, it appears to be one of the last plays ever written by Shakespeare. - What positive quality does Caliban possess?
Caliban is the only islander found by Prospero and Miranda in the play. Even though he shows quite a negative attitude towards other characters throughout the whole story, there is something positive in him. Caliban loves his homeland, and he is ready to share all the knowledge he has about the island. - Who is Alonso in The Tempest?
Alonso is the king of Naples in the play. Together with the members of the royal party, he gets into the storm and ends up on an unknown island. It appears to be a pretty tragic occurrence since his son, Ferdinand, goes missing. By the end of the play, Alonso shows himself as a fair and kind ruler. - Which of Prospero’s actions most clearly indicates that he is manipulative?
There seem to be too many things that Prospero does, showing how manipulative he is. The character possessing such a power uses it to alter the events in the play and force others to obey. However, one of his actions shows it most clearly. Prospero uses magic to put his daughter, Miranda, to sleep while he attends to other issues. - What is a major difference in the way that Caliban and Ariel are treated?
Caliban and Ariel live on the remote island which Prospero claimed and took under his control. They have a similar fate since the magician forced them both to serve him. However, the significant difference between these two characters is that Caliban is not treated as respectfully as Ariel. The reason is that people only see a savage in Caliban. - In The Tempest, why does Ariel do as Prospero orders him?
In Shakespeare’s play, Ariel is portrayed as a magical spirit under Prospero’s control. Throughout the whole play, he has to complete different tasks the magician gives him. Every time Ariel hopes that it would be the last one, but he doesn’t get his freedom back until the end of The Tempest. - Why does Prospero give up his magic?
In the play, Prospero is presented as a magician who gets his fantastic powers from the books. There are a lot of things that he managed to achieve thanks to that power. However, by the end of The Tempest, Prospero swears to throw away all his books and put an end to this chapter of his life. He finally realizes how dangerous magic can be. - Who is Prospero?
Prospero is the main character of Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. He was betrayed by his brother and had to seek another home. A remote island appeared to be a nice place, so Prospero and his daughter settled there. Over the years, he has been planning revenge with the help of magic. - Which line from The Tempest is written in iambic pentameter?
There are many lines in The Tempest that Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter, so it is hard to pick only one. As an example, the line where Miranda says, “O brave new world,” is perhaps the most famous one. Mostly, the noble characters speak in verse while the others use prose. - Which aspect of The Tempest is the best demonstration of a difference in power?
Shakespeare’s play includes characters of different levels of power. However, since it is one of the main themes, the division between them is pretty straightforward. The characters who use magic are way more potent than the ones that don’t. Moreover, Prospero is considered to be in control of absolutely everything in the play.
- What is Caliban’s relationship to Prospero?
In Shakespeare’s play, Caliban is ultimately seen as Prospero’s slave. Their relationship highlights one of the central themes of The Tempest concerning colonialism and imperialism. He is the only native inhabitant on the island and is not treated well by his master. Caliban wishes ill to Prospero and wants to finally take back his land. - What action does Caliban suggest when he discusses killing Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo?
When Caliban finds new friends, Stephano and Trinculo, he asks them to help him with the assassination of his master. They plot to take away Prospero’s books to disarm him and kill him when he is taking a nap. To motivate his fellows, he promised that they would get control over the island. - In The Tempest, which word describes Miranda?
In Shakespeare’s play, Miranda is described as an innocent and empathetic girl. However, she is a relatively passive character despite being the only female character in The Tempest. She may seem quite naĂŻve and helpless to the audience, but a few scenes can prove them wrong. Ferdinand describes her as perfect. - What does tempest mean?
According to the definition of the word, tempest means a violent and intense storm. It is somewhat significant that the play opens up with the storm that carries the boat to the island. However, the detailed analysis of the plot and the characters reveals that the title is mainly related to the turmoil of emotions in the relationships. - Who is Caliban?
In The Tempest, Caliban is the local half-monster on the island, which was unfortunate enough to become a slave. Prospero was trying to civilize him by giving language lessons. However, the only thing Caliban actually wants is freedom and his rightful land. He even plots against his master, but the murder plan never works out.
