PROSPERO
“Now does my project gather to a head.”
→ Now my plan is reaching its climax.
- 🔍 Analysis: Prospero has been orchestrating events using magic. Everything is coming together now.
- ✨ Language device: Metaphor – “gather to a head” compares the climax of events to something swelling or peaking.
- 🎭 Theme: Power and control, culmination of revenge, resolution.
“My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time
Goes upright with his carriage.”
→ My magic is still strong, my spirits are following orders, and everything is going smoothly and on time.
- 🔍 Prospero is confident in his magical control and how time is helping him.
- ⏳ Theme: The supernatural; control of time and fate.
“How’s the day?”
→ What time is it now?
- Simple question showing he’s waiting for the right moment.
ARIEL
“On the sixth hour, at which time, my lord,
You said our work should cease.”
→ It’s six o’clock, the time you said our work would end.
- ⏰ Ariel reminds Prospero that they’re almost done with their tasks.
- 🔄 Theme: Fulfillment of promises; endings.
PROSPERO
“I did say so
When first I raised the tempest.”
→ Yes, I said that when I first created the storm.
- 🔁 Prospero reflects on how everything began with the storm.
- 🌊 Theme: Justice; reckoning.
“Say, my spirit,
How fares the King and ’s followers?”
→ Tell me, Ariel, how is the king and the others doing?
- Prospero asks about his enemies, showing he’s still in control.
ARIEL
“Confined together
In the same fashion as you gave in charge,
Just as you left them;”
→ They are all still trapped, just like you ordered, in the same state you left them in.
- 🧠 Ariel has followed orders precisely.
- 🎭 Theme: Obedience; control through magic.
“all prisoners, sir,
In the line grove which weather-fends your cell.”
→ They’re all prisoners in the nearby grove that protects your cell from the weather.
- 🌳 Nature is part of the setting – reinforcing isolation and control.
- 🌀 Theme: Imprisonment, both physical and mental.
“They cannot budge till your release.”
→ They can’t move until you release them.
- 🔒 Emphasizes Prospero’s complete control over others.
- 👥 Theme: Authority and mercy.
“The King,
His brother, and yours abide all three distracted,”
→ The King, his brother (Sebastian), and your brother (Antonio) are all mentally disturbed.
- 🧩 “Distracted” means confused, remorseful, maybe even mad.
- 🤯 Language: Metaphor for guilt and consequence.
- ⚖️ Theme: Guilt and repentance.
“And the remainder mourning over them,
Brimful of sorrow and dismay;”
→ The others are grieving and full of sadness because of them.
- 😔 Emotions are high among the court members.
- 🌧️ Theme: Emotional consequences of wrongdoing.
“but chiefly
Him that you termed, sir, the good old Lord
Gonzalo.”
→ But especially Gonzalo, the old man you called good.
- ❤️ Gonzalo is shown as kind and loyal, standing out from the rest.
- 🙏 Theme: Kindness and integrity.
“His tears runs down his beard like winter’s drops
From eaves of reeds.”
→ His tears fall down his beard like cold drops dripping from a roof made of reeds in winter.
- 🌧️ Language device: Simile – compares tears to winter raindrops.
- ❄️ Reflects sorrow, age, fragility.
- 🕊️ Theme: Innocence, loyalty, deep emotion.
“Your charm so strongly works ’em—”
→ Your magic has affected them very deeply—
- 🌀 Even the innocent feel the intensity of the magic.
- 🧙 Theme: The power of magic and manipulation.
ARIEL
“That if you now beheld them, your affections / Would become tender.”
→ If you looked at them now, you’d feel sorry for them.
- 🧚 Ariel is suggesting that even though Prospero was angry, he would feel compassion if he saw how broken and sad his enemies are.
- 🧠 Theme: Empathy, transformation through emotion.
PROSPERO
“Dost thou think so, spirit?”
→ Do you really think that, Ariel?
- Prospero is genuinely curious and beginning to consider forgiveness.
ARIEL
“Mine would, sir, were I human.”
→ Yes, if I were human, I’d definitely feel pity for them.
- 🌟 Powerful line: Even Ariel, a spirit without a human body or emotions, understands human suffering and would feel compassion.
- 💖 Theme: Humanity, emotional maturity.
PROSPERO
“And mine shall.”
→ Then I will feel compassion too.
- 🌈 Turning point: Prospero decides to forgive.
- ⚖️ Theme: Justice with mercy.
“Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling / Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,”
→ If you, made only of air, feel their suffering—shouldn’t I, a human, feel it even more?
- ⛅ Prospero is comparing Ariel’s compassion to his own human obligation.
- 💡 Literary device: Contrast – spirit vs. human, revenge vs. mercy.
“One of their kind, that relish all as sharply / Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?”
→ I’m one of them—I feel emotion and pain like they do. Shouldn’t I be more compassionate than a spirit like you?
- 🤝 Prospero acknowledges shared humanity.
- 🌱 Theme: Growth and forgiveness.
“Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick,”
→ Even though their betrayal hurt me deeply,
- 💔 “Struck to the quick” = emotionally wounded to the core.
- ⚔️ Theme: Betrayal, pain, forgiveness.
“Yet with my nobler reason ’gainst my fury / Do I take part.”
→ I will use my better judgment to fight against my anger.
- 🧠 Theme: Reason vs. emotion.
- 🗣️ Language: Antithesis – “nobler reason” vs. “fury.”
“The rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance.”
→ It’s more rare and valuable to forgive than to take revenge.
- 🌟 Central moral of the play.
- 🕊️ Theme: Forgiveness is noble and powerful.
“They being penitent, / The sole drift of my purpose doth extend / Not a frown further.”
→ Now that they are sorry, I have no intention to punish them more.
- 🌤️ Prospero chooses mercy.
- 💫 Theme: Redemption; transformation through guilt and regret.
“Go, release them, Ariel. / My charms I’ll break, their senses I’ll restore, / And they shall be themselves.”
→ Go and set them free, Ariel. I’ll break the spell and return their minds to normal.
- 🔓 The magical control ends here.
