Scholars have mostly argued that, The tempest, written between 1610 and 1611 was the last play by William Shakespeare. The play has its setting on a remote Island and at first we see Prospero, who has been exiled as the Duke of Milan, using illusion and manipulation to have his daughter restored to her place.
The play begins with an eponymous tempest which is orchestrated by Prospero to force Antonio, his brother who has overthrown him and Alonso, the king of Naples into the island. Prospero has acquired knowledge of magic through learning and is served by the spirit Ariel.
The spirit Ariel was rescued by the magician after she was trapped by a witch Sycorax on a tree on the island. Before she died, Sycorax had a son, Caliban who, unlike other characters in the island, was not possessed by spirits before the arrival of prospero. Caliban was adopted and raised by prospero, from whom he learned religion and language while Caliban oriented prospero into the ins and outs of the island. Caliban was forced to be a slave by prospero when he attempted to rape Prospero’s only daughter, Miranda.
Caliban, as a slave hated Miranda and her father because they had usurped his sovereignty in the island and on the other and, prospero and her daughter held Caliban with disgust and contempt. This paper discusses the character of Caliban, and how its representation demonstrates the future treatment of America’s indigenous people. It will start by exploring the identity of Caliban by asking ourselves, who is Caliban?
As we have seen, Caliban is Prospero’s slave who is seen by other characters as a monster. Caliban is a complex figure who can be said to be a microcosm of several other characters in The Tempest. Caliban’s feeling is that the island has been snatched from him by an alien just like Prospero’s Dukedom was usurped by his brother Antonio.
The character of Caliban is an opposition to that of Ariel, the other servant of prospero, in that Caliban is a human figure while Ariel is a spirit. Moreover, Ariel serves his master willingly but Caliban believes that it is not his mission to bow before his master’s intimidation and thus acquires a different kind of dignity.
In another contract, both Caliban and Ferdinand are interested in Miranda but in a different way. Caliban wants to untie Miranda’s virgin knot by raping her and impregnating her so that the island is filled with Callibans, while Ferdinand want to do the same by marrying her for romantic ethereal love.
When Caliban was delivering his first speech to prospero, he regretted how he showed the magician around the island when he arrived but latter he plots to kill him. The final consummation of rebellion by Caliban is seen when his plot to kill his master fails and he is subdued and treated in the most inhuman manner by prospero and we see him being forced to clean a filthy bog in preparation for his master’s dinner.
However, Caliban is a sensitive character and his speeches are an imagery of the events that run throughout the play. Through his speeches, we are reminded that Caliban occupied the island before his master and triggers the feeling that it was very unfair and unjust for an alien to come and enslave him.
We can deduce from this characters appearance, his enslavement and native status on the island that Caliban is symbolic of the America’s indigenous people or native cultures which were subdued and colonized by western societies. These colonizing powers are represented by the power of the magician prospero and the America’s indigenous people by the monster character of Caliban.
Shakespeare wrote at the time when Europeans were getting colonies and he must have heard some myths about the cannibals of the Caribbean and thus created the anagram Caliban from the concept. Secondly, it also resembles the term Cariban from the West Indies which was used to refer to some natives there.
Therefore, Shakespeare through the play could be shedding light into the morality of colonialism. This morality is seen in for instance Gonzalo’s utopia, the enslavement unleashed by prospero and subsequent resentment of this enslavement by Caliban. Just like the natives or the America’s indigenous people, Caliban is the most natural character who is very much in touch with the natural world. He is the one who welcomed and showed his colonizer the world endowed to him and was latter subdued in his own world.
His resentment, plot to kill his master can be seen as an attempt by the colonized America’s people to rebel against those who threaten to dominate them as exemplified by the modern day claim that Hispanics are taking all jobs from America’s indigenous people . Although this failed, it was a good foreboding that the colonized will come to realize that they are being enslaved unfairly and they will plot some offensive.
His being referred by other characters as a monster is true of the power the colonized American natives had but they did not realize it; thus they were always fooled and colonized. Generally, Caliban was a sensitive monster but Prospero and Miranda did not acknowledge it.
This was the case with colonizers as they did not acknowledge that the colonized were human being and that they had human feelings. They therefore treated them like objects, not as humans. However, their will to regain their sovereignty was seen by the will of Caliban to overthrow his master, impregnate Miranda and fill the island with Caliban.
Finally, the play has most scenes showing themes of the dominated and the dominant figures. This master-servant binary opposition shows up where there is a crisis in this relationship; for example the resistance of a servant or the ineptitude of the dominant.
This should not, however, be seen as a pessimistic destiny when analyzing the future of the colonized American natives but can be seen as unresolved rebellion where force may subside and negotiations rule as evidenced by today’s philosophy of the melting pot, where coexistence is seen as a solution.
In the United States, the alien issue, as in the island, has become a feature of economy and society. The character Ariel, which contracts the rebellion of Caliban can be seen as the future of American people as for now. Ariel preferred what can be called negotiations and accommodation of the alien colonizer. Therefore it can be concluded that Caliban, as far as the future of America is concerned, represents a kind of rebellion which is no longer popular among the current generation.
The Tempest is a play that involves a sea tempest that strikes a crew of men who were headed to Italy in a ship. They get scared and decide to neglect the ship since they see a potential of it being wrecked.
Prospero is a great scholar and therefore, becomes a powerful magician where Ariel is put under his service because he rescued him when he was ensnared in a tree by Sycorax, a witch. Ariel continues to be loyal to Prospero since he is promised of being freed from the airy spirit (Shakespeare 3).
Sycorax had been exiled in the island where she had lost her life before Prospero arrived there. She had a son, Caliban who is monster-like and the sole nonspiritual individual in the island prior to Prospero arrival.
