The Tempest Detailed Study : Act-I ACT I, SCENE 1 play opens on board a ship at sea, in the midst of a fierce storm. It is anoisy scene, ¢ storm is driving the ship ashore. The captain of the ship tells the boatswain to spire the crew of the ship to be alert and to fight the storm. The boatswain is going to give his orders, when Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo and other Toyal passengers of the ship appear on the deck. __ Alonso, the King of Naples, speaks to the boatswain. He wants to know the ‘whereabouts of the captain of the ship. The boatswain does not have the time to ; royalty when the ship is in the midst of such a terrible storm. He says: Fat cares these roarers for the name of king” He orders them to retumn to their in since they are merely being a hindrance to the crew’s effort in saving the ship. that the boatswain totally ignores them despite the cursing by Sebastian and io, who are not satisfied with the sailors’ attempt in saving the ship. | Though equally fearful of sinking, Gonzalo, an older courtier, makes light of the situation by saying that the boatswain is so rude he must be destined to be hanged ‘Thus, he’s not likely to be drowned, and with him aboard, the ship is safe. But this half-hearted joke doesn’t calm anyone. In fact, by this time, the passengers are deserting the ship for the open waves, and Gonzalo’s last words, “I would fain die a dry death,” hold out little hope for their survival. This is a boisterous scene with noise and confusion. It is a dramatic spectacle. It is designed to catch the audience's attention and keep them in suspense as they wonder whether or not the ship will make it through the storm. Accurate depiction of seamanship ‘The scene has many terms of seamanship, which shows Shakespeare's familiarity with the subject. The graphic picture of a ship drifting towards the rocky coast of an island, the action to be taken by the sailors to keep the ship under control, suggest some knowledge of the ships and sailing.Stage Devices Today, the storms on a stage are re-created with modern staging devices, ie. changes, pre-recorded sound effects, mechanical methods of jostling pieces of or rain-making machines. In Shakesp to suggest the crashing waves, or wind days, such options did not exist. The storm’s wild noises were made with cyml and drums, and the sailor's yells by actors off-stage. But the most important way the playwright to suggest the storm was to show its effect on the characters al the ship. Shakespeare shows in this context how the entire royal party is frightene and its reactions to the storm. Creation of suspense through dialogue ‘The opening scene with noise and confusion is designed to create suspense, since # fate of the ship and its passengers is uncertain, The playwright suggests the sto by showing its effect on characters on the ship's deck. The dramatist manage depict the fright of the royal entourage with remarkable skill. The feeble atten King Alonso to command the attention of the boatswain is a foreshadow of his lae control over the events that are about to unfold. Sebastian's and Antonio's the sailors reveals their cynical humour and complete disbelief in any supern power. It also portrays them as self-seeking men who would even betray their moments of crisis. ‘Only Gonzalo, the older courtier, emerges as the one trying to cling to his of humour, with the attempted joke about the boatswain. One of his last state (The wills above be done”) shows that he, unlike the other two, has some fait! ultimate authority that is controlling the events. The scene ends on a hop leaving the audience in suspense about the fate of the ship and its pa ‘The sense of light-heartedness ‘The scene is not very tragic despite the terrible storm and the fact that so mal are at stake. Shakespeare lets us know that he does not want us to be too because he makes use of subtle dramatic devices like the boatswain ig presence amidst the storm and the devastating wit of Gonzalo. There is the danger presented by the storm. But Gonzalo’s satire relieves it to a gt ‘The title of the play ‘The storm gives the play its title. It is a very short scene, consisting of lines. But the scene is of vital importance, since every subsequent event 0 flows from the tempest and the consequent shipwreck. aeBring out the dramatic significance of the ‘opening scene of the play The Tempest. The opening scene of a play is always ‘significant. It introduces main characters in ‘one way or the other. It initiates the main action as well. There are also hints about the