Summary Three A Grade Answers for 'The Tempest': Shakespeare; OCR Paper 1, Section A.
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Course
Drama and poetry pre-1900 (H472)
Institution
OCR
In the files attached, there are three answers to questions about Shakespeare's last play 'The Tempest'. The answer to Act 1, Scene 1 is based on the whole scene, therefore there is no linked extract.
In all of the questions, they have been marked and I have received either an A or A* grade.
English Literature: The Tempest A1, S1 Julia
Przewiezlikowska
Paper 1: section a, part 1.
Discuss the following passage from Act 1, Scene 1, exploring Shakespear's use
of language and its dramatic effects. (15 marks)
Act 1, scene 1 is the opening to the Tempest, this scene establishes a tone and mood to the
play, the nature of this play at the launch will give an idea of what to anticipate, and who is
a part of it. The audience is easily impressionable at this point due to the supply of fresh
faces, scenarios, and settings, they are unsure of what to expect.
Shakespeare kicks off the Tempest with a chaotic, and almost overwhelming, quick-paced
setting of a ship- containing nobles- during a storm. It is easy to spot and highlight the panic
in this scene due to the use of exclamatory sentences, such as “Boatswain!,” “Bestir, Bestir!”
and “Yare! Yare!.” The constant use of repetition is not to go unnoticed as it reinforces the
claim of [tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning] made in the very start in the stage
directions. It inexplicitly states that the noise is so aggressive and deafening that shipmen
are struggling to communicate and hear each other.
Persistently, the audience is met with new characters, starting with the men of low status;
such as the Boatswain and Master of the ship, and proceeding onward to the King of Naples,
Alonso. As conversation is exchanged with Alonso, Boatswain, and Gonzalo, (an honest
councillor) the dialogue is illustrated by Shakespeare as verbally combative, hostile, and
argumentative. The King, Alonso, is seen constantly mentally assaulting the Boatswain and
attempting to dominate over him to highlight his authority. The relationship between
Alonso and the Boatswain is clear, as essentially it boils down to a master and a salve. For
instance, it is seen in the command Alonso exerts “Play the men!,” the instruction is direct
and said in the present tense, Alonso is more than aware of his supremacy over Boatswain,
who must submit to the orders immediately. This dynamic between the common and royal
is an exemplar of disrespect, the Boatswain- a man of no power- continues to ‘talk back’ to
the King. His ignorance to Alonso, to whom he is expected to sacrifice his life for, is regarded
as disgusting by the other characters. Their opinions can be made out due to their own
reactions to the disobedience painted by Boatswain.
At every instance, Sebastian and Antonio are perceived by Shakespeare to defend Alonso,
this is ironic due to their teaming up later in the play in a plan of murdering the King to take
his crown. However, both characters are illustrated as excessively hostile and bitter to the
ones beneath them in the hierarchy. Such as the extended insult escaping Sebastians lips
aimed towards Boatswain naming him a “bawling, blasphemous, uncharitable dog.” The use
of blasphemous represents how opposing the King was to oppose God, not only was he
disobeying the orders of a powerful man, but he also violated the mightiest deity. The use of
explosive b’s demonstrates how passionate Sebastian was to defend the name of the King
even though the opinion of an ordinary man is not a threat to him.
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