Creative Response to The Tempest
In your World History and Spanish II courses, you’ve recently learned about
the power of the political cartoon. In English II, you’ve developed definitions
for key phrases about colonization like hegemony, marginalization, and
calibanesque. Now it’s time to combine the medium of the political cartoon
with your new vocabulary to illustrate the issues raised in The Tempest.
Your TASK:
Create a political cartoon (full-page cartoon or multiple-panel comic strip) that conveys a
thematic message about colonization, marginalization, or hegemony. Your cartoon should include specific
allusions to The Tempest without simply rehashing the plot of the play. Exemplary cartoons will incorporate
details, symbols, and motifs from history and/or the play to make a statement about a current or historical
global issue.
Variations:
1) Your political cartoon might use the characters and details described in The Tempest as
symbols in a cartoon about a different instance of hegemony or marginalization OR 2) your cartoon might use
new symbols to capture the issues raised in the play. Helpful Hint: Use labels to make your connections to The
Tempest clear to the audience. Another choice to make: Decide if you want to create one full-page illustration
or a comic strip featuring 4-6 panels. Note: The artwork must be your own – do not use google images for this
assignment.
Cartoon Rubric:
4
Advanced
3
Proficient
2
Developing
1
Emerging
Content
Devices
Execution of Idea
Cartoon represents a clear
perspective on a relevant
global issue; message is
clearly connected to the
ideas of hegemony or
marginalization; allusion to
The Tempest is clear; final
cartoon provokes thought or
challenges ideas
Final product relies on
multiple literary devices
(symbolism, motif, allusion,
detail, etc.) to create
meaning; writing reveals
sophistication through puns,
parody, satire; artwork
incorporates distortions,
exaggerations, irony, etc.
Graphic design is intentional
and reveals a great deal of
time/effort; captions, labels,
and title are exceptionally
neat and legible; artwork
may include use of color
and/or shading techniques
Cartoon represents a
perspective on a global
issue; message is related to
some aspect of colonization;
allusions to The Tempest may
be minimal or implied
Cartoon includes clear and
appropriate symbols to
convey meaning and may
incorporate some literary or
artistic devices, as well
Graphic design reveals
time/effort; captions, labels,
and title are legible; artwork
is detailed, neat, and wellplaced on the page
Cartoon conveys a limited
understanding of the issue;
message or perspective may
be simplistic or unclear;
message may be too literal or
merely reflective of the plot
Symbols may be overly
simplistic or weakly
represented; words added to
the cartoon are only
functional, and do not add a
layer of depth or meaning
Artwork is easily interpreted,
but may appear rushed or
messy; written labels may be
sparse or less easy to read
Cartoon conveys little or no
understanding of the issues
related to colonization;
perspective is unclear
Symbolism is not apparent;
cartoon contains few, if any,
literary or artistic devices;
cartoon may be simply a
scene from the play
Artwork is hastily done or
symbols are unidentifiable;
writing may be illegible or
non-existent