The following characters are introduced and developed: Adrian, Alonso, Antonio, Francisco, Gonzalo, Sebastian, and Trinculo.
Pay close attention to Gonzalo as his persona and philosophies are treated much more fully in this scene. He is noteworthy for several reasons: he was once a trusted advisor to Prospero (1.2.161-165). Now, he principally serves Alonso. He functions as a valuable mediator between the various characters, as they vacillate between confusion, despair, and absurd arguing. Gonzalo seems to have a true appreciation for the physical beauty and true potential of the island, viewing it as something akin to a utopia. (2.1.128-138) & (2.1.139.144)- see below *
Sebastian, Antonio, and Alonso seem to be making fun of Gonzalo; Gonzalo, however, can hold his own in the world of verbal sparring (puns). For every insult hurled at Gonzalo, Gonzalo seems to have a response. Gonzalo's knowledge seems also to be superior to the others. And this begins when the audience finds out about Alonso's daughter Claribel. The audience finds out that Claribel has married the King of Tunis (an African country). If the story is a postcolonial story, then this plot point shows the power of the suppressed. At this time (when the play was written) it would be seen as peculiar and possibly shameful if a European married an African.
Alonso's language in regards to Claribel shows an anger and disgust with the situation in regards to the marriage. Notice how the language seemingly consumes the situation. He states, "You cram these words into mine ears, against the stomach of my senses" (2.1.87). It is also important to note that the marriage means that he will cease to see Claribel, and he laments this reality. And at this point Alonso thinks Ferdinand is dead, but Francisco says, "Sir, he may live" (2.1.94). Alonso, however, insists otherwise, and Sebastian agrees.
*When talking about being rulers, Gonzalo shows a strong juxtaposition between the other men. His ideas on ruling are very much about equality. Notice how immediately Gonzalo references a self-governing commodity when he says, "I'th' commonwealth I would" (2.1.128). His ideas of a utopia really reflect Gonzalo's good-willed nature. His ideas also offer a unique juxtaposition to even the way Prospero has been ruling the island. His statements about land owning, work and equality truly are progressive. He states, "No occupation, all men idle, all; and women, too, but innocent and pure; no sovereignty" (2.1.135-137).
When Ariel appears, he makes all the men sleepy except Sebastian and Antonio. Sebastian, as the brother of Alonso, has to be shown his potential. It appears Sebastian does not think about his ability to usurp the throne. He does not understand when Antonio hints at the throne, "Th' occasion speaks thee, and my strong imagination sees a crown dropping upon thy head" (2.1.207-209). It takes a bit to understand, but Sebastian warms to the idea. Sleep is certainly an interesting motif in this play, as it tends to be in Shakespeare’s other works, perhaps most notably in The Tragedy of Macbeth. It is used in The Tempest, for example, as a vehicle of control and agent of magic. Prospero, as seen in Act 1, puts Miranda to sleep when he wishes to speak with Ariel privately- what a weird aside of sorts! Also, notice how Ariel uses sleep to manipulate the action of 2.1. Ariel then uses magic to awaken Gonzalo, thus protecting him from seeming impending danger. Also, interestingly enough, Antonio equates sleep with death, most notably lines 215 and 244 of Scene two.
The manipulative and rather heartless Sebastian comes to the conclusion that he must kill Alonso. As he and Antonio prep for the kill, Ariel wakes the men, and they stir before they can perform the action. As they are standing with swords drawn, the two make up an excuse about hearing sounds, but Alonso is skeptical. He states, "I heard nothing" (2.1.290). Gonzalo attempts at an agreement, which is a strange moment, but shows Gonzalo's willingness to help others.
Act two scene two begins with Caliban's soliloquy. He is complaining about how the apparitions injure him: "But for every trifle are they set upon me" (2.2.8-9). Enters Trinculo and Stephano, the comedic relief of the play. Trinculo is a literal fool. His name translates to swill (to drink). When Trinculo first sees Caliban (who is hiding under a blanket) he is not sure if he is a) dead or alive and b) a man or a fish. One should also note the men's language, as it rarely if ever enters iambic pentameter, which shows their low stature. This is typical Shakespeare: characters of a lower social status are often aligned with a ‘degraded’ language. (On a side note, just as Shakespeare manipulates language to achieve distinctions between class status, Caliban exploits the gift of language that Prospero bestows upon him. As Caliban spits, “The red plague rid you for learning me your language!” (1.2.361-362).
This scene as it is an exercise in comedy, drinking debauchery, and of course, manipultation. Caliban's taste of alcohol changes his perspective, and he believes the men to be gods, and he wants to worship them Trinculo and Stephani.
In the end, Caliban makes the same promises that he made with Prospero, "I'll show thee every fertile inch o'th' island, and I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god" (2.2.110). He also curses Prospero, "A plague upon the tyrant that I serve! The end of the scene has a drunken Caliban singing and leading the men out of the cave. As Stephano states, “O brave monster! Lead the way!” (2.2.144)
Passages to Review:
Gonzalo’s speech: (2.1.128-138) & (2.1.139.144)