Caliban guided Prospero on the survival in the island as he leant religion and foreign language from Miranda and Prospero. However, Caliban tried to rape Miranda and therefore was demanded to become Prospero’s slave causing him to grow resentment against the two, who observed him with contempt and dislike (Bloom 47).
Magic
In the opening of the play Prospero is the one who, had conjured the storm in a desire to entice his, brother Antonio and the king of Naples, Alonso. He had divined their presence in the ship nearing the island and triggers a tempest to wreck the ship (Shakespeare 25).
This divinity is manifested by a woman in The Waste Land who could read tarot cards and accurately predict the future. The crew are from Alonso’s daughter‘s wedding Claribel, who is married to King of Tunis a North African country.
The play features a North African country on a positive light just as Chinua Achebe’s Umofia village in Nigeria, which depicts cultural richness and plenty of food and peace. Chinua Achebe also incorporates use of magical or spiritual powers for divinity.
Caliban encounters Trinculo and Stephano who are drunkards supposed to have come from the moon and the three rebel against Prospero but don’t succeed. In a different setting, Prospero develops the romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda who wins her love.
This worries Prospero who makes him his servant as a spy. On the other hand, Sebastian and Antonio pursue to murder Alonso as well as Gonzales for Sebastian to get the kingship. Following this, Ariel impedes them when Prospero demands so.
He becomes a harpy and reprimand then for betraying Prospero, who draws the enemies near him. Sebastian Alonso and Antonio who are the enemies appear before Prospero, who forgives them but give a warning against another act of disloyalty.
Ariel directs the entire crew through a fine weather, cruising to the Naples where Ferdinand and Miranda wed. Ariel is freed while Caliban is pardoned and the Alonso’s crew is invited to the departure party from the island. Prospero plans to keep them entertained with his encounters in the island and finally neglect his magic.
This act shows that Prospero realizes that magic cannot help him but he instead want to be freed from it. The tempest is a story line about romance and depicts Prospero as a rational being but uses magic to meet his selfish ends (Bloom 64).
Role of Women
The tempest has a sole, woman character as Miranda but it only slightly mentions Caliban’s and the daughter to Alonso named Claribel. The play does not highlight on the role of women and it depicts Miranda as a woman who has no freedom and her father requires her to hold on chastity. Therefore, she is under the submission of her father.
Even the other women mentioned in the play are under subjugation since the reader becomes aware of their existence through the eyes of men. For instance, it is through Prospero that the reader is informed of Syncorax who is Caliban’s mother through the two never met (Bloom 83). Therefore the woman is overlooked just as in Things Fall Apart.
Romance
The tempest depicts on the genre of romance, a fiction whose setting is distant from the real life. A remote island is inhabited by Prospero and Miranda, his daughter whom he desires to enhance her welfare through unjust tactics.
They have been stranded in the island for about twelve years due to the jealousness of his brother, Antonio being assisted by Alonso when they let him adrift together with Miranda who was three years at that time (Shakespeare 5).
All the same, the king’s counselor, Gonzalo had in secret stocked the boat with much food and water as well as clothing and reading materials from the library of Prospero. This is a utopian world such as that depicted by Chinua Achebe’s Things fall apart where the Igbo are segregated in their own world.
Romance genre revolves around supernatural, wander, adventure as well as invention. Their settings are in the coast and are erotic fantasy and incorporate the theme of redemption or transgression. Besides, there is losing and retrieving as wells being in exile and reuniting.
It is under the influence of tragicomedy, which is arranged in a neoclassical style. Most importantly, the play portrays a post-colonial era and involves a utopian world where there is discovery of cannibals and might be discussing on the ethical issues relating to colonialism.
This is indicated through Utopia of Gonzalo, the enslaving of Caliban and his later anger. Caliban is a natural person who cannot be detached from the natural world and this way, there might be a reflection of being under the insulation of the European influences.
Prospero is depicted as the colonizer while Ariel and Caliban are the colonized fellows. Ariel symbolizes struggle against impacts of colonization on their cultural norms (Bloom 84).
The Waste Land
The Waste Land is a poem, which portray a religious sentiment due to the rising limitless human sexuality. Sexual revolution was evident during the twentieth century yet, the poem is satirical yet prophetic on the issue.
It discusses death with statements such as “April is the cruelest month.” (Eliot & Bloom 3)In the wasteland, there is a depiction of a woman enthroned splendidly in a drawing room, which is well decorated. During the Victorian society, the immorality heightened and the poem challenges this sexual revolution.
The initial part involves a man complaining of desolation “the dead tree gives no shelter.” in the game of chess a neurotic wealthy woman is depicted and is under male subjugation, frustrated by aspects of sexuality, such as abortion and infidelity.
The fire sermon depicts meaningless sexual encounter of a typist and a contrast of Queen Elizabeth and her lover sailing in Thames River.
Death by Water is a part that depicts a fulfillment of predictions of the fortune teller while the final part depicts an impotent thunder since it is not followed by rain. A cock crow depicts rebirth but the rain, which comes on the ground as flood causes death by water which is an aspect depicted in the tempest (Miller 24).
European Criticism
The poem criticizes various European aspects maintaining that sexual immorality is an insult to the society. It marked various cultural and gender references though a conservative Christian point of view.
It is timely on the period following the First World War and instead of seeing the peace that was presumed in the society, the poet felt a sense of disunity and pessimism. This is similar to Achebe’s view on colonialism where European influence is negatively highlighted on the Igbo community.
The poet is disillusioned with the contemporary society’s sexual misuse. He is passionate and hateful of the moral degradation in the society and through the poem, frustration is evident and caused his ultimate nervous breakdown (Miller 43).
