Lesson video

Welcome everybody, it's Mr. Dyke here with another English lesson, based on the Tempest.

Before we begin, make sure you've got a black or blue pen ready.

Pen of a different colour, so you could mark and improve your work.

Clear away any distractions that you might have and gather any notes from your previous learning to help you in today's lesson.

When you've done, all of those things, write down the title lines on the screen, writing about the play as a whole, how is power presented? Let's begin with a brain dump run.

This is where you write down everything you know on a topic.

And I'd like you to write down everything you know about types of power.

So if you think about that word power and everything, all the different types of power, where it's demonstrated in the world and in your life and different ways people express and use power.

So pause to spend one or two minutes writing down everything you can think of, off you go.

What did you come up with? So here are five from me.

So I decided that we often see physical power.

So the idea of strength.

We've got ideological power.

So the power of ideas and beliefs and what people think.

We've got power from status.

That's the idea that some people have more power than others based on who they are and what background they have.

And where in the hierarchy they might be in different societal structures and cultures.

You've got powerful knowledge.

So the idea that knowledge can give yourself more power.

You've got supernatural powers as well, which is obviously something we've seen lots of different plays and novels and in literature.

So just jot down anything else that you might've missed.

Once you've done that, I'd like you to link this to The Tempest now.

So for each of these, can you think of some examples or an example, at least, from the Tempest of that power in action being used? So an example of physical power from The Tempest, an example of power from status in The Tempest.

Pause now just spend three minutes, write down as many examples as you can think of.

Okay, what did you get? So here's some examples from me.

So physical power, we don't see this used too much, but the knowledge that we have of Caliban attacking Miranda is an example of someone using that power in a physical manner, in a physical way.

You've got power from status.

So prosperous calibre, and the fact that Prospero takes over the island.

And Antonio and King Alonzo, so they abused that power when they banish Prospero and cut him free from Italy.

You've got powerful knowledge, so you've got the example of Prospero's books giving him magic.

You got Caliban's knowledge of the island is quite powerful for him.

And you've got his knowledge of Prospero's weaknesses.

So the fact that Caliban knows who Prospero is and what his weaknesses are means he can come up with a plan and a plot to try and dispossess him of that power.

And finally, you've got supernatural powers.

So, Prospero's magic, I guess you can class as supernatural.

And Ariel's spirit abilities is very much an example of the supernatural.

Something that's hard to explain.

So just write down anything you;'re missing there.

Okay.

Now we're going to create a few statements.

'Cause we're writing an answer to a question which is based on a big theme, how is power presented? And this is something you'll have to get used to as you move towards GCSE, where, when you're looking at literature text, you will be asked about big things in the play and you'll have to organise your thoughts around them.

So we're going to create some statements.

So I want you to imagine you're starting with this centred during the play power is.

What would you say about power in The Tempest? So you could say it's used for something.

You could say displayed through someone or something, or you could say it's portrayed as, so how does it come across when it's portrayed? So pause now and just come up with maybe a statement for each as a bit of a warm up task for the question.

So three minutes, pausing here, create some statements.

Okay, here are some examples from me.

So I've said that during the play power is used for good and bad, right and wrong.

So we see power being used for both sides of what's morally right and morally wrong.

I would say that it's displayed often through status and identity.

So you often see power through people like Prospero.

Whose got more status on the island, for example.

I've said that power is portrayed as something for which people crave and struggle.

Lots of different people in the play, want power in different ways, don't they? So you've got Prospero wants to get his power back, his dukedom back.

You've got Caliban who wants to have power and autonomy over his native island and land.

You've got Antonio who wants to try and murder the King and gain power that way.

You got Stephano who wants to gain power of the island too and Caliban worships him.

You've got all sorts of desire for power throughout the play.

Okay, so maybe just adding to your statements with some of my ideas, if you find them useful.

But, before we start to write about a question, we need to focus on an extract.

So often at GCSE, you'll be given an extract from the text and you'll be asked to write about that as well as the whole play.

So we're going to read an extract and think about how power is presented in that particular one first.

So the extract we're looking at is Act three, Scene two.

Caliban and Trinculo plot to steal Prospero's magic.

Okay, and Stephano will also be involved there too.

So let's read through this.

As we're reading, I want you to be making a note of what power is like and how it's presented in this scene.

So it'd be useful for it to not down quotations, which demonstrate some form of power.

So Caliban, "I say by sorcery, he got this isle.

"From me he got it.

"If they greatness will revenge it on him, "for I know thou darest, "But this thing dare not." Stephano, "that's most certain.

"Thou shalt be lord of it and I will serve thee.

"How now shall this be compassed? "Canst thou bring me to the party? "Why, as I told thee there's a custom with him, "in the afternoon to sleep.

