Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the play, and support their choices with details from the text.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Tempest. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Encourage students to share observations about themes, motifs, and symbols during class discussions. This deepens understanding and helps students connect literary elements to real-world ideas.
Provide students with graphic organizers to visually map out themes, symbols, and motifs from The Tempest. This makes it easier for students to organize their thoughts and spot connections between different story elements.
Invite students to create posters, digital collages, or storyboards that highlight a key motif or symbol. This allows students to express their understanding creatively and reinforces the importance of recurring elements in the play.
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different theme or symbol to investigate. Have groups present their findings to the class, encouraging collaborative learning and diverse perspectives.
Ask students to reflect on how the themes in The Tempest relate to their own lives or current events. Personal connections help students see the relevance of literature and foster deeper engagement.
The main themes in The Tempest include illusion vs. reality, revenge, discovery, and redemption. These themes explore the play’s complex ideas about magic, forgiveness, personal growth, and the nature of truth.
Use storyboarding to help students visualize and identify key symbols and motifs like the tempest, Ariel’s music, monsters, and the chess game. Have students illustrate examples and write brief descriptions to deepen understanding.
Assign students to create a storyboard that highlights recurring themes. Ask them to illustrate scenes and provide text evidence or short descriptions for each theme, such as redemption or illusion vs. reality.
Illusion vs. reality is central to The Tempest because the play uses magic and deception to challenge what characters and the audience believe. This theme prompts students to question appearances and the nature of truth.
Key motifs and symbols in The Tempest include the storm (tempest) itself, Ariel’s music, the chess game, and images of monsters. Each represents deeper ideas about transformation, control, and conflict.