The feminine aristocratic figure in the burnished throne incorporates seasons and her infertility. There is a prophetic tone where there are childhood memories regarding a woman and negativistic epiphany that follows the meeting.
April should be a good breeding period after winter. This is painful since it triggers memories of the happier and fertility in the past. Winter is often regarded as time where most of activities are numb and silent preferred by many.
The childhood memories of Marie are painful since the luxurious life of pleasure has been subdued by ugly marks left after the war. Memories especially regarding the dead play an important part in the waste land. These past memories confront the present, which juxtapositions and reflect the moral degradation in the society.
Marie for instance, stays all night reading while detested politically and cannot engage in anything else. Reading is an act of the past to give way to an intelligible literary culture. Similar, memories of the past haunt Okonkwo who tries much to oppose effects of western imperialist on the village.
Following this is the unstable and satirical religious proposition where the waste land is termed as stony rubbish with ‘broken images’ (Eliot & Bloom 5). However, salvation is at hand, which gives light to new experiences. This is a prophetic stance, which scares since it is empty.
The speaker in the play is haunted by the past memories of a woman whom they had a romantic encounter. This confronts the present as the memories are luxurious with plenty of blooming flowers but a revelation that follows that depicts emptiness and gives a difference of the present and the past.
Most importantly, coherence in both situations is brought up as the emptiness of sexual degradation, where impotence is manifest. Irrespective of the pleasures experienced, there is nothing to show for it and this result to the desert waste land at hand.
The desert consideration shifts to the sea, reflecting nothingness as depicted by Tristan, who waits for Isolde for healing. However, she does not arrive since he had travelled by ship. Therefore, the ocean can offer nothing since it lacks potential to facilitate curative ability or a revelation (Miller 26).
From the third scene, transformation is evident where Madame Sosostris, a tarot reader identifies vague signs and interprets them as a prediction to be fulfilled. This use of spiritual powers is used in the Tempest by Prospero and also by the Igbo in Things fall Apart.
A drowned sailor takes a transformation of the tarot pack to meet his ends. Like The Tempest magic becomes the ultimate potency of man to fulfill his desires and injustices. This is linked to an inexpensive mysticism that is carried out by Madame Sosostris, who appears correct in her predictions.
This depicts a degraded religious mysticism where man has neglected spirituality into the modern European culture. Conversely, the Igbo have embraced Christianity to modify their living standards. Sexuality has turned sterile and meaningless. Regeneration is the only solution to the potency of the land (Miller 54).
Things fall apart
Role of women
In Chinua Achebe Things fall apart, the role of women and men are depicted as different. Women are subjugated in the Igbo village during the pre-colonial period. Males dominate the society where they degrade women through violence and they are enslaved as properties.
Besides, women engage in bearing and raising children.Using Okonkwo as the male protagonist, Things Fall Apart shows the influence of western colonization and struggle against it by Okonkwo. Okonkwo is in a dire need to fight feminine weaknesses manifested by his late father afraid to “become like a shivering old woman” (Achebe 72).
Okonkwo is also a polygamist and he violates women though beating even if they help to build his social status as a clansman in the village. Like the tempest and the wasteland, magical powers are applied in the Igbo community since Oracle of Agbala is controlled by a priestess (Achebe 56).
Pre-colonial Umofia
The pre-colonial conservative Igbo community dawns into western civilization. The Europeans introduce Christianity in the village but face resistance from natives like Okonkwo. He desires to depict his masculinity to fight the foreigners.
Instead, the white missionaries have come to the village on a good course of enlightening them through education and Christian values. In the course of manifesting his masculinity, Okonkwo kills his adopted son Ikemefuna and a boy during a funeral ceremony.
He has a stubborn male pride that resists change in Umofia. He would rather commit suicide than see himself detained under the leadership of the white man. Okonkwo’s egoistic nature and his irritability justify his foolish moves and this impetuous individualism triggers his downfall (Bloom 37).
Things Fall Apart reflects the socio-cultural situation for the Igbo in the nineteenth century as western imperialism seemed to threaten these values. Okonkwo prevents them as a village elder renowned for his successful wrestling, which gained him a lot of respect.
However, he uses his position as a clansman and his status to induce his own down fall. The native land is jealously guarded by Igbo just like in the tempest where Prospero and his crew moves from exile into the native land.
Similarly Okonkwo had been sent into exile after killing the son of a fellow kinsman but later had to return to his home in Umofia. Things start to fall apart when Okonkwo refuted the guidelines from Ezendu who demanded that the oracle requires that Okonkwo should not kill Ikemefuna by himself.
He declines and during Ezendu’s death he strikes his sixteen year old son and kills him (Achebe 67). This makes him to be sent to exile for him to be atoned. The role of women is further stresses when Uchendu, Okonkwo uncle states that;
It is true that a child belongs to his father. But when the father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness, he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme (Achebe 134).
Effects of Colonization
When missionaries arrive in Mbanta, a new language is introduced. With the help of the interpreter Kiaga, the village can understand the missionaries massage.
The Umofia is a North African village in a country Nigeria and the pre-colonial people are depicted as naïve and conservative. Western imperialist obstructed the way of life of these villagers, interfering with even their political setups.
The Igbo have a well-founded social setup for instance wrestling, family and religious rituals dominated by the males while a woman is confined at home
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1958. Print.
Bloom, Harold. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Print.
Bloom, Harold. The Tempest. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008. Print.
Eliot, T. S & Bloom, Harold. The Waste Land. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print.
Miller, James. T.S. Eliot’s Personal Wasteland: Exorcism of the Demons. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State Press, 1977. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Philadelphia: Classic Books Company, 2001. Print.
