New
New
Year 7

Understanding the plot of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'

I can understand the conventions of a comedy play and describe the plot of ‘The Tempest’.

New
New
Year 7

Understanding the plot of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'

I can understand the conventions of a comedy play and describe the plot of ‘The Tempest’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Shakespeare's company was supported by King James I which meant Shakespeare would likely want to appeal to the King.
  2. 'The Tempest' is a comedy which means it has a happy ending.
  3. Prospero is served by a spirit, Ariel, and a creature, Caliban.
  4. Prospero uses his magic to manipulate and control others.
  5. Prospero eventually forgives the traitors and frees Ariel and the play ends with a celebration.

Keywords

  • Patronage - Patronage is the support, encouragement, or financial aid that an organisation or individual gives to another.

  • Usurp - If you usurp something then you have taken a position of power illegally or by force.

  • Spirit - A spirit is a supernatural being.

  • Freedom - Being free is having the power or right to act, speak or think as you want.

  • Revenge - Revenge is the act of harming someone in return for an injury or injustice that they have inflicted on you.

Common misconception

The defining feature of a comedy play is that they are funny.

While Shakespeare's comedies do employ humour, the defining feature is that everything is resolved at the end of the play.

Rather than a storyboard, you could instead put the students in small groups and have them create a freeze-frame of one moment in the play.
Teacher tip

Equipment

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

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a 'tempest'?
A calm sea.
Correct answer: A storm.
Rain.
Ripples in a pond.
Q2.
"The grit scraped over his hand" - which sense does this description appeal to?
Correct answer: Touch
Smell
See
Hear
Q3.
What does 'simulate' mean?
To value something.
Correct answer: To imitate something.
To dislike something.
Q4.
What is an adverb?
A word to describe an action.
A word that names an attribute of a noun.
Correct answer: A word that describes a verb.
A word to identify a place.
Q5.
Is this sentence grammatically correct? 'Prospero, is a magician.'
Correct Answer: no, No
Q6.
Which of these sentences is grammatically correct?
Correct answer: Prospero, a magician, controls Caliban through fear.
Prospero a magician controls, Caliban through fear.
Prospero, a magician controls Caliban through fear.

6 Questions

Q1.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Ariel is a...
unicorn.
mermaid.
Correct answer: spirit.
human.
Q2.
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Ariel is controlled by...
Caliban.
Correct answer: Prospero.
Miranda.
Ferdinand.
Q3.
Why did Prospero want revenge on his brother, Antonio, in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'?
Correct answer: His brother overthrew him.
His brother stole his wife.
His brother took away his magic.
Q4.
From 1603, Shakespeare's theatre company was financed and supported by...
Queen Elizabeth I.
Correct answer: King James I.
Queen Elizabeh II.
Q5.
At the end of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero his brother.
takes revenge upon
still hates
Correct answer: forgives
Q6.
Throughout 'The Tempest', Prospero uses his magic to...
help others.
Correct answer: control others.
fix problems.

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