Gonzalo - Quotes
English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest, topic 11.1.10
Key Quotations - Gonzalo
Here are three key quotations that highlight aspects of Gonzalo's character:
'I' th' commonwealth'
- 'I' th' commonwealth I would by contraries / Execute all things; for no kind of traffic / Would I admit; no name of magistrate;'
- Gonzalo's speech is idealistic and hypocritical. He remains loyal to the king even when he's imagining an ideal world without kings.
'A blessèd crown'
- 'And on this couple drop a blessèd crown, / For it is you that have chalked forth the way / Which brought us hither.'
- Gonzalo imagines that Miranda and Ferdinand are destined by God and fate to be together, even though it was orchestrated by Prospero's magic. This asks the audience to question who is really in charge - is it fate or just Prospero's meddling?
'In a poor isle'
- 'And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife / Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom / In a poor isle and all of us ourselves / When no man was his own.'
- On this isolated island, all of the conflicts of the court are resolved - Gonzalo wonders if they will remain once they return and the audience wonders why they could only be resolved on this distant island.
Test yourself on Gonzalo - Quotes
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Key Quotation from Gonzalo