In this talk, Professor Esolen discusses the importance of wonder as one of the main themes in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. At the beginning of the lecture, he refers to words of Aristotle, according to whom this concept can be defined as the beginning of philosophy and learning (Esolen unpaged). The speaker shows that wonder is the fascination of a person with better qualities of other people, for instance, their heroism, courage, self-sacrifice, or beauty. Moreover, this fascination prompts a person to acquire or develop these qualities.
In the play, wonder manifests itself in several ways. For example, one can mention Ferdinand’s fascination when he sees Miranda. This character understands that this girl is a perfect human being. Similarly, Alonso is amazed by Prospero’s ability to forgive his betrayal. This feeling has a transformative effect on these characters. To a great extent, it helps them reveal their better qualities. This is one of the main issues that should be considered.
Professor Esolen believes that wonder plays a vital role in Shakespeare’s play. People, who are incapable of having this feeling, can be deprived of any moral principles. In this case, one should on such characters as Antonio and Sebastian (Esolen unpaged). These individuals are more likely to be driven by self-interest, ambition, or jealousy. In Professor Esolen’s opinion, Shakespeare pays attention to this theme in order to highlight the differences between the characters.
On the whole, Professor Esolen lecture has highlighted to me the importance of wonder for the fulfilling life of a person. In particular, it is essential for the moral integrity of a person, ability to learn, and willingness to make achievement. In contrast, many educational institutions stifle learners’ ability to wonder. This is one of the main arguments that the lecturer puts forward.
Works Cited
Esolen, Anthony. The Tempest and Wonder. 2010. Web.
The Tempest written by William Shakespeare in 1610 is one of the most famous works of dramaturgy in known history. The play draws its influences from a variety of genre characteristics as well as potential historic events and cultural motifs. The primary themes of The Tempest discussed in this paper are power dynamics, colonialism, and the concept of illusion and reality.
Power Dynamics
Power relationships are inherently at the core of The Tempest’s plot and thematic elements. The primary pursuit of power occurs at the hands of Prospero, who attempts to manipulate most other characters, including his daughter. At the same time, he has direct control over Ariel and enslaves Caliban. The power dynamics demonstrate an interesting perspective. Ariel demonstrates obedience and servitude, eventually earning her freedom. Meanwhile, Caliban enacts rebellion and attempts to find a new master in Stefano, which leads to a similarly abusive power dynamic (Jamieson). Prospero wields magic that presents with him an advantage on the island at demonstrating power by punishing or abusing those who have crossed him. This innately presents readers with a dilemma of whether power, even when wielded by a protagonist, leads to moral and fair decisions.
The socio-political hierarchy in the play presents aspects of power dynamics from the first lines of the play as orders are given. Forceful acquirement of power, particularly related to political instability is central to The Tempest. One of the subplots is focused on internecine conflicts between leaders engaged in a power struggle for control over Milan, the island, and their servants, leading both sides to make regrettable decisions. Antonio and Alonso overthrow Prospero as the rightful Duke of Milan, banishing him to his death. On the island, Prospero overtakes Caliban who is the rightful native ruler which creates conflict. Antonio and Sebastian later plot against Alonso. In a way, Shakespeare demonstrates an unbroken cycle of power and violence that causes betrayal, revenge, and suffering. It is only broken at the denouement of the play as Prospero chooses a path of forgiveness rather than the pursuit of revenge and power.
Colonialism
The colonialism theme in The Tempest is one of the most popular literary perspectives. However, at the time that the play was written, colonialism was at its initial stages, and only decades later when it achieved its peak, scholars began to examine the play through this lens. The colonialism emerges partially from the power dynamic aspect of Prospero taking control of the island. The play indicates that he arrives on the island, destroys Sycorax, and enslaves Caliban. As time goes by, he imposes his rules and culture on the island, usurping all influence and identity from the “native” ruler of the island which is Caliban. Meanwhile, Caliban is forced into a life of poverty, violence, and drunkenness. Prospero claims ownership of Caliban directly when he states, “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine” (Shakespeare lines 330-331).
Various scholarly perspectives exist regarding true ownership of the island. Ariel and her “race” of spirits are also considered as potential natives of the island oppressed by Prospero. However, modern critics agree that Caliban represents all native tribes, regardless of race, as most Europeans saw the same bestiality and lack of intellect in all locals of conquered lands. Natives experienced similar patterns of abuse and disenfranchisement which are represented in the portrayal of Caliban (Ridge 233). Prospero’s disgust with Caliban is part of the colonialism mentality which viewed Europeans themselves on the pedestal of humankind while engaging in condescending attitudes of racism and dehumanization. Shakespeare emphasizes this with the language and tone used to describe characters. While Caliban is described through a lens of evil and repugnant, Prospero and other Europeans are portrayed as civilized and intelligent, which is a direct consequence of a colonialist mindset.
Illusion and Reality
The difference between illusion and reality is a pertinent theme in The Tempest as Prospero uses magic to manipulate the world around the characters, thus compelling certain decisions and events. Magic illusions often reveal to characters uncovering their true identities and intentions. This theme can be examined from an existential perspective, as Prospero hints that humankind may be living in an illusional world, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep” (Shakespeare lines 173-175).
There is a scholarly perspective that suggests Prospero’s magic is a metaphor for theatre, creating a masque over reality and Shakespeare’s role as a playwright. This illusion concept is interconnected to the power theme of the play. Prospero is inherently in a vulnerable position, exiled and outnumbered. However, using magic, he creates an illusion of power and lurks in the shadows, while manipulating reality (similar to that of a playwright). At the end of the play, he practically renounces his powers, releases Ariel, and acknowledges the “baseless fabric of this vision” (Poulard 4). The play is known for its innovative special effects for the time it was written, often surprising audiences, strafing on the thin line between illusion and reality.
