Here are the many, many good Tempest prompts. I will give the original articulation in italics and my rendition of it in larger, plain type so that you can glimpse the inner, evil workings of a professor composing prompts. And more tangibly, you might get some different ideas about how to approach the prompt as I have rendered it. Remember, the important thing in approaching any prompt such as these is to translate it into your own terms, into your own analysis or argument while still creating a paper that is recognizably a response to one of these questions.

1. By the end of the play, Caliban’s character seems to be somewhat unimportant. What might be the purpose of including such a character in the play? What is Caliban’s role? Use Kermode and Barker and Hulme’s essays to support your thesis.

By the end of the play, Caliban seems less threatening and less important. What might be the purpose of including such a character in the play? What is Caliban’s role? You may want to use Kermode along with Barker and Hulme to support your thesis.

2. How much could Caliban actually be 'civilized'? Should Prospero have expected him to stay 'trained'? Was his rebellion/attempted rape inevitable? Are his actions representative of all colonized peoples?

At the beginning of The Tempest, we learn that Prospero and Miranda attempted a project of civilizing Caliban. To what degree does the play suggest Caliban could be 'civilized'? Should Prospero and Miranda have expected him to stay 'trained'? Was his rebellion/attempted rape inevitable? If you read the play through the lens of post-colonial theory, does it suggest that Caliban is representative of all colonized peoples?

3. Compare and contrast Prospero’s, Caliban’s, and Ariel’s powers. Where do they each derive these powers and can the reader (you) come to some sort of conclusion as to who has the greatest powers? If so, how did you come to this conclusion?

Compare and contrast the powers of Prospero, Caliban and Ariel. From what does each derive his powers and how does the source of power affect characterization or even the kind of magic performed?

4. Colonialism and imperialism are major themes in the Tempest. Throughout the play the characters usurp power from each other. Analyze a few examples of usurpation in the play. What are the characters’ motives for usurpation and what do they hope to gain? Finally, how does this usurpation relate to colonialism and imperialism of the island and its inhabitants?

How is the theme of usurpation carried out in the play? Which usurpations are expected and which ones are surprises?

Authority—legitimate and illegitimate—is a major preoccupation in The Tempest. Throughout the play the characters usurp power from each other, and some argue that the island is essentially a colony—claimed first by Sycorax and then by Prospero. Choose 2 or 3 examples of usurpation in the play and analyze the characters’ motivations. What motivates their actions and what do they hope to gain? How are some moves to take power explained as legitimate and others condemned as treasonous? Which attempts to seize power are expected and which ones are surprises?

5. I am interested in the idea of brotherhood between Sebastian and Alonso and Antonio and Prospero and how that relationship and their greed for power led them to be “unnatural” as they claimed Caliban was.

While many readers note the themes of usurpation and power in The Tempest, the kinship that is a part of these power struggles is not always as apparent. Discuss the power struggles among siblings in this play. How does their kinship affect their drive to power? You might consider Miranda and Caliban as “foster siblings” in the play.

6. Choose two characters, one described as “natural” and the other as “unnatural.” Explore the similarities and differences between these two characters and how their characteristics affect their relationship.

In The Tempest, the “natural” man is read both positively (as in natural affection or sympathy for others) and negatively (as in uncivilized). Likewise the opposite of the natural man might be “unnatural” and betray his brother, or might be “noble” and therefore learned and gentle. Choose two characters, one described as “natural” and the other the opposite. Explore the similarities and differences between these two characters. You might discuss how their characteristics affect their relationships, whether they switch during the play into different categories, how they are defined as “natural” or not.

7. In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the character of Prospero is portrayed by having many characteristics, such as father, a sorcerer and a friend. Discuss Prospero’s roles throughout the play, and tell which role you think he will more likely take on when he returns with everyone to Naples.

Prospero takes on many roles in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. He is portrayed as father, sorcerer, friend, puppetmaster, creator, brother, and king’s subject. Based on when and how he occupies these roles in the play, speculate on how he will conduct himself when he returns with everyone to Naples.

8. Describe Ariel and Prospero’s relationship. At the beginning of Act IV, Ariel asks Prospero if he loves her/him. Why does Ariel ask this?

At the beginning of Act Iv, Ariel asks Prospero, “Do you love me, master? No?” (IV.1.48). Why does Ariel ask this question here? And what might the question and Prospero’s response reveal about their relationship? You may want to consider other places in the play where these two interact, or you may want to compare their relationship to Prospero’s relations with other characters.

9. I think it would be interesting to compare the portrayal of Caliban in the play we saw to how he was portrayed in the book. We could also compare the natural man and the noble man in the play compared to the natural man and noble man in the text.

Ariel and Prospero never look directly at each other in the play; instead, they stare off into space when they speak to each other. Of what significance is this, if any?

In the play, how did Ariel's positioning in the ship rigging while speaking with Prospero represent his position in the island's hierarchy? Why did he appear there in some scenes and not others?

In staging The Tempest, the representation of Caliban and Ariel are arguably the most interesting or the most difficult. Analyze the presentation of these characters in the Purdue Theatre production. You might consider the following details: in the production, the actor playing Caliban changes costumes and makeup radically, while Ariel adds on to her costume, but doesn’t essentially change her character; Ariel and Prospero never look directly at each other in the play; instead, they stare off into space when they speak to each other. Ariel is often positioned in the ship rigging while speaking with Prospero—but not in every scene. Be sure to compare your observations of the production with the printed text.