# Scene I explained — The Tempest

> Chapter companion for The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

Alonso mourns his lost son Ferdinand while Gonzalo tries to comfort him. Sebastian and Antonio mock Gonzalo and discuss the marriage of Claribel to the King of Tunis. Antonio persuades Sebastian to kill Alonso and seize the throne of Naples, drawing parallels to his own usurpation of Prospero. Ariel, sent by Prospero, wakes Gonzalo just in time to thwart the assassination plot.

## Themes in this chapter

### Power and Usurpation

Antonio's persuasion of Sebastian to kill Alonso mirrors his own usurpation of Prospero, highlighting the theme of political ambition and betrayal.

### Colonization and Servitude

The characters' discussion of the island as 'desert' and 'uninhabitable' reflects colonial attitudes toward new lands and their potential exploitation.

### Theater and Illusion

Ariel's invisible intervention and the false alarm of lions demonstrate Prospero's control over perception and the theatrical nature of the plot.

## Character check-ins

### Alonso

King of Naples, grieving the apparent loss of his son Ferdinand, and weary from the journey.

### Sebastian

Alonso's brother, who is persuaded by Antonio to plot Alonso's murder and seize the crown.

### Antonio

Prospero's usurping brother, who encourages Sebastian to kill Alonso, citing his own successful usurpation.

### Gonzalo

An honest old counselor who tries to comfort Alonso and is later awakened by Ariel to prevent the assassination.

### Ariel

Prospero's spirit servant, who invisibly watches over the group and wakes Gonzalo to thwart the plot.

### Adrian

A lord who comments on the island's climate and geography, engaging in banter with Sebastian and Antonio.

## Key lines

> Beseech you, sir, be merry; you have cause, So have we all, of joy; for our escape Is much beyond our loss.

Please cheer up, sir; we all have reason to be joyful because our survival far outweighs what we have lost.

_Gonzalo tries to console Alonso by emphasizing their miraculous survival._

> What might, Worthy Sebastian? O, what might?—No more:— And yet me thinks I see it in thy face, What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee, and My strong imagination sees a crown Dropping upon thy head.

What could you become, noble Sebastian? I see in your face the potential for greatness; the moment calls to you, and I can almost imagine a crown falling onto your head.

_Antonio hints at Sebastian's potential to become king by killing Alonso._

> My master through his art foresees the danger That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth— For else his project dies—to keep them living.

My master uses his magic to see the danger you are in, and he sends me to save them, because otherwise his plan would fail.

_Ariel explains to the audience that Prospero sent him to prevent the murder._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_tempest_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters