Exploring Prospero and Caliban's relationship in Act 1 Scene 2 of 'The Tempest' | English

Starter quiz

If something is 'wicked' then it is ______.
- something bad ✓
- something good
- something hopeful
- something jealous
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero describes Caliban as 'wicked'. What do you think their relationship is?
- They are friends.
- They don't know each other.
- They are enemies. ✓
- They are rivals.
What does it mean to be superior?
- To be higher in status than someone ✓
- To be lower in status than someone
- To be the same rank as someone
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero is Caliban's master. What does this mean about their relationship?
- Prospero is superior to Caliban. ✓
- Prospero is inferior to Caliban.
- They are the same rank.
Match the stage costume with the impression of the character.
- Formal suit
  
  ⇔
  
  Someone professional and respected ✓
- Dirty, ripped clothes
  
  ⇔
  
  Someone not doing very well in their life ✓
- A walking stick
  
  ⇔
  
  Someone elderly ✓
If someone describes an emotion or sensation to you in detail, what two things does this imply?
- They really want you to imagine the sensation ✓
- They want you to understand the emotion ✓
- They want you to repeat it back to them
- They want you to respond with your own story

Several theatrical productions of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' show Caliban wearing chains. What does this indicate?
- that Caliban is a slave ✓
- that Caliban is a servant
- that Caliban is free
In one theatrical performance of 'The Tempest', Prospero is pictured with a hand on the hilt of his sword when speaking to Caliban. What does this indicate?
- That he expects violence from Caliban. ✓
- That he's happy to see Caliban.
- That he respects Caliban.
- That Prospero is jealous of Caliban.
To be subservient means to be?
- More important
- Less important ✓
- Equally important
In one theatrical performance of 'The Tempest', Caliban begins by speaking from below the stage floor. What does this suggest?
- That he's an important character
- That he's not an important character ✓
- That his role in the scene hasn't started yet
To have animosity towards someone means ______.
- to have a strong dislike for them ✓
- to have great respect for them
- to be jealous of them
- to be angry at them
In Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Prospero uses a lot of imperative language when talking to Caliban. What does this suggest?
- That he is in control of Caliban. ✓
- That he's asking Caliban a lot of questions.
- That he is angry with Caliban.
- That he is very emotional when speaking to Caliban.

Loading worksheet ...

Loading presentation ...

The staging of a performance can influence our interpretation of the scene and the characters.
The language used by Prospero and Caliban shows a mutual animosity.
Prospero uses imperative language to show his superiority to Caliban.

That it's obvious how a character should be interpreted by the audience.

The staging of a performance from body language to costuming can make a huge difference in how different audiences interpret a character.