Conclusion
The themes of power, colonialism, and illusion in The Tempest are interconnected through their influence on the plot and characterization. They serve an important role in creating depth and thoughtful perspectives on a rather simplistic play. Shakespeare introduced these themes as elements that intrigued audiences and produced commentary for centuries after.
Poulard, Etienne. “‘Shakespeare’s Politics of Invisibility: Power and Ideology in The Tempest.” International Journal of Zizek Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, 2016, pp. 1-21.
Ridge, Kelsey. “‘This Island’s Mine’: Ownership of the Island in The Tempest.” Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, vol. 16, no. 12, 2016, pp. 231-245.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Shakespeare’s Plays, n.d. Folger Digital Texts, Web.
As of today, the majority of literary critics agree with suggestions that the play The Tempest represents one of William Shakespeare’s most peculiar dramaturgical pieces, as it features a variety of clearly defined classical and medieval motifs that are being interwoven with each other rather integrally. This is the reason why the play’s motifs and themes appear innately familiar even to first-time viewers/readers. In their article Notes on the Tempest, Giorgio Strehler and Thomas Simpson refer to this particular Shakespeare’s play as being endowed with a strong humanitarian sounding: “A terrible story, and one repeated thousands, millions of times in different ways in mankind’s history. A story of usurpation and crime, of betrayal between brothers” (2002, 5). However, given the fact that The Tempest represents essentially an inseparable fusion between classical and medieval dramaturgical conventions, the task of identifying these conventions and setting them apart appears especially challengeable. Nevertheless, in this paper, we will attempt to do just that.
Discussion
Even for the people not utterly proficient in the history of classical dramaturgy, the parallels between Shakespeare’s play, in which ship carrying Ferdinand, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and Stephan was struck by the storm and consequentially arrived at a previously unknown island, and Virgil’s Aeneid, in which ship carrying Trojans has been brought to the shores of ‘barbarian’ Italy, appear self-evident. Just as it was the case in Virgil’s Aeneid, the storm in the initial part of The Tempest has been supernaturally inspired. In an introduction to The Tempest, Virginia Vaughan, and Alden Vaughan explore the theme of semantic similarity between Shakespeare and Virgil’s plays even to a further extent: “Shakespeare’s play is an imitation of the main patterns of Virgil’s epic in its beginning, middle, and end. Both stories commence with a tempest in which ships arc lost and heroes wrecked, yet the narratives later reveal supernatural agency at work – Venus in the Aeneid, Prospero’s magic in The Tempest. In the storm’s aftermath, the heroes are hopelessly lost, confused, and subject to strange visions… In the final section of each text, a new society is founded, new bonds are established” (1999, 57). During the classical period of Greco-Roman antiquity, the themes of exploration and ‘unknown’ were quite popular with contemporaries, because at that time, the Western realm was steadily expanding. The same can be said about the time when Shakespeare had written The Tempest – the first half of the 17th century is now being commonly referred to as the peak of an Exploration Era.
This is why, existential stance, on the part of many characters in Shakespeare’s play, cannot be discussed outside of a so-called ‘colonial discourse’. For example, the character of Caliban is being clearly reminiscent of New World’s ‘savages’, as perceived by Shakespeare’s contemporaries. In his article The Tempest and New Comedy, Lester E. Barber states: “Even though he (Caliban) is Prospero’s slave, his most obvious role, as modern scholars point out, is that of the new World savage, a creature whom Elizabethan adventures had been telling all sorts of fascinating stories” (1970, 211). Thus, the fact that, while working on The Tempest, Shakespeare never ceased being observant of classical dramaturgic themes/motifs, appears historically predetermined – during the course of both: Greco-Roman antiquity and Shakespearian times, society’s most prominent members were concerned with expanding their intellectual horizons as their foremost priority. In its turn, this was reflected in their fascination with ‘new’ and ‘unknown’.
However, there are also many other subtle indications as to the fact that in The Tempest, Shakespeare had deliberately employed the conventions of classical drama. For example, the resolution of conflictual situations in many ancient Greek tragedies and comedies is being concerned with the introduction of Deus ex machine (God from machine) – in the middle of a confrontation between characters on the stage, an actor playing God would be lowered onto this stage with the rope and install final justice. In a similar manner, the character of Prospero goes about resolving seemingly irresolvable situations – he utilizes his magic not to just forcibly impose his will onto others, but even to affect their state of mind. Thus, the character of Prospero appears to be nothing but a Renaissance interpretation of the concept of Deus ex machine – all-powerful enforcer of justice, who appears on the stage just in time when he is needed the most:
“Now does my project gather to a head: My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time Goes upright with his carriage. How’s the day?” (Act 5, 119).
In Greek dramas, characters often spoke to the audience, while trying to legitimize their cause even more. The ever-present chorus helped them greatly, in this respect, while often playing a semi-independent role on the stage. There is no chorus in The Tempest, of course, but the fact that Shakespeare’s play features an Epilogue, in which Prospero refers directly to the audience, provides us with yet another proof as to this play being affiliated with the concept of classical dramaturgy.
Nevertheless, The Tempest relates to the classical conventions of drama not only thematically and structurally, but spiritually as well. This can be explained by the fact that the Renaissance movement (with Shakespeare being one of its most prominent affiliates) has been primarily concerned with the resurrection of ancient Greek and Roman ideals of physical beauty and intellectual exaltation, which had been suppressed by Christians over the course of millennia. This is why, just as it is usually the case with classical works of dramaturgy, the context of this Shakespearean play implies synonymous sameness between the notions of ‘goodness’ and ‘naturalness’. As it has been rightly pointed out in Theodore Spenser’s book Shakespeare and the Nature of Man: “In The Tempest whatever evil remains is impotent, and goodness returns to action. Here, as in all the last plays, there is a re-birth, a return to life, a heightened, almost symbolic, awareness of the beauty of normal humanity after it has been purged of evil” (1961, 200). In the next part of our paper, we will refer to this thesis again, while exploring the relation of The Tempest to the conventions of medieval dramaturgy.
