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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Miranda at first took pity on Caliban and tried to

2. The two spirits who reside on the island with Prospero and Miranda are

3. What does Prospero do at the end of Act III, Scene I?

4. Antonio castigates the Boatswain during the storm, because he believes the sailors are

5. What does Trinculo wonder about Caliban after listening to his drunken speech?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Act I, Scene II with Miranda and Ferdinand a kind of exposition for the plot?

2. During the storm, what can the audience already infer about Gonzalo's character and why?

3. Why does Miranda regret telling Ferdinand her name so quickly?

4. Why does Prospero render Ferdinand immobile during Act I, Scene II?

5. What does the initial scene at sea foreshadow in the play?

6. What does Ariel do when Antonio and Sebastian draw their swords and why?

7. What is the metaphorical significance of the play's title, "The Tempest"?

8. Why does Prospero create the tempest? What is his initial incentive?

9. What function in the play is served by Act II, Scene II with Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban?

10. How is Prospero similar to both Antonio and Gonzalo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Prospero uses his magic to conjure a banquet for his enemies. Why does he do this, rather than use his magic in a different way to punish them? What is the significance of the banquet? What was Shakespeare's intention with the inclusion of this scene?

Essay Topic 2

Ferdinand, Miranda and Gonzalo are considered moral beacons throughout the play. Compare them to other characters in the play, citing examples where their moral and pure characteristics directly contrast with the play's more treacherous characters.

Essay Topic 3

Shakespearean plays tend to have comic relief characters to lighten the drama that is taking place. Describe the characters involved in the Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano trio. What are the comical elements of their scenes? How do they make light of the more serious subplots in the play? What do their scenes do for the play's plot?

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