Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
HSC 2016
Katie Barranquero
Discovery: The Tempest
Related Text: Life of Pi
(book)
The Tempest
Syllabus themes
Discovery entails the gaining of information about one's self and the world, and can have a profound impact on an individual.
First time discovery
Miranda learns of Prospero's past and how he lost his Dukedom
o This was concealed by Prospero for many years, despite them being the only ones on the island
o Miranda's discovery of her past has huge ramifications on her perception of herself, her father, and the world
o “I, not rememb’ring how I cried out then, Will cry it o’er again”
Being stranded on an island challenges the men physically, spiritually and emotionally
o The men are thrust onto the island by the tempest that Prospero conjured
o They are forced to make discoveries about themselves that they would not have otherwise made
o "Thou the seas threaten, they are merciful; I've cursed them without cause" - Ferdinand acknowledges that the
tempest has led him to make great discoveries
Discovery of Miranda's first love
o Miranda has never known love for a man other than her father
o Her perception of men has always been negative - Caliban, Alonso, etc.
o "This is the third man that e'er I saw; the first That e'er I sighed for."
Lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ideas and enable us to speculate about future possibilities
Miranda's discovery of life beyond the island
o Miranda is filled with a sense of wonder and awe, as she begins to speculate about the many possibilities of her future
o "O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has
such people in’t!"
o "I am your wife, if you will marry me; if not, I'll die your maid"
Prospero's realisation of a more forgiving self
o The brave decision to give up his magic and forgive the men has given Prospero a fresh start, and he is left to speculate
about his future in Milan
o "Now my charms are all o'erthrown, And what strength I have's mine own"
The Tempest
The Tempest as a play
Act 1
Scene 1
The storm is a classic Shakespearean foreshadowing advice. The storm is the catalyst for Discovery throughout the entire
play
Nature is established at the start as a powerful force and Prospero attempts to intervene and control it
The colonial context is clear: boats, journey, destination unknown, adventure. It is human nature to explore and this was at
a peak during the age of Discovery during the Jacobean era
The characters are facing a certain death at sea - the wider metaphor being the perils faced by adventures during this time
Scene 2
Miranda is established as empathetic and compassionate
Prospero wears his "magic garment" - a symbol of his adopted position of power on the island
Prospero reveals the "foul play" that usurped him from his position of the Duke of Milan. Miranda's "heart bleeds" for the
deeds of her "false uncle'. The tone suggests betrayal.
The collocations are words of treachery and corrupt behaviour
The revelation about the past contributes to Miranda's immediate renewed understanding of relationships and her
worldliness grows
Symbolic references to Jove and Neptune reflect beliefs about the universe that were popular at the time
Ariel recounts the behaviour on the ship when confronted with serious adversity - magical elements
The master servant relationship is introduced and could parallel the post colonial concerns with the acquisition of new
territories during the age of discovery
Ariel is represented as the dutiful servant whose actions reflect his hope to achieve "my liberty". His story parallels many
throughout the history of mankind and stories of enslavement.
The speech where Prospero describes Sycorax and Caliban's physical deformities can also be interpreted as a metaphor for
their moral deformity and evil nature
"This island's mine", "which first was mine", "you do keep from me the rest of the island" - the position of those nations
and natives colonised by the British, They have had to adapt and survive and discover ways to exist. For Caliban, this
clashes morally with his attitude to Miranda. Ariel and Caliban are positioned as outsiders and juxtaposed to those in
power such as Prospero
The natives are portrayed as brutal and uncivilised/sub human.
Ariel's song is about transformation - a foreshadowing movement in the play
Ferdinand suggests his eyes have been opened - a symbol for learning and the gaining of wisdom. Eyes are used as a motif.
There is much discussion about Miranda's virginity and purity. She is on the cusp of discovering her womanhood and
feminine power
Prospero's tone is autocratic
Act Two
Scene One
"weigh our sorrow with our comfort" - Gonzalo is positioned as optimistic and encourages Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian
to change their perception of the situation
“Here is everything advantageous to life.” He wants them to look at the beauty in nature, “lush”, “how green!”