Ever since most Christian dogmas were agreed upon by the participants of Ecumenical Council in Nicea in 787 A.D., Church had made a point in trying to keep the actual content of the Bible in secret from the ordinary people, which explains why, up until the beginning of Reformation, the attempts to translate Bible from an unintelligible Latin into secular languages, were considered a heretical offense. This explains why, during the time when Catholic Church was at its strongest, the strength of ordinary people’s sense of religiosity was reflected in their awareness of so-called Catholic ‘tradition’. This ‘tradition’ itself, had nothing to do with the original spirit of Christianity. All that commoners were expected to remember from the actual Bible is that Devil was bad, Jesus was good, and that Saint Mary was even better than Jesus – the rest was left to people’s imagination.
In its turn, this explains why, during the course of the Dark Ages, the dramaturgic genre of mystery had attained such popularity – while reinterpreting Biblical fables, within the framework of mystery, uneducated dramaturges and actors were able to enjoy almost an unrestricted liberty. This was the foremost reason why in mysteries, the characters of spirits and demons played semi-independent roles – just as it was the case with Greek and Roman dramaturges, the anonymous authors of medieval mysteries expected these transcendent entities to be endowed with essentially human psychological traits. Therefore, the fact that the plot of Shakespeare’s play is being heavily affected by Ariel’s omnipresence, and also the fact that in this play, the motif of wizardry is being thoroughly explored, leaves no doubt as to The Tempest’s metaphysical relation to the conventions of medieval drama.
Apparently, by endowing the characters of Prospero (God/Wizard), Ariel (Holy Spirit/Nymph), and Caliban (Witch’s son) with semiotic prominence, Shakespeare strived to exploit potential viewers’ perceptional affiliation with the Christian concept of Trinity. At the same time, by doing it, Shakespeare was trying to subtly promote an essentially humanist outlook on human nature. In his article The Tempest and the Renaissance Idea of Man, James E. Phillips states: “There is a striking similarity between the functions of Prospero, Ariel, and Caliban in the play and the functions of the three parts of the soul – Rational, Sensitive, and Vegetative – almost universally recognized and described in Renaissance literature on the nature of man” (1964, 148). Being an intellectual, Shakespeare was fully aware that the best way of convincing others to adopt his point of view onto discussed subject matters is making this point of view emotionally appealing to the audience.
In its turn, this explains strongly defined symbolical subtleties of The Tempest – another indication of Shakespeare’s play’s conceptual affiliation with the genre of medieval drama in the form of mysteries and masques. As we are well aware, during the course of the Middle Ages, the members of Christian clergy were experiencing an increasingly hard time, while trying to logically substantiate the ‘divinity’ of Biblical fables. This was what had led to the emergence of Medieval Scholasticism, as we know it – a philosophically religious methodology of reconciling the ideals of antiquity with the Christian doctrine of salvation. Given the fact that this could not be done by utilization of logic-based reasoning, scholastics had come to conclusion that, in order for a particular individual to experience God’s ‘shining truth’, he or she would simply have to trust its irrational feelings, while remembering that the emanations of surrounding reality are being thoroughly symbolic. This is exactly the reason why strongly defined symbolism is the foremost feature of medieval drama.
In his article The Role of Musical Instruments in Medieval Sacred Drama, Edmund A. Bowles states: “In order for medieval drama to assume the role of libri laicorum, special means had to be found to remind the audience of the deeper meanings behind the storied portrayals in word, color, and music. The most obvious solution was an emphasis of the scene’s symbolic context” (1959, 69). The close reading of The Tempest, leaves no doubt as to the fact that almost every scene in this Shakespeare’s play is being utterly symbolic. For example, the description of a storm at the beginning of a play was meant to symbolize Prospero’s suffering and ultimately – the suffering of God on the account of humanity’s wickedness:
“A confused noise within: ‘Mercy on us!’ – ‘We split, we split!’ ‘Farewell, my wife and children!’ – ‘Farewell, brother!’ – ‘We split, we split, we split!” (Act 1, 6).
Nevertheless, it is namely the fact that, throughout its entirety, play’s storyline is being concerned with symbolical exploration of theme of virginity (purity), which allows us to confirm play’s affiliation with the conventions of medieval drama, as it is this particular theme, which largely defines the semantic content of Arthurian tales, medieval mysteries and of their illegitimate offspring – courtly masques. Originally, this theme did not have anything to do with Christianity but rather the fall of Roman Empire. However, during the course of Dark Ages, the notion of purity came to symbolize the concept of salvation. Moreover, the members of aristocracy were increasingly referring to this notion as such that legitimized their claim for political authority. Therefore, the fact that in The Tempest, characters never ceased praising Miranda’s virginity as her foremost virtue, serves as an undeniably proof as to Shakespeare’s play being formally concerned with medieval socio-philosophical discourse:
“Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan; and thou his only heir And princess no worse issued” (Act 1, 10).
Thus, The Tempest represents a whimsical amalgam between dramaturgic conventions of antiquity and those of medieval era. On one hand, play promotes an essentially Greco-Roman idea that humans are being nothing short of demi-gods, but on another, it suggests that, in order to be able to understand the essence of surrounding reality, people cannot be relying on their sense of rationale alone.
