Workbook Answers for The Tempest by William Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 3 ISC
The Tempest Act 3 Scene 3 Workbook Answers
Extract 1
ALONSO. Old lord, I cannot blame thee,
Who am myself attach’d with weariness
To the dulling of my spirits. Sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it
No longer for my flatterer: he is drown’d
Whom thus we stray to find, and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.
ANTONIO. [Aside to SEBASTIAN.] I am right glad that he’s
so out of hope.
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose
That you resolv’d t’ effect.
SEBASTIAN. [Aside to ANTONIO.] The next advantage
Will we take throughly.
1. Who is the old lord? Why is he attached to weariness?
Answer
Gonzalo is the old lord. He is attached with weariness as they have been walking for so long in search of Ferdinand.
2. Which hope is Alonso putting off? Why? How has the hope flattered him? How does the sea seem to mock at him?
Answer
Alonso is putting off the hope of finding his son, Ferdinand because he is feared that he has drowned in the sea due to which he could not find him anywhere, on this island. The hope has been flattering Alonso by making him believe that his son is alive, this gives Alonso a reason to live. The sea seemed to mock at him as Ferdinand was considered to be drowned deep into the sea.
3. What are the feelings of Antonio to note that Alonso is out of hope? What is his advice to Sebastian?
Answer
Antonio is very glad to see that Alonso is out of hope. In fact, he advises Sebastian not to forget their intention and to carry on their plan whenever they get a golden chance.
4. What is the next advantage? Where will they use it? Why?
Answer
The next advantage is the next right moment(chance) to kill Alonso. As Alonso and Gonzalo were tired of traveling, they will use this advantage to kill Alonso, so that they don't get alerted.
5. What was the purpose of Prospero in bringing Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian to the isolated island?
Answer
Prospero had brought Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian to this isolated island because he wanted to punish the evildoers, and make them realize their mistakes. So, in order to make them repent and teach them a lesson, he brought them to this isolated island.
6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) repulse
(b) thoroughly
Answer
(a) repulse: defeat
(b) thoroughly: done completely
Extract 2
ALONSO. Give us kind keepers, heavens! what were
these?
SEBASTIAN. A living drollery. Now I will believe
That there are unicorns; that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phoenix’ throne, one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.
ANTONIO. I’ll believe both;
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I’ll be sworn ’tis true. Travellers ne’er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn ’em.
GONZALO. If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
1. Which strange spectacle has Alonso seen because of which he is perturbed? What help does he implore?
Answer
Alonso sees strange shapes that are carrying banquet of food with them. They were dancing and it seemed that they were inviting the king and others to eat, seeing this Alonso gets perturbed.
2. Why does Sebastian call the spectacle as the living drollery?
Answer
Living drollery means a puppet show, Sebastian calls the spectacle as living drollery because he saw strange shapes which were moving around him, this made him frightened and he also said that now he would no longer doubt on the incredible tales narrated by travelers, listening this Antonio also agrees to him.
3. What are unicorns and the phoenix? Why are they referred to in the context?
Answer
Unicorns were non-existent animals believed to have a horse’s body and a single, straight horn on their head.
Phoenix was a mythical bird from Arabian legend. Only one phoenix lives at any time, and every 100 years it explodes in fire and regenerates from its own ashes. A symbol of resurrection and rebirth.
They referred to in the context by Sebastian that after seeing this living drollery he will believe that unicorns and phoenix exist.
4. What stories did the travelers in the Middle Ages narrate? Why did Antonio swear to believe in such stories?
Answer
Travellers in the middle ages narrated the stories that there's a tree in Arabia where phoenix lives, sitting in the right of it now. Antonio swears to believe in such stories after watching the strange shapes. He also says further that travelers never lie.
5. If Gonzalo were to tell such stories in Naples, would the people believe them? Why?
Answer
If Gonzalo were to tell such stories in Naples, people would not believe him as they haven't seen such strange things themselves.
6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) keepers
(b) drollery
Answer
(a) keepers: angles
(b) drollery: a puppet show
Extract 3
Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy, claps his
wings upon the table, and with a quaint device the banquet
vanishes.
ARIEL. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny
That hath to instrument this lower world
And what is in’t, the never-surfeited sea
Hath caus’d to belch up you; and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit—you ’mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;
And even with such-like valor men hang and drown
Their proper selves.
1. Before the thunder and lightning, what was Alonso preparing to do? Why?
Answer
Before lightning storm Alonso was setting himself up to take care of the dinner, since he was eager because of his long excursion in discovering his child Ferdinand, and he likewise said that he needed to have the last supper of his life.
2. Who is a harpy? What symbolism is associated with the banquet?
Answer
Harpy is a mythical bird with the head of maidens. They have long claws, and their faces are pale with hunger. The gods sent them to torment the blind Phineus. Harpy carried the food with him and it denounced the crime of Antonio, Sebastian, and Alonso. He appeared with the banquet to know the greed of the disgusting humans
3. What mysterious atmosphere was created, when the banquet vanished?
Answer
When the banquet vanished, the atmosphere was filled with thunder and lightning, making it more mysterious. The atmosphere has its own significance in highlighting the situation while creating an environment for Ariel's speech.
4. Describe the sin committed by each of the three men.
Answer
The sin committed by Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian is that they threw Prospero and his daughter Miranda out of Milan on a rotten boat in the sea, whereas Antonio and Sebastian were planning to kill Alonso during his sleep.
5. Why does Ariel say that three men are most unfit to live? What punishment has Ariel given them now?
Answer
Ariel says that three men are the most unfit to live because they are committed to sin by banishing Prospero and Miranda from his kingdom. In order to punish them, Ariel played many tricks and disturbed their mental peace.
6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) quaint
(b) surfeited
Answer
(a) quaint: clever
(b) surfeited: over-satisfied
Extract 4
ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, etc. draw their swords.
You fools! I and my fellows
Are ministers of Fate. The elements,
Of whom your swords are temper’d, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock’d-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowle that’s in my plume. My fellow ministers
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted. But remember
(For that’s my business to you) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero,
1. Why does Ariel call Alonso and Sebastian fools?
Answer
Ariel calls Alonso and Sebastian fools because they drew out their swords to kill Ariel who is like wind, air and water, and as he cannot be harmed with their weapons, so Ariel calls Alonso and Sebastian fools.
2. What does Ariel say to show that their swords are powerless?
Answer
To show that Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian's swords are powerless by saying that"You fools | and my fellows Are ministers of Fate: the elements, Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well Wound the loud winds, or with bemock’d-at stabs Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish".
3. Why could not these courtiers handle the swords?
Answer
These courtiers could not handle their swords as Ariel made their swords heavy and massive.
4. What harm did these courtiers do to Prospero?
Answer
These courtiers conspired against Prospero, who was the actual king of Milan, and banished Prospero along with his daughter Miranda on a rotten boat in the middle of the sea.
5. How does their action anger the sea, its shores, and all creatures and with what outcome?
Answer
The action of usurping Milan's throne cleverly, from Prospero and banishing him along with his daughter Miranda out of the kingdom in a small rotten boat angers sea, its shores and all creatures, whose outcome was that it threw them on this inhabited island, as they were unfit to live among other people.
6. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) dowle
(b) invulnerable
Answer
(a) dowle: small bit of down i.e. a bird’s soft feathers
(b) invulnerable: unconquerable