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The Tempest: Advanced York Notes A Level Revision Guide

A Level Study Notes and Revision Guides

The Tempest: Advanced York Notes

William Shakespeare

Study contents
Revision contents

Introduction

Introduction

How to study a play, Reading The Tempest

The Text

The text

Note on the text, Synopsis

Act I, Scene 1

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act I, Scene 2

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act II, Scene 1

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act II, Scene 2

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act III, Scene 1

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act III, Scene 2

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act III, Scene 3

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act IV, Scene 1

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Act V, Scene 1

Summary, Commentary, Glossary

Epilogue

Summary, Commentary

Extended commentary 1

Overview, Text 1 – I.1.1–67, Extended commentary

Extended commentary 2

Text 2 – I.2.285–346, Extended commentary

Extended commentary 3

Text 3 – III.1.15–74, Extended commentary

Extended commentary 4

Text 4 – V.1.290–318 and Epilogue, lines 1–20, Extended commentary

Critical Approaches

Character evaluation

Characterisation, Prospero, Caliban, Ariel, Miranda, Ferdinand, Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian, Stephano, Trinculo, The supernatural

Recurring themes

Significance, God and humanity, Love, Magic, Nature and nurture, New world and old world, Power, Reconciliation, The tempest, Masques

The handling of time

Language and style

Shakespearean versus modern English, Mobility of word classes, Changes in word meaning, Vocabulary loss, Verb forms, Pronouns, Prepositions, Multiple negation, Spelling and punctuation

Imagery and symbolism

Poetic language, Imagery, Simile and metaphor, Wordplay, Dramatic irony, Symbolism

Critical History

Reception and early critical views

Critical history

Contemporary approaches

Background

William Shakespeare’s life

Records of Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s dramatic career, The texts of Shakespeare’s plays

Shakespeare and the English Renaissance

Shakespeare’s theatre

The emergence of professional theatres, Reading Shakespeare

Study Tools

Chronology

Further reading

Texts of The Tempest, General

Literary terms

The Tempest - York Notes