THE TEMPEST – SHAKESPEARE 1. How does Shakespeare indicate the level of chaos in the first scene of Act I? This opening scene certainly contains spectacle, in the form of the howling storm tossing the little ship about and threatening to kill the characters before the play has even begun. The play begins with a “noise of thunder and lightning”. The first word, “Boatswain!” immediately indicates that the scene is the deck of a ship, and the characters rush frantically in and out, often with no purpose. Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo indicated the general level of chaos and confusion. Cries from off-stage create the illusion of a space below-decks. The mortal danger of the storm upsets the usual balance between these two groups, nobles and servants. The storm is not a natural phenomenon at all, but a deliberate magical conjuring by Prospero, designed to bring the ship to the island. The tempest is, in fact, central to the plot. 2. …show more content…
How is the conflict between masters and servants established? The characters on the boat are divided into nobles, such as Antonio and Gonzalo, and servants or professionals, such as the Boatswain. The mortal danger of the storm upsets the usual balance between these two groups, and the Boatswain, attempting to save the ship, comes into direct conflict with the hapless nobles, who, despite their helplessness, are extremely irritated at being rudely spoken to by a commoner. As the scene progresses, the characters speak less about the storm than about the class conflict underlying their attempts to survive it—a conflict between masters and servants that, as the story progresses, becomes perhaps the major motif of the play. 3. Mention and explain the two flashbacks or stories told to Miranda and then to Ariel in Act I, Scene II. 1st