8.2.2
Stephano
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Stephano Character Summary
Stephano works for King Alonso as his butler. He is presented as an opportunist who only cares about himself.
Comedic character
- Stephano works with Trinculo to provide comic relief after some quite highly tense dramatic scenes, which was typical of theatre productions in the Jacobean era.
- Like Antonio and Sebastian, Stephano and Trinculo want more than is rightly theirs.
- Stephano and Trinculo do not want to kill Prospero because they believe it is right or just. They merely want to remove him so they have space to gain power in a world where they would otherwise have none.
Stephano and power
- In Act 2, Scene 2, Caliban turns to Stephano as his new master, hoping he will overthrow Prospero.
- Caliban promises to 'kiss thy foot./ I prithee, be my god.' The audience would find this very funny as they are aware of Stephano’s lowly status and so the ridiculousness of Caliban comparing him to a godly status.
- In Act 3, Scene 2, Stephano is tempted by the notion of becoming 'king' of the island, a position of power he would never even have dreamt to be possible.
Key Quotations - Stephano
Here are three key quotations that highlight aspects of Stephano's character:
'He shall not suffer indignity'
- 'He shall not suffer indignity'
- Stephano is also a servant. So when he considers taking Caliban, he promises that he will be treated well because Stephano knows what it's like.
'Wit shall not go unrewarded'
- 'Wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king.'
- Stephano seems a bit wild and hedonistic as a king - unlike Alonso or Prospero who value knowledge far more than anything else.
1Key Words
2Context & Overview
2.1Context & Overview
3Act 1
3.1Act 1 Analysis
4Act 2
4.1Act 2 Analysis
5Act 3
5.1Act 3 Analysis
6Act 4
6.1Act 4 Analysis
7Act 5
7.1Act 5 Analysis
8Key Characters
8.1Major Characters
8.2Minor Characters
9Themes
10Authorial Method
10.1Authorial Method
11Recap: Main Quotes
11.1Characters Quotes
Jump to other topics
1Key Words
2Context & Overview
2.1Context & Overview
3Act 1
3.1Act 1 Analysis
4Act 2
4.1Act 2 Analysis
5Act 3
5.1Act 3 Analysis
6Act 4
6.1Act 4 Analysis
7Act 5
7.1Act 5 Analysis
8Key Characters
8.1Major Characters
8.2Minor Characters
9Themes
10Authorial Method
10.1Authorial Method
11Recap: Main Quotes
11.1Characters Quotes
Practice questions on Stephano
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1What is Stephano's job?Multiple choice
- 2Who does Stephano work with in the play? Flashcard
- 3Complete these quotations for Stephano:Fill in the list
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