The following text is from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, first performed in 1611. Miranda has lived on an island with her father, Prospero, since she was three years old. Prospero has stated that Miranda likely does not remember anything other than her life on the island.

MIRANDA: 'Tis far off,
And rather like a dream than an assurance
That my remembrance warrants. Had I not
Four or five women once that tended me?
PROSPERO: Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it
That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else
In the dark backward and abysm of time?
If thou remember'st ought ere thou camest here,
How thou camest here thou mayst.

Question

The following text is from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, first performed in 1611. Miranda has lived on an island with her father, Prospero, since she was three years old. Prospero has stated that Miranda likely does not remember anything other than her life on the island.

MIRANDA: 'Tis far off,
And rather like a dream than an assurance
That my remembrance warrants. Had I not
Four or five women once that tended me?

PROSPERO: Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it
That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else
In the dark backward and abysm of time?
If thou remember'st ought ere thou camest here,
How thou camest here thou mayst.

Accepted Answer

Miranda's ability to summon details of an experience she had before arriving on the island suggests that she may also be able to summon details of her arrival on the island.

Answer

Miranda's reminiscences about her early childhood have a melancholy quality that betrays her discontented view of her current circumstances.

Answer

Miranda's doubts about the accuracy of one recollection of a place other than the island are clouding her judgment and seem to be making her reluctant to explore her recollection of traveling to the island.

Answer

Miranda's impression of a scene is vague because she is remembering a scenario she had daydreamed about as a child rather than a scenario that had occurred in reality.

Text from Passage	Analysis
MIRANDA: 'Tis far off, And rather like a dream than an assurance That my remembrance warrants.	What it says: Memory = distant, dream-like, uncertain What it does: Introduces Miranda's uncertainty about a memory What it is: Character's self-doubt about recollection
Had I not Four or five women once that tended me?	What it says: Asks about 4-5 women who cared for her What it does: Presents the specific uncertain memory as a question What it is: Tentative recollection
PROSPERO: Thou hadst, and more, Miranda.	What it says: Yes + more women than that What it does: Confirms Miranda's memory is accurate What it is: Validation of recollection
But how is it That this lives in thy mind?	What it says: How do you remember this? What it does: Expresses surprise that she retained this memory What it is: Question about memory retention
What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time?	What it says: What else do you see in deep past? What it does: Probes for other early memories What it is: Inquiry into additional recollections
If thou remember'st ought ere thou camest here, How thou camest here thou mayst.	What it says: If remember before → might remember arrival What it does: Makes logical connection between types of memories What it is: Conditional statement/reasoning

The following text is from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, first performed in 1611. Miranda has lived on an island...

GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Passage Analysis Table

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

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