The clear five act structure, which was common at the time of Elizabethan theatre, gives the play coherence and a credulity which also helps the audience to comprehend the events and the characters. This allow the audience to engage fully with the play as they are present for the majority of the events, and even the events that they do not see are fully explained by the characters in the other scenes.
![the tempest act 1 scene 2 the tempest act 1 scene 2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vlhc_Zx7eVg/hqdefault.jpg)
The structure of the play in is chronological order as the events take place within a few hours and his play has a clear beginning, middle - with a climax, and an end. Prospero seems to revere nature, arguing that 'bountiful Fortune' brought him to the island (Act 1, Scene 2) and he, as he uses the natural elements within his magic, is dependent upon it. Gonzalo sees it to be 'lush and lusty' whilst others view is to be 'uninhabitable' (Act 2, Scene 1). The nature of the island is also ambivalent. These images of nature are presented both as benign and as threatening, depending on the situation of each scene and this suggests that Shakespeare believes that nature is extremely powerful. The play uses a variety of forms of the natural world throughout, such as: the sea, air and wind, earth, wildlife and thunder and lightening.
#The tempest act 1 scene 2 how to
For example, Shakespeare gives several images of the sea, from pleasant ones to dangerous ones, such us 'sea-swallowed' and 'still-closing waters' and Antonio uses the image of water to tempt Sebastian into killing the king - 'I'll teach you how to flow' (Act 2, Scene 1). The royal entourage first enter the island with their garments 'drenched in the sea' (Act 2, Scene 1), Alonso threatens to drown himself in mudded' (Act 3, Scene 3) water after Ferdinand's death, Ariel leads Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo into a 'foul lake' (Act 4, Scene 1) for plotting against Prospero, and at the end of the play, Prospero promises to 'drown my book' (Act 5, Scene 1) which shows that water is extremely significant within the play.Īlso, the play begins with a storm, and ends with a promise of calm seas for the future and the sea is explicitly mentioned several times. Water is used throughout the play to emphasise the significance of the tempest itself. Another is the 'thunder and lightening' used to make Ariel's entrance during the harpy scene much more dramatic and powerful as the sound creates fear and shocks the audience. One example of imagery in the play is when Prospero is telling Miranda about how they came to inhabit the island and he says 'To cry, to th'sea, that roared to us to sigh/To th'winds, whose pity sighing back again/Did us loving wrong.' (Act 1, Scene 2) Shakespeare uses images of the sea and the wind, along with personification and the onomatopoeia of 'roared' to dramatise the event for the audience. When the play was first written it was not performed with elaborate sets or costumes which meant that the audience were dependent upon their imagination when watching the play, so Shakespeare has used much imagery to provide the audience with: most basically - entertainment, insights into the nature of each character, and dramatic impact. (336 lines)Įnter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.Imagery in The Tempest is used to conjure vivid images which stretch the audiences imagination and emotionally involve them in the play. Alonso decides they shall continue to search for Sebastian. The traitors explain their drawn swords by claiming they heard wild beasts about. Just as they are about to commit the crime, Ariel comes and wakes Gonzalo, sent by Prospero who has magically seen what was about to happen. Sebastian has some doubts, but Antonio points out how well usurping the throne of Milan worked for him. Antonio, Prospero’s brother, suggests to Sebastian that they now have an excellent opportunity to kill Alonso, thereby making Sebastian King of Naples, since they are certain Ferdinand is dead. Ariel comes in playing music that sends them almost all asleep, except Antonio and Sebastian, who stay awake to theoretically guard the King. Gonzalo shares his slightly vague utopian vision of what live on the island could be, which Antonio and Sebastian mock viciously to one another.
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![the tempest act 1 scene 2 the tempest act 1 scene 2](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-35FEhvzH_6s/Vo7H7rwB3qI/AAAAAAAAALs/Tg4JEvfYu98/s1600/Gonzalo%2B1.jpg)
Sebastian and Antonio have no patience with the optimistic old man, and Alonso is convinced that his son Ferdinand is dead, though the others tell him the boy may have lived. Gonzalo insists they’re much better off than they think. (Alonso Sebastian Antonio Gonzalo Adrian Francisco Ariel)Īlonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and other shipwrecked lords wander on the island.