- 🎭 Theme: Letting go; freedom.
ARIEL
“I’ll fetch them, sir.”
→ I’ll go get them, sir.
- Ariel obeys one last time before being granted freedom.
[Prospero draws a large circle with his staff.]
- 🌀 The circle symbolizes a magical boundary—often used for ritual or closure.
- 🔄 Could symbolize the completion of his journey and magic.
PROSPERO
“You elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and groves…”
→ Spirits of nature—those who live in hills, streams, lakes, and forests…
- 🌳 Prospero begins a magical farewell speech, calling out to the spirits he used to command.
“And you that on the sands with printless foot / Do chase the ebbing Neptune…”
→ You who run on the beach leaving no footprints, chasing the waves as they go out…
- 🌊 Beautiful imagery of sea spirits.
- 👣 “Printless foot” = ethereal, ghostlike beings.
“…and do fly him / When he comes back;”
→ And run away when the waves return.
- 🌊 A playful image of nature’s rhythm.
“You demi-puppets that / By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make…”
→ You magical creatures who make rings in the grass at night under the moonlight…
- 🌙 Refers to fairy rings, a symbol of enchantment or mischief.
- 🌱 “Sour ringlets” = grass circles that livestock avoid.
“Whereof the ewe not bites…”
→ …which sheep won’t graze on.
- Suggests those rings are unnatural—full of magic.
“And you whose pastime / Is to make midnight mushrumps…”
→ And you who create mushrooms at midnight for fun…
- 🍄 “Mushrumps” = mushrooms, associated with fairies and magical creatures.
- 🎨 Rich nature imagery.
“That rejoice / To hear the solemn curfew…”
→ You who love hearing the distant church bells at night…
- 🔔 Combines the magical world with the real one.
- 🕯️ Theme: Magic fading; transition to reality.
“By whose aid, / Weak masters though you be…”
→ Though you are minor spirits, with your help…
- Prospero credits the spirits for his power, even if they are not strong themselves.
“I have bedimmed / The noontide sun, called forth the mutinous winds…”
→ I made the sun go dark and stirred up wild, rebellious winds…
- 🌫️ Highlights the full extent of Prospero’s magical power.
- 🌪️ Language device: Hyperbole – shows his supernatural strength.
“And ’twixt the green sea and the azured vault…”
→ And between the green sea and the blue sky…
- 🌊 “Green sea” + “azured vault” (sky) = grand natural imagery.
- 🎭 He’s placing himself between heaven and earth—godlike.
“Set roaring war; to the dread rattling thunder / Have I given fire,”
➡ I’ve created violent storms and given energy to terrifying thunder.
- ⚡ Prospero has caused chaos with his magical powers, symbolizing his past use of power for revenge and control.
- 🔊 Language device: Alliteration (“roaring war,” “rattling thunder”) adds dramatic intensity.
- 🌀 Theme: Power and control.
“and rifted Jove’s stout oak / With his own bolt;”
➡ I’ve split Jupiter’s strong oak tree using his own lightning bolt.
- 💥 He’s saying he’s so powerful, he used the god’s own tools.
- ⚡ Mythological reference: Jove (Jupiter) is the Roman king of gods, associated with thunder.
- 🌳 Symbol: Oak = strength; splitting it shows Prospero’s dominance over nature.
“The strong-based promontory / Have I made shake,”
➡ I’ve made tall cliffs and headlands tremble.
- 🌍 Shows the extent of his control over the earth itself.
- 🔨 Theme: Man’s power vs. nature.
“and by the spurs plucked up / The pine and cedar;”
➡ I’ve pulled up pine and cedar trees by their roots.
- 🌲 Pulling trees up = magical destruction.
- 🔥 Tone: Destructive, demonstrating power used not just for defense, but intimidation.
“Graves at my command / Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let ’em forth”
➡ I’ve opened graves and raised the dead with my magic.
- 🧟 Imagery of resurrection shows how far his magic reaches—even over life and death.
- 🕳️ Language device: Personification – graves “wake” and “let them forth.”
“By my so potent art.”
➡ All of this was possible because of my powerful magic.
- 🪄 “Potent art” = his magical abilities, once a source of pride.
“But this rough magic / I here abjure,”
➡ But now, I give up this harsh magic.
- 🚫 Turning point: Prospero renounces magic as part of his emotional growth.
- 💭 Theme: Letting go of vengeance, reclaiming humanity.
“and when I have required / Some heavenly music, which even now I do,”
➡ When I summon beautiful, divine music—which I’m doing right now—
- 🎶 Music here acts as a bridge between magic and reality, soothing the mind.
- 🕊️ Symbol: Music = harmony, healing, resolution.
Prospero gestures with his staff.
- 🪄 He’s about to give up magic by symbolically breaking his staff.
“To work mine end upon their senses that / This airy charm is for,”
➡ To finish the enchantment I’ve cast on their minds.
- 🌬️ “Airy charm” = the magical spell still clouding their thoughts.
“I’ll break my staff, / Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,”
➡ I’ll break my magic staff and bury it deep in the ground.
- ⚰️ Letting go of magic forever. Symbol of abandoning supernatural control.
- 🌍 Language device: Imagery – physically placing magic into the earth suggests finality.
“And deeper than did ever plummet sound / I’ll drown my book.”
➡ I’ll sink my magic book deeper than any anchor has ever reached.
- 📚 Book = source of magical knowledge.
- 🌊 Drowning it shows he’s removing temptation forever.
- 📖 Allusion: Likely refers to magic books of occult learning (like those of real-life magicians such as John Dee).
- 💡 Theme: Transformation, renunciation of power, freedom.
🎭 Arrival of the Others (Alonso, Gonzalo, Sebastian, Antonio)
“Here enters Ariel before…”
- 👣 Ariel leads them in—symbolic of freedom near.
- The others are still under a light spell—dazed, not fully conscious.
“They all enter the circle which Prospero had made, and there stand charmed;”
- 🌀 They stand inside the magic circle, unaware of what’s happening.
- ⭕ Symbol: The circle = power, protection, ritual boundary.