direction the play will head through. If it is ‘successful ft arouses our curiosity as to what is going to happen next. ‘The opening scene in The Tempest is dramatically quite melodramatic as it is about ‘The scene opens on a ship amidst a furious storm at sea. There is a panic among the passengers on the ship. The passengers come ‘out of their cabins and rush towards the deck. The boatswain asks the meddlesome to go back to their cabins. It appears ‘will sink and the passengers will re maintains opening scene. It appears that acquired the sailors’ language seamen whom he had met The scene illustrates a moral. It that danger reduces the royal and the common people to the When Alonso, the king of Naples, boatswain, he is hardly respectful in such troubled circumstances. tells the boatswain, “Good boatswain, have care, master? Play the men!” the boatswain replies curtly, “I pray now, keep below!” ‘The opening scene is dramatically because it narrates the central act play. All the events that follow are with the storm that takes pl ‘opening scene. Though it does not main characters, it arouses in our curiosity to know more about the passengers aboard the ship. We that supernatural agency plays a shipwreck. The real exposition starts with the next scene Many objections have been title The Tempest given to Shakespeare, Do you think the ‘not ? Discuss and illustrate. Q2 Ans. There is a great variety in the by Shakespeare to his plays. Othello, Macbeth, King Lear and their titles from the names of ‘Then there are fanciful, af hie lays such a8 As you light, Merchant of Ve Meteor a Thetitle The Tempest given tothe rise to some controversy, yet itAG Like? SCENE 1 ty opens on a ship in the midst oe i oe The ship’s master curtly tells the boatswain to get the A ighting the form, but the latter has no sooner started giving his orders to the sailors than he is interrupted by the panicked entrance of the ship’s S. SS OAeRES. the King of Naples, speaks to the boatswain, but he has no respect for royalty during such troubles at sea. ‘*What cares these roarers for the name of king?” he asks the meddlesome passengers, When they ignore the boatswain’s repeated order to go back to their cabins, he pays no further attention to them. Sebastian and Antonio, two of the courtiers, resort to cursing the sailors trying to save the ship. Though equally fearful of sinking, Gonzalo, an older courtier, makes light of the situation by saying that the boatswain is so rude he must be destined to be hanged. Thus, he’s not likely to be drowned, and, with him aboard, the ship is safe. But this half-hearted joke doesn’t calm anyone. In fact, by this time, the passengers are deserting the ship for the open waves, and Gonzalo’s last words, ‘‘I would fain die a dry death,”’ hold out little hope for their survival. Commentary > This is a boisterous scene, which starts the play off with a dramatic spectacle. It is designed to catch the audience’s attention as they wonder whether or not the ship will make it through the storm. _Today, theatrical storms can be re-created with modern staging devices, i.e., intricate lighting changes, pre-recorded sound effects, perhaps mechanical methods of jostling pieces of scenery to suggest the crashing waves, or even wind- or rain-making machines. In Shake- speare’s day, of course, such options did not exist. The storm’s wild noises were possibly made with cymbals and drums, and the sailor’s yells by actors off-stage. But the most important way for the playwright to suggest the storm was to show its effect on the characters aboard the ship. With typical skillfulness, Shakespeare shows how the entire court party is frightened, at the same time as he begins to delineate certain characters by their various reactions to the storm. Alonso, the king, makes a feeble attempt to command the boat- ona 's attention, but he fails — foreshadowing his lack of control ove events about to unfold. Sebastian, the king’s brother, and Antonio the Duke of Milan, take out their fears by cursin; and taunting the sailors, show: he fi i i i . ing the first sign of their cynical humour and completentonio: Let’s all sink with th’ King. tian: Let’s take leave of him. ly Gonzalo, the older courtier, emerges as one trying to cling to humour, with the attempted joke about the boatswain. One { statements (“The wills above be done”) shows that he, unlike 0, has some faith in an ultimate authority that is ordering Ae cene ends ona Hepsi note, leaving the audience fate of the ship and its passengers, nting as it does chaos, violence and disruption,