Key Quotations (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Key Quotations
This revision note organises key quotations from The Tempest by theme, providing you with the speaker, act and scene reference, contextual information, and analytical approaches for the OCR A-Level exam. Each quotation is selected to help you explore the play's major themes and demonstrate sophisticated textual knowledge in your essays.
Power and control
Shakespeare explores how Prospero's magical power dominates the island whilst simultaneously showing how natural forces can challenge traditional human hierarchies. These quotations reveal the complex power dynamics at play throughout the drama.
This theme is central to understanding the play's exploration of authority, control, and the limits of human power. Consider how different forms of power (magical, natural, political) interact and conflict throughout The Tempest.
What cares these roarers for the name of king?
Speaker: Boatswain (Act 1 Scene 1)
Context: This occurs during the opening storm scene, when nobles attempt to interfere with the sailors' work during the tempest.
Analysis for exams: The personification of the waves as "roarers" challenges the established social hierarchy by showing that the sea's power completely disregards royal titles and status. This opening moment foreshadows Prospero's magical supremacy, which similarly transcends conventional political authority. You can use this to discuss how Shakespeare questions traditional power structures from the play's very beginning.
I have with such provision of my art / So safely ordered
Speaker: Prospero (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Prospero reassures his daughter Miranda that he has controlled the shipwreck through his magical abilities.
Analysis for exams: The word "art" refers to Prospero's magic, which he presents as a precise science rather than chaotic sorcery. The phrase "so safely ordered" emphasises his complete control over events, establishing him as an omnipotent figure who combines the roles of duke and god-like controller. This quotation is essential for discussing Prospero's character and the theme of power throughout the play.
The concept of "art" as controlled magic is crucial for understanding how Prospero justifies his power. Shakespeare presents magic not as dark sorcery but as sophisticated knowledge, reflecting Renaissance attitudes toward science and learning.
I must obey. His art is of such power / It would control my dam's god, Setebos
Speaker: Caliban (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Caliban submits to Prospero's authority, acknowledging the supreme power of his magic.
Analysis for exams: This quotation reveals the colonial power dynamic at the heart of the play. Prospero's magic is so powerful that it surpasses even Caliban's native deity, Setebos. This demonstrates how European power (represented by Prospero) dominates and supersedes indigenous beliefs and authority structures. Use this when exploring colonialism and the relationship between Prospero and Caliban.
The supernatural and servitude
The spirit Ariel and other supernatural beings execute Prospero's will throughout the play, raising questions about freedom, servitude, and the moral implications of magical control.
Hell is empty and all the devils are here
Speaker: Ariel (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Ariel describes the panicked behaviour of the nobles during the storm.
Analysis for exams: This quotation employs dramatic irony to suggest that human wickedness surpasses even demonic evil. Shakespeare critiques so-called European "civilisation" by showing that the supposedly civilised nobles behave worse than devils when faced with danger. This quotation is particularly effective when discussing the play's critique of European moral superiority.
This famous line has become one of Shakespeare's most quoted phrases. Consider how it inverts traditional religious imagery – rather than devils dwelling in Hell, the true evil resides in human nature and behaviour.
Full fathom five thy father lies; / Of his bones are coral made
Speaker: Ariel (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Ariel sings this song to Ferdinand, falsely suggesting that his father Alonso has drowned.
Analysis for exams: The lyrical imagery transforms death into something beautiful, with bones becoming coral. This blends mortality with aesthetic beauty whilst serving as supernatural deception. The song demonstrates how Prospero uses magic and illusion to manipulate others. You can explore how Shakespeare uses poetic language to make even false news seem enchanting, revealing the seductive danger of Prospero's magical power.
Colonialism and the savage
Caliban's speeches reveal his resentment and resistance to Prospero's colonial control, offering a counter-narrative to European conquest and "civilisation".
Modern post-colonial readings of The Tempest have transformed our understanding of Caliban's character. What earlier critics dismissed as savage villainy is now often read as justified resistance to oppression. Consider both historical and contemporary interpretations when analysing these quotations.
This island's mine by Setebos, my god / ... Thou strok'st me and made much of me
Speaker: Caliban (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Caliban accuses Prospero of false kindness and theft of his rightful inheritance.
Analysis for exams: This presents Caliban's indigenous claim to the island in opposition to European appropriation. Caliban reveals that Prospero initially showed him false benevolence before enslaving him. This quotation exposes the pattern of colonial betrayal: initial friendship followed by exploitation. It's crucial for discussing post-colonial interpretations of the play and understanding Caliban's perspective.
You taught me language, and my profit on't / Is I know how to curse
Speaker: Caliban (Act 1 Scene 2)
Context: Caliban responds to accusations about his inability to learn civilised behaviour.
Analysis for exams: This paradox shows how the tools of "civilisation" become instruments of resistance. Prospero gave Caliban language supposedly to improve him, but Caliban uses this very gift to curse his oppressor. The irony highlights how colonialism creates the very resistance it seeks to suppress. This is one of the most important quotations for discussing language as power and the complex relationship between coloniser and colonised.
Forgiveness versus revenge
Prospero's character arc moves from anger and desire for vengeance toward mercy and forgiveness, reflecting Renaissance ideas about virtue and Christian redemption.
The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance
Speaker: Prospero (Act 5 Scene 1)
Context: Prospero decides to renounce revenge against those who wronged him.
Analysis for exams: This quotation represents Prospero's moment of recognition (Aristotelian anagnorisis). The comparative "rarer" suggests that forgiveness requires greater moral strength than revenge, challenging the traditional masculine values of honour and retribution. This is essential for discussing Prospero's moral development and the play's resolution. You can connect this to Renaissance humanism and Christian teachings about mercy.
