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A thorough knowledge of the plot is the foundation of every good exam answer. This lesson provides an act-by-act breakdown of The Tempest, highlighting key turning points, dramatic structure, and the significance of each scene.
Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4 Act 5
STORM & CONSPIRACIES LOVE & THE MASQUE & RECONCILIATION
EXPOSITION FORM CALIBAN'S CALIBAN'S & FORGIVENESS
PLOT PLOT FOILED
| | | | |
v v v v v
Prospero tells Antonio plots Ferdinand & Prospero's Prospero
Miranda their against Alonso Miranda fall masque; forgives all;
history; Caliban joins in love; Caliban's renounces
Ariel & Caliban Stephano & Caliban conspiracy magic; Ariel
introduced Trinculo plans murder collapses freed
The play opens with a violent storm at sea. A ship carrying Alonso (King of Naples), his son Ferdinand, Antonio (Prospero's brother), Sebastian, Gonzalo, and others is tossed by the tempest. The Boatswain struggles to keep control while the nobles panic.
"What cares these roarers for the name of king?" — Boatswain, Act 1 Scene 1
This line immediately introduces the theme of power — the storm does not respect social rank. Of course, the audience soon learns the storm is created by Prospero, so power is merely being transferred, not abolished.
This is the longest and most important exposition scene in the play. Prospero tells Miranda the story of their past:
"Thy father was the Duke of Milan and / A prince of power." — Prospero, Act 1 Scene 2
Prospero then reveals he has raised the storm using his magic to bring his enemies to the island.
Key introductions in Act 1 Scene 2:
| Character | How Introduced | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Ariel | Reports the storm's success; asks for freedom | Establishes master-servant dynamic |
| Caliban | Curses Prospero; claims the island is his | Establishes colonial/power conflict |
| Ferdinand | Led by Ariel's music to meet Miranda | Love at first sight begins |
"Full fathom five thy father lies; / Of his bones are coral made" — Ariel's song, Act 1 Scene 2
Ferdinand believes his father has drowned. Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love at first sight, but Prospero pretends to oppose the match to test Ferdinand's sincerity.
Alonso grieves for Ferdinand, whom he believes dead. Gonzalo tries to cheer the group and describes his vision of an ideal commonwealth:
"I' th' commonwealth I would by contraries / Execute all things" — Gonzalo, Act 2 Scene 1
Meanwhile, Antonio and Sebastian plot to murder Alonso while he sleeps so that Sebastian can become King of Naples. Ariel intervenes by waking Gonzalo with a song, foiling the plot — for now.
Examiner's tip: The Antonio-Sebastian conspiracy mirrors Antonio's original usurpation of Prospero. Shakespeare shows that Antonio has not changed — he is still willing to betray for power.
Caliban encounters Trinculo (a jester) and Stephano (a drunken butler). Mistaking the drunken Stephano for a god after tasting his wine, Caliban pledges allegiance to him:
"That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor. / I will kneel to him." — Caliban, Act 2 Scene 2
"Ban, 'Ban, Ca-Caliban / Has a new master — get a new man!" — Caliban, Act 2 Scene 2
This comic subplot parallels the serious political conspiracy of Antonio and Sebastian. Both involve attempts to overthrow a ruler.
Ferdinand carries logs as a task set by Prospero. Miranda offers to help; they declare their love and secretly promise to marry:
"I am your wife, if you will marry me; / If not, I'll die your maid." — Miranda, Act 3 Scene 1
Prospero watches secretly and is pleased — the match is part of his plan.
Caliban persuades Stephano to murder Prospero and become lord of the island, with Miranda as his queen. Caliban's plan is specific:
"First to possess his books; for without them / He's but a sot, as I am" — Caliban, Act 3 Scene 2
This shows Caliban understands that Prospero's power comes from his books, not from physical strength.
Ariel, invisible, listens and reports to Prospero.
Prospero sets a magical trap: a banquet appears before the hungry court party, then vanishes. Ariel appears as a harpy and accuses Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian of their crimes against Prospero:
"You are three men of sin" — Ariel (as harpy), Act 3 Scene 3
Alonso is overwhelmed by guilt, believing Ferdinand's death is divine punishment.
Prospero gives his blessing to Ferdinand and Miranda. He conjures a masque featuring the goddesses Iris, Ceres, and Juno, who bless the couple with prosperity and fertility.
Prospero suddenly remembers Caliban's plot and breaks off the masque abruptly. He delivers one of the play's most famous speeches:
"Our revels now are ended. These our actors, / As I foretold you, were all spirits and / Are melted into air, into thin air; / And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, / The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, / The solemn temples, the great globe itself, / Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve / And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, / Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep." — Prospero, Act 4 Scene 1
Examiner's tip: This speech is one of the most frequently examined passages. Be ready to analyse its language (metaphor, imagery of dissolution), its thematic significance (illusion vs reality, the transience of life), and its possible metatheatrical meaning ("the great globe" may refer to the Globe Theatre).
Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are distracted by gaudy clothes that Prospero and Ariel have hung out as a trap. Spirit-hounds chase them away.
Ariel describes the suffering of Alonso and the court party. In a pivotal moment, Prospero decides to forgive:
"Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th' quick, / Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury / Do I take part. The rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance." — Prospero, Act 5 Scene 1
Prospero then renounces his magic in a speech that echoes Ovid's Medea:
"But this rough magic / I here abjure ... I'll break my staff, / Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, / And deeper than did ever plummet sound / I'll drown my book." — Prospero, Act 5 Scene 1
Key events in Act 5:
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