The Tempest Presentation Outline
Requirements
___a 5-10 minute presentation on ONE topic below or another per consultation
___a clearly defined and focused thesis which is honed from one of the topics below
___demonstration of additional research from an academic source to add depth/breadth
___some form of hook to capture the audience’s attention
___a visual/graphic/multi-media representation to add texture to presentation
___agenda of the presentation outlining sequencing & individual responsibilities
___250 -500 word written summary of salient ideas and issues
___a Works Cited page listing the information that you
___includes and reflects the work of all members of the group
Criteria
-presentation is well organized, well-paced and follows a logical progression
-ideas are clearly explained and well supported with textual evidence and research
-ideas are creative and refreshing (aha!)
-audience is engaged and enlightened
-synopsis clearly articulates the main ideas and thesis of the presentation
Possible Topics - note: these are merely "seeds" that are inert; you must breathe life into them with additional research. To use essay language, these are topics, you still have to develop a thesis. Once you have your thesis, break down your presentation into some main ideas.
The relationship between ruler and subject
Revenge or Mercy
Love and its various manifestations
The paradox of utopia
Encounters with indigenous peoples
The role of the artist and art (creator)
Civility and savagery
Innocence and Knowledge
Freedom and enslavement
The abuse and subversion of power
Control and Manipulation
Hierarchy and chaos
Symbolism in the play
Some research connections: this is an opportunity to stretch behind the text to add depth and breadth to your understanding of the theme/thesis. Draw from literary criticism, history, psychology, philosophy, musical theory, women’s studies, criminology, religious theology, historical texts…
The psychology of slavery and submission
Female archetypes and the power of women
Feminist reading of The Tempest (females maligned and/or subservient)
Montaigne’s Of Cannibals
John Locke’s The Natural Condition of Mankind
Thomas More’s Utopia
Religious view of Utopia (paradise and the fall)
Queen Elizabeth and the cult of virginity
Role and responsibilities of marriage in Elizabethan England
Historical distrust of femininity and female sexuality
Connections to colonization and voyages of discovery
Connections to life and career of Shakespeare
Control and megalomania
Elizabethan/Medieval Social Order
Shame and degradation in victims/survivors
Connections to Hitler’s campaign