Comedy - Quotes
English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest, topic 11.2.4
Quotations Showing Comedy
While most of the comedy in The Tempest come from the lower class characters, there are some moments of comedy from the more refined characters - such as Miranda and Prospero.
Miranda's wit
- Act 1, Scene 2: 'Your tale sir, would cure deafness.'
- This is funny because her father is lecturing her and asks her if she's listening - her response if witty because she's essentially saying, of course, I can hear you, even a deaf person could hear you.
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Miranda's confusion
- When Miranda is told that 'Thy father was the Duke of Milan and/ A prince of power,' she replies, 'Sir, are you not my father?'
- Miranda is clearly not following the story, even though she's been told repeatedly to listen carefully. Perhaps she is confused by her father's tale.
Comedy from drunk characters
- Caliban begs to 'lick thy [Stephano’s] shoe'.
- Trinculo calls Caliban a 'deboshed fish' and 'half a fish and half a monster'.
Test yourself on Comedy - Quotes
What does Caliban drunkenly say he'll do to Stephano's shoe?
What happens after Caliban drinks?