As it has been rightly pointed out in James Walter’s article From Tempest to Epilogue: Augustine’s Allegory in Shakespeare’s Drama: “The Tempest provides an allegory of the interpretive process, uncovering the modes, conditions, obstacles, and means involved in understanding signs. By revealing the limitations and distortions of theatrical spectacle, as well as of language, in relation to truth, the play questions the very possibility of human understanding” (1983, 61). And, as we are well aware of – exposing limitations of human cognitive understanding, has always been the foremost agenda of medieval dramaturges, because by doing it, they were ensuring themselves being eligible to favors, on the part of members of Christian clergy.
Conclusion
The conclusions of this paper can be summarized as follows:
William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest employs a variety of classical dramaturgic traditions, the most important of which have been outlined in paper’s earlier parts. This can be explained by the fact that socio-political realities in Shakespeare’s era were conceptually similar to the ones, associated with Greco-Roman antiquity.
Along with the traditions of classical theatre, Shakespeare’s play also features many theatrical conventions of clearly mediaeval origin. In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, during the course of early 17th century, the influence of Christianity in Europe remained comparatively strong.
Bibliography:
Barber, Lester ‘The Tempest and New Comedy’, Shakespeare Quarterly 21.3 (1970): 207-211. Print.
Bowles, Edmund ‘The Role of Musical Instruments in Medieval Sacred Drama’, The Musical Quarterly 45.1 (1959): 67-84. Print.
Phillips, James ‘The Tempest and the Renaissance Idea of Man’, Shakespeare Quarterly 15.2 (1964): 147-159. Print.
Shakespeare, William ‘The Tempest’. 2001. Sparks. Web.
Spencer, Theodore. Shakespeare and the Nature of Man. New York: MacMillan, 1961. Print.
Strehler, Giorgio & Simpson, Thomas ‘Notes on the Tempest’, A Journal of Performance and Art 24.3 (2002): 1-17. Print.
Vaughan, Virginia & Vaughan, Alden, eds. The Tempest. London: Berkshire House, 1999. Print.
Walter, James ‘From Tempest to Epilogue: Augustine’s Allegory in Shakespeare’s Drama’, PMLA 98.1 (1983): 60-76. Print.
There is rigid difference between mimic techniques in theatrical performance and literary representation of the play. In particular, the former allows to demonstrate certain actions and convey feelings with the help of gestures, eye contact, silence, and other nonverbal patterns of behavior.
In contrast, literary presentation is narrowed to language resources, imagination, and cultural propriety, which are the only tools for understanding the boundaries between supernatural and human actions.
In this regard, Shakespeare makes use of specific narrative techniques while depicting certain actions and events in his play the Tempest. The playwright resorts to tricky narrative elements that make the play be reminiscent of palimpsest, a world of illusions and fictitious perception.
The protagonists of the play refer to different genres and stylistics decides within one discourse to underscore social subordination and concept of freedom.
A density of narrative elements used in the play creates dynamics between the character and the plot, motif and problem by including techniques implied by the sources. Those attractive variations ignite explanation and expansion.
Due to the fact that The Tempest is more typical of a “science fiction” genre, a reader expects to see a male protagonist of great intellectual gifts who appears to be isolated and who should exert all his intelligence and power to solve the problem of survival. His solitary existence, hence, is revealed in deficiency in intercourse and cooperation with other characters in the play.
Prospero is unlikely to be engage in dialogues with other characters; so, all his solutions seem to be mechanical and even robotic. While analyzing these aspects in general, it is possible to understand whether a character is a human or not, associative or reserved. More importantly, a reader can also understand the extra factors influencing characters’ actions, decisions, making contextual means a powerful literary device as well.
Protagonists of the play resort to different stylistic genres of communication revealing their social and class affiliation. This can be explicitly viewed in case of Calliban’s speaking in iambic pentameter comparing to Trinculo’s narrative in blank verse. While referring to more advanced and sophisticated verse forms, one can notice Caliban’s superiority and higher social position, which is seen in this poetical expression.
In contrast, Trinculo’s narrative is presented in mundane prose, which is typical of working class. Additionally, Caliban’s beauty of the language empowers him with greater advantage over Trinculo.
His narrative, therefore, provokes more sympathy and compassion as fight for freedom seems much more persuasive when conveyed by poetical means. In general, narrative means that both characters make use of define their social status and affiliation to a particular estate regardless of Calibain’s being enslaved by Prospero.
In conclusion, narrative techniques used in Shakespeare’s The Tempest are mostly directed at depicting character’s social affiliation, their intelligence level, and salient features.
In particular, through literary representation, it is possible to identify Prospero’s unsociability and reluctance to cooperate with other characters, Caliban’s desperate fight for freedom and rights, and Trinculo’s veritable origin and position in society.
Furthermore, using specific stylistic devices, such as allegory and metaphors, Shakespeare strives to endow the play with a shade of uncertainty, supernatural controlled by the reason. Using language resources and various densities of dialogues and discourses, the author also succeeds in providing fictitious perception of the play.
The concept “island” always played a great role in British literature. A simple fact, that England is an island influenced the development of the symbol and promoted its spreading in British literature. Sea, as an inalienable component of insular life, also takes a great place in the treasury of images in British images.
In The Tempest, the sea is presented as a strict and impartial element: “When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king?” (Shakespeare 1). A man is helplessly facing the element. Human beings are too small and weak against the storm and sea wrath. So, it is a symbol of insuperable power, which takes away all the possibilities to oppose. Then, an island appears, as a natural partner of the sea. Both symbols are often shown together and act in cooperation.
Sea surrounds an island, remotes and isolates it from a continent. Thereby, a sea is a boundary which separates a big land, where a lot of people live, and a secluded world, that is an island.
