First Folio

Teacher Curriculum Guide

The Tempest
by William Shakespeare
directed by Kate Whoriskey
March 22 — May 22, 2005
 First Folio Teacher Curriculum Guide
Table of Contents Page Number Welcome to The Shakespeare Theatre’s
production of The Tempest by William
Shakespeare!
A Brief History of the Audience…………………….1
Each season, The Shakespeare Theatre presents
About the Playwright five plays by William Shakespeare and other
On William Shakespeare…………………………………3 classic playwrights. The Education Department
Elizabethan England……………………………………….4 continues to work to deepen understanding,
appreciation and connection to these plays and
Shakespeare’s Works……………………………………….5
classic theatre in learners of all ages. One
Shakespeare’s Verse and Prose……………………..7 approach is the publication of First Folio: Teacher
A Timeline of Western World Events…….……...9
Curriculum Guides.

About the Play In the 2004-05 season, the Education

Synopsis of The Tempest.……………………………..10 Department will publish First Folio: Teacher
A Whole New World…………………………………….11
Curriculum Guides for our productions of
It’s a Long, Long Road………………………………….14 Macbeth, Pericles and The Tempest. The Guides
Elizabethan Masters and Servants.……………..16 provide information and activities to help
She Blinded Me with Science………………………17 students form a personal connection to the play
Tell Me about Your Mother………………….………21 before attending the production at The
Shakespeare Theatre. First Folio guides are full of
Classroom Connections material about the playwrights, their world and
• Before the Performance……………………………23 the plays they penned. Also included are
Stormy Weather approaches to explore the plays and
Love at First Sight productions in the classroom before and after
Be a Sound Designer the performance. First Folio is designed as a
Ariel & Caliban in Visual Art resource both for teachers and students.
What Really Happened in Jamestown
Seeing Things That Aren’t There The Shakespeare Theatre’s Education
Department provides an array of School,
• After the Performance………………………………24 Community, Training and Audience Enrichment
Slaves and Servants programs. A full listing of our programs is
Forgiveness and Reconciliation available on our website at www.
Fathers and Daughters shakespearetheatre.org/edu.html or in our
Are You My Mother? Education Programs Brochure. If you would like
Search for Water Imagery more information on how you can participate in
other Shakespeare Theatre programs, please call
Adaptation
the Education Hotline at 202.547.5688.
Look Up at the Sky!
Enjoy the show!
Suggested Reading
The Tempest Resource List……………………..…...25 Note: Throughout the articles in the Folio, key words or
phrases will be underlined to highlight important ideas
and concepts. Definitions can be found in the margins.
Please review these key words with your students.
 A Brief History of the Audience
I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this
empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is
needed for an act of theatre to be engaged. —Peter Brook, The Empty Space

The nature of the audience has changed throughout history, evolving from a participatory crowd to a
group of people sitting behind an imaginary line, silently observing the performers. The audience is
continually growing and changing. There has always been a need for human beings to communicate
their wants, needs, perceptions and disagreements to others. This need to communicate is the
foundation of art and the foundation of theatre’s relationship to its audience.

In the Beginning ended with what the Christians called “morally

Theatre began as ritual, with tribal dances and inappropriate” dancing mimes, violent spectator sports
festivals celebrating the harvest, marriages, gods, war such as gladiator fights, and the public executions for
and basically any other event that warranted a party. which the Romans were famous. The Romans loved
People all over the world congregated in villages. It violence, and the audience was a lively crowd.
was a participatory kind of theatre, the performers Because theatre was free, it was enjoyed by people of
would be joined by the villagers who believed that every social class. They were vocal, enjoyed hissing
their lives depended on a successful celebration—the bad actors off the stage, and loved to watch criminals
harvest had to be plentiful or the battle victorious, or meet large ferocious animals, and soon after, enjoyed
simply to be in good graces with their god or gods. watching those same criminals meet their death.
Sometimes these festivals would last for days and the
village proved tireless in their ability to celebrate. The Far East
Many of these types of festivals survive today in the In Asia, theatre developed in much the same way it
folk history of areas such as Scandinavia, Asia, Greece has elsewhere, through agricultural festivals and
and other countries throughout Europe. religious worship. The Chinese and Japanese
audiences have always been tireless, mainly because
It’s Greek to Me their theatre forms, such as the Japanese “Kabuki” and
The first recorded plays come from the Greeks (fourth “Noh” plays and Chinese operas, could last anywhere
and fifth centuries BCE). Their form of theatre began between a full day, if not three days, beginning
in much the same way as previous forms did. It between six to nine in the morning! In China, the
stemmed from the celebration of the wine harvest audience was separated; the higher classes sat closer
and the gods who brought citizens a fruitful harvest— to the action of the play, and the lower classes,
specifically Dionysus, the god of wine. Spectators had generally a louder, more talkative bunch, would be
a great deal of respect for their gods, and thousands placed in stalls at the back. The audience expected a
would flock to the theatre to experience a full day of superior performance, and if it lacked in any way, the
celebration. The day of drama and song made for a audience could stop the production and insist on a
lively crowd. Staff-bearers patrolled the aisles to keep different presentation. In Japan, theatre began with
the rowdies under control. While theatre was free, all-day rice festivals and temple plays sponsored by
your seat was determined by your station in life. The priests. These evolved into “street performances”
rich had cushioned seats at the front, while the where the performers led the audience on a trip
peasants, artisans and women were forced to take through the village. In theatre houses, the upper
seats at the back. In the later years, after a full day of classes sat in constructed boxes, and women in
drink, Greek audiences were not above showing disguise (it was not considered proper for a
disapproval at a less-than-spectacular performance. respectable woman to be seen at the theatre) and
Stones were thrown, as well as other sloppy objects, lower classes would stand below with the “inspector”
hissing was popular and loud groanings of standing on a high platform in the middle, keeping a
discontent could usher any actor into early strict eye on everyone.
retirement.
A Couple of Hundred Years Without Art
The Romans, or the inspiration for Gladiator Tolerance took a holiday during the period of
The Romans took the idea of “spectator” an inch or so European history known as the Dark Ages. During this
further. Their theatre (first through third centuries time period culture of all kind went on hiatus—most
BCE) developed in much the same way as the Greeks; especially that frivolous, godless display of lewd and
with comedy, tragedy and festivals, but unfortunately licentious behavior known as theatre. Fortunately it

1
reemerged, with some severe restrictions, during the the audience. Theatre companies still existed on the
Middle Ages. patronage of the very wealthy and often performed
plays exclusively in the salons of the rich, famous and
Pageant Wagons powerful. A few hundred years later, opera composer
Western theatre further developed from the Greek Richard Wagner figured out that to focus the
and Roman traditions through the Middle Ages with audience’s attention away from themselves and onto
“Mystery Plays” sponsored by the church. Organized the stage, the lights needed to be off—forcing the
theatre was frowned upon, as it was a place for audience to watch the performance. Since that time
congregation of the lower classes, encouraging the audience has taken its cue that the performance is
disease and immoral behavior. Church leaders would about to begin from the lights overhead beginning to
allow performances of bible scenes, however, for the dim. This small adjustment in lighting effectively
people who could not read. These productions erected a permanent barrier between the action
moved to different locations much like traveling the onstage and the audience.
“stations of the cross.” To spread the good word to
the broadest section of the population, these plays Freud...Tell Me About Your Mother
left the confines of the church building and began to While dimming the house lights has drastically
travel on what were known as “pageant wagons.” changed the overall aesthetic of theatre, another
These wagons held one entire location, and a series modern movement has had even greater impact on
of wagons hooked together permitted a company to theatre in the 20th century. Psycho-analysis—Id, ego,
tell an entire story just about anywhere. Troupes of super-ego and subconscious desires—made theatre
actors would roam the countryside setting up make- more introspective in its search for truth. As theatre
shift theatres in inns, pubs, public squares—pretty became more psychological, more a representation of
much anywhere they could park. real life, the audience felt as if they were
eavesdropping. Twentieth century theatregoers spend
Within This Wooden O a great deal of time and thought pondering the
During Shakespeare’s era—the Elizabethan period— psychological motivations of characters. There is now
theatre companies were awarded status and an imaginary wall, called the “fourth wall,” separating
privilege based on patronage from wealthy the performers and the audience. It affects how we
landholders or the royal family. With patronage came view the performance and how actors portray
money so the companies began building theatres. characters—we can observe the people onstage as
The theatre of Shakespeare’s day was attended by all, they relate their problems, fears and desires without
was inexpensive, and was known to be an incredibly them noticing us at all.
good time. Surrounding the stage was the lower “pit”
where the “groundlings” (or lower classes) Now the Options are Endless
congregated and above, octagonally surrounding Today, for the audience, just about anything goes.
the pit, were the stalls reserved for the upper classes. History has shared with us many types of theatre and
If you were stationed in the pit, it was not uncommon we, the spectators, bring our own experiences and
to have a goblet of wine dumped on your head—or histories to the event, causing us to react differently to
to be drooled or spat upon by the “more civilized” different productions. Unlike movies or television, the
people above you. Elizabethan audiences did not actor-audience relationship is a “live” relationship:
know what it meant to be quiet for a performance each is in the other’s presence, in the same place at
and would talk back to the actors. Thought to be the same time. It is the exchange between the two
involved in spreading the “black plague,” the good that gives theatre its unique quality. As audience
time abruptly ended with the closing of the theatres members we have an obligation to be attentive,
in 1592. allowing the performers to fulfill their obligation—to
entertain and enlighten us. There is always a dialogue
Look at me, look at me... between audience and performer, whether visual or
During the Restoration, theatre became a luxury. For vocal. All individuals participating in the theatrical
the almost entirely upper class audience, the purpose event, whether as audience or performer, bring to it a
of going to the theatre was “to see, and to be seen.” personal background and experience that becomes
The stage was a rectangular area between a long vital to their response to the interaction. In the same
hallway of boxes. The best seats in the house were way, participants leave the performance enriched
often right on stage! The house lights were up full so both by their own individual experience and that of
the audience could see each other better, not the the larger community to which they belong for a brief
action on stage. The theatre of the Restoration moment within the confines of the theatre walls. We
consisted mainly of light, fluffy comedies performed must listen to capture and understand what the
in an oratory style—actors posing, wearing BIG performers are trying to communicate, and at the
costumes and practically screaming over the din of same time, they must listen to us.

