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Year 7

Exploring the power dynamics between Prospero and Ariel in 'The Tempest'

I can analyse the power dynamics between Prospero and Ariel in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’.

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Year 7

Exploring the power dynamics between Prospero and Ariel in 'The Tempest'

I can analyse the power dynamics between Prospero and Ariel in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Ariel’s language shows both deference and frustration towards Prospero.
  2. Ariel is forced to be obedient to Prospero because of his threats to return Ariel to the tree.
  3. Prospero having more lines than Ariel suggests that his voice is considered more important.

Keywords

  • Toil - To toil means to work extremely hard.

  • Service - Service is the action of helping or doing work for someone.

  • Noble - Being noble means to be of high status or to have high moral qualities.

  • Malignant - Something malignant is something that is evil.

  • Staging - The act, process or manner of performing a play or show is known as staging.

Common misconception

That an analysis of a play only consists of the word the characters say.

The amount of lines a character has as well as stage directions are also important aspects of analysing a play.


To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: Exploring the power dynamics between Prospero and Ariel in 'The Tempest', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could have the students act out the scene and ask them to consider their tone and body language and what kind of relationship it suggests between Ariel and Prospero.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You may want a copy of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' for this lesson.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A resolution is the...
creation of a problem.
Correct answer: answer to a problem.
statement of a problem.
Q2.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Ariel creates a storm. What does this tell us about Ariel?
Correct answer: Ariel has magical powers.
Ariel has super speed.
Correct answer: Ariel is a powerful being.
Ariel is a powerless being.
Q3.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Ariel greets Prospero enthusiastically but Prospero doesn't return the greeting - what does this suggest about their relationship?
They are friends.
They are enemies.
Correct answer: Their relationship is unequal.
Q4.
Is this sentence grammatically correct? "Ariel; a magical being, carries out tasks for Prospero."
Yes - the punctuation is in the correct place.
Correct answer: No - the semi-colon is incorrect.
No -the comma is incorrect.
Q5.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Ariel asks Prospero if he loves them - what does this suggest?
Ariel is indifferent to Prospero.
Correct answer: Ariel wants Prospero's approval.
Ariel dislikes Prospero.
Ariel is jealous of Prospero.
Q6.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero calls Ariel a "chick" - what are the connotations of that?
Correct answer: Prospero feels Ariel is young and innocent.
Prospero dislikes Ariel.
Prospero feels Ariel is angry and jealous.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
If you serve someone, what might that suggest?
You tell someone what to do.
Correct answer: You work for someone.
You have a good relationship with the person.
You have a bad relationship with the person.
Q2.
In some stage performances of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero is shown as standing over Ariel. What might this suggest?
That Ariel is more powerful than Prospero.
Correct answer: That Prospero is more powerful than Ariel.
That the two are equal.
Q3.
What does malignant mean?
Something heavenly.
Something god-like.
Correct answer: Something evil.
Something jealous.
Q4.
In a play, if someone has the majority of lines in a scene then what might it suggest?
That they are less powerful.
That their voice doesn't matter.
That they have a loud voice.
Correct answer: That their voice is more powerful.
Q5.
What does to toil mean?
To not work.
To begrudgingly work.
To work hard.
Correct answer: To work extremely hard.
Q6.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero calls Ariel a "thing". What does this suggest?
That Prospero thinks fondly of Ariel.
Correct answer: That Prospero is dehumanising Ariel.
That Prospero is being respectful to Ariel.