🗣️ Prospero’s Speech as They Stand Entranced
“A solemn air, and the best comforter / To an unsettled fancy, cure thy brains,”
➡ This serious music—the best healer for disturbed minds—may it calm your thoughts.
- 🎵 He wants the music to restore their sanity and bring clarity.
- 🧠 “Unsettled fancy” = confused or mad thoughts.
- 💡 Theme: Healing through art.
“Now useless, boiled within thy skull.”
➡ Your minds have been overheated, like something boiling inside your heads.
- 🔥 Strong metaphor for madness or mental turmoil caused by guilt or magic.
- 💭 Language device: Vivid metaphor of brains “boiling.”
“There stand, / For you are spell-stopped.”
➡ Stay there—you are still under my spell.
- 🪄 They can’t move or respond, but Prospero is preparing to free them.
“Holy Gonzalo, honorable man,”
➡ Dear Gonzalo, a good and honest man—
- ❤️ He begins with praise for Gonzalo, whom he deeply respects.
“Mine eyes, e’en sociable to the show of thine, / Fall fellowly drops.”
➡ My eyes, moved by the sight of your tears, begin to cry as well.
- 😢 He’s crying with Gonzalo. Shared emotion = human connection.
- 🕊️ Theme: Compassion, friendship.
“The charm dissolves apace,”
➡ The spell is fading quickly now.
- 🌅 This moment mirrors the breaking of magical power and emotional healing.
“And as the morning steals upon the night, / Melting the darkness,”
➡ Like how morning gradually replaces night and melts away the dark…
- 🌄 Beautiful simile showing enlightenment after confusion.
“so their rising senses / Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle / Their clearer reason.”
➡ Their minds are waking up and clearing away the fog of confusion.
- ☁️ “Ignorant fumes” = magical confusion.
- 🧠 “Clearer reason” = regained awareness and understanding.
- ✨ Theme: Restoration, clarity, truth.
“O good Gonzalo, / My true preserver and a loyal sir / To him thou follow’st,”
➡ Dear Gonzalo, you saved my life and stayed loyal to your king.
- 🛡️ Gonzalo helped Prospero escape death twelve years ago.
- 🤝 Acknowledging true friendship and loyalty.
“I will pay thy graces / Home, both in word and deed.”
➡ I will repay you fully, with both words and actions.
- 🧾 Promising to thank him not just with praise, but with real rewards.
- 💡 Theme: Gratitude, justice, restoration of order.
“Most cruelly / Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter.”
Explanation:
Prospero directly accuses King Alonso of treating him and his daughter Miranda very harshly—this refers to their betrayal and exile.
Devices:
- Direct address – confronts Alonso.
- Diction (“Most cruelly”) – emotionally charged, setting a tone of past hurt.
Themes:
- Betrayal
- Justice
“Thy brother was a furtherer in the act.—”
Explanation:
Prospero blames Antonio (his brother) for helping in the betrayal.
Theme:
- Familial betrayal
“Thou art pinched for ’t now, Sebastian.—Flesh and blood,”
Explanation:
Sebastian, Alonso’s brother, is also guilty—he attempted to kill Alonso earlier. “Pinched” means punished. “Flesh and blood” implies close ties, yet deep disappointment.
Devices:
- Metaphor (“pinched”) – shows inner guilt
- Juxtaposition – familial closeness vs. betrayal
Theme:
- Guilt and remorse
- Unnatural family behavior
“You, brother mine, that entertained ambition, / Expelled remorse and nature…”
Explanation:
Prospero accuses Antonio of letting ambition blind him, rejecting guilt (“remorse”) and familial love (“nature”).
Device:
- Personification – remorse and nature as things that can be “expelled”
Themes:
- Ambition
- Loss of humanity
“Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,”
Explanation:
Antonio’s guilt is internal and painful—emotional torment.
Device:
- Imagery – “pinches” creates a visual and physical sense of pain
“Would here have killed your king, I do forgive thee, / Unnatural though thou art.”
Explanation:
Prospero says he forgives Antonio, despite how unnatural (immoral) his betrayal was—even attempting regicide with Sebastian.
Device:
- Oxymoron – forgiving someone while calling them “unnatural”
Themes:
- Forgiveness
- Moral corruption
“Their understanding / Begins to swell…”
Explanation:
The spell is lifting, and the men are regaining their senses and reason.
Device:
- Metaphor – understanding “swelling” like a tide rising.
Themes:
- Enlightenment
- Transformation
“And the approaching tide / Will shortly fill the reasonable shore / That now lies foul and muddy.”
Explanation:
Their minds are like a shore—currently clouded and dirty with confusion. Soon, reason will return like the tide cleaning it.
Devices:
- Extended metaphor – comparing reason to a rising tide
- Imagery – “foul and muddy” evokes confusion and guilt
“Not one of them / That yet looks on me or would know me.”
Explanation:
None of them recognize Prospero yet because of the magic spell.
“Ariel, / Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell.”
Explanation:
Prospero asks Ariel to get his ducal clothes and sword, signifying he’s reclaiming his identity as the rightful Duke.
Theme:
- Restoration of order
“I will discase me and myself present / As I was sometime Milan.”
Explanation:
He’ll remove his magician’s robe and appear again as Duke of Milan.
Device:
- Symbolism – clothes as a symbol of power and identity
Ariel sings the song: “Where the bee sucks…”
Explanation:
This is a joyful song symbolizing Ariel’s freedom. He sings about living freely in nature, flying on a bat’s back.
Device:
- Imagery – soft, dreamlike scenes from nature
- Alliteration – “suck,” “summer,” “sings,” creating musicality
Theme:
- Freedom
“Why, that’s my dainty Ariel. I shall miss / Thee, but yet thou shalt have freedom.”
Explanation:
Prospero praises Ariel, expressing affection. He acknowledges it’s time to let him go.
Themes:
- Letting go
- Freedom vs. service
“To the King’s ship…bring the mariners here.”
Explanation:
He instructs Ariel to bring the ship’s crew, preparing to reunite everyone and end the play’s conflict.
