The Tempest

It's a dark and stormy night, and people on a boat are worried for their lives. But then—ta-da—they magically land on an island safe and sound.

Suspicious?

Um, yeah. Prospero, the main man in The Tempest, has been orchestrating this whole shipwreck shebang from day one. Not only does he have Ariel, his spirit slave, create the storm and bring the sailors to safety, he also conveniently separates them into groups so they can't gang up on him.

Yep, Prospero wasn't born yesterday. He knows how the game is played. He even has two slaves to do all his dirty work for him so he barely has to lift a finger. He's got power, and he's got it in spades. If something goes down in The Tempest, chances are he's behind it. And so much goes down in The Tempest.

By the end of the course, you should be able to

• identify and explore the use of magic in The Tempest. 
• discuss the alternate versions of reality presented in The Tempest and analyze the meaning behind them. 
• close read passages of text to explore the themes of captivity and colonization. 
• examine the character of Prospero as a tyrant, father, and merciful brother, and articulate the purpose of his complex character in The Tempest.
• use textual evidence from The Tempest to support original arguments about the play's themes, characters, and literary techniques.

Pack a bag and get your seasickness meds ready, because it's going to be a bumpy ride. This ain't no vacay, that's for sure.

Unit Breakdown