Digital Assignment: Mapping The Tempest
Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, The Tempest takes place in a single day and on one location, obeying the unities of time and space. And yet, like other romances, The Tempest has quite a bit of movement; as with the ship tossed by its name-sake, characters are thrust into unfamiliar territory, bringing characters far from home within a still-small geographical plane.
In this assignment, you'll use Google Maps to visualize the play's locations.
- Make a list of locations and settings within them (i.e., Prospero's cell, "Bermoothes," etc.)
- Take a look at the dramatis personae. Which characters listed within are stationary? Which ones travel (and do they travel alone?) and when in terms of the plot trajectory? Be sure to be alert to references to travel that precedes the play’s action; note when and where those characters have traveled prior to the play's action as well as the places from which they originally hail. Also, be sure to consider characters who are not in the play but are mentioned in it (for instance, Claribel, Sycorax, and any others)
- Search for scenes in which characters offer details about geography, climate, or the terrain. Write out key phrases and lines from the play that help us envision what we see in the play.
3) Once you've got your list of places, associated phrases/portions of the play, and fair-use images, take a look at the instructions here for making a map on Google Maps. Follow the directions for adding places, information and other markers, and adding photos.