Ariel: “I drink the air before me…”
Explanation:
This poetic line shows Ariel’s speed—he moves faster than breath.
Device:
- Hyperbole – emphasizes Ariel’s supernatural swiftness
Gonzalo: “All torment, trouble, wonder, and amazement / Inhabits here…”
Explanation:
Gonzalo reflects on the overwhelming, magical experiences they’ve gone through.
Device:
- Alliteration – “torment, trouble”
- Personification – emotions “inhabit” the island
Prospero, to Alonso: “Behold, sir king, / The wrongèd Duke of Milan…”
Explanation:
He formally announces himself to Alonso and reclaims his title.
Theme:
- Justice restored
“I embrace thy body…welcome.”
Explanation:
Despite the past, Prospero embraces Alonso, signaling forgiveness and reconciliation.
Alonso: “I not know. Thy pulse / Beats as of flesh and blood…”
Explanation:
Alonso is shocked but acknowledges that Prospero is real and alive. The madness he felt is now lifting.
“Thy dukedom I resign…”
Explanation:
Alonso repents and returns Prospero’s rightful place as Duke of Milan.
Prospero, to Gonzalo: “Let me embrace thine age…”
Explanation:
He honors Gonzalo for his loyalty and kindness, as Gonzalo helped him when he was cast out.
Theme:
- Loyalty
- Gratitude
Gonzalo: “Whether this be / Or be not, I’ll not swear.”
Explanation:
Gonzalo is still in awe—he can’t believe what he’s seeing but trusts it.
Prospero: “You do yet taste / Some subtleties o’ th’ isle…”
Explanation:
The island’s magic still lingers and affects perception, which is why the truth still seems hard to believe.
“But you, my brace of lords…” (to Sebastian and Antonio)
Explanation:
Prospero turns to confront Sebastian and Antonio. “Brace” means pair—he may be hinting at punishment or letting them reflect on their guilt.
🔸“I here could pluck his Highness’ frown upon you / And justify you traitors. At this time / I will tell no tales.”
- Meaning: Prospero says, “I could make the King angry with you and prove that you’re traitors, but I won’t reveal anything right now.”
- Analysis: He’s holding back from exposing Antonio and Sebastian’s betrayal.
- Device: Foreshadowing – hinting that more revelations are coming.
- Theme: Forgiveness vs. Revenge, Justice
🔸SEBASTIAN, aside “The devil speaks in him.”
- Meaning: Sebastian whispers to himself that Prospero is like the devil, speaking evil.
- Analysis: Shows Sebastian’s guilt and his refusal to take responsibility.
- Device: Aside – spoken so only the audience hears.
- Theme: Corruption, Conscience
🔸PROSPERO, aside to Sebastian “No.”
- Meaning: Prospero quietly tells Sebastian “No,” possibly responding to his aside.
- Analysis: Shows Prospero’s magical or intuitive power—he can read thoughts or intentions.
🔸“To Antonio. For you, most wicked sir, whom to / call brother / Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive / Thy rankest fault, all of them…”
- Meaning: He tells Antonio that calling him “brother” would make him feel dirty, but he still forgives him.
- Analysis: Prospero is showing moral superiority through forgiveness.
- Device: Alliteration (“wicked sir”), Hyperbole (“infect my mouth”) shows his disgust.
- Theme: Redemption, Mercy, Family betrayal
🔸“…and require / My dukedom of thee, which perforce I know / Thou must restore.”
- Meaning: Prospero demands his rightful title (Duke of Milan) back, which he knows Antonio has no choice but to give.
- Theme: Restoration of Order, Power
🔸ALONSO: “If thou be’st Prospero, / Give us particulars of thy preservation…”
- Meaning: Alonso says, “If you’re really Prospero, tell us how you survived and ended up here.”
- Theme: Discovery, Identity
🔸“…How thou hast met us here, whom three hours since / Were wracked upon this shore…”
- Meaning: Alonso still can’t believe the shipwreck and asks how they met again so soon.
- Theme: Fate, Coincidence
🔸“…where I have lost— / How sharp the point of this remembrance is!— / My dear son Ferdinand.”
- Meaning: Alonso expresses pain while remembering the supposed death of his son.
- Device: Imagery – “sharp the point” compares memory to a physical wound.
- Theme: Grief, Loss
🔸PROSPERO: “I am woe for ’t, sir.”
- Meaning: Prospero says he is sorry for Alonso’s pain.
- Theme: Empathy
🔸ALONSO: “Irreparable is the loss, and patience / Says it is past her cure.”
- Meaning: Alonso says nothing can fix this loss, and even patience cannot heal it.
- Device: Personification – patience is given a voice.
- Theme: Despair, Suffering
🔸PROSPERO: “I rather think / You have not sought her help…”
- Meaning: Prospero gently says that Alonso hasn’t really tried to be patient.
- Theme: Wisdom, Healing through time
🔸“…of whose soft grace, / For the like loss, I have her sovereign aid / And rest myself content.”
- Meaning: Prospero says he lost something just as precious (his daughter) and was able to find peace through patience.
- Theme: Acceptance, Parental love
🔸ALONSO: “You the like loss?”
- Meaning: Alonso asks if Prospero lost someone too.
- Tone: Surprised, sympathetic.
🔸PROSPERO: “As great to me as late…”
- Meaning: Prospero confirms the loss was recent and deeply painful.
- Theme: Shared grief
🔸“…and supportable / To make the dear loss have I means much weaker / Than you may call to comfort you…”
- Meaning: Prospero says he had even less emotional strength to handle his loss than Alonso does.
- Theme: Resilience, Perspective
🔸“…for I / Have lost my daughter.”
- Meaning: He reveals he lost Miranda (not dead, just separated).
- Device: Suspense – We know she’s alive, but Alonso doesn’t.
- Theme: Parental love
🔸ALONSO: “A daughter? / O heavens, that they were living both in Naples, / The King and Queen there!”
- Meaning: Alonso wishes both children (Ferdinand and Miranda) were alive and married in Naples.
