Question

Read this excerpt from Shakespeare's The Tempest in which Prospero addresses Caliban:

For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have cramps,

Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins

Shall, for that vast of night that they may work,

All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinch'd

As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more

stinging

Than bees that made 'em


Which inference is best supported by these lines?

A. Caliban often gets himself into trouble by drinking too much.

B. More than once, Prospero has nursed Caliban to health.

C. Prospero uses bullying and intimidation to control Caliban.

D. The island where they live is also home to dangerous wildlife.

Answer 1

The inference that can be made by reading these lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest is that Prospero uses bullying and intimidation to control Caliban. The correct answer is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to these lines, Prospero uses all these threatens ("to-night thou shalt have cramps, / Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up / thou shalt be pinch'd / As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more / stinging") as a method to control Caliban. By explaining with details how Caliban is going to feel in his body the consequences of his acts, Prospero intends to guide Caliban's behaviour.

Answer 2

The inference is best supported by these lines is C. Prospero uses bullying and intimidation to control Caliban.

Explanation:

The meaning of these lines shows that Prospero is threatening Caliban with doing painful things to him.