All characters are confined in some way, experience exile and punishment, and all yearn for freedom either from the island or the other characters.

Characters that are largely associated with this theme are Prospero, Ariel and Caliban.

Prospero took over an unhabitated island (apart from Caliban and Ariel)

Modern audience feels sympathethic to Caliban but this is tough to feel as Caliban's urge to rule, and the urge to be ruled contrast each other. The Jameson audience would have understood that the tales are the same as the explorers would have brought back from the 'New World' which echoes the themes of ownership, and shows the realities of Gonzalo's ideas which Sebastian and Antonio bring up.

The views on this theme are contrasting. When left alone, nature can be viewed as 'perfect' and good. Or Nature is bad and therefore needs to be educated and controlled to be good therefore Nurture has an influence.

Miranda and Prospero believe that teachings have changed Caliban but still see him as 'brutish' and a 'monster'. The audience decides to believe depends on whether it views Caliban as inherently brutish, or as made brutish by oppression

Prospero shows love for Miranda, as does Ferdinard. Ferdinand and Miranda's love is innocent, romantic and brings the fathers together. Love is in it's innocent form, despite being manipulated by Prospero.

Characters include Miranda + Ferdinard, Prospero + Miranda, Prospero + Alonso, and argubly Ariel + Prospero - corrupted love.

The island has a heirachy of power, and Prospero stands at the top of this. Prospero has the most power (in contrast to other characters) in his magic, using it for his idea of justice and unfairly, to control others. Due to this power, he believes that everyone should obey him, however, each character at one point disobey him. However, his power has limits - he cannot truly control what people feel, and argubly his power only comes from his magic- at the end he is only a mortal man. Power is usually corrupted in this play, until the end where power is restored to it's natural balance.

The island's heirachy of power is actually not very stable, Caliban swears his allegiance to Stephano, trading one master for another in an attempt to topple the island’s hierarchy altogether. Miranda believes she disobeys her father by pursuing romance with Ferdinand. But her actions are actually in line with her father’s wishes, since Prospero’s harsh treatment of Ferdinand is designed to make Miranda take pity on him and fall in love with him. The situation is again different in Ariel’s case. Ariel has proven himself a faithful servant, yet Prospero considers him disobedient when he asks for his freedom. This shows how power is very complex, but Prospero believes that he is the most powerful.

The Tempest is full of magic and explores how it affects everyone and everything, as everything changes underneath magic's power. The island's magic creates wonder and admiration, but also confuses and disorientates.

Prospero's magicial ability seems to be connected to his books, staff and cloak. Caliban notes that Stephano needs to take his books first, "remember first to possess his books", and his staff and cloak. These act as tools of magic, to give the illusion of power to mere objects. Prospero believes that he uses his magic for good, better than Syrorax, however, there are similarities between how they use their magic powers to put others in their place. Ariel uses his magic to carry out Prospero's orders, and argubly Prospero wouldn't be that powerful without Ariel's magical powers.

Miranda's hopes for the future act as the main source of hope. Aside from Gonzalo, Miranda most clearly symbolises optimism about the possibility of new beginnings and a better future: what she herself calls a “brave new world". These individuals, amongst the corruption, hold their hope.

Hope from the would-be colonists to take over the island, there is also hope to regain/take power e.g. Prospero hopes to meet his enemies and get his dukedom back, Trinculo wanting power of the island.

Hope for freedom for Ariel keeps him working for Prospero, Prospero offers this hope to Ariel but when this is under threat the language changes to be more defiant. There is also hope from Caliban to be free of Prospero's control; this reality of hope comes from the oppressed on the island, contrasting the hope of the future which Miranda and Ferdinand represent.

The couple of Miranda and Ferdinand provide hope amid this world of betrayal, abuse of power and vengeance. Miranda and Ferdinand find each other and their marriage becomes a symbol of reconciliation and promise for the future.