- Theme: Hope, Reconciliation
🔸“…That they were, I wish / Myself were mudded in that oozy bed / Where my son lies!”
- Meaning: Alonso says he wishes he were dead if it meant the young couple lived.
- Device: Imagery – “oozy bed” refers to the sea floor.
- Theme: Parental love, Despair
🔸“When did you lose your daughter?”
- Meaning: He asks when Prospero lost Miranda.
- Tone: Curious, compassionate.
🔸PROSPERO: “In this last tempest…”
- Meaning: During the recent storm.
- Theme: Fate, Divine intervention
🔸“…these lords / At this encounter do so much admire / That they devour their reason…”
- Meaning: The others are so amazed they can’t think straight.
- Device: Personification – “devour their reason”
- Theme: Wonder, Awe
🔸“…and scarce think / Their eyes do offices of truth, their words / Are natural breath.”
- Meaning: They can’t believe what they see or hear.
- Device: Metaphor – “offices of truth” for eyes’ purpose.
- Theme: Illusion vs. Reality
🔸“…know for certain / That I am Prospero and that very duke / Which was thrust forth of Milan…”
- Meaning: He confirms his identity as the true Duke of Milan, wrongfully exiled.
- Theme: Justice, Restoration
🔸“…who most strangely / Upon this shore, where you were wracked, was / landed / To be the lord on ’t.”
- Meaning: It’s strange, but he ended up on the same shore and became ruler here.
- Theme: Fate, Irony
🔸“No more yet of this. / For ’tis a chronicle of day by day, / Not a relation for a breakfast…”
- Meaning: His story is too long for now—it’s a tale for many days, not for a quick morning chat.
- Tone: Humorous, reflective.
🔸“To Alonso. Welcome, sir. / This cell’s my court…”
- Meaning: He welcomes Alonso to his humble home, which he calls his court.
- Theme: Power in simplicity, Humility
🔸“…I will requite you with as good a thing, / At least bring forth a wonder to content you…”
- Meaning: He promises to give something just as valuable as his dukedom—a great surprise.
- Device: Foreshadowing
🔸Here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda, playing at chess.
- Meaning: The “wonder” is that Ferdinand is alive and with Miranda.
- Theme: Reunion, Love triumphs
🔸MIRANDA: “Sweet lord, you play me false.”
- Meaning: Miranda accuses Ferdinand of cheating at chess (playfully).
- Device: Metaphor for romance – Love is like a game.
- Theme: Innocent love
🔸FERDINAND: “No, my dearest love, / I would not for the world.”
- Meaning: Ferdinand denies it, saying he’d never hurt her for anything.
- Theme: True love, Loyalty
🔸MIRANDA: “Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, / And I would call it fair play.”
- Meaning: She jokes that even if he cheated for 20 kingdoms, she would still forgive him.
- Theme: Devotion, Playfulness
🔸ALONSO: “If this prove / A vision of the island, one dear son / Shall I twice lose.”
- Meaning: Alonso is overwhelmed—if this is just an illusion, it will break his heart again.
- Theme: Illusion vs. Reality, Parental love
🔹 SEBASTIAN:
“A most high miracle!”
Meaning: He is shocked and amazed at seeing Ferdinand alive.
Analysis: The word “miracle” shows divine intervention and the wonder of the moment. It reflects the play’s theme of reconciliation and restoration.
Device: Hyperbole (exaggeration for effect).
🔹 FERDINAND (seeing Alonso and coming forward):
“Though the seas threaten, they are merciful.
I have cursed them without cause.”
Meaning: The ocean seemed dangerous, but it spared him. He regrets blaming the sea for his troubles.
Analysis: The sea becomes symbolic—once seen as destructive, now as protective.
Themes: Nature’s duality, redemption, forgiveness.
Device: Personification (seas being “merciful”).
🔹 ALONSO:
“Now, all the blessings
Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou cam’st here.”
Meaning: He showers his son with love and blessings and wants to know how he survived.
Theme: Father-son bond, joy after loss.
🔹 MIRANDA:
“O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in ’t!”
Meaning: Miranda is in awe, seeing so many people for the first time.
Analysis: Her reaction captures innocence and hope. The phrase “brave new world” later inspired the title of Aldous Huxley’s novel.
Themes: Innocence, discovery, optimism.
Device: Exclamation, repetition, and irony (audiences know mankind is not always so “beauteous”).
🔹 PROSPERO:
“’Tis new to thee.”
Meaning: To Miranda, the world is wonderful because she hasn’t experienced its darker side.
Analysis: There’s gentle irony in Prospero’s reply.
Theme: Experience vs. innocence.
🔹 ALONSO (to Ferdinand):
“What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?
Your eld’st acquaintance cannot be three hours.
Is she the goddess…?”
Meaning: He’s surprised his son has met and bonded with Miranda so quickly.
Theme: Love at first sight, divine fate.
Device: Dramatic irony—audiences know Miranda isn’t a goddess but a mortal.
🔹 FERDINAND:
“Sir, she is mortal,
But by immortal providence she’s mine.”
Meaning: She’s human, but fate brought them together.
Analysis: Reflects Shakespeare’s recurring idea of destiny in love.
Theme: Fate, romantic love.
🔹 “She is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan…”
Meaning: Ferdinand introduces Prospero as Miranda’s father and praises him.
Theme: Family, restoration.
Device: Metaphor – “second life” and “second father” show gratitude and rebirth.
🔹 ALONSO:
“I am hers.
But… I must ask my child forgiveness!”
Meaning: Alonso accepts Miranda as his daughter-in-law. He regrets his past wrongs.
Theme: Guilt, repentance, reconciliation.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Let us not burden our remembrances with
A heaviness that’s gone.”
Meaning: Don’t dwell on past sorrows.
Analysis: Encourages forgiveness and moving forward.
Theme: Forgiveness, healing.
🔹 GONZALO:
“I have inly wept…”
Meaning: Gonzalo has been so emotional he couldn’t speak until now.
Analysis: Shows his sensitivity and loyalty.
Theme: Hope, justice, reward for virtue.
