Gonzalo and Alonso — Edexcel GCSE English Literature 1ET0
Edexcel GCSE English Literature · 1ET0
Gonzalo and Alonso
Characters
What you need to know
How Shakespeare presents Gonzalo and Alonso, and how the character develops across the text: the honest old counsellor who helped Prospero, and the King of Naples whose grief and guilt lead him to repent.
The key quotations for this character and how to analyse them, with the context that shapes them.
How to use the lesson's key quotations in an essay, with a short worked paragraph.
Key quotations: 'I would fain die a dry death', 'A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo', 'Out of his charity', 'what strange fish / Hath made his meal on thee?', 'I would by contraries / Execute all things', 'O, it is monstrous, monstrous!', 'Holy Gonzalo, honourable man', 'Thy dukedom I resign and do entreat / Thou pardon me my wrongs', 'Look down, you gods, / And on this couple drop a blessed crown!', 'Though the seas threaten, they are merciful'.
Gonzalo's kindness and optimism mocked by Antonio and Sebastian, and Alonso's grief for his son turning to guilt and repentance.
Context: Gonzalo's commonwealth and Montaigne's praise of a people without rulers or property, and Alonso's part in Prospero's overthrow.
Edexcel's Shakespeare question has two parts: part (a) on the printed extract marks only language, form and structure (AO2), so context earns nothing there; part (b) on the play elsewhere, from memory, marks the argument and its references (AO1, 15 marks) and context (AO3, 5 marks), not language analysis. Say which part each worked paragraph and exam tip is for.
