NARRATOR: King Alonso, Gonzalo and their minions are fast asleep. Sebastian andAntonio鈥檚 knives glint in the sun. They鈥檙e stepping forward to commit themurders, when鈥
Ariel whooshes in and whispers in old Gonzalo鈥檚 ear. Gonzalo wakes upand shouts 鈥楽ave the king! Save the king!鈥
The king splutters awake too. 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going on? And why the knives,Antonio?鈥
Antonio is a quick thinker - bad guys tend to be. 鈥楲ions!鈥 he cries.
鈥楾hat鈥檚 right - a whole herd of them!鈥 shouts Sebastian.
鈥楳onsters, too! Coming to attack the king,鈥 says Antonio.
鈥楢nd an earthquake - I think,鈥 adds Sebastian.
The courtiers look at each other - and fall for it. Every last lie. They patAntonio and Sebastian on the back - then go deeper into the island tolook for Ferdinand.
Meanwhile鈥emember the jester, Trinculo, and his mate, Stephano? Onthe other side of the island they鈥檙e getting into their own trouble. Stefanofloated ashore on a barrel full of wine. He and Trinculo have alreadydrunk half of it. If they were stupid before, they鈥檙e stupid and stupidernow.
They鈥檝e made friends with Caliban, who鈥檚 another of Prospero鈥檚 magicalservants. Trouble is - Caliban鈥檚 half sea-monster and half man鈥nd he鈥檚not the happiest of creatures. He doesn鈥檛 like himself much. And he likesProspero even less. He thinks these two idiots are going to be his bestfriends. Especially when they promise to get rid of Prospero.
You see what鈥檚 going on? Everyone who lands on this magical islandreveals who they really are - deep down inside. But they don鈥檛 know thatProspero is watching their every move鈥
CALIBAN: Right. Here鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do then. Prospero sleeps every afternoon. Up in his cave. So first we nick his magic book鈥hen we nick hisstaff鈥hen we bonk him on the head. Wallop!
STEPHANO: You may smell like a donkey鈥檚 bottom, Caliban, but I do believe you havepotential. We shall take over the island. And I鈥檒l be king. I love it.
TRINCULO: What about Miranda? What do we do with her?
STEPHANO: I shall marry her, I think.
TRINCULO: Very nice!
CALIBAN: And what about all his spirit servants?
STEPHANO: Wallop! Wallop! Wallop!
CALIBAN: Ah - I love you, my master!
STEPHANO: King Stephano! Ha!! I feel a song coming on鈥
ALL: 鈥榃e鈥檙e off to kill the wizard, we鈥檙e off to kill the wizard鈥︹
Video summary
Sebastian and Antonio step forward intending to kill King Alonso but Ariel whooshes down and wakes Gonzalo and, realising what's happening, he wakes the king.
A startled King Alonso asks Antonio and Sebastian why they have their knives drawn.
But, ever-cunning Antonio has an explanation, which the king and Gonzalo accept without question.
On the other side of the island, Prospero鈥檚 slave-monster, Caliban, meets up with comic duo Stephano and Trinculo, who have come ashore with a barrel of wine.
It鈥檚 not long before the barrel is empty and the intoxicated trio are planning to kill Prospero and take over the island.
Prospero, still in his invisibility cloak, sees it all鈥
Teacher Notes
This series provides various opportunities to meet Key Stage 2 National Curriculum requirements, including study of a significant author, reading techniques such as prediction, drawing inferences, clarification and summary; and drama and writing opportunities - including poetry performance, descriptive writing, persuasive writing, letter writing, newspaper article writing, poetry and play scripts.
It could be used as an introduction to the play, consolidation of key aspects or for revision of the plot and characters.
More detail on how to use this series, including detailed lesson plans, can be found in the Teacher's Notes PDF.
This series is relevant for teaching English at KS2, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and at Second Level in Scotland.
Episode 4 - Toledo steel. video
Antonio sees an opportunity - if he can persuade Sebastian to murder King Alonso
Episode 6 - Love song. video
Prospero sets Ferdinand to work. He and Miranda meet... and it's love at first sight.
Episode 7 - Spellbound. video
Prospero has his enemies in his power and plans to publish them for their past actions
