In Act I, Scene 1, the audience is thrown into the deep end as the scene is based on grand action and profound emotion. That is, while the king of Naple's and other nobles travel by ship, they are faced with the forces of nature-a tempest, and this tempest virtually sends the ship and those on board into turmoil. The audience can imagine the ship being tossed about while the mariner's frantically attempt to gain control but the action aboard is what the audience will find intriguing. That is, the dialogue throughout this scene is sufficient to get the moral of the story across. By taking a closer look at the dialogue, the audience sees that Shakespeare intentionally required the moral of the story to hit home-it had to be very powerful to match the audience's understanding of why the tempest occurred.
The conflict in Act I, Scene 1, is centered on the boatswain trying to carry out the shipmaster's orders, but the nobles haven't made his job any easier. They question his ability and the confrontational dialogue is not all one sided, the characters have all something to say:
Alonso: Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? Play the men.
Boatswain: I pray now, keep below.
Antonio: Where is the master, boson?
Boatswain: Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm.
Gonzalo: Nay, good, be patient.
Boatswain: When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not.
Gonzalo: Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
Boatswain: None that I more love than myself. You are a counselor: if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority; if you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap-Cheerily, good hearts!-Out of our way, I say.
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