🔹 “Drop a blessèd crown…”
Meaning: He calls on the gods to bless Ferdinand and Miranda.
Device: Religious imagery, metaphor.
🔹 ALONSO:
“I say ‘Amen,’ Gonzalo.”
Meaning: He agrees with Gonzalo’s blessing.
Theme: Unity, restoration.
🔹 GONZALO (continued):
“Was Milan thrust from Milan…?”
Meaning: Gonzalo reflects on how everything has worked out through fate.
Theme: Divine providence, order restored.
Device: Rhetorical question, parallelism.
🔹 **”All of us ourselves
When no man was his own.”**
Meaning: They all rediscovered themselves in the chaos.
Analysis: Suggests growth, self-awareness, and redemption.
Theme: Identity, transformation.
🔹 ALONSO (to Ferdinand and Miranda):
“Give me your hands.
Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart
That doth not wish you joy!”
Meaning: Alonso blesses the couple and says only a joyless person would not be happy for them.
Theme: Celebration, unity.
🔹 GONZALO:
“Be it so. Amen.”
Meaning: He agrees. Another final blessing.
Device: Religious tone and closure.
🔹 Enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following
Meaning: Ariel brings in more survivors—surprising everyone again.
Dramatic effect: Builds suspense and amazement.
🔹 GONZALO:
“O, look, sir, look, sir…”
Meaning: Gonzalo jokes that this sailor wouldn’t drown because he was destined to be hanged.
Theme: Fate vs. free will.
Device: Dark humor, irony.
🔹 BOATSWAIN:
“The best news is that we have safely found
Our king and company…”
Meaning: They survived, and even the ship is intact.
Theme: Restoration, miraculous survival.
Language: Simple but joyful—marks the resolution.
🔹 ARIEL, aside to Prospero:
“Sir, all this service
Have I done since I went.”
Meaning: Ariel is telling Prospero that everything he has done—helping with the shipwreck, freeing the prisoners—is part of the service he promised.
Analysis: Ariel is reminding Prospero of his loyalty and work. This sets up Ariel’s upcoming desire for freedom.
Device: Aside (Ariel speaks privately to Prospero, which allows the audience to hear his thoughts).
🔹 PROSPERO, aside to Ariel:
“My tricksy spirit!”
Meaning: Prospero affectionately refers to Ariel as a “tricksy spirit,” acknowledging Ariel’s playful yet helpful nature.
Analysis: Prospero is impressed by Ariel’s work and cleverness.
Device: “Tricksy” refers to Ariel’s skillful and somewhat mischievous nature.
🔹 ALONSO:
“These are not natural events. They strengthen
From strange to stranger.—Say, how came you
hither?”
Meaning: Alonso is confused by the strange events that have occurred and asks how they arrived at this point.
Analysis: Alonso is realizing that the events surrounding them are beyond mere coincidence or natural explanation.
Theme: Mysticism, the supernatural.
🔹 BOATSWAIN:
“If I did think, sir, I were well awake,
I’d strive to tell you.”
Meaning: The Boatswain is so disoriented by the strange events that he questions whether he is still dreaming.
Analysis: The Boatswain is bewildered by the surreal nature of what has happened.
Device: Irony—he can’t understand the impossible events, even though they are happening in reality.
🔹 **”We were dead of sleep
And—how, we know not—all clapped under
hatches…”**
Meaning: They were asleep, and suddenly they were locked below deck without explanation.
Analysis: This highlights the mystery and supernatural control Prospero has over the situation.
Device: Juxtaposition—sleep vs. being awakened by strange events.
🔹 **”We were awaked, straightway at liberty,
Where, but even now, with strange and several
noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible…”**
Meaning: They were awakened by terrifying sounds and then released.
Analysis: The chaotic noises represent the magical forces at play, perhaps Prospero’s magic.
Device: Onomatopoeia—”roaring,” “shrieking,” “howling,” and “jingling” create a sense of dread and mystery.
🔹 **”On a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream were we divided from them
And were brought moping hither.”**
Meaning: In an instant, they were separated from the others and brought to this place.
Analysis: The Boatswain’s description conveys a dreamlike quality to the events.
Device: “On a trice” (in a moment) emphasizes the suddenness of the transformation.
🔹 ARIEL, aside to Prospero:
“Was ’t well done?”
Meaning: Ariel is asking Prospero if he did the task well—if the magic was carried out successfully.
Analysis: This shows Ariel’s desire to please Prospero and highlights the spirit’s role in manipulating events.
Device: Rhetorical question—Ariel already knows it was well done but seeks confirmation.
🔹 PROSPERO, aside to Ariel:
“Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.”
Meaning: Prospero praises Ariel for his work and promises freedom as a reward.
Analysis: This hints at the resolution of Ariel’s long-awaited freedom.
Device: Foreshadowing—Ariel’s freedom is imminent.
🔹 ALONSO:
“This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod,
And there is in this business more than nature
Was ever conduct of.”
Meaning: Alonso is overwhelmed by the strange occurrences and feels that something supernatural is at work.
Analysis: He acknowledges the supernatural forces at play in their lives.
Device: Metaphor—“strange a maze” likens the events to a confusing puzzle.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Sir, my liege,
Do not infest your mind with beating on
The strangeness of this business. At picked leisure,
Which shall be shortly, single I’ll resolve you,
Which to you shall seem probable, of every
These happened accidents…”
Meaning: Prospero reassures Alonso that he will explain everything in time and advises him not to worry now.
Analysis: Prospero is the orchestrator of the events and hints that everything has a purpose.
Device: Reassurance and dramatic irony—the audience knows Prospero will explain, but the characters don’t.
🔹 **”Come hither, spirit;
Set Caliban and his companions free.
Untie the spell.”**
Meaning: Prospero orders Ariel to release Caliban and the others from the spell.
Analysis: This marks the beginning of the final reconciliation and release of the prisoners.
Device: Command—Prospero asserts control over the magic.
🔹 **Enter Ariel, driving in Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo
in their stolen apparel.**
Meaning: Ariel brings in Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, who are still wearing the clothes they stole.
