Performing: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

 In Literature we had been reading The Tempest, a play by the British famous  actor, poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. The play is written in Elizabethan English, so for us, who learn modern English, it was quite hard to understand it. However, our teacher helped us, asking we to perform the scenes. 

 Firstly she choose some students and they performed the play as usual, but then we were asked to create still images or tableau, which is like putting stop in the middle of a film. So here is the activity.

Act 1, Scene 1:

  In this image we can see the ship which carried the loyalty, in the middle of a tempest. The Boatswain is ordering the King of Naples and other important members of the loyalty, to stay in their cabins. This is something that is criticized along the play, how 'normal people' react against the loyalty.

This is our second still image and it shows how members of the nobility( people sitting in the chairs) are getting desperate and the crew is trying to save the ship. 

Our third tableau. It represents the moment when everything is getting lost, the nobility and the crew is praying while some women of the nobility  throw themselves to the sea. 

Act 1, Scene 2

Another scene. The Tempest has finished and here we can see from the island, Prospero calming down Miranda, who is worried for the people who were on board and perhaps dead. Prospero tells her no harm has been done. 

 These are the still images from Prospero's memory while telling his daughter, Miranda their past, when his treacherous brother, Antonio, take power of his thrown, the Duke of Milan. 

  
   

  This still image shows Antonio(Prospero's brother) and Alonso, the King of Naples, signing a pact, showing in this way that they are together, a king of allies. 

   Now we can see how Antonio is expelling Prospero and his daughter from the city.  






  

 This freeze frame is representing Prospero and Miranda in the little poor boat. We can see that Prospero has a book, his book of magic and Miranda is eating some food. These both things were put in the boat by his loyal servant, Gonzalo. 




















     These were the still images, but also we were asked to perform the story of Sycorax, the witch mother of Caliban, Prospero's savage servant. Here is the link to the video we performed in groups: 

 http://nocritiquesalaruta.blogspot.com/2012/05/sycoraxs-story.html?spref=bl