The Tempest
Act 4: Summary Worksheet
Write down the summary, filling in the gaps:
Prospero agrees to the marriage of _____ and _____, but warns the
pair against ______ before marriage. Prospero commands Ariel to
summon the other spirits and perform a _____ in celebration of their
betrothal. The masque begins, and ______ tells Miranda and Ferdinand
that the spirits are enacting his fantasies. The masque ends suddenly
when Prospero remembers the plot on his life. He informs Ferdinand
not to be concerned, because the masque was merely temporary, like
life itself. Ariel tells Prospero how he led ______, Trinculo and
Stephano into a stinking pool. Prospero calls Caliban a “born devil” and
says he is unteachable. Prospero decides to punish them further and
Ariel hangs up gaudy ______ as a trap.
Upset at losing their wine, ______ urges the others to murder
Prospero. However the gaudy clothes attract the attention of
Stephano and Trinculo, despite warnings from Caliban. Spirits,
disguised as _____ drive them away. Prospero reflects that all his
enemies are at his mercy and promises _____ his freedom shortly.
Now answer the questions in FULL SENTENCES:
1. In your own words, write a brief synopsis of the story of the masque.
2. Prospero says that the masque represents his own fantasies or vision
of an ideal world (utopia). Why is it significant that the characters
of Venus and Cupid are not allowed to be present?
3. How does this relate to the advice he has given to Ferdinand and
Miranda?
4. Why is the image of the rainbow significant to the whole play?
5. Why is it ironic that Prospero’s fascination with the masque almost
causes him to forget the plot on his life?
6. Stephano and Trinculo use coarse, vulgar language while Caliban
continues to speak in verse. Find 2 examples of each character’s
language and say how it affects our perception of their character.
7. How has Caliban’s opinion of Trinculo and Stephano changed by the
end of the scene?
8. Prospero goes through many changes of mood in the scene. Using
bullet points, chart these different moods using a quotation to
support your point.
Write down these quotations, adding who said it and why:
1. “We are such stuff/As dreams are made on”
2. “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature/Nurture can never stick”
3. “What do you mean/To dote thus on such luggage? Let’t alone,/And
do the murder first”
The Tempest
Act 5: Summary Worksheet
Write out the summary, filling in the gaps:
Prompted by _____’s pleading, Prospero hastens to end the suffering
of his enemies and his old friend _____, deciding on mercy rather than
vengeance. Prospero prepares to renounce his magic and removes his
magic _____. The court is brought together and Prospero presents
himself.
Prospero thanks the faithful Gonzalo and confronts and forgives his
enemies, while demanding his dukedom back. Alonso asks for
forgiveness and resigns all claim to Milan. Antonio and ______ remain
silent. _____ regrets the loss of his son at which point Prospero
reveals Miranda and Ferdinand playing ______. Miranda is amazed at
the “goodly creatures” she sees, and Alonso blesses their union. The
_____ enters and announces that the ship is seaworthy.
Ariel fetches Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, dressed in the stolen
clothes, and the conspirators are reprimanded.
_____ admits
responsibility for Caliban, who expresses hope for wisdom and
forgiveness. Ariel’s final task before freedom is to provide a calm seapassage back to Naples for the court. _____ is left alone to ask for
the audience’s applause and prayers as the “stage-magic” witnessed
comes to an end.
Now answer the questions in FULL SENTENCES:
1. Each of the characters react differently to Prospero’s entrance. In
bullet points make a note how each character reacts, using a
quotation where appropriate, and say what this reveals about their
character.
2. Write down Miranda’s words at the sight of the courtiers (5:1 181184). Why are these famous words so ironic?
3. Prospero chooses mercy rather than vengeance. Find a quotation
which shows this and say what this reveals about his character.
4. Caliban seems repentant at the end of the play. Do you believe him?
Or is he being ironic or devious? Write down a few sentences
explaining how you think Caliban would be feeling at this point in the
play, making reference to other moments in the text where
appropriate. Is he telling the truth?
Write down these quotations, adding who said it and why:
1. “The rarer action is/In virtue than in vengeance”
2. “This thing of darkness/I Acknowledge mine”
3. “This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod”
4. “O brave new world,/That has such people in’t”
An Eventful Day…
The action of The Tempest takes place in one day. At the end of the
day much has changed. Imagine you are Prospero, Caliban, Ariel or
Miranda. Write a diary entry for the day in the voice of your chosen
character.
JAMESTOWN AND “THE TEMPEST”
A WHOLE NEW WORLD.
By the time Shakespeare wrote “The Tempest” in 1611, Londoners were accustomed to
stories of fantastic voyages abroad. More than a hundred years after Columbus first
landed in the Americas, colonisation and exploration of the unknown islands west of
England continued to be frequent topics of conversation as many travellers returned
with stories of the unknown. On June 2,1609, a fleet of travellers from the Virginia
Company left Plymouth and headed their way towards Jamestown, Virginia 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 Sir
George Somers and the future Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Gates), disappeared
and was presumed lost at sea. Amazingly, almost a full year later on May 23, 1610, two
pinnaces or light ships appeared at Jamestown carrying the crew and passengers of the
“Sea Adventure”. The ship has crashed on the island of Bermuda where the crew had
found that this notoriously dangerous island, often referred to as “The Isle of Devils”,
was actually delightful, with plenty of food and shelter as well as wood to build their new
sailing ships to complete the voyage to Jamestown. Their survival caused a sensation in
England and led to the publishing of several accounts of their adventures, including “A
Discovery of the Bermudas” by Sylvester Jourdai.n and “The True Repertory of the
Wrack and Redemption of Sir Thomas Gates” by William Strachey.
Shakespeare often used many different sources to help construct his plays. How
would these real life events inspire Shakespeare? How did Shakespeare alter the
story? Why would people have been attracted to this story?
THE TEMPEST WORDSEARCH
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P U U P R A
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H K A I U E
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P E E X T S
S W L T G L
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P I R I T S
1. MIRANDA
2. ALONSO
3. CALIBAN
4. PROSPERO
5. ARIEL
6. STEPHANO
7. FERDINAND
8. TRINCULA
9. SHIPWRECK
10. MAGIC
11. SYCORAX
12. MILAN
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M F U V Y
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B I W H X
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B E G O T
13. NAPLES
14. SEBASTIAN
15.LOVE
16 REVENGE
17. HARPY
18. UTOPIA
19. ISLAND
20. SLAVE
21. MASQUE
22. BETRAYAL
23. DUKE
24. MUSIC
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25. SPIRITS
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MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION IN
ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
Many of the superstitions that were common in this period still persist today.
When someone sneezes it is considered polite to “bless” the person who sneezed.
In Elizabethan England it was common knowledge that a sneeze gave the devil a
chance to get into your body, so a blessing would keep him away.
Magic was a part of everyday life. There were charms and potions against disease
or bad fortune, and to create love and good fortune. The early herbal medicines
and gentle witchcraft was accepted widely, even among Christians. More intense
witchcraft might be met with serious results, for the church still found it a heresy
that called for the death penalty.
Some superstitions of the Elizabethan Age:
On St. Agnes’ day, if you turned around three times and looked in a mirror
you would see your future husband.
 Stirring a pot counter-clockwise would spoil the contents.
 Wasting salt or breaking a mirror was bad luck.
 Pockets filled with flowers kept away the plague(“Ring –a ring-o roses”)
 Necklaces of garlic kept away vampires-if someone was suspected of being a
vampire they would be buried at the spot where two roads crossed with a
stake through their heart.
 People who committed suicide could not be buried in a churchyard.
A few of these superstitions still survive today. List some more superstitions that
you believe in.
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