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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. What does Prospero realize about himself when Ariel tells him about the men in the cave?

2. Why does Prospero abruptly stop the marriage ceremony and change his mood?

3. In Act IV, Scene I, Prospero's speech mirrors that of which other character?

4. What does Caliban ask Stephano to do?

5. Prospero distracts the three men from their plan of revenge; who distracts Prospero from his?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ariel meddle with the Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban trio in Scene II of Act III?

2. How does Ariel instill remorse in some of the characters when he appears following the banquet?

3. What is Stephano's ulterior motive in the plan to murder Prospero?

4. What is the significance of Gonzalo's comment about the gentleness of the spirits at the banquet?

5. How does Gonzalo's understanding about Antonio's and Sebastian's plan reveal a similarity between himself and Ferdinand and Miranda?

6. How does Caliban reveal his humane side in Act III, Scene II?

7. What does Prospero do following his revelation about the futility of revenge and his self realization?

8. Why does Prospero conjure the banquet for Antonio, Alonso, Sebastian and Gonzalo?

9. Describe the tempest and how it is developed metaphorically throughout the play and eventually ended.

10. What spirits does Prospero summon for the magical performance when he sees Ferdinand getting too close to Miranda?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the importance of the exposition within a story? What does it do? Where in The Tempest is the exposition? Think about character development, plot and foreshadowing of events to come. Cite examples from the play's exposition that accomplish these objectives.

Essay Topic 2

Alonso's character is the only person to appear remorseful for his past misdeeds. Do you believe his remorse to be genuine, or is he as unrepentant as Antonio and Sebastian? Why, or why not? Cite evidence from the play.

Essay Topic 3

"We are such stuff/As dreams are made on." Who says this in a famous soliloquy in "The Tempest?" What is the meaning of this verse? What is its significance in regard to the rest of the play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 977 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample