GCSE English Literature Revision — The Tempest: Themes & Characters
Revise The Tempest: Themes & Characters for GCSE English Literature with a topic explanation, worked example and common mistakes. Check the board notes for specification differences.
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What is The Tempest: Themes & Characters?
The Tempest explores themes of power, colonialism, forgiveness, and illusion. Prospero, the usurped Duke of Milan, uses his magical powers to orchestrate events on a remote island, ultimately choosing forgiveness over revenge. The play examines the complex relationships between characters like the coloniser Prospero, the colonised Caliban, and the spirit Ariel.
Board notes: AQA often focuses on the play's genre and its exploration of power and justice. Edexcel encourages a postcolonial reading of the play, focusing on the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. OCR places emphasis on the play's language, imagery, and its use of magic and illusion.
Step-by-step explanationWorked examples
Worked example
To analyse the theme of colonialism, a student could focus on the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero sees the island as his and Caliban as his subject, teaching him his language but also enslaving him. A good analysis would explore Caliban's perspective, using his speeches to show his sense of betrayal and his claim to the island. For example, 'This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, / Which thou tak'st from me.'
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Common mistakes
- 1Seeing Prospero as a purely benevolent figure. His use of power to control others, particularly Caliban and Ariel, is morally ambiguous.
- 2Viewing Caliban as a simple savage. He is a complex character whose anger and resentment are a direct result of his subjugation by Prospero.
- 3Interpreting the play as a simple fairy tale. It is a complex work that deals with serious political and philosophical issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Is The Tempest a comedy or a tragedy?
The Tempest is classified as a comedy, but it has tragic elements. It ends with a marriage and reconciliation, typical of a comedy, but it also explores dark themes of betrayal, revenge, and loss.
What does the island symbolise in The Tempest?
The island can be seen as a microcosm of the world, a space where social and political structures can be examined and critiqued. It is also a place of magic and transformation, where characters are tested and ultimately find redemption.