Lesson video

Welcome everybody to your next lesson with "Tempest," It's Mr. Dyke here, before we begin, I'd like you to make sure that you've got a pen ready another coloured pen that you could mark with make sure you got all your notes from last lesson and the lesson before.

So you've got all your notes around the plot and the important information you've got about "The Tempest" already.

That'd be really useful to have.

Once you've got all your things clear away any of the distractions.

When you're ready, just write down today's title, which is on the screen; The Theme of Power, Act one scene two, Prospero and Miranda.

Let's begin with our recap as usual then.

So we're going to be thinking back to last lesson where we read part of the opening scene, okay.

Where we know that there was a bit of a storm and they were on a ship.

And I'm not going to tell you any more than that because these three symbols are representative of the different things that happened in that particular scene.

So without your notes, I'd like you to remember as much as you can about act one, scene one, and write that down on your page.

Pause now, just spend two minutes doing that.

Okay, did you remember these key bits of information? So first thing you need to make sure that you've remembered a deadly storm and dangerous ship carrying Alonso and other nobles.

The next thing the Boatswain is taking control in order to steer them to safety.

So if you remember that he is taking control, despite not necessarily being the most powerful person on the ship in terms of status, but he's taking control.

He is frustrated and assertive towards the nobles as they are not following his instructions.

So he was having to really tell everybody to stay under the top deck.

He was questioning them and saying, you know, do you want to drown? And so he had to be really assertive with the King, and so the nobles, like Gonzalo and Stephano, and Antonio, and they didn't take very kindly to that but he had to demonstrate that power in order to take control of the ship.

Now we'll be picking up with Prospero and Miranda who are on the Island in which the ship has obviously ship wrecked and we'll learn a little bit about their history and their past and why they brought the ship to the Island.

So here is your summary As Prospero and Miranda watch the shipwreck from the safety of the Island, Prospero explains Miranda's history.

He reveals that he created the storm using his magic.

So remember, this is a father and daughter, and he's going to be talking about their past.

So before we begin, same as last time, you're going to just bullet points, summarise each of the different sections that we read, writing down important points, because it will really help you answer questions later, remember it.

And obviously making out of any key words that I might explain or any other the key concepts.

It's about being on the ball, and if you need to just pause the screen so that you can spend a moment or two writing anything down that you feel will take you a little while, okay.

So it's your responsibility to make sure that's being done as we go along.

Let's begin.

So Miranda is going to start by talking at length.

After having seen the shipwreck.

If by your art my dearest father, you have put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.

The sky it seems would pour down stinking pitch, but that the sea, mounting to the welkins cheek Dashes the fire out.

I have suffered with those that I saw suffer.

So she's actually witnessed the shipwreck and she's a bit worried about the people who will be suffering on the ship.

A brave vessel, who had no doubt, some noble creature in her dashed all to pieces.

The cry did knock against my very heart! Poor souls, they perished.

had I been any god of power, I would have sunk the sea within the earth or ere it should the good ship so have swallowed and the faughting souls within her.

So thinking about what we learned a little bit about Miranda there she wishes she assumes that these poor people have perished and died, which we know isn't true and Prospero will tell her that, but we assume, and we can take from this, that Miranda is actually quite a caring character.

She's very emotive and she's feeling very very sorry for these people that she's witnessed shipwreck on the Island.

Let's see what Prosperos says.

Be collected.

No more amazement, tell your piteous heart that there's no harm.

So Prospero is trying to reassure her that, tell your piteous heart, showing that the heart is showing pity, showing that it feels sorrow.

And he's telling her to be collected and not worry.

And Miranda replies by saying, Oh, woe, the day.

So she's still upset.

No harm.

I have done nothing but in care of thee, of thee my dear one thee my daughter, who art ignorant of what thou art naught knowing of whence I am, nor that I am more better than Prospero, master of a full poor cell and thy no greater father.

So Prospero is saying that he's done it in care of her.

He's done it for her, his daughter, which is a bit strange, isn't it? She probably wonders what he means by that.

So just pausing there, making a note, answering these questions.

How does Miranda feel about the shipwreck and those involved? and what has caused the shipwreck? So pause there answering a full sentence, resume once you are ready.

Okay, let's continue.

Miranda is going to start us off.

More to know did never meddle with my thoughts.

Prospero: Tis time I should inform thee father.

Lend thy hand and pluck my magic garment from me.

So Miranda is saying, you never really told me about my history.

Prospero is saying, it's time.

