This introduction covers The Man Who Knows Everything — Except Himself within Prospero (character) for GCSE English Literature. Revise Prospero (character) in The Tempest for GCSE English Literature with 12 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 17 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 The Man Who Knows Everything — Except Himself
Prospero has spent twelve years on an island with total control over the air, the sea, and every living creature on it. He has raised a child, enslaved two beings, and engineered the return of the men who wronged him. By any measure, he has won. And then Ariel — his servant, his instrument — says: if I were human, I would feel pity for them. And Prospero stops. Something in that tiny observation from a spirit who cannot feel breaks through twelve years of righteous anger. That moment, in Act 5 Scene 1, is the hinge of the entire play.
Practice questions for Prospero (character)
In Act 5 of The Tempest, Prospero says he will 'break my staff' and 'drown my book'. What does breaking the staff most clearly symbolise?
Identify ONE technique Shakespeare uses to create moral ambiguity in Prospero's characterisation in Acts 1-2, and explain its effect.