Analysis: The thieves’ appearance is a reminder of their misdeeds.
Device: Dramatic entrance—Caliban and the others are brought in, adding a sense of comic relief and tension.
🔹 STEPHANO:
“Every man shift for all the rest, and let no
man take care for himself, for all is but fortune.
Coraggio, bully monster, coraggio.”
Meaning: Stephano encourages the others to act bravely, despite their predicament.
Analysis: Stephano is still in denial about the situation and believes in luck rather than planning.
Device: Comic relief—Stephano’s bravado contrasts with the seriousness of the situation.
🔹 TRINCULO:
“If these be true spies which I wear in my
head, here’s a goodly sight.”
Meaning: Trinculo jokes that if the creatures he sees are real, it’s an extraordinary sight.
Analysis: His humor serves as a distraction from the tension of the moment.
Device: Irony—Trinculo doesn’t realize the seriousness of the situation.
🔹 CALIBAN:
“O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed! How
fine my master is! I am afraid he will chastise me.”
Meaning: Caliban expresses fear of Prospero’s power but also admiration for him.
Analysis: Caliban is caught between fear and respect for Prospero.
Theme: Mastery vs. servitude.
🔹 SEBASTIAN:
“Ha, ha!
What things are these, my Lord Antonio?
Will money buy ’em?”
Meaning: Sebastian sarcastically asks if these creatures can be bought.
Analysis: His mockery highlights his contempt for the strange creatures.
Device: Sarcasm—he is mocking the situation and the beings before him.
🔹 ANTONIO:
“Very like. One of them
Is a plain fish and no doubt marketable.”
Meaning: Antonio joins in the mockery, likening Caliban to a fish that could be sold.
Analysis: Antonio’s cynicism contrasts with the supernatural awe the scene evokes.
Device: Irony—Antonio doesn’t recognize the deeper significance of the moment.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,
Then say if they be true. This misshapen knave,
His mother was a witch, and one so strong
That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,
And deal in her command without her power.”
Meaning: Prospero explains the nature of the thieves and their connection to dark magic, calling Caliban a “knave.”
Analysis: Prospero reasserts his control over Caliban and reveals his backstory.
Device: Revelation—Prospero’s explanation reveals the true nature of the characters.
🔹 **”These three have robbed me, and this demi-devil,
For he’s a bastard one, had plotted with them
To take my life.”**
Meaning: Prospero accuses the three men of plotting against him.
Analysis: This adds gravity to the situation, as the traitors are exposed.
Device: Dramatic irony—audiences know that the men’s misdeeds will be revealed.
🔹 “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.”
Meaning: Prospero acknowledges Caliban as his responsibility.
Analysis: This moment of acceptance is a step toward reconciliation and closure.
Themes: Forgiveness, reconciliation, responsibility.
🔹 CALIBAN:
“I shall be pinched to death.”
Meaning: Caliban expresses his fear of being punished.
Analysis: His fear emphasizes his subjugation and vulnerability.
Device: Hyperbole—exaggerating his fear of punishment.
🔹 ALONSO:
“Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?”
Meaning: Alonso recognizes Stephano and is surprised to see him in this condition.
Analysis: The comic nature of Stephano’s behavior is a contrast to the more serious tone of the scene.
Theme: Comic relief amidst tension.
🔹 SEBASTIAN:
“He is drunk now. Where had he wine?”
Meaning: Sebastian points out that Stephano is drunk and wonders where he got the wine.
Analysis: Sebastian’s sarcastic tone highlights the absurdity of their situation and adds humor to the scene.
Device: Irony—Stephano is drunkenly stumbling around, but the source of his intoxication remains unclear.
🔹 ALONSO:
“And Trinculo is reeling ripe. Where should they
Find this grand liquor that hath gilded ’em?”
Meaning: Alonso observes that Trinculo is also drunk and asks where the two found the wine that has intoxicated them.
Analysis: Alonso’s remark is tinged with amazement, as he finds their condition ridiculous and puzzling.
Device: Hyperbole—”reeling ripe” is a figurative expression emphasizing their drunkenness.
🔹 To Trinculo:
“How cam’st thou in this pickle?”
Meaning: Alonso asks Trinculo how he got into such a situation.
Analysis: “Pickle” here means a difficult or messy situation, reinforcing Trinculo’s disoriented state.
Device: Idiomatic expression—“in a pickle” adds a humorous touch.
🔹 TRINCULO:
“I have been in such a pickle since I saw you
last that I fear me will never out of my bones. I
shall not fear flyblowing.”
Meaning: Trinculo exaggerates that his drunken state is so bad that it will stay with him forever. He mentions “flyblowing,” referring to being troubled by pests or illness, but in his delirium, he doesn’t fear it anymore.
Analysis: Trinculo’s humor here is based on self-deprecation, as he mocks his own drunkenness.
Device: Hyperbole and humor—Trinculo exaggerates his condition to make light of it.
🔹 SEBASTIAN:
“Why, how now, Stephano?”
Meaning: Sebastian, continuing the mockery, addresses Stephano (who is still pretending not to be himself).
Analysis: Sebastian’s questioning tone underlines the absurdity of the situation and further ridicules the drunken behavior.
Device: Sarcasm—Sebastian mocks the drunkenness of the others.
🔹 STEPHANO:
“O, touch me not! I am not Stephano, but a
cramp.”
Meaning: Stephano, in his drunken haze, refuses to be touched, claiming that he is suffering from a cramp, not his usual self.
Analysis: This is a humorous line, as Stephano denies his identity, furthering the absurdity of his state.
Device: Metaphor—comparing himself to a cramp plays into the confusion and physical discomfort of drunkenness.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“You’d be king o’ the isle, sirrah?”
Meaning: Prospero sarcastically asks Stephano if he still believes he can become king of the island.
Analysis: Prospero’s words reflect his disbelief at the idea of a drunken man ruling an island.
Device: Irony—Prospero highlights the absurdity of Stephano’s ambitions in his current state.
🔹 STEPHANO:
“I should have been a sore one, then.”