"There thou mayst brain him, having first seized his books "or with a log batter his scull or paunch him with a stake, "or cut his weasand with thy knife.

"Remember first to possess his books, for without them, "he's but a sot, as I am, "nor hath not one spirit to command.

"They all do hate him." Okay, pausing there.

How is power presented in the extract? So I want you to make a note of key ideas.

So what did we learn about power in there? And I want you to jot down any quick key quotations that you've noticed, and if you need to go back and reread, that is absolutely fine.

Pausing there.

Okay, so here's a few possible ideas.

So I think in this extract, we see the power of knowledge.

Caliban is using his knowledge of the island as well as Prospero in order to plot revenge.

So we see a little bit of a evil power there, a little bit of knowledgeable power being used for bad.

I think power is used for evil purposes.

So it's been used in a negative way in this scene.

Power is something that is desired.

So a lot of this is about Caliban's goal to be in charge of the island himself.

So pause an add any of those to your notes now.

Okay.

What I'd like you to think about is these three questions.

So we've looked at an extract, now think about the player as a whole.

Where else in the play is power seen as something which can be used for evil or bad intentions? Let's try and make that link elsewhere.

Where in the player's power use through knowledge? Can we make that link elsewhere? Where are the play is power something that is desired? Can we make that link elsewhere? Pause now, have a go at answering those questions.

How did you do it with some of my examples? So in terms of bad intentions, I thought about Antonio betraying Prospero, Prospero creating the tempest, he's a little bit evil, Prospero entraps all the characters on the island and torments them.

Evil or bad intentions is kind of throughout, isn't it.

And those are some examples there.

Power through knowledge, I've put Prospero and his books and magic is a good example of that, a link you can make.

And the power is something that's desired.

You've got Prospero demanding revenge and vengeance and his own power back when he's taken away, Caliban cursing and his bitterness over Prospero and Ariel's desire for freedom is another example of power is wanted by Ariel by the power of liberty.

So, pause there and make a note of key ideas and any key quotations from your previous notes.

So I want you to have two or three links to the rest of the play.

Now's the time to plan that you go.

Okay.

So time to check your essay plan.

What we really want is that you have some comments you can make about power from the extract.

Have you got those? I want some key quotations for you to have written down from the extract as well.

So have you written down some key quotes from the extract? I want you to note two to three other ways in which power is presented elsewhere in the play.

Have you got those different examples, which link into the extract? And have you noticed down key quotations to those other scenes and other parts to the play? Pause here, time to complete your plan and just be ready to write when you resume.

So using all of your notes, all of your planning.

It's okay if this takes you five to 10 minutes or even longer, just make sure you've got a really excellent plan because planning is key.

Okay, now, because we've been doing lots of practise of analysis throughout our unit.

I'm not going to give you an example at this stage, and I'm not even going to give you an example to mark at the end, because this is a really long essay.

And what I want you to make sure you've got, is there really a good effort down on the page and the important things that you're practising and having a go at putting all the different things into practise that you've learned.

So I'll talk you through the framework, but this is what I want you to really practise with.

Okay? So obviously you're going to write at least one paragraph on the extract and then two to three of the paragraphs based on all the parts of the play, which link in.

And each of your paragraphs is going to be structured in this way.

Start with a statement.

So you might say in the extract, we see power portrayed as, or used for, or displayed through.

So clear statements linked to how power is presented.

You're going to need quotations.

You're going to need to explore the evidence.

So this suggests, this implies, this emphasises, this highlights, whichever one you wish, whichever one makes sense the most.

Then you go to explore the language.

This is why he zoom.

So it's where you look at word class, you look at phrases, you look at techniques.

What do they connote? What do they highlight? What they reinforce? That's where lots of detail will be in your paragraph.

You might do that more than once.

Then you're going to link back to the theme of power, or you might link to the context of the play, or you might link it to Shakespeare's intentions at the end of your paragraph.

So you might say, this demonstrates the theme of power as, or you might say here, Shakespeare is perhaps exploring power as this.

What Shakespeare is saying about power or Shakespeare is suggesting that power can be evil or power can be something which makes people greedy.

So what comments do you want to make about the nature of power Shakespeare's communicating? Okay, so pause here.

Have a little go at least one paragraph now.

With this structure, this framework and show me your best.

Okay.

Hopefully you had a good go at one paragraph.

This is a reminder of what you need.

So I want you to complete the rest of your essay.

So you should have analysed the extract in some detail now, okay.

Now you'll notice here that I'm asking you as well to link to other areas of the play.

So I want two to three or the paragraphs where you link the idea of power and how it's presented in the extract to power elsewhere in the play.

Pause now, and off you go.

This could take you an hour, this might take you 45 minutes.

Spend lots of time working hard on it.

Off you go.

Well done, that was a really challenging task.

And I really thank you for your focus as always in our lesson today.