Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-1-overview [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [GCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse.md) › [English Lit](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature.md) › [AQA](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa.md) › [English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest.md) › Overview # Overview English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest, topic 3.1.1 ## Overview of Act 1 Here is an overview of the key ideas and themes of Act 1: ### Exposition ![Exposition](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/c2b408a4-90b8-41d6-9e01-f14f9b7c7f03/shutterstock_523462210.jpg) - Shakespeare knows that the exposition (giving the audience background information) of the play is incredibly important. - He needed to grab the audience’s attention and hook them - particularly the groundlings (the part of the audience who stand in the pit, just in front of the stage) who will become bored very quickly. ### Kings and treason ![Kings and treason](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/dc02a62d-a5ef-4ae3-90e2-c59864c52c2f/Hangman-Noose.jpg) - The monarch in _The Tempest_ is good. We really dislike Antonio who not only usurps his brother (illegally takes his position) but also threatens the King’s life. - The idea of regicide (killing a king) was a hot topic when _The Tempest_ was first performed. This is because Guy Fawkes and other Catholics tried to assassinate King James I in 1605 whilst opening Parliament. ### Colonies and discovery ![Colonies and discovery](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/bab07f13-826c-4689-a37e-2ccdb53ede5d/SailBoat-Sailing-Boat-Columbus.jpg) - During this period of colonisation, men such as Christopher Columbus were exploring the seas and finding New Worlds - much like Sycorax and Caliban’s island in _The Tempest_. - 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 reflects the colonisers of the era. ## Test yourself on Overview - Who does the island belong to? - What are the key ideas of Act 1? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/3fdd21aa-11f2-4661-a082-f45ce382ab88/section/31e2f379-fd64-4c86-8980-66ab25c8f619/session) - Previous topic: [2.1.2 Context](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/2-1-2-context.md) - Next topic: [3.1.2 Scene 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/the-tempest/3-1-2-scene-1.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)