2
 On William Shakespeare
No man’s life has been the subject of more speculation else’s property) and
than William Shakespeare’s. For all his fame and escaped to London to
celebration, Shakespeare’s personal history remains a avoid prosecution in
mystery. There are two primary sources for Stratford. Another holds
information on the Bard—his works, and various legal that he left home to
and church documents that have survived from work in the city as a
Elizabethan times. Unfortunately, there are many gaps school teacher. Neither
in this information and much room for conjecture. is corroborated by
contemporary testimony
We know a man named William Shakespeare was or public record.
baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564, Whatever the truth may
and was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford on be, it is clear that in the
April 25, 1616. Tradition holds that he was born three years between 1582
days earlier, and that he died on his birthday—April and 1592, William Portrait of Shakespeare engraved by
23—but this is perhaps more romantic myth than fact. Shakespeare d i d Martin Droeshout, found on the title
Young William was born of John Shakespeare, a become involved in the page of the First Folio edition of
Shakespeare’s works, 1623.
glover and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a London theatre scene as
landed heiress. William, according to the church a principal actor and
register, was the third of eight children in the playwright with one of several repertory companies.
Shakespeare household, three of whom died in
childhood. We assume that Shakespeare went to By 1594, Shakespeare was listed as a shareholder in
grammar school, since his father was first a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, one of the most popular
the Stratford Council and later high bailiff (the acting companies in London. He was a member of this
equivalent of town mayor). A grammar school company for the rest of his career, which lasted until
education would have meant that Shakespeare was approximately 1611. When James I came to the
exposed to the rudiments of Latin rhetoric, logic and throne in 1603, he issued a royal license to
literature. Shakespeare and his fellow players, inviting them to
call themselves the King’s Men. In 1608, the King’s
In 1575, John Shakespeare suddenly disappears from Men leased the Blackfriar’s Theatre in London. This
Stratford’s political records. Some believe that his theatre, which had artificial lighting and was probably
removal from office necessitated his son’s quitting heated, served as their winter playhouse. The famous
school and taking a position as a butcher’s apprentice. Globe Theatre was their summer performance space.
Church records tell us that banns (announcements)
were published for the marriage of a William In 1616 Shakespeare’s daughter Judith married
Shakespeare to an Ann Whatley in 1582 (there are no Thomas Quiney, the son of a neighbor in Stratford.
records indicating that this arrangement was Her father revised his will six weeks later; within a
solemnized, however). On November 27 of the same month he had died. The revised version of William
year a marriage license was granted to 18-year-old Shakespeare’s will bequeathed his house and all the
William and 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. A daughter, goods therein to his daughter and her new husband;
Susanna, was born to the couple six months later. We his wife, who survived him, received the couple’s
know that twins, second best bed.
Hamnet and Judith,
were born soon after In the years since Shakespeare’s death, he has risen to
and that the twins the position of patron saint of English literature and
were baptized. We also drama. In the 1800s especially, his plays were so
know that Hamnet popular that many refused to believe that an actor
died in childhood at from Stratford had written them. To this day some
the age of 11, on believe that Sir Francis Bacon was the real author of
August 11, 1596. We the plays; others choose to believe Edward DeVere,
don’t know how the the Earl of Oxford, was the author. Still others would
young Shakespeare prefer to believe Walter Raleigh or Christopher
came to travel to Marlowe penned the lines attributed to Shakespeare.
London or how he first While most people are content to believe that genius
came to the stage. One can spring up in any social class or rural setting, the
theory holds that gap between the known facts and the myths that
you ng Wil l was surround Shakespeare’s life leaves ample room for
arrested as a poacher speculation.
The Chandos portrait of Shakespeare,
(one who hunts
which is the only one known to be
produced during his lifetime. illegally on someone
3
 ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND

Illustration of London,
Wenceslaus Hollar, 1647.
The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English
history. During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558—1603),
England emerged as the leading naval and commercial
power of the Western world, consolidating this position
with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. stood on the verge of collapse. Many businesses,
Elizabeth I firmly established the Church of England including theatres, closed, in part to keep people from
(begun by her father Henry VIII after a dispute with the spreading the disease and in part because of the labor
Pope) during this time. London in the 16th century shortage that resulted from such widespread illness and
underwent a dramatic transformation; the population death. Once the epidemic subsided, the theatres re-
grew 400% between 1500 and 1600, swelling to nearly opened and quickly regained their former popularity.
200,000 people in the city proper and outlying region
by the time an emerging artist from Stratford came to This explosion of commerce and culture lasted
town. A rising merchant middle class was carving out a throughout Elizabeth’s reign and into that of her
productive livelihood, and the economy was booming. successor, James I. James’ rule brought many changes to
English life; the two most pivotal were a bankrupt
During Shakespeare's lifetime, England also experienced economy and an intense dissatisfaction from a minority
a tremendous cultural revival. This so-called English religious group—the Puritans. In September 1642, the
Renaissance found expression in architecture, music, Puritan Parliament issued an edict that forbade all stage
literature and drama. Shakespeare both drew inspiration plays and closed the theatres; an act that effectively
from and enhanced high and popular culture of the brought to a close the Elizabethan Renaissance.
English Renaissance. Popular entertainment during the Theatres rapidly fell into disrepair and neglect until the
16th century tended to be boisterous and often violent. Restoration in 1660.
Many men, women and children attended public
executions of criminals that took place on a regular In writing his plays and sonnets, William Shakespeare
basis, and persons of all social classes and genders drew ideas from many different sources. His keen eye for
attended theatre performances. The trade of book- detail and his sharp understanding of human nature
making flourished during the period as public education enabled him to create some of the most enduring works
fueled the appetite for great works in print. of drama and poetry ever produced. But his work also
provides an insightful commentary on 16th-century
During the years 1590-1593, England suffered from an English values, life, history and thought.
outbreak of terrible proportions; the bubonic plague or
“Black Death” claimed so many lives that English society
4
 Shakespeare’s Works
William Shakespeare, in terms of both his life and body
of work, is the most written-about author in the
history of Western civilization. His canon includes 38
plays, 154 sonnets and two epic narrative poems.
During his lifetime, many of his plays were published
in what are known as Quarto editions, frequently
without receiving the playwright’s permission. The
Quartos are mostly flawed versions containing added
material or missing entire passages from the original
works. The first collected edition of Shakespeare’s
works is called the First Folio and was published after
the playwright’s death in 1623 by two members of his
acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell.
Since then the works of Shakespeare have been
studied, analyzed, translated and enjoyed the world
over as some of the finest masterpieces of the English
language.