Gonzalo wants to impart and share his knowledge but the others mock him and resist altering their views. He is clearly a
Renaissance man - someone who stands for enlightenment. He rediscovers many myths and stories but this is not valued
by the others.
Weather and nature is a recurring motif. It mirrors human behaviour and emotions.
Juxtaposition of Gonzalo and Antonio - classic good vs evil. Antonio reveals the depths of his evil and ambition and reveals
he has no conscience. A truly Machiavellian characteristic.
Sleeping is used as a wider metaphor for ignorance - those who don’t want to learn and grow.
Sebastian and Antonio’s plot is ironically subhuman and uncivilised.
Scene Two
“Near Caliban’s cave” The setting is symbolic of Caliban’s heritage. It also suggests secrecy, concealment.
The treatment of natives is often harsh, as explored by Caliban’s soliloquy.
The language used to describe the natives is associated with the devil. Trinculo and Stephano hope to profit from Caliban -
as the colonised nations profited from the land of the natives.
Caliban worships Stephano, thinking he is a God. He is spiritually poor and worships a false God and alcohol.
The island symbolises opportunity and there is much that Caliban can teach his new friends about it.
Caliban sings of freedom, yet the irony is that his servitude continues. The oxymoron “brave monster” suggests this conflict.
There is a moral question for the audience to consider: What does it mean to be civilised?
Act Three
Scene One
The depths of affection between Ferdinand and Miranda continue to grow as they are in the process of discovering their
first love. There is awe and wonder in the depths of their feelings for each other.
The transformative power of love is explored through metaphors of pregnancy and new life.
Scene 2
Caliban reveals his hatred of Prospero “his cunning hath cheated me of the island”
Ariel is privy to the plot to overthrow Prospero and in doing so discovers the evil threat to the balance of power on the
island. Ariel proves a most loyal slave. Stealing books would steal his power.
Scene 3
Alonso begins his journey towards self actualisation. His character undergoes spiritual growth on the island as he processes
the assumed loss of his son Ferdinand. He reassesses what is important to him. HIs grief actually enlightens him.
“solemn and strange music”, “bringing in a banquet”
“Thunder and lightning” precedes Ariel’s condemnation of Alonso, Sebastian and Antonio. “You are three men of sin.”
“the banquet vanishes” - he strips them of enjoyment and indulgences just as they have done to Prospero.
“Incensed the seas and shores” nature motif.
Act Four
Scene 1
Miranda grows towards independence and Ariel moves closer to achieving his autonomy.
Iris enters. She is the Goddess of earth/harvest foreshadowing Miranda’s discovery of her womanhood and transformation
from child to wife. The language and imagery is of fertility representing her duty as a wife to bear children.
The masque scene is indicative of the renewed interest during Renaissance times of mythology.
Does Ferdinand discover that happiness can be found in the simplicity of the island and the love of a woman? Away from
royalty and title/status he is just a man in love with a woman. The island provides some understanding of a utopia that
exists in nature and beauty, rather than royalty and materials.
Prospero’s famous speech outlines the impermanence of human life and existence. He presents the audience with many
philosophical questions that are yet to be answered/ discovered. Not everything in life can be explained.
Prospero represents mankind’s journey towards understanding. The island and new world has provided the opportunity to
learn this.
Prospero also realises that he cannot control human nature.
Stephano and Trinculo are distracted from their murderous plot by clothes “look what a wardrobe here is”
Act Five
Scene 1
Purification through trials and suffering. Eg. Alonso’s grieving has been cathartic. The atonement leads to harmony.
Values have been changed and reformed through the isolation and suffering on the island.
Redemption has healing powers as Prospero becomes human again, leaving his magic behind. “Being awake” confirms he is
ready to be awakened and enlightened.
“I do forgive thy rankest fault” Prospero is now fully human again.
