Don’t use ellipsis (…) to abbreviate passages across several pages. Use them only to shorten a long speech or paragraph. The true test that you have used ellipsis correctly is if the abbreviated quote still makes sense after you’ve gotten rid of some words.

Make sure that you refer to the quote in your entry. You can do this by incorporating a word or phrase from the quote into your language. Don’t make readers guess how quote and entry are related: tell them how they are related and then show them how the two are related.

“Being once perfected how to grant suits, 
How to deny them, who t’ advance and who 
To trash for overtopping, new created 
The creatures that were mine, I say—or changed ’em,
 Or else new formed ’em—having both the key
 Of officer and office, set all hearts i’ th’ state
To what tune pleased his ear, that now he was
 The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,
 And sucked my verdure out on ’t.” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 98-106)

Loyalty and betrayal are both minor themes linked to the more prominent themes of servitude versus freedom, in the Tempest. Each is based on what the individual perceives as his relationship or position in relation to those around him. In this quote we see that Prospero values the brotherly bond to a much greater extent than does Antonio. Prospero become involved in the studies of liberal arts and gave over his dukedom to Antonio. Antonio betrayed his brother and stole the dukedom of Milan from him while he (Prospero) was studying. Being the loyal man that he is, Prospero did not expect his brother evil grab for power. Prospero thought that his brother would feel the same way as he does, and be loyal to him, however, Antonio betrayed his brother, and used all the tricks of political treachery that he learnt while serving in place of Prospero. This, of course, became a major source of conflict in the play. We are reminded that even if you are a family member, you are not necessarily loyal.

“Hast thou, spirit, performed to the point the tempest that I bade thee? To every article… ” “And,as thou badest me, In troops I have dispersed them ’bout the isle. The king’s son have I landed by himself”  (Act 1, Scene 2 lines 194-195, 219-221)

This conversation took place between Prospero and Ariel after the storm and shipwreck, and after Prospero tells Miranda of her past and who she is. From this exchange, we find out that Prospero was the one who conjured up the storm. He sent Ariel, his spirit servant, to cause the shipwreck and disperse certain people around the island. By doing so, Prospero can control the interactions and outcomes of each figure and eventually regain his former status and power. As observed in this interaction, each character are merely pawns whom Prospero employs to his advantage. 

This interaction is crucial to the play because it reveals that everything that happens going forward, was preplanned and anticipated by Prospero. By isolating Ferdinand, Prospero instills feelings of helplessness and abandonment in him. He is able to manipulate him into accepting any help he can get. This results in Ferdinand listening to Ariel’s song about his supposed dead father and following him to meet Miranda. Ferdinand meets Miranda and the two instantly takes interest in each other. He believed Miranda to be a goddess of the island and Miranda, never having seen another human being before other than her father, instantly falls in love. This is exactly what Prospero wanted as demonstrated in line 23 when Prospero says, “It goes on, I see, As my soul prompts it” after observing Miranda and Ferdinand profess their love for one another. In scene 4, Miranda and Ferdinand gets married which seals the union between the two families. Because Ferdinand is a prince, Prospero, as Miranda’s father, regains his noble title. This whole play can be viewed as Prospero’s manipulation of events to regain his former title and glory.

“‘Ban, ‘Ban, Ca-Caliban

Has a new master. Get anew man!

Freedom, high day! High day, freedom! Freedom,

high day, freedom!” (Act? and scene?)

This quote does an important job showing a major shift in character roles. Caliban, who had initially been Prospero’s slave had grown tired and resentful of his role over time. He would often complain, and react very aggressively towards Prospero, however he no longer needs to worry about serving Prospero. Now, Ferdinand is responsible for serving Prospero but he doesn’t seem to take the position with very much animosity. In fact, Ferdinand seems rather eager to serve Prospero. This shows quite an interesting contrast between Caliban and Ferdinand.  This contrast is even more visible towards the end of Act II and the beginning of Act III when both characters are tasked with carrying a log but have entirely different attitudes about it. Caliban does what he usually does, cursing and complaining vowing that one day the island will be his again, while on the other hand Ferdinand has a much more positive attitude because he has Miranda in mind as his motivation. Its also very interesting to see the difference in how both Caliban and Prospero feel about Miranda. One on hand, Caliban wants to rape Miranda so he can populate the land he hopes can be his one day, yet Ferdinand hopes that by serving Prospero he can one day have Miranda’s hand in marriage. It was quite interesting to read about how Caliban and Ferdinand were pretty much exact opposites of one another despite the fact they shared the same role as Prospero’s slave.

“I’ve driven you crazy, and many mad people are driven to kill themselves in desperation… Your swords are useless against us – you’d be more successful swinging them at the empty air, or stabbing at water, than trying to cut off even one of my feathers.” (Act 3, Scene 3, Lines 58-70)

This quotation is said by Ariel in Act 3, Scene 3 meanwhile the King of Naples and his acquaintances are talking amongst each other. I believe this is an important part to understand because it proves the amount of power in which Ariel obtains and continues too throughout the play. Also in Ariel explains how many would have chosen death than to continue to expand their journey but at this point Ariel cannot let that happen because of how Prospero has planned the future. In addition to that Ariel is confident in explaining how Prospero and himself are untouchable for they possess many powers in which no human knows about. Ariel is a spirit so therefore he cannot be destroyed but rather be in charge or be under someone else’s power which of course must be greater than his.