You have often begun to tell me what I am, but stopped and left me to a bootless inquisition, concluding, "Stay.

Not yet." The hour's now come, the very minute bids thee ope thine ear.

Obey and be attentive.

Canst thou remember a time before we came into the cell? I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not out three years old.

So Prospero is saying, it's now time, you know, you're old enough to learn about and where you've come from and how we came to be here.

And notice how he's saying to her obey and be attentive his being very commanding of her as her father.

Certainly, sir, I can.

And you'll notice that Miranda says so quite a lot.

She very much obeys her father's words and is very respectful towards him.

By what? By any other house or person? Of anything the image tell me that hath kept with thy remembrance.

Tis far off and rather like a dream than an assurance that my remembrance warrants.

Had I not four or five women that once tended me? So Miranda is saying, I don't have much memory of my upbringing, my very young childhood.

And it's a bit more like a dream.

It doesn't feel like a strong memory, 12 years since Miranda, 12 years since thy father was the Duke of Milan and a Prince of power.

Sir are you not my father? Thy mother was a piece of virtue that means goodness.

And she said, now thou wast my daughter.

And my father was Duke of Milan.

And thou his only heir and princess no worse issued.

Oh the heavens what foul play had we that we came from thence? Or blesse was't we did? So, Miranda is saying, well, if you were the Duke of Milan, then what's happened to us.

What made us come to this Island? And how come that changed? Prospero says both, both my girl.

By foul play as thou sayst, were we heaved thence.

But blessedly holp hither.

Okay.

So just pausing consolidate here.

What does Prospero want to tell Miranda? And what has he revealed to her already? Pause there, just answer those two questions in full sentences.

Let's continue.

Miranda is going to start us off.

Oh my heart bleeds to think o'th'teen that I've turned you to, which is from my remembrance, please, you father.

And Prospero is going to explain what happened.

My brother and thy uncle, called Antonio.

I pray thee mark me, that a brother should be so perfidious, he whom next to thyself.

Of all the world I loved and to him put the manager of my state, as at that time through all the signories, I was the first and Prospero the prime Duke being so reputed in dignity and for the liberal arts without a parallel.

So Prospero is saying there that he trusted his brother Antonio, Miranda's uncle To manage his state, which means that he gave that lot of political power and put him in charge of a lot of things because Prospero was reputed in dignity, had a lot of dignity, had a lot of respect and for the liberal arts that are parallel.

So prosper is saying that he was a well-read, intelligent, and man, okay.

He was like an academic.

So he put his brother in charge of them all political things The government I cast upon my brother and to my state grew stranger, being transported and rapt in secret studies.

Of officer and office, set all hearts in the state to what tune pleased his ear, that now he was the Ivy which had had my princely truck and sucked my verdure out on it.

Thou attend'st not.

So Prospero is saying that gradually the power he gave Antonio, the government he gave him created the secretive organisation where Antonio gradually hid things from Prospero.

And then the end that Prospero is saying to Miranda that she's not paying attention.

Oh, good sir, I do.

In my false brother, awaked an evil nurture.

And my trust like a good parent did beget of him a falsehood in its contrary as great as my trust was, which had indeed no limit, a confidence sans bound.

He being this lorded, not only with what my revenue yielded, but with what my power might else exact like one who having into truth, by telling of it made such a sinner of his memory to credit his own lie, he did believe he was indeed the duke out of the substitution.

So Prospero is basically saying that Antonio basically became more powerful and thought he was more powerful than he was and thought he was pretty much the Duke because of the responsibility Prospero gave him.

So Prospero allowed him to become more powerful.

Now the condition the King of Naples being an enemy to me inveterate hearkens my brother's suit, which was that he in lieu of the premises of homage.

And I know not how much to tribute should presently extirpate me and mine out of the dukedom and confer fair Milan with all the honours on my brother.

That's very complicated.

So essentially Alonso, the King of Naples.

So different person and has struck a deal with Antonio to get rid of Prospero.

Whereon, a treacherous army levied one midnight fated to the purpose did Antonio open the gates of Milan and in the dead of darkness, the ministers for the purpose hurried thence.

And Miranda says wherefore did they not that hour destroy us? So Miranda is saying well why did they send us away? Why didn't they just kill us? If they wanted rid of us? My tale provokes that question.

Dear, they durst not, so dear the love my people bore me no set of marks or bloody on the business, but with colours fairer painted their foul ends.