Another source of hope in The Tempest that could potentially be considered the primary source of hope is the retribution that is achieved; all the characters apologise for their actions apart from Sebastien and Antonio, who he maintains power over via blackmail

10 mins annotating
30 minutes writing
Intro - overview of the passage highlighting themes, concerns, impact on audience, key dramatic techniques, specific language techniques (including patterns). Comment on position of extract within the structure of the play e.g. rising tension, climax, comic relief.
Explore dramatic core of extract
CONFLICT (physical, physchological, verbal)
Characters - their characterisation, development and relationships. Focus on the key characters - how they are speaking if it contrasts e.g. verse or prose.
Explore themes, and how the theme fits into the extract.
THROUGHOUT ALL THIS - explore all this with language analysis, and Shakespeare's use of dramatic techniques.
Conclusion

10 mins planning
30 mins writing
Plan - one line of argument directly answering the question, no need for a balanced argument and any counter-arguments should be at the beginning.
Intro - brief argument, address the question and outline the key points.
Present 3-5 key points of interpretation - with DI, and build up the argument. Link the sections together.
Conclusion - sum up briefly, try to finish with a final quote.
DI - should include critical voices, productions/films, other readings, which should be engaged with and developed by making a point with it.

Shipwrecked characters imitating today's political powers as satire which debases their ideas by making them comical, and looked over

Caliban covered by rope highlighting theme of entrapment

Prospero presented with empathy when speaking to family and other characters

Fiery stage when betrayal happens (Sebastian and Alonso try to kill Antonio and Gonzalo)

Prospero wears jacket that nobels wear when seeing the others to cover up his rags showing how desperate he is to be proven as duke, and his want for power

At the beginning the working men are in sea uniforms, nobels are in full ceremonial dress however they have a lack of power

The masque is immersive, digital, loud, colourful and terrifying at the end to show the full extent of power and magic that the spirits and Prospero have

Sebastian in lots of gold, whereas Gonzalo is in grey and darker colours

emphasises that Miranda hasn't seen other men, when Ferdinand states "she's mine", it's a joke when Miranda is touching and looking at the other men

Irish man as Caliban to make the modern and colonial links to the play

In Masque (4.1): mimics the spectacular entertainments that were put on at James 1st court. Ceres and Juno that Prospero conjures, as entertainment for Miranda and Ferdinand. Brings that magic onto stage: the magical pictures are painted by the words.

Opening (1.1): 'Tempest' sounds, "a tempteous noise of thunder and lightning" - storm is shown as heard not seen. Typically, Shakespeare plays start with an entry of a character and dialogue, but this shows how sound is central to creating atmosphere and passing this dramatic message on. Sets the tone for the rest of the play - destruction and severe atmosphere makes the audience understand Prospero's controlling nature through manipulation. These onimous sounds let the audience associate the brutal nature and absolute power with Prospero's control over people.

During Renaissance period, music was associated with internal feelings - people showed music to express their inner feelings and communicate this to other people -> audience would have noted the music more then and appreciated the meanings.

Ferdinand's grief of his father is highlighted by music showing this theme to the audience.

Inner feelings - low notes in the music, showing human misery and sadness. -> groaning Prospero, bereveaved Alonso, enslaved Ferdinand and Caliban. Ariel's music -> transforms Alonso's grief into a wonderful "heavy drowsiness" which the characters "sink" into.

Act 1, Scene 2 - Ariel is invisible to everyone except Prospero, singing his song informing Ferdinand that his father did not survive - "suffering the sea change" "full fathom five"

Act 1, Scene 3 - Ariel makes Gonzalo and Alonso fall asleep, giving Antonio and Sebastian to carry out their treacherous plotting. Then sings a song to Gonzalo to make him wake up, relaying a direct message of the treachery.

E.g. Ariel uses a song to make Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo scared. Caliban knows the island's music - "full of noises", "sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not"

Caliban - music lulls him to sleep, making a calm and peaceful mood. Music evokes vivid lovely dreams of the island, which in turn makes Caliban want to kill Prospero so he can enjoy the music for freedom.

Music drives the themes - the play wouldn't exist without the "strange" airs, the thunder or the singing of Ariel. All these sounds are directed to a singlar objective of Prospero which is to bring suffering to recover his dukedom and make his enemies recognise their past errors.

Understanding Shakespeare and how he used music to construct themes and characters experiences - Ariel and Ferdinand.

For people in the Renaissance, music was often associated with enchantment or magic – a slight sense of other worlds – so it’s one way Shakespeare could make Prospero’s sorcery seem as realistic as possible.

The music serve to awaken desires in the characters to assert themselves and bend them to do as Prospero wishes - Di Salvo

symbols of fertility and abundance - blessing the marriage

luxury - Elizabethans would have understood symbols and objects

traditional, celebrated wedding, masque performance for the audience - usually rich and wealthy people