I have found that this is important to understanding one of the main ideas because of how power/control is mentioned and evident throughout the Tempest. We clearly have read how important Ariel was from the beginning to the very end. Ariel was in charge of putting the whole plot together by getting whatever Prospero wanted , just so he can be freed once again. At the end , Ariel was able to forcefully gather all the characters in one location, and without any problems because they can’t do anything to Ariel.

“That if you now beheld them, your affections would become tender.” (act 5 sc. 1, line 23-24)

From this quote it is evident that this individual is stating, if said person were to see it for themselves, the individual would feel some sorrow or some emotion. If one were to see ‘them’, them being traitors of Prospero (Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian), one would empathize for their state of being assuming is not at its best. This quote comes from this spirit named Ariel, who is not human, thus the quote further demonstrates the spirit’s capability of feeling sorrow or remorse for these individuals that he is wary of.

Ariel has seen these individuals plot to kill one of the Kings, King Alonso shortly after arriving  on the island. So his perspective of these people is already altered and can see the corruption among-st the noblemen. These noblemen are very opportunistic and go after individuals when they are at their weakest or vulnerable, as they attempted to kill the king in his sleep. Yet with this perspective still feels for the pain and suffering that they experience due to Prospero’s magic and more. Prosperos vengeance stems so deep that he fails to see the inhumane nature of his spells and ill-doing. However a mythological creature sees the wrong in his actions and speaks up on it, he brings it to his masters attention, only to hopefully bring about justice. In return Prospero asks that Ariel relieve them of their suffering and later on admits to his actions and why he has done so in a grand unveiling.

“…my mean task would be as heavy to me as odious, but The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead And makes my labors pleasures.” (ACT III, Scene I, lines 4-7)

Ferdinand, the son of the King of Naples is the speaker in the selected quote above. Prospero and his daughter Miranda are the individuals he mentions within his verbalization. Due to the separation following the shipwreck, his automatic assumption is that everyone else has perished and that he is alone on the island until encountering Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Ferdinand develops an almost instant infatuation with Miranda and instantly observes and develops preference to her displayed kindness over the paranoia-driven mistreatment he experiences at the hands of her father Prospero. Her demeanor is further described by Ferdinand as making his toil considerably bearable.

Prospero’s mistrust of Ferdinand can be understood in the context of Prospero’s background revolving around the circumstances of his daughter and his own relocation to the island that he recounts to Miranda in Act I. Prospero has a bias against any passenger aboard the ship that he encounters; specifically Ferdinand in this example and Ferdinand himself recognizes the mistreatment he experiences and points out the contrast in character between Miranda and her father, with both examples serving as characterization of Prospero in the play.

CALIBAN

“We all were sea-swallow’d, though some cast again,
And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.” (Act II, Scene 1, Line 239-242)

This quote is said by Antonio in Act II, Scene 1, when everyone from the shipwreck has fallen asleep on the island and Antonio and Sebastian are the only ones who are awake. Throughout their conversation, Antonio is trying to convince Sebastian to kill his own brother, Alonso, the King of Naples, in order for him to inherit the power. This plan is able to work is because with Alonso out of the picture, his daughter residing too far away to obtain the rule of Naples, and his son’s all but certain death, Sebastian is guaranteed to succeed the crown and take over his brother’s kingdom. Taking advantage of the circumstance surrounding Alonso’s daughter Claribel, Antonio was able to persuade Sebastian, saying that she was the cause of the shipwreck, and that her fate was destined to assist them in seizing control. In relevance to the play, the quote serves as a crucial juncture in shaping the plot of the story and the events to come, and in this foreboding establishes their character and the tone for the rest of the story. In doing so, the story gives credence to the repercussions of greed and unfounded ambition.

Miranda

“I might call him
A thing divine, for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.”(Act 1 , scene 2 , pg. 20)

In this quote Miranda is offering up the idea that the entire concept of courtship is found nowhere in nature and this is why she describes Fernando as a being of divine nature. Miranda has not had experience with the outside world aside from this man who has appeared before her due to the shipwreck and this creates confusion in her mind causing her to utter these words. Miranda describes the idea of a noble court as something of a divine nature due to her ignorance of both of these concepts and having no experience with either.

This is incredibly important to the play due to the fact that Miranda presents the idea that nobility is not recognized by nature and therefore sets the tone for the rest of the play where the characters attempt to take each others power or gain their power back in the case of Prospero. It also displays who has the power in the relationship between her and her father between Miranda and her father because Miranda does not completely understand the idea of courtship and yet she has agreed to marry Fernando despite this. Miranda is loyal to her father in every way. Overall this quote characterizes Miranda fairly well because it shows her as someone who is ignorant of the outside world and follows her father with blind loyalty.