Overview
This lecture reviews strategies for answering an extract question on Act 5 of Shakespeare's The Tempest, focusing on the restoration of order, identity, and analysis of language, form, and structure.
Act 5 and Restoration in Comedy
- Act 5 in comedies typically involves restoring order and identity.
- A strong answer connects how the extract demonstrates this restoration through Shakespeare's techniques.
- Prospero in his magic robes symbolizes power, supported by stage directions and setting (Prospero’s cell).
- The themes of entrapment and power are introduced and maintained throughout the passage.
Language, Structure, and Dramatic Effects (AO2)
- Analyze Shakespeare’s use of language: triplets, metaphors, similes, rhetorical questions, and conditional statements.
- Patterns such as repeated references to possession (my lord, my Ariel) show relationship dynamics.
- The use of "latched verse" (shared lines) indicates intimacy or entrapment between Prospero and Ariel.
- Repeated motifs of entrapment (confined, prisoners, cannot budge) create thematic structure.
- Ariel persuades Prospero with metaphorical and tentative language, prompting audience reflection on Prospero’s morality.
Character Dynamics and Persuasion
- Prospero’s language shifts from authoritative commands to self-questioning and internal conflict.
- Ariel uses persuasive, respectful language and rhetorical techniques to influence Prospero.
- The interplay between reason and fury, virtue and vengeance, is highlighted through antithesis and caesura.
Stagecraft and Soliloquy
- Notice stage directions (Ariel exits, Prospero alone) and their significance for plot and character vulnerability.
- Prospero’s soliloquy reveals internal conflict, supernatural imagery, and his epiphany about abandoning magic.
- References to gods and the supernatural illustrate Prospero’s shift from god-like power to regaining humanity.
Thematic Shifts and The Resolution
- Prospero’s renunciation of magic ("I'll break my staff, drown my book") marks restoration and personal change.
- Juxtaposition of religious and supernatural language reflects tension between power and forgiveness.
- The final language shows hesitation and the struggle to resolve internal change.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Latched verse — When two characters share a line of verse, indicating connection or tension.
- Caesura — A pause within a line of poetry, often showing conflict or hesitation.
- Antithesis — Placing opposing ideas together for effect (e.g., virtue vs. vengeance).
- Soliloquy — A speech where a character speaks thoughts aloud, often revealing internal conflict.
- Stagecraft — Elements of staging and direction in a play (e.g., exits, costumes).
- Restoration — The return to order or identity, central in comedy endings.
- Triplets — Groups of three related words or phrases, used for emphasis.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Re-read Act 5, focusing on language patterns and shifts in power.
- Practice identifying rhetorical devices and their effects in extracts.
- Review definitions and examples of key terms for future essay responses.