The Tempest Act 1:
Scene summaries
Scene 1On a ship at sea
The play starts with a violent storm: the tempest.It threatens to kill all those on board the ship.
The ship is carrying a party of noblemen and courtiers.They are returning to Italy after a wedding in Africa.
The wedding is that of the daughter of Alonso, King of Naples, to the Prince of Tunisia.Other members of the party on board the ship include Ferdinand (Prince of Naples), Sebastian (the King’s brother), Antonio (Prospero’s brother), Gonzalo (a trusted servant), Stephano (the King’s butler)and Trinculo (the King’s jester).
The boatswain tries hard to save the ship.As everyone thinks the ship is going to sink, it starts to drift towards an island.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Key words to translate
Word or phrase / Translation / Meaninga tempest / a violent storm
threatens
a party of noblemen and courtiers
toreturn
the King’s daughter
the King’s brother
a trusted servant
the King’s butler
the King’s jester
toreturn
Scene 2 The island–outside Prospero’s cell
As Prospero and Miranda watch the ship being destroyed by the storm, Prospero tells her that everyone will be safe.He then tells her that he was once the Duke of Milan but neglected his duties because of his love of the study of magic.This gave his brother, Antonio, the opportunity to conspire with the King of Naples to usurp him.They escaped death with the help of a trusted servant called Gonzalo, who provided them with a small boat, some food, clothing and his magic books.
When Prospero and Miranda arrived on the island 12 years ago, he learned that a wicked witch called Sycorax was the ruler of the island.She was from Algeria and worshipped Setabos.She was already dead when Prospero and Miranda arrived but her deformed son, Caliban, was still on the island with an imprisoned spirit called Ariel.Prospero freed Ariel and became the master of the island.
Ariel and Caliban are Prospero’s servants but he treats them differently.Prospero and Miranda were once kind to Caliban and taught him to speak and things about nature.Prospero thinks Caliban is ungrateful and, because Caliban tried to rape Miranda, he now treats him like a slave.
Caliban hates Prospero because it was his mother’s island, so it should belong to him.It is because he has learned how to speak that he can now use language to curse Prospero.
Prospero promises Ariel his freedom if he helps him with his plan to seek revenge on Antonio and Alonso.The storm is the work of Ariel.He also magically leads different people onto various parts of the island, as instructed by Prospero.
Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, thinks his father has drowned and so he is now the King of Naples.He is magically led by Ariel and meets Miranda.As Prospero has hoped, Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love but he decides to treat Ferdinand badly so he can test his love for Miranda.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Key words to translate
Word or phrase / Translation / Meaningtodestroy
toneglect
to study
his magic
the opportunity
to conspire
to usurp
to escape
a trusted servant
to provide
the ruler of
to worship
her deformed son
to imprison
to teach
to think
a slave
to rape
to hate
to belong
to learn
to curse
to seek revenge
various
to instruct
to drown