In this video Jonathan Slinger talks about how old Prospero is and what might happen to him when he returns to Milan and David Farr, who directed the production in 2012, talks about the theme of reconciliation.

One of the key questions for this character is:

Why does Prospero choose to forgive his enemies?

We’ve started to think about some of the reasons why Prospero forgives his enemies. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 5 Scene 1: Look at the dialogue between Ariel and Prospero at the start of this scene. How much do you think Prospero is affected by Ariel’s words? Had he already decided to forgive the nobles or does he decide in this moment?
• Act 5 Scene 1: Explore how Prospero speaks to the nobles and to Caliban. What do his words suggest about how he feels towards each of them? Do you think he is more forgiving to some than others?
• Act 4 Scene 1: In this scene Prospero’s celebration of his daughter’s betrothal to Ferdinand is interrupted as he remembers that Caliban is plotting against his life. Look at how Miranda and Ferdinand describe his anger and what Prospero says himself. How justified do you think Prospero would be in wanting to destroy Caliban?

Miranda is fifteen years old and has led a very unusual life. She left Milan when she was three years old and has only a few distant memories of her time there. She has lived on the island for twelve years with only her father and Caliban for company. Her father has been her tutor and has taught her using the books he has.

One of the key questions for her is:

How has growing up on the island affected Miranda?

We’ve started to think below about some of the ways growing up on the island may have affected Miranda. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 1 Scene 2: Explore Miranda’s responses to the story her father tells her about how they arrived on the island. What do you think this scene suggests about what she might have lost and gained by growing up on the island?
• Act 1 Scene 2: This is the only scene that gives us clues about Miranda’s relationship with Caliban. From what Miranda and Caliban say in this scene, what sense do you get of what their relationship might have been before Caliban attacked Miranda? How might that relationship have affected her as she grew up?
• Act 3 Scene 1: Explore Miranda’s dialogue with Ferdinand. How do you think her words and actions have been influenced by her unusual upbringing? What do you think they suggest about her relationship with her father?

As director Gregory Doran discusses with the actors in this video, there are different possibilities for the relationship between Prospero and Ariel. Ariel may hate Prospero and only serve him because he has to, or Ariel may feel gratitude and loyalty towards Prospero, or something in between. One of the key questions for this character is:

How does Ariel feel about Prospero?

We’ve started to think about how Ariel might feel about Prospero below. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you have evidence! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 1 Scene 2: Explore the dialogue between Ariel and Prospero in this scene. Consider how they respond to each other and what this might suggest about their relationship.
• Act 3 Scene 2: In this scene, Ariel’s interjections seem in support of Prospero. To what extent do you think Ariel acts to protect Prospero, ensure his own freedom, or make fun of the drunkards?
• Act 5 Scene 1: Look at the dialogue at the start of the scene where Ariel suggests Prospero should forgive the nobles. What do you think Ariel’s lines might suggest about how he feels about Prospero? Notice the few lines Ariel has in the rest of the scene. Do you think these lines suggest he wants praise for his good work or does he want to remind Prospero to set him free? When Ariel is set free, Shakespeare does not give him anything to say. What do you think he might do?

Caliban is the only human inhabitant of the island when Prospero and Miranda arrive and yet he is often described in ways that make him seem less than human. These descriptions tell us about Caliban, but they may tell us more about the characters who choose to describe him in the way that they do. Is Caliban a ‘monster’, the sub-human child of a witch and a devil, or is he just different – an outsider to how the Italian nobles and their servants behave? One of the key questions for this character is:

How human is Caliban?

We’ve started to think about who Caliban is below. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you have evidence! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 1 Scene 2: Look at how Prospero describes Caliban when he is talking to Ariel and, later in this scene, how he talks to Caliban. It is clear that Prospero’s attitude towards Caliban has changed. Do you think Prospero’s descriptions of Caliban as subhuman are accurate or do you think his changed attitude suggests otherwise?
• Act 2 Scene 2: Explore how Trinculo and Stephano talk to and about Caliban. What do their words and actions suggest about him?
• Act 3 Scene 2: In this scene Caliban has two longer speeches, both in verse: one uses violent imagery and the other uses peaceful imagery. What do you think these two speeches suggest about how human Caliban is?