The word "rarer" is significant – Prospero acknowledges that revenge is the common response, whilst true virtue lies in the more difficult path of forgiveness. This reflects both classical and Christian moral philosophy.
I'll break my staff / Bury it certain fathoms in the earth / And deeper than did ever plummet sound / I'll drown my book
Speaker: Prospero (Act 5 Scene 1)
Context: Prospero commits to abandoning his magical powers.
Analysis for exams: The ritualistic imagery marks Prospero's rejection of supernatural power. The hyperbolic phrase "deeper than did ever plummet sound" emphasises the finality of this decision – his book of magic will be buried beyond recovery. This symbolic destruction of his staff and book represents his return to humanity and mortality. Use this when discussing themes of power, responsibility, and redemption.
Love and illusion
The romance between Miranda and Ferdinand serves as a subplot that explores innocence, courtship, and the relationship between reality and performance.
O wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is!
Speaker: Miranda (Act 5 Scene 1)
Context: Miranda sees the assembled nobles for the first time, having lived isolated on the island.
Analysis for exams: Shakespeare uses dramatic irony here – the audience knows these "goodly creatures" include treacherous villains like Antonio and Sebastian. Miranda's naive wonder reflects her innocence but also critiques idealistic views of humanity. The exclamations convey her genuine amazement, but we recognise the gap between her perception and reality. This quotation is valuable for exploring themes of innocence, experience, and illusion versus reality.
This famous speech gave Aldous Huxley the title for his dystopian novel Brave New World, where the phrase is used with similar irony. Miranda's innocent wonder contrasts sharply with the audience's knowledge of human corruption.
We wish your peace / Yours, fair sweetness
Speaker: Ferdinand and Miranda (Act 3 Scene 1)
Context: The young couple exchange courtly love rhetoric whilst Prospero secretly observes.
Analysis for exams: The formal, ritualistic language of courtly love creates a masque-like quality that emphasises artificiality. Their romance unfolds under Prospero's surveillance and control, raising questions about whether their love is genuine or merely another of Prospero's illusions. The heightened, formal language contrasts with natural emotion, suggesting performance rather than spontaneity.
The island's enchantment
The island itself becomes a character, full of mysterious music and natural magic that affects all who arrive there.
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, / Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not
Speaker: Caliban (Act 3 Scene 2)
Context: Caliban describes the island's magical sounds to the drunken Stephano and Trinculo.
Analysis for exams: This quotation humanises Caliban by revealing his poetic sensitivity and appreciation for beauty. The gentle, reassuring tone and lyrical language contrast sharply with the crude comedy of the comic subplot's drunkenness. Shakespeare shows that Caliban possesses aesthetic sophistication that supposedly "civilised" characters lack. This is essential for nuanced character analysis of Caliban and for exploring the island as a space of transformation.
This is one of the most beautiful speeches in the play and fundamentally challenges stereotypical views of Caliban as purely savage or monstrous. His eloquence here demands that we see him as a complex, sensitive character worthy of sympathy.
Epilogue and release
Prospero's epilogue breaks theatrical convention to address the audience directly, creating a meta-theatrical moment that reflects on themes of freedom, forgiveness, and mortality.
Now my charms are all o'erthrown / And what strength I have's mine own, which is most faint
Speaker: Prospero (Epilogue)
Context: Prospero speaks directly to the audience, asking for their pardon and applause to free him.
Analysis for exams: This meta-theatrical moment breaks the fourth wall as the actor playing Prospero acknowledges that his character's magic is merely theatrical illusion. Just as Prospero has abandoned his supernatural power, the actor acknowledges his human vulnerability. The phrase "most faint" emphasises mortality and weakness, completing Prospero's transformation from god-like controller to humble mortal. Use this when discussing theatrical self-awareness and the mortality theme.
As you from crimes would pardoned be / Let your indulgence set me free
Speaker: Prospero (Epilogue)
Context: Prospero's final appeal to the audience for applause to release him from the stage.
Analysis for exams: This quotation parallels Christian concepts of mercy and forgiveness. The audience becomes the final "spirits" who can grant freedom through their applause. Shakespeare suggests that we all need forgiveness and that the act of pardoning others is essential to our own liberation. This creates a powerful connection between the play's themes and the audience's moral responsibility.
Exam technique: Using quotations effectively
When writing about The Tempest in your OCR exam, embed quotations by linking technique, effect, and theme together.
Worked Example: Embedding Quotations Effectively
Instead of simply dropping in a quotation, integrate it with analysis:
Caliban's paradox 'You taught me language, and my profit on't / Is I know how to curse' exposes colonialism's contradictions: European 'civilisation' inadvertently creates the very tools of resistance, complicating Prospero's supposedly benevolent authority.
This approach demonstrates:
- Textual knowledge (accurate quotation)
- Technical understanding (identifying paradox)
- Thematic analysis (colonialism, resistance, power)
- Critical interpretation (complexity rather than simple readings)
These quotations span all acts and address multiple Assessment Objectives, making them suitable for both extract-based questions and wider discussion of the play's themes.
Key Points to Remember:
- Power in The Tempest is fluid and contested – from the sea's natural force to Prospero's magic to Caliban's resistance
- Key quotations about colonialism reveal how language and "civilisation" become tools of both oppression and resistance
- Prospero's journey from revenge to forgiveness represents the play's central moral development
- The supernatural elements (particularly Ariel's songs) blend beauty with deception, raising questions about illusion versus reality
- Always connect quotations to technique, effect, and theme when writing essays
- The epilogue's meta-theatrical quality links theatrical illusion to themes of freedom, power, and mortality throughout the play