Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/2-1-2-context

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# Context

English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest, topic 2.1.2

## Context of _The Tempest_

Here is some context for _The Tempest_:

### Tragedy

![Tragedy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/7e163680-95fa-4bb2-b77c-06ea7edde26e/crying-man-suffering.jpg)

- In 1603, King James was Shakespeare's patron.  
- He had to strike a balance between entertaining the masses and satisfying his greatest patron. 
- Shakespeare was also influenced by the popularity of the revenge tragedy in Jacobean England. Revenge is a central theme in _The Tempest_, but Shakespeare avoids the ultimate tragedy that his contemporaries, such as Webster, embrace.

### Monarchy

![Monarchy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/afef065b-6c59-428c-919a-445cf78adb71/shutterstock_537734683.jpg)

- The monarch in _The Tempest_ is good and we greatly dislike Antonio, who not only usurps (takes his power by force) his brother, but also threatens the King’s life. 
- The idea of regicide (killing the king) was a hot topic when _The Tempest_ was first performed because Guy Fawkes and other Catholics had tried to assassinate King James I in 1605.
 - But Shakespeare makes these characters Italian and places them on an ambiguous island so as to not draw too close a link with the infamous night.

### Discovery and colonies

![Discovery and colonies](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/16d69c0d-17c5-40f0-bb0a-f826eb546961/shutterstock_176007449.jpg)

- During this period of discovery, there were many explorers who "found" New Worlds, much like Sycorax and Caliban’s island. 
- In Act 1, Scene 2, Caliban describes how he welcomed the newcomers onto his island __'And showed thee all the qualities o’th’isle'__ but was ultimately exploited. This may reflect the attitudes of the colonisers of the era and how they treated the inhabitants of the areas they colonised.

### Colonisation 2

![Colonisation 2](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/5bd2a382-d791-4ba4-9957-c181b8bb52d7/Colonisation-Map-UK-Empire.jpg)

- Shakespeare is able to bring a taste of foreign lands to the masses. 
- Miranda calls __'O brave new world!'__ at the denouement (final part of the conclusion) of the play and could be referencing the expansion of the Europeans’ Empires as they colonised New Worlds during the period.

### Masques

![Masques](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/70151ddf-9abd-482a-89fb-343d148b8d02/Mask-Venice-Acting.jpg)

- The play was first performed at the end of 1612 in celebration of the marriage of the King’s daughter. 
- This means there is a parallel between the King and Prospero as __‘masters of ceremonies’__. 
- The masque developed and grew in popularity under the Stuart reign. The masque was a form of dramatic entertainment that involved dance performances by masked performers.
- Shakespeare takes this to the stage so that it is open for all to enjoy, not just those invited to court.

## Context for _The Tempest_

Here is some contextual information for the play:

### Witchcraft and science

![Witchcraft and science](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/4cbc7d49-9259-46b0-931d-eb86358d75e1/Witch-Witchcraft-Cauldron.jpg)

- Jacobean England was advancing, but scientific discovery was still new.
- Witchcraft was still viewed as a legitimate explanation for unknown things - King James I hated witchcraft and blamed many of the tragedies of his life on it.  
- In 1604, King James I passed a stature against witches which made the punishments more severe for those found guilty. 
 - So it is interesting that Shakespeare not only decides to make Prospero act alone, but that his character is not wholly the evil either.

### Alchemy

![Alchemy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-05/3e430e41-d671-4a23-ba16-7f2bf1bb579f/shutterstock_522019972.jpg)

- Famous alchemists such as Paracelsus and John Dee were known for having some of the largest private libraries in the world. 
- This is reflective of Prospero, who states that his __'library was dukedom enough.'__ 
- This education is where they learnt their “sorcery” and is reflective of Prospero’s thirst for greater knowledge.

### Renaissance drama and order

![Renaissance drama and order](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/d599e28d-9fdd-44c2-92a2-0b1e2cf75648/Tradgedy-Comedy-Drama-Masks-Funny-Crying.jpg)

- Prospero's quest for knowledge and perfection defines this play as a Renaissance (16th and 17th century of discovery and intellectual advances) drama. 
- Prospero uses his knowledge and education to enforce order and control in an otherwise uncivilised habitat, whether it is wanted or not. 
- Caliban refers to this knowledge as a __'curse'__ and does not value the tool which has allowed Prospero to become a God-like figure on the island.

### Shakespeare's final play

![Shakespeare's final play](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/c2b408a4-90b8-41d6-9e01-f14f9b7c7f03/shutterstock_523462210.jpg)

- _The Tempest_ is remembered as one Shakespeare’s final plays.
- The Epilogue is sometimes read as Shakespeare's farewell to his pen and the stage: __'Let your indulgence set me free,'__ before he retired back to Stratford.

## Test yourself on Context

- Who was Shakespeare's patron?
- Who or what did King James I pass a stature against in 1604?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/3fdd21aa-11f2-4661-a082-f45ce382ab88/section/d49194ec-65f9-4f62-9801-9d7db599e4c9/session)

- Previous topic: [2.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/2-1-1-overview.md)
- Next topic: [3.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-1-overview.md)

## English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest contents

### 1 Key Words
- 1.1 Key Words
  - [1.1.1 Key Words 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/1-1-1-key-words-1.md)
  - [1.1.2 Key Words 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/1-1-2-key-words-2.md)
  - [1.1.3 Key Words 3](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/1-1-3-key-words-3.md)
  - [1.1.4 Key Words 4](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/1-1-4-key-words-4.md)

### 2 Context  & Overview
- 2.1 Context & Overview
  - [2.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/2-1-1-overview.md)
  - [2.1.2 Context](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/2-1-2-context.md)

### 3 Act 1
- 3.1 Act 1 Analysis
  - [3.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-1-overview.md)
  - [3.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-2-scene-1.md)
  - [3.1.3 Scene 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-3-scene-2.md)

### 4 Act 2
- 4.1 Act 2 Analysis
  - [4.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/4-1-1-overview.md)
  - [4.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/4-1-2-scene-1.md)
  - [4.1.3 Scene 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/4-1-3-scene-2.md)

### 5 Act 3
- 5.1 Act 3 Analysis
  - [5.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/5-1-1-overview.md)
  - [5.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/5-1-2-scene-1.md)
  - [5.1.3 Scene 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/5-1-3-scene-2.md)
  - [5.1.4 Scene 3](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/5-1-4-scene-3.md)

### 6 Act 4
- 6.1 Act 4 Analysis
  - [6.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/6-1-1-overview.md)
  - [6.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/6-1-2-scene-1.md)

### 7 Act 5
- 7.1 Act 5 Analysis
  - [7.1.1 Overview](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/7-1-1-overview.md)
  - [7.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/7-1-2-scene-1.md)
  - [7.1.3 The Epilogue](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/7-1-3-the-epilogue.md)

### 8 Key Characters
- 8.1 Major Characters
  - [8.1.1 Prospero](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-1-prospero.md)
  - [8.1.2 Miranda](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-2-miranda.md)
  - [8.1.3 Caliban](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-3-caliban.md)
  - [8.1.4 Ariel](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-4-ariel.md)
  - [8.1.5 Ferdinand](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-5-ferdinand.md)
  - [8.1.6 Alonso](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-1-6-alonso.md)
- 8.2 Minor Characters
  - [8.2.1 Antonio](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-2-1-antonio.md)
  - [8.2.2 Stephano](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-2-2-stephano.md)
  - [8.2.3 Sebastian](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-2-3-sebastian.md)
  - [8.2.4 Gonzalo](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-2-4-gonzalo.md)
  - [8.2.5 Trinculo](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/8-2-5-trinculo.md)

### 9 Themes
- 9.1 Major Themes
  - [9.1.1 Power](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-1-power.md)
  - [9.1.2 Magic](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-2-magic.md)
  - [9.1.3 Status, Race & Pronouns](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-3-status-race-and-pronouns.md)
  - [9.1.4 Comedy](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-4-comedy.md)
  - [9.1.5 Freedom & Servitude](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-5-freedom-and-servitude.md)
  - [9.1.6 Revenge & Reconciliation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/9-1-6-revenge-and-reconciliation.md)

### 10 Authorial Method
- 10.1 Authorial Method
  - [10.1.1 Genre & Time](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/10-1-1-genre-and-time.md)
  - [10.1.2 Music & Illusion](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/10-1-2-music-and-illusion.md)

### 11 Recap: Main Quotes
- 11.1 Characters Quotes
  - [11.1.1 Prospero - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-1-prospero-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.2 Miranda - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-2-miranda-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.3 Caliban - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-3-caliban-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.4 Ariel - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-4-ariel-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.5 Ferdinand - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-5-ferdinand-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.6 Alonso - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-6-alonso-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.7 Antonio - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-7-antonio-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.8 Stephano - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-8-stephano-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.9 Sebastian - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-9-sebastian-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.10 Gonzalo - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-10-gonzalo-quotes.md)
  - [11.1.11 Trinculo - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-1-11-trinculo-quotes.md)
- 11.2 Text Structure - Quotes
  - [11.2.1 Power - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-1-power-quotes.md)
  - [11.2.2 Magic - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-2-magic-quotes.md)
  - [11.2.3 Race & Pronouns - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-3-race-and-pronouns-quotes.md)
  - [11.2.4 Comedy - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-4-comedy-quotes.md)
  - [11.2.5 Servitude - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-5-servitude-quotes.md)
  - [11.2.6 Reconciliation & Revenge - Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/11-2-6-reconciliation-and-revenge-quotes.md)