Establishing the chronology of Shakespeare's plays is a

frustrating and difficult task. It is impossible to know in
what order the plays were written because there is no
record of the first production date of any of his works.
However, scholars have decided upon a specific play
chronology based on the following sources of
information: 1) several historical events and allusions The “Dewitt” sketch of the Swan Theatre is thought to be the only
to those events in the plays; 2) the records of contemporary visual account of an Elizabethan playhouse.
performances of the plays, taken from such places as
the diaries of other Shakespeare contemporaries; 3)
the publication dates of sources; and 4) the dates that Plays are also categorized in the First Folio as Histories,
the plays appear in print (remembering that a play done so because these works chronicled the lives of
was produced immediately after it was written in the English Kings. These plays tended toward tragedy
Elizabethan age, but may not have been published for (Richard II or Richard III, for instance) or comedy (the
years following the first production). Despite the fact Falstaff subplots of both parts of Henry IV and the
that we have an accepted play chronology, we must Pistol-Fluellen encounters of Henry V.) Through the
keep in mind that the dating is conjectural, and there effort to categorize Shakespeare’s plays in publication,
are many who disagree with the order of plays listed we can see that his writing style mingled the
on the next page. antagonistic visions of comedy and tragedy in ways
that still seem novel and startling. The recognition of
Drawing distinctions between Shakespeare’s plays and this has led scholars since the publication of the First
categorizing his works has been a focus of scholars for Folio to add additional genres—problem plays,
hundreds of years, and the criteria used to romances, tragicomedies—to help classify the works of
differentiate the plays into types or genres has Shakespeare. Still other scholars have augmented
changed over time. these genres by grouping the plays chronologically,
separating by time periods.
The distinction between tragedy and comedy became
particularly important during Shakespeare's life. The first period, pre-1594 including Richard III and The
During that time writers of tragedy conformed to Comedy of Errors, has its roots in Roman and medieval
Aristotle’s definition, relating the tale of a great man or drama—the construction of the plays, while good, is
woman brought down through hubris or fate. obvious and shows the author's hand more so than
Comedy in this time, much like in our own, descended his later works. The second period, 1594-1600
from the Roman "New Comedy" of Plautus and including Henry V and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Terence, which kept away from politics and focused shows more growth in style and a less-labored
on love, domestic troubles and family affairs. construction. The histories of this period are
considered Shakespeare's best, portraying the lives of
In the First Folio, some of Shakespeare’s plays are royalty in human terms. He also begins the
divided by their theatrical genre—either Tragedies or interweaving of genres that would become one of his
Comedies—however, some of the tragedies’ stylistic signatures. His comedies mature in this period,
protagonists or heroes, like Romeo, Timon or Macbeth, developing deeper characterization and subjects than
do not easily accommodate Aristotle's definition. previously.
5
The third period, 1600-1608 including Macbeth and
King Lear, includes the great tragedies—the principal Shakespeare’s Plays
works that would earn Shakespeare his fame in later
centuries. The comedies of this period show First
Shakespeare at a literary crossroads—they are often Performed Title
darker and without the clear comic resolution of 1590-91 Henry VI, Part II
previous comedies—hence the term "problem plays" to 1590-91 Henry VI, Part III
describe them. The fourth period, post-1608 including 1591-92 Henry VI, Part I
The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest, encompasses 1592-93 Richard III
what have been referred to as the romances or 1592-93 The Comedy of Errors
tragicomedies. Shakespeare at the end of his career 1593-94 Titus Andronicus
seemed preoccupied with themes of redemption. The
writing is more serious yet more lyrical, and the plays
1593-94 The Taming of the Shrew
show Shakespeare at his most symbolic. Scholars 1594-95 The Two Gentlemen of Verona
argue whether this period owes more to 1594-95 Love's Labour's Lost
Shakespeare's maturity as a playwright or merely 1594-95 Romeo and Juliet
signifies a changing trend in Elizabethan theatre. 1595-96 Richard II
1595-96 A Midsummer Night's Dream
It is important for scholars, teachers and students to 1596-97 King John
keep in mind that these “genre” classifications were 1596-97 The Merchant of Venice
not determined by Shakespeare during the writing of 1597-98 Henry IV, Part I
each play but imposed after his death to help readers 1597-98 Henry IV, Part II
better understand his work.
1598-99 Much Ado About Nothing
1598-99 Henry V
1599-1600 Julius Caesar
1599-1600 As You Like It
1599-1600 Twelfth Night
1600-01 Hamlet
1600-01 The Merry Wives of Windsor
1601-02 Troilus and Cressida
1602-03 All's Well That Ends Well
1604-05 Measure for Measure
1604-05 Othello
1605-06 King Lear
1605-06 Macbeth
1606-07 Antony and Cleopatra
1607-08 Coriolanus
1607-08 Timon of Athens
1608-09 Pericles
1609-10 Cymbeline
1610-11 The Winter's Tale
1611-12 The Tempest
1612-13 Henry VIII
1612-13 The Two Noble Kinsmen*

*The Two Noble Kinsmen is listed although a

few scholars do not believe it is an original
Shakespeare work. The majority of the play
was probably written by John Fletcher,
Shakespeare's close friend who succeeded him
as foremost dramatist for the King's Men.

First Folio title page of Hamlet.

6
 Shakespeare’s
Verse & Prose
During the Elizabethan period, “English” was a
relatively young language (only about 160 years old)
combining Latin, French and Anglo-Saxon. There was When we scan a piece of text (marking it with a
no dictionary or standardized literacy education. for the unstressed and / for stressed), we simply
People in Shakespeare’s London spoke much more tap out the rhythm of the line, based on dee DUM dee
than they read, causing the rules of grammar and DUM dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM, to see if the line is
spelling to be quite fluid. Writers created new words structured in iambic pentameter:
daily and poets expressed themselves in a new form
of writing known as blank verse, first appearing in But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
1557 in Certain Bokes of Virgiles Aenis by the Earl of (II.ii.2)
Surrey:

They whistled all, with fixed face attent Embracing the rules of this new verse, Shakespeare’s
When Prince Aeneas from the royal seat early writing operated almost entirely within strict
Thus gan to speak, O Queene, it is thy will, iambic pentameter.
I should renew a woe can not be told:
(Book II, 1-4)
Prose in Shakespeare’s work is not in iambic
That the verse was “blank” simply meant that the pentameter and relies more heavily on other literary
poetry did not rhyme, allowing rhyme-less poets such devices for its speed and rhythm. These devices
as Virgil and Ovid to be translated and Elizabethan include: antithesis (setting opposite words against
playwrights to emulate the natural rhythms of each other), lists (series of actions or descriptive words
English speech within iambic pentameter. that build to a climax) and puns (the use or misuse of a
word to mean another word). Shakespeare used prose
A typical line of verse from this time contains five to express conversation between the lower classes,
units of meter or feet. Each foot contains two like the Mechanicals in A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
syllables. When the first syllable is unstressed and the or familiar or intimate scenes, as with Henry and
second syllable is stressed (dee DUM), it is an iamb Katherine at the end of Henry V. He also utilized
(iambic meaning push, persistency or determination). prose to express madness or vulgarity, as in the
The prefix penta means five, as in the five-sided nunnery scene of Hamlet. The exact meaning of a shift
shape—a pentagon. Iambic pentameter is therefore from verse to prose is not constant, but it always
one line of poetry consisting of five forward-moving signals a change in the situation, characters or tone of
feet. a scene. Only Much Ado About Nothing and The
Merry Wives of Windsor rely almost entirely on prose.
It was this new tradition of blank verse in iambic
pentameter that Shakespeare inherited as he In the following passage from The Merry Wives of
embarked on his career as playwright and poet. Windsor, note antithesis in Ford’s comparison of
Similar to the human heartbeat, a horse gallop or the himself with Page and of other men’s possessions with
beat of a piece of music, iambic pentameter drives Mistress Ford, see the list of things Ford would rather
and supports Shakespeare’s verse, moving the trust others with than his “wife with herself” and
language along in a forward flow that emulates the observe the pun on “effect”:
natural speech and rhythms of life. Here is a standard Ford
line of verse in iambic pentameter from Romeo and Page is an ass, a secure ass; he will trust his wife, he will not
Juliet. be jealous. I will rather trust a Fleming with my butter,
Parson Hugh the Welshman with my cheese, an Irishman
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? with my aqua-vitae bottle, or a thief to walk my ambling
(II.ii.2) gelding, than my wife with herself. Then she plots, then she
ruminates, then she devises; and what they think in their
hearts they may effect, they will break their hearts but they
If we were to say the rhythm and not the words, it will effect. God be praised for my jealousy!
would sound like this: (II.ii.300-314)

dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM

7
As his writing skill level increased, Shakespeare
gradually employed alliteration (the repetition of a
vowel or consonant in two or more words in a
phrase), assonance (resembling vowel sounds in a
line) and onomatopoeia (words with sounds
imitating their meaning) to create deeply poetic,
vibrant images on stage for the characters and his
audience. Examples of these three literary devices are
found in the following four lines:

Chorus
From camp to camp through the foul womb of night
The hum of either army stilly sounds,
That the fixed sentinels almost receive
The secret whispers of each other's watch.
(Henry V, IV.4-7)
An artist’s rendition of the inside of an Elizabethan
The hard “C” is repeated in the first line (alliteration), theatre.
the “O” is heard in “through”, “foul” and
“womb” (assonance) and the word “whispers” in the
last line imitates the sound whispers produce
Eventually, in Othello, King Lear and Macbeth,
(onomatopoeia).
Shakespeare became a master of building, breaking
and reinventing rhythms and language to create an
By the time Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, he sometimes
entire tone or world for a play. Continuously
allowed a character’s thoughts to overflow their
experimenting and exploring the combination of form,
usual pentameter lines with an extra beat, often
meaning and language, he used short and shared
ending with a soft or feminine ending. He also
lines between characters more and more, as in
utilized more and more enjambed or run-on lines,
Macbeth, allowing the speed and rhythm of
allowing thoughts to continue from line to line,
characters’ thoughts to meet and collide.
rather than finishing a thought per line. He grew to
express the inner life of his characters and the size of Lady Macbeth I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.
their thoughts within the structure and the scansion Did not you speak?
of the text. In this famous passage from Hamlet, Macbeth When?
notice the overflow in the first line of Hamlet’s huge Lady Macbeth Now.
Macbeth As I descended?
thought beyond the regular pentameter, forming a (II.ii.15-19)
feminine ending:
By the time Shakespeare gives his final farewell in The
To be, or not to be: that is the question: Tempest, believed by many to be his last play, his verse
(III.i.55) is so varied and specific to character and situation that
it is extremely difficult to scan. Shakespeare broke,
rebuilt and reinvented the verse form so many times
With this overflow, Shakespeare expresses the
that he plays the equivalent of jazz in the rhythms of
enormity of Hamlet’s thought, his situation and the
Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. At the
uneasy exploration of this argument. (It is important
end of The Tempest, in Prospero’s powerfully simple
to remember, however, scanning is subjective and
epilogue, Shakespeare brings his work full circle by
must be decided by the individual actor or reader.)
returning to the simplicity of regular verse. Having
This line might also be scanned:
created almost 1,700 words, timeless characters and
the greatest poetry in the history of the English
To be, or not to be: that is the question: language, Shakespeare “buries his art” and returns to
(III.i.55) the form with which he began.

This creates a trochee, or an iamb of reversed stress—

DEE dum.

8
A
Timeline of Western World Events

Shakespeare’s Life and Works Events in Western History Events in Western Art, Science
& Culture

1558 Queen Elizabeth I takes the throne. 1540 Michelangelo finishes painting The Last
Judgment.
1562 A series of civil wars between Catholics 1543 Coperniucus’ heliocentric theory,
and Protestants, known as the Wars of claiming the sun is the center of the
Religion, begin in France. universe, is first published.
1564 William Shakespeare born to John and 1564 John Calvin, an influential Protestant 1564 Christopher “Kit” Marlowe born.
Mary Shakespeare in Stratford-Upon- leader during the Reformation, dies. 1565 Arthur Golding translates Ovid’s
Avon. An outbreak of the plague devastates Metamorphoses. The text later influenced
London. Shakespeare’s work.
1568 A revolt of the Spanish-ruled 1567 Richard Burbage, a tragedian who
1570 John Shakespeare first applies for a Netherlands against Philip II, King of portrayed many of Shakespeare’s
family coat of arms. His application is Spain, begins the Eighty Years War. characters, born.
denied. 1572 Poet John Donne born.
Playwright Ben Jonson born.
1576 The first permanent theatre in England,
The Theatre, is built.
1577 Raphael Holinshed publishes The
1582 William Shakespeare marries Anne 1580 Sir Frances Drake circumnavigates the Chronicles of England, Scotland and
Hathaway. Earth. Ireland, which becomes Shakespeare’s
1583 Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna born. 1586 Mary Queen of Scots is tried for treason primary source for the history plays.
1585 Shakespeare’s twins Judith and Hamnet and executed by beheading. 1580 Thomas Middleton, a playwright who
born. 1588 The British Navy defeats the Spanish collaboratively wrote many plays, born.
1587 Shakespeare goes to London to pursue Armada, avoiding a long war between 1588 Marlowe’s play Dr. Faustus first produced.
life in the theatre. England and Spain. 1590 Marlowe’s play The Jew of Malta first
1589 The Wars of Religion end when Henry produced; it influenced Shakespeare’s
1593 Shakespeare writes Venus and Adonis. of Navarre ascends to the throne to The Merchant of Venice.
Also begins writing the Sonnets. become King Henry IV of France. 1592 Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy first
1594 Shakespeare becomes a founding produced. It influenced
member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Men. 1598 Philip II of Spain dies. 1597 The Theatre permanently closes due to
1596 Hamnet Shakespeare dies at age 11. The French Protestants are permitted the expiration of its lease.
1597 Shakespeare purchases New Place in to freely practice their religion by the 1599 The Globe Theatre is built on Bankside
Stratford. Edict of Nantes. from the timbers of The Theatre.
1599 Shakespeare’s family is granted a coat
of arms. 1601 The Earl of Essex attempts to rebel
1601 Shakespeare’s father dies. against Queen Elizabeth, fails and is
executed. 1603 The “Scientific Revolution” begins with
1603 The Lord Chamberlain’s Men are 1603 Sir Walter Raleigh is arrested, tried and Johann Kepler’s recordings of planetary
renamed the King’s Men. They perform imprisoned for disobeying the Queen movements and Galileo Galilei’s
at the Court of King James I more than by secretly marrying one of her maids of perfection of the telescope.
any other company. honor.
Queen Elizabeth dies. King James VI of
Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots,
becomes King James I of England. The
1605 Shakespeare purchases more land in plague once again ravages London. 1606 Ben Jonson’s play Volpone is written.
Stratford. 1604 England establishes a peace treaty with
Spain. 1607 Burbage leases the Blackfriars Theatre
1608 The King’s Men begin playing at the 1607 Jamestown, one of the first English for indoor performances.
Blackfriars Theatre, a prominent indoor colonies in the Americas, is founded.
theatre.
1609 Shakespeare’s Sonnets published. 1610 King Henry IV of France is murdered. 1611 The King James Bible first published.
He is succeeded by his son, Louis XIII.
1616 In March, Shakespeare, apparently ill, 1616 Ben Jonson’s Workes published in folio.
revises his will. On April 23rd he dies 1618 The Protestant German princes and their
and is buried at Holy Trinity Church, foreign supporters begin their struggle
Stratford. against the Holy Roman Empire. This
marks the start of the Thirty Years War.
1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio published.

9
 Synopsis of The Tempest

T he play opens with a shipwreck on an

enchanted isle where the usurped Duke of
Milan, Prospero, and his lovely daughter, Miranda,
have been living for 12 years. Prospero has become a
master magician, and Miranda has grown into a
charming maiden. Prospero, with the aide of his
sprite Ariel, has conjured a violent storm to cause the
shipwreck. All those aboard the ship—Alonso, the
King of Naples, his brother Sebastian, Alonso’s son
Ferdinand, Alonso’s counselor Gonzalo, and
Prospero’s brother Antonio—jump overboard for fear
of dying in the storm. Miranda, having watched the

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

storm wrack the ship, is assured by her father that it
was all a magical illusion. He relates the tale of their
journey to the isle—how his brother Antonio teamed
with Alonso to overthrow him. Though Prospero and
Miranda were abandoned at sea, they were able to
survive because Gonzalo secretly stowed money,
clothes and Prospero’s sorcery books on the boat.
Prospero and Miranda eventually landed on the
island and encountered Caliban, a demon son of the
witch Sycorax, now slave to Prospero. “Safely in harbor is the king’s ship”,
Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1910.
After relating their history, Prospero causes Miranda
to sleep and commands Ariel to ensure that the Back at the cave, Prospero spies as Miranda and
nobles are safe on the island. Ariel informs Prospero Ferdinand exchange vows of love and promise to
that the rest of the fleet has returned to Naples marry. Prospero, happy with the match, blesses their
believing that Alonso is dead. Ariel has pledged union. Caliban encourages Stephano to kill Prospero,
allegiance to Prospero because Prospero freed Ariel marry Miranda and take over the island. Ariel
from Sycorax’s curse. Prospero, in return, promises to overhears the scheme and leaves to warn his master.
free Ariel when his plans are complete. Ariel scatters To torment the nobles, Ariel and other spirits reveal a
the nobles around the island, leading Ferdinand into lavish banquet that vanishes as they try to eat. Ariel
a cave where Miranda, never having seen any other appears in the form of a Harpy to rebuke them for
man besides her father, falls instantly in love. Though their cruel behavior toward Prospero, declaring it the
Prospero approves of the match, he pretends to be cause of their current sorrow. At the cave, Prospero
critical of Ferdinand and sets him to work hauling conjures a performance by goddesses and nymphs.
logs. When Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo show up to
enact their plot, Prospero sends Ariel and other fairies
Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo and the lords after them to torment them and keep them out of the
Adrian and Francisco wander the island, presuming way.
Ferdinand dead. Gonzalo conjectures that Ferdinand
could still be alive since they survived the shipwreck. The royal party is brought, spellbound, to Prospero,
Ariel lulls all to sleep except Sebastian and Antonio, where he forgives them for the injuries of the past. He
who plot the murder of Alonso to take over Naples. reveals the supposed-dead Ferdinand and his own
Ariel, cloaked in invisibility, overhears the plan and daughter, Miranda—both safe, playing chess and
wakes Gonzalo, who warns Alonso just in time. On newly engaged. As father and son reunite, Prospero
another part of the island, the drunken Trinculo, frees Ariel and returns the island to Caliban’s control.
another survivor of the shipwreck, encounters Stephano and Trinculo repent their scheming, and
Caliban; they are soon joined by the king’s butler, Alonso restores Prospero’s dukedom. All board the
Stephano. After tasting “spirits” from Stephano, ship to return to Italy. Prospero renounces his magical
Caliban declares him to be a god and vows devotion. powers and requests that Ariel provide calm seas for
the voyage home.