In few, they hurried aboard a bark, bore us some leagues to sea where they prepared a rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged nor tackle sail, nor mast.

The very ruts instinctively had quit it.

They had there they hoist to cry to the sea that roared, to us, to side to the winds whose pity sighing back again did us but loving wrong.

So Prospero is saying that they were given a boat and rather than just killed.

And they were just cast out at sea without any particular support or help, okay.

Without a sail, without the ability to fish for food, et cetera.

Okay, pausing here.

What did Prospero used to be? Who betrayed Prospero? And how were Prospero and Miranda spared helped? So pausing there just consolidating what we've read.

off you go.

Okay.

Now, here are some answers to the questions you've been gradually writing responses to.

So you're going to check the questions that we wrote as we went along.

So with three sets and add any detail that you may have missed.

So your first question was how does Miranda feel about the shipwreck and those involved? She felt deep sorrow for the incident.

So she really really revealed that she was a caring character and she felt sad for the people involved.

What caused the shipwreck? It was Prospero's magic.

He revealed that to her.

He brought into the Island.

What does he reveal to her? That her father was the duke of Milan Okay, your next four questions here.

So what does Prospero want to tell Miranda? He wants to tell her about their past and where they came from.

Prospero used to be the powerful Duke of Milan.

So not just her father but it was him.

It was Antonio, his brother who betrayed Prospero and gained power and then struck a deal remember that's the key thing that he struck a deal with the King of Naples, Alonso to cast Prospero away and get rid of him.

How were Prospero and Miranda spared? They were put onto a raft and abandoned at sea.

And the one thing we didn't mention there was that along with Prospero well, his books came with him, his magic and his knowledge came with him so that when he got to the Island he could become the powerful figure that he has become.

Okay, now we're going to just answer some questions where we are going to apply our knowledge and understanding in more detail.

So the three big questions here, and you're going to answer these in several sentences so you're more likely to write a paragraph for each So your first question is how is the theme of power presented through Prospero status on the Island? So you think about power again and Prospero's status.

Your second question how is the theme of power through parenthood presented in the scene? I mentioned something that you would notice about the way Prospero would speak to Miranda and how she would speak back.

And finally how was power abused in Milan? and why might this be significant in the play? So we're really thinking about our key theme of power still at this point, Pause now, I'd like you to spend 10 minutes answering those three questions in as much detail as you can.

Off you go.

Okay, let's start to mark our answers.

So here is that first question so change to your other coloured pen.

Now, yours won't read exactly like mine, but just make sure that you've written along the right lines, and also add anything you might have missed.

So how is the theme of power presented Prospero's status? It's about him being in charge on the Island.

Prospero, now the most powerful being on the Island through his ability to cast spells has the power to cause a shipwreck and bring those from Milan to the island, albeit safely.

So he's demonstrating powering in the opening scene cause he's the one who is instructed aerials sort of help with creating that storm, okay bringing those people from Milan, from the Naples to the Island.

Your next question was the theme of power through parenthood.

Prospero has been Miranda's sole guardian for 12 years on the Island.

He is holding the power of their past, about which he is only now deciding to tell her.

Furthermore, Miranda demonstrates that Prospero is her authority as she repeatedly calls him, sir.

So really making sure we've added some of those details in there about how Miranda speaks to Prospero.

You could even add in here, the way Prospero uses commands and he accuses her of not listening saying that she's not being attentive.

So he's very commanding towards her and he really instructs her, doesn't he? Behaving as the authority as the parent and how was power abused in Milan and why might this be significant? So in Milan power was lost by Prospero through his benevolence and kindness.

So that means his goodness, he gave his brother lots of responsibility 'cause he was kind and trusting.

Of which Antonio took advantage by abusing his position in the nobility.

So it's Antonio was the evil power here.

He utilised this new found power to banish Prospero and his daughter.

Now on the Island, Prospero is the most powerful being meaning he could decide whether to use this for good or evil as his vengeance.

So that's really important to the play because the purpose of the play or the purpose of the plot is for Prospero to exact his vengeance and whatever that will be he's deciding to do it.

So he's bringing them to the Island and now Prospero is the one in charge.

Okay.

So now is the point just to make sure your answers are all as detailed as they can be.

Do go back and watch anything that you need to rewatch in terms of the plot, for your notes.

And another thing you can do at the end of this lesson is to add to your notes about Prospero and Miranda.

What else do you learn about those two characters? Okay, thank you for your focus as always.

And I look forward to the next lesson.