Be sure to read the first two acts of our final play in class; as you read, keep in mind the ideas of satire and dark comedy that we discussed from Ch.7 in Bevis' Comedy. Here are some other ideas to consider:
* Why is there generally more verse in this play than All's Well and As You Like It? Though the servants in the play generally speak prose, everyone else typically sticks to verse, and even Caliban speaks verse to Prospero.
* Pay close attention to the story Prospero tells his daughter, Miranda, about why they came to be on the island. Is it as cut and dry as he makes it sound? Though his brother did betray him, what might have aided in this betrayal?
* What are Prospero's relationship with the other inhabitants in the island, Ariel and Caliban? Why do they serve him?
* How does Prospero come to be master of the island? What do we imagine happened to the previous 'owner' of the island, Sycorax?
* Why is Caliban so abusive towards Prospero and Miranda? Why might this be an example of "laughtears"? Why might he be both a comic and a pathetic figure?
* How is Prospero trying to manipulate both his daughter and the new visitors to his island? In particularly, what does he want to have happen between his daughter and Ferdinand?
* Who are the fools in Act 2 and what message do they have for the duke--and for the audience?
* What advice does Antonio (Prospero's brother) have for Sebastian? How does he convince him that this is a sound and reasonable course of action?
* How might the Act 2, scene 2 satirize the encounters between Europeans and natives that were ongoing throughout Shakespeare's time (since this was when Europeans were actively exploring the Americas)? How is Caliban duped by the servants?
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