The chess game reinforces the strategy and manipulation of Prospero and Ariel on the island.
“How beauteous mankind is!”, “O brave new world” Miranda is exhaultant at her new perspective and maturation.
Prospero admits his poor treatment of Caliban and that he was motivated by “darkness.”
Prospero’s language becomes increasingly reflective and meditative as he embraces his humanity without his magic.
The mood is calm and contrasts with the opening of the play.
The characters have been stripped bare.
The play concludes with a final rediscovery of relationships as well as social order. There is a renewed understanding of
what it means to be human and our responsibility to each other and to nature.
Life of Pi
Syllabus themes
Pi's journey begins with his abandonment at sea.
Pi's discovery is a solitary experience.
Lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ideas and enable us to speculate about future possibilities
Pi has left his comfort zone and must now discover his own values and beliefs in order to navigate and survive the 'sea of
life'.
Spiritual discovery
o Suffering was an unavoidable occurrence in life
o "So as long as God is with me, I will not die."
Life of Pi
Themes, motifs & symbols
Themes
The will to live
A story about struggling to survive through seemingly insurmountable odds
The shipwrecked inhabitants of the little lifeboat don’t simply acquiesce to their fate: they actively fight against it
As Martel makes clear in his novel, living creatures will often do extraordinary, unexpected, and sometimes heroic things to
survive
At the end of the novel, when Pi raises the possibility that the fierce tiger, Richard Parker, is actually an aspect of his own
personality, and that Pi himself is responsible for some of the horrific events he has narrated, the reader is forced to decide
just what kinds of actions are acceptable in a life-or-death situation
Motifs
Territorial dominance
If Richard Parker is seen as an aspect of Pi’s own personality, the notion that a distinct boundary can be erected between
the two represents Pi’s need to disavow the violent, animalistic side of his nature
Ritual
Throughout the novel, characters achieve comfort through the practice of rituals
Without rituals, routines, and habits, the novel implies, people feel uneasy and unmoored
Rituals give structure to abstract ideas and emotions—in other words, ritual is an alternate form of storytelling
Symbols
Pi
Pi has so many decimal places that the human mind can’t accurately comprehend it, just as, the book argues, some realities
are too difficult or troubling to face
These associations establish the character Pi as more than just a realistic protagonist; he also is an allegorical figure with
multiple layers of meaning
Life of Pi
Life of Pi as a book
Narrative device distances the reader from the truth. We don't know whether Pi's story is accurate or what pieces to believe.
This effect is intentional; throughout Pi emphasizes the importance of choosing the better story, believing that imagination
trumps cold, hard facts. In his interviews with the Japanese investigators after his rescue, he offers first the more fanciful
version of his time at sea. But, at their behest, he then provides an alternative version that is more realistic but ultimately less
appealing to both himself and his questioners. The structure of the novel both illustrates Pi’s defining characteristic, his
dependence on and love of stories, and highlights the inherent difficulties in trusting his version of events.
The disaster serves as the catalyst in his emotional growth; he must now become self-sufficient. Though he mourns the loss of
his family and fears for his life, he rises to the challenge. The devastating shipwreck turns Pi into an adult, able to fend for
himself out in the world alone.
Questioning his own values, he decides that his vegetarianism is a luxury under the conditions and learns to fish.
Pi’s belief in God inspires him as a child and helps sustain him while at sea. In Pondicherry, his atheistic biology teacher
challenges his Hindu faith in God, making him realize the positive power of belief, the need to overcome the otherwise
bleakness of the universe. His burgeoning need for spiritual connection deepens while at sea. Throughout his adventure, he
prays regularly, which provides him with solace, a sense of connection to something greater, and a way to pass the time.
Richard Parker symbolizes Pi’s most animalistic instincts. Out on the lifeboat, Pi must perform many actions to stay alive that
he would have found unimaginable in his normal life. Parker is the version of himself that Pi has invented to make his story
more palatable, both to himself and to his audience.