10
 A Whole New World

Courtesy of the Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection, University of Texas.

In this map of North America, dated 1797, you can trace the journey of the Sea Adventure from the
shipwreck on Bermuda back to Virginia. This famous shipwreck could have been a source for Shakespeare’s
The Tempest.

Colonization:
The practice of
creating
B y the time Shakespeare wrote The Tempest in 1611, Londoners were accustomed to
stories of fantastic voyages abroad. More than a hundred years after Christopher
Columbus first landed in the Americas, colonization and exploration of the unknown islands
settlements in a west of England continued to be frequent topics of conversation as many travelers returned
new territory with with amazing stories of the unknown. On June 2, 1609, a fleet of ships from the Virginia
ties to the parent Company left Plymouth, England, and headed toward the colony of Jamestown, Virginia,
state. with supplies and new colonists. On their way past the islands of Bermuda on July 24, a
storm scattered the fleet. The flagship, the Sea Adventure, (carrying Admiral George Somers
Virginia Company: and the future governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Gates) disappeared and was presumed lost at
A colonizing sea. Amazingly, almost a full year later on May 23, 1610, two pinnaces, or light sailing ships,
company, appeared at Jamestown carrying the crew and passengers from the Sea Adventure. The ship
chartered by King had crashed on the island of Bermuda where the crew found that this notoriously dangerous
James I in 1606. island, often referred to as the “Isle of Devils,” was actually quite delightful, with plenty of
food and shelter, as well as wood to build their new sailing ships to complete the voyage to
Pinnaces: Jamestown. Their survival caused a sensation in England and led to the publishing of several
Small, two-masted accounts of their adventure, including A Discovery of the Bermudas, Otherwise Called the Isle
sailing ships, often of Devils by Sylvester Jourdain and The True Repertory of the Wrack and Redemption of Sir
used as messenger Thomas Gates by William Strachey. The Virginia Company also wrote an account of the story,
ships or to titled The True Declaration of the Estate of the Colony in Virginia.
accompany larger
ships on journeys
of exploration.
11
 In his account dated July 15, 1610, William Strachey describes some harrowing experiences
in the storm that Shakespeare appears to echo in some of Ariel’s manipulation of the crew in
The Tempest.

Strachey’s Account: ARIEL

“A dreadful storm and hedeous began to blow, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
which swelling and roaring as it were by fits, at I flam'd amazement: sometime I'd divide,
length did beat all light from heaven: which like And burn in many places; on the topmast,
a hell of darkness turned black upon us, so The yards and boresprit, would I flame distinctly.
much the more fuller of horror…and over (I.ii.197-200)
mastered the senses of all…” Four days into the
storm they saw “an apparition of a little round
light, like a faint Starre trembling and streaming
along with a sparkling blaze, half the height
upon the mainmast and shooting sometimes
from shroud to shroud…”

Both Strachey and Ariel describe St. Elmo’s fire, a natural phenomenon that legendarily
guided lost sailors to safety. The light was, in fact, a glow that occurred on dark stormy nights
St. Elmo’s Fire: produced by gathering static
A rare but natural ele ct ricity . Sha kes p eare’s
phenomenon, audience would have read or
which usually takes heard some of these accounts
the form of a and would have immediately
bluish-white light identified with Ariel’s
that gathers descriptions.
around the masts
of ships during The shipwrecked vessel in The
thunderstorms Tempest is returning to Naples,
when the electric Italy, not from the New World
charge in the air is but from Tunis in northern
very high. Africa, where a royal wedding
has taken place. Shakespeare’s
audience might have been
familiar with Tunis as the
Mos le m cit y th at was
New World: conquered and temporarily
When Europeans converted to Christianity by the
learned of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
existence of the in 1535. This would place
Americas after Prospero’s island somewhere in
Columbus’ voyage the Mediterranean.
in 1492, they Shakespeare, however, plays to
referred to the his audience by intermingling
Courtesy of the NOAA Library.

discovery as the Mediterranean and North

New World. American influences.
Exploration of the Londoners during
New World Shakespeare’s time had
continued for become fascinated with and
centuries sometimes terrified by stories of
afterward. the native peoples in the New
World.
St. Elmo's Fire on Masts of Ship at Sea in The Aerial World, by Dr. G.
Hartwig, London, 1886.

12
The great Renaissance essayist Michel Eyguem De Montaigne published “Of the Cannibals” in 1603. In it
Montaigne describes primitive American Indian society as an ideal state, as related to him by explorers.
Gonzalo, in depicting his ideal society in Act II, seems to echo Montaigne’s account.

From Montaigne’s Essay: GONZALO

“It is a nation, would I answer Plato, that hath no I' th' commonwealth I would by contraries
kind of traffic, no knowledge of letters, no Execute all things; for no kind of traffic
intelligence of numbers, no name of magistrate, nor Would I admit; no name of magistrate;
of politic superiority; no use of service, of riches, or of Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
poverty; no contracts, no successions, no partitions, And use of service, none; contract, succession,
no occupation but idle; no respect of kindred but Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
common, no apparel but natural, no manuring of No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
lands, no use of wine, corn, or metal.” No occupation; all men idle, all;
And women too, but innocent and pure:
(II.i.143-151)

In opposition to this portrayal of the perfection of Only then can Caliban regain control of the island
native people, Shakespeare creates Caliban, the only and find peace, free of men who would enslave or
mortal native of the island. A rough and uncivilized exploit him but also totally alone. Arguments of
character who resents Prospero and violently whether colonization saved or ruined the
opposes his oppression, Caliban embodies the inhabitants of newly colonized areas such as the
potential dangers of colonization and society’s Americas were rampant in Elizabethan society.
attempts to tame the natural world. Even his name, Shakespeare, in The Tempest, raises questions about
Caliban, is an original play on the word “cannibal” his society’s obsession with colonization. Out of
which had recently worked its way into the wonderful firsthand accounts from explorers, a
vocabulary of Elizabethan Englanders from New miraculous shipwreck story from Jamestown and
World accounts. The word “cannibal” came into use perhaps his own desire for his world to find hope in
after Columbus’ voyage in 1492, when man-eating a new land, Shakespeare crafts The Tempest and
habits were discovered among a group of Indians in creates a tale of love, redemption and the
the islands now known as the West Indies. possibilities of a new beginning.
Assuming that they could tame and teach him,
Prospero and Miranda allow Caliban to live with
them. Caliban attempts to rape Miranda, shattering
their trust and leading Prospero to treat Caliban as
his slave. In some ways, however, it is too late for
Prospero to enslave Caliban. Prospero and Miranda
had already transformed Caliban beyond being
“primitive” when they taught him their language.
Just as Gonzalo states “letters should not be known,”
Shakespeare seems to warn against this injection of
modern language into native life, as Caliban deeply
resents Propero’s influence and uses his new gift of
language to curse and argue with him:

CALIBAN
You taught me language; and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language!
Photo by Carol Rosegg.

(I.ii.365-367)

Caliban eventually attempts to murder Prospero.

After his plan fails, Prospero forgives him and finally
leaves the island with Miranda and the others.

Chad Coleman as Caliban in The

Shakespeare Theatre’s 1997 production of
The Tempest.

13
It’s a Long, Long
Road
T he Tempest is considered by most scholars to be the last play written by
Shakespeare without collaborators. As with most of his plays, the dates and
circumstances of The Tempest’s publication and first production are not accurately known.
Clues gathered from the play and accounts from the time indicate that the play was
probably written sometime in 1611, and was first performed at Whitehall, most likely before
Whitehall: James I. The Tempest’s position at the end of Shakespeare’s career is an important one,
Main residence of particularly if Shakespeare was aware that this would be his last play. It is very tempting to
the English royalty think of The Tempest as Shakespeare’s “goodbye to the stage.” Many readers see a strong
in London from parallel between Shakespeare and the character of Prospero, who at the end of the play
1530 until 1698, announces:
when it was
almost entirely I’ll break my staff,
destroyed by fire. Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
Before it burned, it And deeper than did ever plummet sound
was the largest I’ll drown my book.
(V.i.54-57)
palace in Europe.
Just as Prospero, a master sorcerer, gives up his art to return home, so does the master
playwright, Shakespeare. However, there exists no evidence to support that Shakespeare
knew that The Tempest would be his final play. Shakespeare does not give up his art; he
goes on to collaborate on two more plays. He does return to his home in Stratford,
although unlike Prospero’s immediate departure from the island, Shakespeare gradually
removes himself from life in London. Shakespeare’s final play, though an interesting
culmination of the life’s work of a major playwright, may or may not be his way of
announcing his retirement.

