Study Questions
1. What three elements of nature does Ariel represent in this scene?

2. How does Ariel “burn in many places” during the tempest?

3. What did the passengers of the ship do when they were afraid of dying?

4. What did Ariel do with the passengers?

5. What did Ariel do with the mariners?

6. Where did he leave the ship? Was it damaged from the storm?

7. What does Ariel expect to get for all of his labors?

8. Why is Prospero angry at Ariel for requesting his freedom?

9. Where did the “foul witch Sycorax” imprison Ariel?

10. Why was Ariel left imprisoned for 12 years?

Answers
1. Ariel represents the elements of air, water, and fire.

2. Ariel divides himself and becomes several fires on the ship during the tempest.

3. All except the mariners plunged into the foaming sea.

4. Ariel brought the passengers to the shore, safe and unblemished, and dispersed them in groups around the island.

5. Ariel put them to sleep and left them in the ship.

6. Ariel left the ship in a deep inlet of the island. The ship was undamaged from the storm.

7. Ariel expects Prospero to give him his liberty in exchange for his services.

8. Prospero reminds Ariel of the time he saved him from the curse of Sycorax, and now he feels that Ariel owes him his services.

9. Sycorax imprisoned Ariel in a “cloven pine.”

10. Ariel was left in the “cloven pine” because the old witch, Sycorax, had died in the meantime.