English 102: Introduction to Literature
Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Choose one of the following topics and develop 4-5 pages in an analytical paper with research. First, determine what position or point of view you are presenting. Choose 2 direct quotes from each of the critical articles on The Tempest and list these 4 quotes with your explanation of how the critic either supports your thesis statement or not. Finally, combine your direct quotations from both primary and secondary sources with your own analysis in a finished draft. Be sure to include a separate page at the end for your list of Works Cited that lists your primary text of The Tempest and the critical articles as your secondary sources. List them all in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
See MLA style for formatting: https://owl.purdue.edu.
Choose two characters from The Tempest and compare how they each view their world and society. Answer the following questions within the context of your discussion.
What role does the character play?
What is the character’s relationship to important characters in the play?
What does the character contribute to the significance of the play?
How would the play be different without this character?
Describe the struggle for independence within The Tempest and consider what forces work to encourage and/or to defeat this independence. Choose 2-3 characters to explain who struggles in the play, how, and why.
Describe the elements of imagination in the play, the use of magic, dreaming, sleeping, pretense, and disguise, to show how the success of the plot relies on these elements. Choose 2-3 significant events that contribute to the development of the story within the play.
Explain the theme of shifting power struggles within the play to show where authority shifts occur, how they occur, and with whom the power lies at any given time within the play. Choose 2-3 characters and describe the movement of power within the relationships between these characters.
Duke Prospect has been exiled from Milan by his brother Antonio but rules Ariel and Caliban on the island. What kind of ruler do you think he is? A benevolent ruler or cruel tyrant? Develop an argument to defend your position. Draw on examples from the text to illustrate your ideas.
Be sure to use the MLA heading, a centered title, direct quotations, paraphrasing, summary points, and interpretative commentary to develop your responses. Cite the act, scene, and line numbers within parenthetical references after each direct quote from the play, for example: (2.3.12-14); use author’s last name followed by page number for the critical articles, for example: (Reuben 20).