When Shakespeare’s friends and fellow company members Heminges and Condell
First Folio: published his collected works in 1623 (known to us as the First Folio), they included The
First published Tempest first. This was more an issue of popularity than chronological precision—as
collection of Shakespeare’s last play, it would have been one of the most familiar to the original readers
Shakespeare’s of the First Folio.
work, arranged in
a large volume
called a Folio by
former members
of Shakespeare’s
company in 1623.

First page of The Tempest from the First Folio, published in 1623, seven years after
Shakespeare’s death.

14
 story, but one that is full of improbable adventure
and many highs and lows. Characters in romances
travel to the depths of misery and, generally, recover
what they have lost by the end of the play. The
romances tend to have much more substantive
subject matter than comedies; the subjects of slavery,
exile and death dealt with in The Tempest are rarely
seen in the lighter comedies. Shakespeare’s trend
toward romances at the end of his career is
significant—after 1605, Shakespeare wrote only
tragedies and romances. It could have been a
growing trend in audience taste, or Shakespeare’s
recognition of his own mortality, that caused this
abandonment of comedy in favor of darker, more
complex writing styles. Or perhaps Shakespeare, his
craft improving with age and practice, was better
able to deal with more serious subject matter.

In his last play, Shakespeare chooses to include a

device rarely found in any of his other plays—the
masque. Characterized by an emphasis on spectacle,
masques became popular after James I became king.
Prior to The Tempest, Shakespeare’s plays were
visually fairly plain—very little or no set, simple
costumes, natural light—and so actors and audience
alike tended to rely heavily on the text of the play.
The Tempest was first performed at the palace at
Whitehall, a venue that demanded much more
spectacle and fanfare than the Globe or the
Blackfriar’s Theatre. Scenes such as the banquet
scene or Ferdinand and Miranda’s wedding masque
lend themselves to a more elaborate staging.
Foreknowledge that the play would be premiering at
First page of the First Folio published by Heminges Whitehall may have prompted Shakespeare to
and Condell in 1623. The plays are categorized on include uncharacteristically lavish scenes. Some
the title page as Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. scholars claim that Shakespeare added the wedding
masque two years after the play’s debut, when it was
performed at the wedding of James I’s daughter
Elizabeth, who was married in February of 1613.
Also interesting is how The Tempest is categorized in
the First Folio. The play is listed under “Comedies,” as
The Tempest provides much fodder for scholars
opposed to “Histories” or “Tragedies.” Many scholars
hoping to get a glimpse of Shakespeare’s later years
have argued against the classification of The Tempest
from what he wrote in his last play. As much as The
and Shakespeare’s other late plays (Pericles,
Tempest is a play about the end of Prospero’s art (or
Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale) as comedies. Many of
Shakespeare’s), it is also a play about new worlds,
the characteristics of the comedy genre—multiple
new love and a fresh start for Prospero and Miranda.
weddings at the end (and a general preoccupation
with love and marriage throughout), characters that
are ordinary as opposed to extraordinary, everyday
situations—are notably absent from The Tempest.
How, then, to categorize Shakespeare’s last play? Not
as a tragedy—the ending is a fairly happy one, and no
one dies in the play. And certainly not as a history—
The Tempest is one of a very few plays whose plot is
entirely Shakespeare’s invention. Many scholars have First lines of The Tempest as recorded in the First
landed on the term “romance,” not to imply a love Folio.

15
 Elizabethan
Masters & Servants
Courtesy of Illustrated Shakespeare Library at UW-Madison.

Courtesy of Illustrated Shakespeare Library at UW-Madison.

Prospero commands his two servants, Caliban and Ariel. Prospero and Caliban are shown as a schoolmaster and
Engraving by Henry Fuseli, 1874. pupil in this engraving by Frank Howard, 1833.

T he Elizabethan economy was one of great

disparity of wealth between the classes. The
wealthiest families could afford to keep many
by Caliban, a sort of half-human, and the spirit Ariel.
Prospero lavishes praise on Ariel since he believes the
spirit can be trusted. Caliban was also once a trusted
servants for the maintenance of their household. As servant. Caliban overstepped his bounds and became
the mid-level merchant class began to grow, the most Prospero’s despised slave. Then there are the
visible sign of success was the ability to employ relationships between those on the ship. Alonso the
servants. In Elizabethan England there was an king is served by a trustworthy counselor, noblemen,
understood relationship between master and servant Trinculo the jester and Stephano the butler. Even the
known as “credit.” A servant did his master credit by king who appears fair to all who follow him is
obeying him in all things and making sure his master deceived and almost murdered.
always looked his best. In turn the master dressed his
servants in good clothes and never abused his power As a master, Prospero has received both criticism and
so his servants would represent him well outside of sympathy from audiences. His harsh treatment of
the house. Caliban and enslavement of Ariel may seem cruel to
modern theatregoers. Elizabethan audiences may
The ideal servant was almost psychic. He would have seen Prospero’s initial kind treatment toward
anticipate his master’s wants before the master asked. Caliban as his mistake as a master and his
The worst quality a servant could demonstrate was authoritarian approach in the play as restoring the
ingratitude. While Elizabethan England was not a balance. Ariel’s constant reminders that he is owed
democracy, it was possible to rise in status. Through freedom might smack of ingratitude to an
hard work and obedience, the stable boy could Elizabethan theatregoer.
become master of the horses, the kitchen maid could
become head cook. The new merchant economy The play ends with Prospero and Alonso forgiving all
meant that anyone who invested what little money who have wronged them—wayward family and
they had in the right business could find themselves servants alike. Elizabethan audiences may have seen
members of the emerging middle class. Those with this as the structure of their society having been
new money did not necessarily have the same toppled for a day. Servants were allowed to plot and
respect as those with old, but they began to demand run wild and, though unsuccessful in their pursuits,
a voice in how that country was run. The audiences they did not suffer retribution. A modern audience
of Shakespeare’s time would most likely have been might see these as the actions of just rulers. Perhaps
more comfortable with the depictions of masters and Shakespeare recognized the excitement of the New
servants in The Tempest than audiences today. World—a new land where the authority of the crown
and government was significantly weaker.
The Tempest provides audiences with a variety of Shakespeare’s audience might have found the
master and servant relationships. Prospero is served ending not only happy but also a little thrilling.

16
 She Blinded Me with
Science
M any of Shakespeare’s plays include elements of the supernatural—from ghosts to fairies,
witches to goddesses. The Tempest is the only play, however, with a magician as the
main character and a magical setting at the heart of the play.

Prospero’s Art
Prospero is a powerful magician, able to control all aspects of his island and its inhabitants.
Caliban reveals to us that Prospero’s power lies in his vast library of books:

Remember,
First to possess his books, for without them
He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command. (III.ii.89-92)

When Prospero speaks of his time in Milan as the rightful duke, he brags about his reputation
as a scholar. He gave the leadership of the land to his brother, saying that “my library / Was
dukedom large enough” (I.ii.109-110). Instead of carrying out the affairs of state, he became
“rapt in secret studies” (I.ii.77).

Prospero’s command over man and nature is derived from his scholarship, or “secret studies.”
Secular: In the Middle Ages, there were two kinds of scholars: religious and secular. Religious scholars
Of or relating to studied theology and philosophy. They discussed God and God’s relationship to the world.
the world, not Their subject matter was considered the highest goal of human reason. Prospero could be
overtly or interpreted as a religious scholar in the play. His books might be biblical texts, and he may
specifically derive his power from a deity. Some productions of The Tempest have emphasized Prospero’s
religious. God-like nature by costuming him in religious robes (see photographs below.)

Theology:
The study of
religious faith,
practice and
experience.
Courtesy of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Courtesy of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Two Prosperos in bishop-like costumes. Left, William Haviland in a production at His Majesty’s Theatre in
London in 1904. Right, Derek Jacobi in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1982 production.

17
 Secular scholars studied the
earth and its elements.
Shakespeare lived during a
time when medieval beliefs in
the supernatural were still
strong, though on the decline
due to scientific advancements.
The belief that the heavens
were the unknowable realm of
an omnipotent creator was
being replaced by the idea that
humans could unlock the
secrets of universal motion
through experimentation and
observable data. For example,
the public in Shakespeare’s
Courtesy of The Alchemy Website www.levity.com/alchemy/index.html

time no longer believed that

the sun revolved around the
earth, but still retained many of
the customs of celestial
prophecy, believing that
eclipses portended great
disruptions in nature and that
medicinal herbs must be
gathered in accordance with
the movement of the planets.
These early scientists, who
could tap into the mysteries of
the universe, had access to
knowledge that was until that
time considered mystical. Many
scientific practices were
considered sacrilegious
because they contradicted the
The Alchymist in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone Discovers teachings of the church.
Phosphorus, painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1771. Certain scholars, including
some alchemists, cultivated the
Alchemist: belief that they consorted with spirits and practiced magic. Alchemy was a chemical science
A scientist who that aimed to transmute base metals (such as lead) into gold, discover a universal cure for
experimented with disease and prolong life indefinitely. Many practitioners of alchemy referred to their work as
base metals to an “art,” but the history of alchemy and what we know now as the modern “science” of
attempt to chemistry are surprisingly intertwined. Prospero, with the power to control elements of
transmute them nature, could be seen as an early scientist or chemist, studying the mysteries of the earth. He
into gold. also refers to his magical ability as his “art” throughout the play. Certainly with Prospero’s
reliance on his “secret studies,” Shakespeare’s audience could have seen Prospero’s books as
early scientific texts or even the magical tomes of the alchemists.

Prospero’s “art” also has been seen in a different light. Prospero creates the tempest in the
first scene and is the motivating force of all other action in the play—manipulating the other
characters around him and crafting their fates. For this reason, some describe Prospero as a
playwright himself, using his “art” to fashion his own story. Shakespeare may have seen his
reflection in Prospero, likening his own art as a playwright to a powerful kind of magic,
creating and destroying worlds on a whim. The books in The Tempest, then, could have been
the plays and stories Prospero created.

18
 Courtesy of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Courtesy of Gemaelde-Kunstdrucke.de.
Two interpretations of the offspring of a witch. Left, Bob Peck as Caliban in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s
1982 production of The Tempest. Right, Caliban by Franz Marc, oil painting, 1914.

That Old Black Magic

Witches and witchcraft were also daily concerns of Shakespeare’s audience. James I was a
self-proclaimed expert on witchcraft and published a book on the subject in 1597 called
Daemonologie. The book described the black-magic practices of witches and called for their
swift destruction. Witch hunts, which eventually spread to the American continent, became
more and more popular in England during James’ reign. Those convicted of witchcraft were
most often innocent people who lived on the fringes of society. These outcasts became
scapegoats for accidents, illnesses or deaths in their villages. Witches were believed to have
sold their souls to the devil and would do his work on earth. They were believed to keep
Midwife: beer from fermenting or butter from hardening, to force men and women to commit
A woman who adultery, and to prevent women from getting pregnant as well as to cause miscarriages or
assisted with stillbirths. Midwives, women who helped to deliver babies, were often accused of witchcraft.
childbirth, gaining Their understanding of natural remedies and the female body, which would be considered
her skills from medical knowledge today, was still misunderstood and fraught with superstition in
experience and Shakespeare’s time.
lore passed down
through While Prospero’s magical abilities may be interpreted as close to witchcraft, Prospero only
generations. uses his power for good. Another character on the island, Caliban, is the offspring of a witch
and the devil. The deformed half-man, half-monster is a native of the island and the son of
“the foul witch Sycorax” (I.ii.258). Shakespeare made up her name, possibly from a
combination of the Greek words for “pig” and “crow,” which is not surprising, as witches
were believed to have animal companions called familiars who would do their bidding.
Familiar:
A spirit embodied Shakespeare’s audience would have had strong images and associations with witches.
in an animal. Caliban is introduced as the son of a witch before he even comes out on stage. Shakespeare
undercuts the audience’s expectations after we meet Caliban, though; while he is a deformed
and ugly monster, Shakespeare gives him some of the most beautiful language in the play.
Also, despite the fact that Caliban’s mother was a powerful witch, he is one of the most
powerless characters on the island.

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 An Airy Spirit
Ariel, introduced in the list of characters as “an airy
spirit,” is the servant of Prospero and another agent
of magic on the island. The name means “lion of
God” and is reminiscent of names of Biblical angels
like Gabriel, Uriel, Rafael and Azrael. What kind of
creature Ariel is remains unclear. Throughout the
centuries, Ariel has been represented as many
different kinds of creatures, and while generally
considered male, Ariel also has been represented as
female and genderless.

Masque: In Shakespeare’s time, Ariel may have been

Form of theatre represented similar to the fiery spirit at right, from a
that became masque designed by Inigo Jones. Because of the
popular around angelic name, Ariel often has been represented as a
1603, when James winged creature. In the 19th century, Julia St.
I took the throne George played the role as an innocent-looking,
of England. winged, little girl at Sadler’s Wells, a London theatre
Masques were famous for its great revivals of Shakespeare. In 1982,

Courtesy of Riverside Shakespeare.

characterized by the Royal Shakespeare Company cast Ariel as a male
song, dance and actor in a multi-colored body suit with bleached
elaborate white hair. In 1998, the same company had Ariel in
productions—often a harness with giant outstretched wings that
so expensive they overtook the entire stage. While the source of Ariel’s
were only magic is never revealed in the play, we know that
performed once. “he” can fly, create fiery apparitions in the sky,
become invisible and create storms on the sea. The
way a production chooses to represent Ariel reflects
on Prospero and the nature of magic in the play. Costume sketch of a “fiery spirit” by Inigo Jones
created for a masque in celebration of James
I’s daughter’s marriage in 1613. The Tempest
Giving It All Away also was presented as part of those
Whatever the source of Prospero’s magic, The celebrations.
Tempest is often seen as Prospero’s journey toward
relinquishing his “art” and accepting his position in
society. At the end of the play, when Prospero has finally righted the wrong done against
him by his brother, he begins the next chapter of his story, not as a magician, but as a man:

But this rough magic

I here abjure; and, when I have requir'd
Some heavenly music – which even now I do, –
To work mine end upon their senses, that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book. (V.i.50-57)

Prospero has destroyed his book, the source of all his power. Ariel and Caliban, the magical
characters in the play, are freed from their servitude. They remain on the island as the
humans return to their lives in Milan.

However a production chooses to interpret the nature of magic and the supernatural in The
Tempest, by the end of the play, Prospero must recant that power and return to his home.
The play can be seen as Prospero’s journey from a solitary and omnipotent magician to a
man reunited with his family, ready to govern his people.

20
 Tell me about your mother...
“I cannot think of any need in childhood as
strong as the need for a father's protection.”
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis
1856-1939
Courtesy of the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Photo by Karl Hugh.

through the separation and then reuniting of the

family—specifically between father and daughter.
Either entirely absent or missing for prolonged
periods of time in all four plays are the mothers.
Scholars, too, have a preoccupation with the father-
daughter relationships in Shakespeare’s final plays
and the possible link to events in Shakespeare’s life.

Shakespeare’s final work, The Tempest, not only

completely eliminates the mother figure but also
examines the father-daughter relationship free of all
societal influences. Miranda, having grown up on a
deserted island, is entirely unaffected by the outside
world. Until the arrival of the strangers on the ship,
Mary Dolson (left) as Miranda and Michael the only other human she has ever known is her own
Kevin as Prospero in the Utah father, Prospero. Her scope of existence rests solely in
Shakespearean Festival’s production of The him and his teachings.
Tempest, 2001.
Unlike the other romances, there is no reunion scene

B y the time Shakespeare finished penning The

Tempest, he had 22 years of extraordinary
success as a playwright. While Shakespeare was
between father and daughter, for there never is a
parting. Not only is Prospero Miranda’s whole world,
Prospero himself finds his reason for living in
acquiring fame in London, his wife and family Miranda. He tells her:
remained behind in Stratford. Little is known of how
often he visited his home or how involved he was in O, a cherubin
family life. Was Shakespeare merely an aspiring Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile,
playwright unconcerned with the needs of his Infused with a fortitude from heaven,
family? Or was the bard a doting father, making trips When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,
home whenever possible to spend time with his wife Under my burthen groan'd; which rais'd in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up
and children? Against what should ensue.
(I.ii.152-158)
Whatever the facts may be, and there is little hope
that we will ever know the truth, Shakespeare The ideal father-daughter relationship remains intact
exhibits a preoccupation with daughters at the end throughout the play. The only conflict in their
of his career in the four plays characterized as relationship is manufactured by Prospero when he
romances—Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and forbids Miranda to speak to Ferdinand. There is no
The Tempest. In each of these plays the relationship need for forgiveness at the end of the play—by all
between father and daughter is central to the story; indications, their relationship has known no discord.
these daughters are strong women that are
indisputably kind, fair and virtuous. There is also a
common theme of reconciliation and forgiveness

21
 Courtesy of Shakespeare Illustrated.
Miranda, oil painting by John W. Waterhouse, 1916.

As he approached the end of his career,

Shakespeare’s two daughters, Susanna and Judith,
had come of marrying age. Records show that he
spent more time traveling between London and
Stratford at this time, perhaps to oversee their
marriages. Possibly Shakespeare had begun to have
feelings of guilt over the amount of time that he had
spent absent from his family. The repetition of
reconciliation scenes in the latter plays could reflect
the writer’s desire to reclaim lost time. Or perhaps
Prospero’s duty to Miranda as sole tutor and
caregiver might demonstrate the solace Shakespeare
found in the relationship that had finally grown with
his children.

Information about Shakespeare’s relationships with

his wife and daughters is based largely on his final
will. Scholars suggest that Shakespeare revised his
will based on the mate each daughter chose.

Courtesy of Illustrated Shakespeare Library at UW-Madison.

