The Tempest- Patriarchy, hierarchy and displays of power quotes Flashcards
Act 1 Scene 1: “What cares these roarers…
…for the name of king?”
Boatswain to Gonzalo
-despite the king having full priority and authority in any other situation, the boatswain is allowed to speak in such a disrespectful way because he is the one that is keeping them alive at sea
-shows the change in hierarchy to the person with the most power, like Prospero taking over the island after he killed Sycorax or Antonio usurping Prospero in Milan
Act 1 Scene 1: “I have great comfort from this fellow…
…Methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him-his complexion is perfect gallows”
Gonzalo soliloquy about the boatswain
-even when it could cost his life, he does not allow impertinence towards the king
-so loyal to the role he has under the king and duke that him saving Prospero could be seen as a last act of loyalty to a higher power rather than true kindness, could also be seen to prove that the act was truly kind because he had to go against Antonio and Alonso
-shows power isn’t always what controls heirarchy like Ariel and Prospero
Act 1 Scene 1: “The king and prince at…
…prayers, let’s assist them, for our case is as theirs”
Gonzalo to Antonio and sebastian
-cares more for Alonso and Ferdinand’s safety and wants than their own lives
Act 1 Scene 1: “Let’s all sink…
…wi’th’King”
Gonzalo to the others
-loyal to the king
-‘a captain always goes down with his ship’ so Gonzalo, Antonio and Sebastian are well within their rights to leave but Gonzalo wishes to drown with his king
Act 1 Scene 2: “if by your art, my dearest father, you have…
…put the wild waters in this roar, allay them”
Miranda’s first line and to Prospero
-she is only able to ask her father to stop but is powerless to help
-we know how powerful Prospero is from this first line because upon seeing ‘the sea, mounting to th’ welkin’s cheek’ (heavens), she instantly knows it could only have been her father
Act 1 Scene 2: “my dear one”
Prospero to Miranda
-uses ‘my’ like with Ariel, who is also a feminine character, shows that they are possessed by Prospero
Act 1 Scene 2: “The dire spectacle…
…of the wreck”
Prospero to Miranda
-shows his power as he sees such a traumatic experience as a simple show of theatrics and spectacle
-parallels between Prospero and Shakespeare
Act 1 Scene 2: “Thy father was…
…the Duke of Milan”
Prospero to Miranda
-Miranda only has status as the daughter of someone with power but doesn’t have power herself, like Prospero having magic making her higher up in the heirarchy
-her only power is her father
Act 1 Scene 2: “O’ the heavens!”
“O’ my heart bleeds”
Miranda to Prospero
-While Prospero is displayed as a powerful, intelligent and level headed man, Miranda is displayed more often than not as overly emotional and unable to think beyond how she feels despite her responses often being the right one like when she asked to help Ferdinand with his work.
-could be seen as Miranda being able to show emotional intelligence where her male counterparts cannot because often, logic is treated by men as intelligence without feeling
Act 1 Scene 2: “Miranda sleeps”
-stage direction of Prospero putting Miranda to sleep with marriage
eerie desplay of power and command over the whole island
Act 1 Scene 2: “All hail, great master, grave sir, hail!…
…I come to answer thy best pleasure”
-Ariel to Prospero
shows Prospero’s power as he is able to command a spirit who can sink ships
Act 1 Scene 2: “Thou did’st seek to violate the…
…honour of my child”
-Prospero to Caliban about his attempt to rape Miranda.
‘the honour of my child’ insinuates that Prospero cared more about Miranda’s virginity nearly being lost than her actual well being
Act 1 Scene 2: “I must obey. His art is…
…of such power it would control my dam’s god Sebetos”
Caliban aside about Prospero
His mother’s god, Sebetos (a ‘great devil’ of the pagonians) was useless against Prospero
Act 2 Scene 2: Stephano’s sea shanty entry
sets up drunken sailor character but could represent the glorification of lower class lifestyles by upper classes because Stephano wants to be perceived like a rough, womanising sailor but was actually living wherever the king lived as a servant but relatively well off
Act 3 Scene 1: “I had rather crack my sinews, break my…
…back, than you should such dishonour undergo while i sit lazy by.”
Ferdinand to Miranda about her asking to help him
although this is romantic as it shows his respect for her, it also proves the pitfalls of society’s infantilisation of women as helpless because living on the island, Miranda was far from helpless