Meaning: Stephano humorously acknowledges that if he were to rule, it would have been disastrous, given his current state.
Analysis: Stephano admits to the ridiculousness of his own ambition, making light of the situation.
Device: Self-awareness—Stephano realizes the absurdity of his drunken aspiration.
🔹 ALONSO, indicating Caliban:
“This is as strange a thing as e’er I looked on.”
Meaning: Alonso, observing Caliban, remarks on how bizarre and unsettling Caliban’s appearance is.
Analysis: This comment emphasizes the strangeness of Caliban in the eyes of the other characters, setting him apart from the human norms.
Device: Hyperbole—Alonso’s statement emphasizes the bewildering nature of Caliban.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“He is as disproportioned in his manners
As in his shape.”
Meaning: Prospero comments that Caliban’s behavior is as out of place as his physical form.
Analysis: Prospero connects Caliban’s appearance with his behavior, both of which deviate from the expected norms.
Device: Juxtaposition—Caliban’s physical deformity is matched by his behavioral oddities.
🔹 To Caliban:
“Go, sirrah, to my cell.
Take with you your companions. As you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.”
Meaning: Prospero orders Caliban to go to his cell with the others and warns him to behave properly if he wants to be pardoned.
Analysis: This line shows Prospero’s authority and control, as he directs the behavior of Caliban and the others.
Device: Command—Prospero asserts his dominance over the situation.
🔹 CALIBAN:
“Ay, that I will, and I’ll be wise hereafter
And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass
Was I to take this drunkard for a god,
And worship this dull fool!”
Meaning: Caliban reflects on his past mistakes and vows to seek redemption, mocking himself for once believing Stephano was a god.
Analysis: Caliban’s self-awareness and regret are expressed humorously, but they also mark his development as a character who recognizes his errors.
Device: Self-mockery—Caliban criticizes his previous foolishness.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Go to, away!”
Meaning: Prospero dismisses Caliban, showing his authority.
Analysis: This brief command reinforces Prospero’s control over Caliban’s actions.
Device: Imperative—Prospero continues to exert his dominance.
🔹 ALONSO, to Stephano and Trinculo:
“Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it.”
Meaning: Alonso tells Stephano and Trinculo to leave and return the stolen goods to their original place.
Analysis: Alonso’s authority is expressed here as well, as he orders the return of what was taken.
Device: Command—Alonso asserts control over the situation.
🔹 SEBASTIAN:
“Or stole it, rather.”
Meaning: Sebastian sarcastically adds that the goods were likely stolen rather than just found.
Analysis: This line continues the mockery and adds a cynical tone to the scene.
Device: Sarcasm—Sebastian’s comment highlights the thieves’ dishonesty.
🔹 Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo exit.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Sir, I invite your Highness and your train
To my poor cell, where you shall take your rest
For this one night, which part of it I’ll waste
With such discourse as, I not doubt, shall make it
Go quick away: the story of my life.”
Meaning: Prospero invites Alonso and his company to his cell for the night, promising to share the story of his life, which will pass the time.
Analysis: This moment marks the transition from the chaos of the previous events to the more reflective and explanatory part of the play.
Device: Invitation—Prospero welcomes Alonso and the others into his domain and promises to explain everything.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“And in the morn
I’ll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial
Of these our dear-belovèd solemnized,”
Meaning: Prospero promises to escort Alonso and his group to their ship in the morning, then to Naples, where he hopes to witness the wedding of Ferdinand and Miranda.
Analysis: Prospero is making plans for the near future, marking a transition to reconciliation and closure.
Device: Foreshadowing—this promise hints at the resolution of the play, with the wedding marking the culmination of the story.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.”
Meaning: After the events are concluded, Prospero plans to return to Milan, where he will live a more contemplative life, contemplating death (“every third thought shall be my grave”).
Analysis: This line reflects Prospero’s desire for peace and reflection after the turmoil he has caused. It suggests that he seeks to retire from active involvement in the world and face his mortality.
Device: Metaphor—Prospero uses “grave” as a metaphor for his retirement from power and his desire for calm.
🔹 ALONSO:
“I long
To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.”
Meaning: Alonso expresses his eagerness to hear Prospero’s story, acknowledging that it will be strange or unexpected.
Analysis: Alonso’s line shows his curiosity and anticipation, while also recognizing the unusual nature of Prospero’s tale.
Device: Foreshadowing—Alonso hints that Prospero’s story will be extraordinary, setting the stage for the revelation of the plot’s backstory.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“I’ll deliver all,
And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail so expeditious that shall catch
Your royal fleet far off.”
Meaning: Prospero promises to tell his story and also assures Alonso of safe and swift travel.
Analysis: Prospero’s words reflect his control over the situation, as he not only offers to reveal the past but also guarantees a smooth journey home.
Device: Imagery—Prospero conjures images of calm seas and favorable winds, evoking a sense of peace and certainty.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Aside to Ariel. My Ariel,
chick,
That is thy charge.”
Meaning: Prospero gives Ariel the task of ensuring a safe journey for Alonso and his group, using a term of endearment (“chick”) to address the spirit.
Analysis: The use of “chick” reveals the affectionate and close relationship between Prospero and Ariel, showing a more personal side of Prospero’s character.
Device: Direct address—Prospero’s personal interaction with Ariel gives the scene a more intimate tone.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Then to the elements
Be free, and fare thou well.”
Meaning: Prospero releases Ariel from his service, allowing the spirit to return to the elements (the air, the natural world).
Analysis: This marks a moment of freedom for Ariel, signaling the end of the spirit’s servitude to Prospero. It’s a gesture of liberation, marking Ariel’s reward for loyalty.
Device: Symbolism—Ariel’s release into the elements represents freedom and a return to the natural world.
🔹 PROSPERO:
“Please you, draw near.”
Meaning: Prospero invites Alonso and his company to come closer, signaling that the story and revelations are about to begin.
Analysis: This invitation signals the final stage of the play, where Prospero will disclose the truths that have been hidden until now.
Device: Invitation—Prospero’s request is polite, but it also serves to draw the characters closer into his world of revelation.
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