Susanna evidently chose well; her husband, John
Hall, was a respected doctor in Stratford. Judith was
wed at the age of 31 to a tavern keeper of ill repute
just 10 weeks before her father’s death. Shortly after
the marriage, Shakespeare rewrote his will, radically
reducing Judith’s share in the inheritance. All of
Shakespeare’s personal property was willed to
Susanna. He left his wife their second best bed.

The events that unfolded in the last days of

Shakespeare’s life seem to indicate that whatever
relationship he had with Susanna and Judith, feelings
were certainly very intense and much was at stake.
Whether it was due to parental concern, guilt over
lost time, a father’s love, or a mixture of the three, it is
certain that the tone in Shakespeare’s later plays Miranda was the frontispiece portrait from The
reflects what may have been foremost on his mind at Heroines of Shakespeare by Charles Heath, 1848.
the end of his life.

22
Classroom Connections
Before the performance...

Stormy Weather Ariel & Caliban in Visual Art

It’s no surprise that a play named The Tempest opens in the Ariel and Caliban, two of Shakespeare’s non-human
middle of a huge storm at sea. But how can a director and a characters, have left much room for interpretation in how
team of designers create that storm onstage? Ask students they can be portrayed. The 19th century produced a number
to brainstorm different ways to present the storm and of artists inspired by Shakespeare who put scenes of his play
shipwreck onstage. Then break the class into three groups on canvas. Visit this site (http://www.english.emory.edu/
and assign each a budget—one group has a high school classes/Shakespeare_Illustrated/TempestPaintings.html) and
drama club budget, one has a regional theatre budget, and find a painting depicting Ariel or Caliban from The Tempest.
one has a Broadway theatre budget. Each group should Compare how you expected these characters to look with
develop a concept or proposal for the storm scene, complete the artist’s rendering. Keep these images in mind when you
with lights, set, sound, props and costumes, considering see the play and compare all three interpretations!
their respective budgets. Have each group present their
ideas to the class. How does budget affect the staging of the
storm? How realistically should the storm be staged?
What Really Happened in Jamestown

As described in the article A Whole New World, Shakespeare

Love at First Sight drew inspiration for The Tempest from real accounts of a
crew headed to Jamestown, Virginia, that crashed on the
In The Tempest Miranda and Ferdinand are instantly island of Bermuda and then reappeared almost a year later.
captivated by one another. It is the first time that Miranda Have students research the Jamestown colony and the
has seen another man. Is it love at first sight? Divide the class shipwreck of the Sea Adventure and then discuss how the
into two groups and have them sit across the room from real life events may have inspired Shakespeare. How did
each other. Pair each student with someone on the opposite Shakespeare alter the story to create The Tempest?
side and remind them to keep it a secret! It is okay if more
than one person is paired with another. Instruct the students
to imagine themselves asleep in their beds. Begin playing a Seeing Things That Aren’t There
syrupy love song (We’ve Only Just Begun by the Carpenters
works very well). In slow motion, have the students wake up Stranded on a mysterious island and thoroughly drunk,
and begin their morning routines. On your cue, they should Stephano the butler believes he sees a great beast that in
make eye contact with their object of love and physicalize (in reality is nothing more than Caliban and Trinculo hiding
slow motion!) their response to love at first sight. How do together. This is an island that Prospero claims to be
we show love? What actions do we perform to get inhabited by spirits. His most trusted servant is a spirit that
someone to notice us? no other character ever sees. The only time spirits are
witnessed by characters other than Prospero is in the
wedding masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. This scene is
Be a Sound Designer not always included in productions of the play. If you were
the director, would you choose to stage the masque? Is the
The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most sound-heavy island really magic or are we seeing a distorted image of a
plays. Have students reread Caliban’s speech at III.ii.132, “Be stranded soul?
not afeard, the isle is full of noises.” Then go back and ask
students to pick out as many references to sound as they can
find, both in the text and in the stage directions. Creating a
sound design for a play or movie is an important part of
telling the story. What kinds of sounds exist on the island in
The Tempest? Ask students to create one sound cue for a
moment in the play, using music, voices or found items
(recorded or live) to create the sound. How does sound help
to tell the story?

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 Classroom Connections
…After the performance

Slaves and Servants Water, Water Everywhere

In The Tempest, Ariel and Caliban both serve Prospero and Water imagery abounds in The Tempest and plays a vital
Miranda. In the Folio version of the play, Caliban is described role in the events that unfold. Ask students to share all of the
as a “savage and deformed slave.” Given that Ariel and ways that water is used in the play. Then ask students to pick
Caliban are “natives” of the island, what class issues does one example of water imagery to recreate. They can make a
their relationship to Prospero bring up? What responsibilities collage, write a poem, use their bodies, voices, instruments,
does a director have in staging The Tempest for a or any other form of expression to demonstrate the feeling
contemporary audience? Are Ariel and Caliban positive or that the water evokes.
negative characters? How would you portray them today?
How did the director at The Shakespeare Theatre portray
Caliban and Ariel? Adaptation

Shakespeare’s plays are continually adapted into other

Forgiveness and Reconciliation stories and media. For example, Robert Browning’s 1864
poem Caliban Upon Setebos, Franz Marc’s 1914 painting
One of the reasons The Tempest is sometimes considered a Caliban and the 1956 sci-fi film Forbidden Planet are all
comedy is that all the characters are forgiven for their based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Screen the film, or
misdeeds. Prospero forgives everyone in the very last scene another film adaptation of the play, look at the painting (see
of the play. Discuss when you think he makes the decision to page 19) or read a selection of Browning’s poem (available
forgive the characters who have betrayed him. Did those online at: eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poem267.html).
forgiven really repent? Do you think there is a possibility of How do artists take ideas from literature and incorporate
Prospero being wronged again? Are there any characters them into their own work? Ask students to create their own
who deserve an apology from Prospero? work of art based on their response to The Tempest.
Possibilities include a drawing, a poem, a short story, a
treatment for a screen play or a short video essay. Work can
Fathers and Daughters be shared and displayed as students discuss their different
responses to the play. Share your students’ work with us by
Some Shakespearean scholars believe that in his latter works, mailing it to The Shakespeare Theatre Education
the Bard examined more closely the bonds between fathers Department.
and daughters because of his relationship with his eldest
daughter, Susanna. Reflect on views of father-daughter
relationships: What are contemporary views of the roles of Look Up at the Sky!
fathers and daughters in each others’ lives? What images or
stories from television shows, news, movies, books or Did you know that many of the moons of Uranus are named
magazines support these views? How do students see them after Shakespearean characters, many of them from The
playing out in their personal experiences? Ask students to Tempest? (Those that aren’t Shakespearean are taken from
compare contemporary views to the relationship of Prospero Alexander Pope’s poem, The Rape of the Lock.) For extra
and Miranda in The Tempest. credit, ask students to look up the names of the moons of
Uranus and find their namesakes in Shakespeare.
Are You My Mother?

Many female characters in Shakespeare’s later plays grow up

never knowing their mothers. Ask students to consider why
Shakespeare would make this choice? How would these
plays be different if a mother was present? Ask students to
rewrite Act I scene ii of The Tempest, adding a third
character—Miranda’s mother. How does the scene change?
How might this change affect the rest of the play?

24
The Tempest
Resource List
Books or Essays on The Tempest
• Bergeron, D. Shakespeare’s Romances and the Royal Family. University Press of Kansas, 1985.

• Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare’s Romances. Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.

• Goldberg, Jonathan. The Tempest in the Caribbean. University of Minnesota Press, 2004.

• Hulme, Peter and William H. Sherman [ed]. “The Tempest”: Sources and Contexts, Criticism,
Rewriting and Appropriations by William Shakespeare. W.W. Norton, 2004.

• Murphy, Patrick M. “The Tempest”: Critical Essays. Routledge, 2001.

• Vaughn, Alden T., and Virginia Mason Vaughan. Shakespeare's Caliban: A Cultural History.
Cambridge UP, 1991.

Books on Shakespeare and Teaching Shakespeare

• Asimov, Isaac. Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare. Doubleday, 1978.

• Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare. Penguin Books, 1993.

• Gibson, Janet and Rex Gibson. Discovering Shakespeare’s Language. Cambridge University Press,
1999.

• Gibson, Rex. Teaching Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

• Kermode, Frank. Shakespeare’s Language. Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 2000.

• Linklater, Kristin. Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice. Theatre Communications Group, 1992.

• Pritchard, R. E. Shakespeare’s England. Sutton Publishing Limited, 1999.

• Papp, Joseph and Elizabeth Kirkland. Shakespeare Alive. Bantam Books, 1988.

• Reynolds, P. Teaching Shakespeare. Oxford University Press, 1992.

Websites
• daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare—Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet.

• www.bardweb.net—The Shakespeare Resource Center.

• www.sgc.umd.edu—Shakespeare’s Globe Center USA.

• hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/Svtour.html—Shakespeare: A Virtual Field Trip.

• renaissance.dm.net/compendium/home.html—Life in Elizabethan England.

• www.shakespeare.org.uk/main/7/304—Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, “What Kind of Play is The

Tempest?”
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