In The Tempest, an island is a place of isolation for several people: great magician Prospero and his daughter, Miranda. They found a shelter there twelve years ago. Still, the island had given refuge for two other people: the witch Sycorax and her son Caliban. Also, the island was inhabited by an air spirit, Ariel. Caliban’s mother did not manage to make him her servant and confine him in a tree. Then she died. Prospero released Ariel and made him his servant.
So, even in a direct sense, the island is a place of isolation for many people. It is a place of exile for those who deserve it and those, who suffer without any guilt. Still, Prospero finds a way out. At one, a great magician sets up his daughter’s future, takes vengeance on traitors (his brother and Alonso, king of Naples), and forgives them. Leaving the island, he reveals Ariel from service and decides to forget about practicing magic:
“I here abjure, and, when I have required Some heavenly music (which even now I do) To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff Buries it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book”. Shakespeare 73-74
In the epilogue, a reader sees a man, who is tired and sick. Though he has come back to Milan, he thinks about death. Many researchers, who analyzed the play, spoke about the parallel between Shakespeare and Prospero. The magician has a strong subjective basis, which starts inside the author’s soul. If Prospero is not an incarnation of Shakespeare, he is the product of his emotional experience. It seems very probable that the image of Prospero has something in common with the author. Thereby, the desire to leave magic is a possible projection of Shakespeare’s desire to leave theatre and play-writing. The author is tired. What causes these desires? The answer may be found in the image of the island, depicted by Shakespeare.
Firstly, it is absolutely unclear, where the island is situated. The play contains two mentions about its position “From the still vexed Bermoothes, where she’s hiding” and “And are upon the Mediterranean float” (Shakespeare 11). Still, Bermoothes are situated in the Atlantic Ocean. The paradox could happen on the reasons of the author’s geographical illiteracy still, it is hardly possible.
Judging by the abovementioned facts, we can say, that the island is as illusory, as a lot of Ariel’s visions, which the spirit presented to humans. Island’s physical location means nothing, which is emphasized by the author. Island is only a metaphor for something bigger.
There are several additional facts, which support this theory. The island’s nature includes features of common and magical nature. Characters of the play seem to be between two different worlds, real and magical as long as Prospero is simultaneously a magician and a real duke; Antonio and Sebastian are at the same time witty and vulgar, evil and foolish. Caliban is brutal, but also he is receptive to beauty. A reader keeps the feeling that action oscillates between real and unreal details.
The play seems utopian at first sight. But looking at the final moments of The Tempest and analyzing Prospero’s speech in the epilogue one may dispute this statement. Wonderful new world, which was a dream of writers and philosophers for generations, seems ironic. An episode, which wonderfully illustrates this idea, may be found in The Tempest when Miranda enthusiastically says: “How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous the mankind is! O brave new world. That has such people isn’t!” (Shakespeare 78).
And sagacious Prospero answers her: “Tis new to thee” (Shakespeare78). The magician knows that only out-and-out scoundrels are around.
Topos of the island absorbed the quintessence of utopian outlook and world-building; here, in The Tempest, it is reborn as an antiutopian symbol of a wall, an insuperable barrier. The place of action is presented as a closed space, which has an inhuman heart inside. Entrance and exit are difficult. Any attempts of changing it are slightly possible. Anti-utopia clearly demonstrates, as a classical utopian image of a happy end is interchanged by a convincing example of the fact, that in reality an ideal changes into its polarity.
This theory may be supported by another argument. As long as some critics find parallels between Prospero’s visit to the island and the colonization of the New World, then his magic powers and books rather remind technological progress of European countries (Nuri). Still, such a genre as anti-utopia includes scepsis concerning the achievements of civilization and scientific and technological advances. So, the fact, that Prospero draws his books and leaves his magic behind only supports the idea of the antiutopian character of Shakespeare’s play. Also, Prospero speaks about the vainness of people’s efforts and even lives: “We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep” (Shakespeare 64-65). Even his powers do not save him from such thoughts. He is tired, he does not believe in anything. His desire to leave magic rather reminds the last will. One may find in The Tempest a lot of philosophic lines, from a search of freedom to abuse of authority; from forgiveness to retribution. Still, the uncertainty of the play, reality of the aesthetic world, which is expressly mystical and unreal seem well thought-off. Reading Prospero’s words about the world and people’s existence which is only a dream (they are cited above), one may even conjecture, that the whole plot is nothing but a dream of a duke who had never left Milan. He retired and became a scientist. Still, he suffered from misdoubts which took the form of a dream which is presented in the play.
In this case, the motive of isolation is also highly connected with the symbol of the island. We are afraid to be isolated and surrounded by an obstacle that we cannot surmount. An island is an eternal symbol of loneliness.
The Tempest tells us about unclear comprehension of new truth about the world we live in, which is metaphysical and transcendental. If the phenomenon which surrounds our lives is the darkness of a dream then our life can also be a dream. Shakespeare demonstrates this mystical and unclear feeling in The Tempest, where the island is the incarnation of vague images of human existence, which is surrounded by a sea while the island is small and defenseless in the face of endless and alien power.
Shakespeare is aware of the uselessness of efforts to restrain humans’ passions. His last play express fatigue from the knowledge that all the giant efforts are vain and the world remains unchanged.
An island is a place where many characters think about the nature of freedom from the spiritual freedom of Ariel to the bestial freedom of Caliban. Still, Caliban’s freedom guides him to dishonorable actions, cruelty, and desire for revenge. Freedom in The Tempest is diverse. It is a wide spectrum of humans’ freedoms. Symbolically, that all of them meet each other on the isolated territory, an island.
Antonio and Sebastian decide to kill Alonso, Caliban plots against Prospero because they feel free. In The Tempest Shakespeare demonstrates the downfall of humanisms: “on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost” (Shakespeare 66). Humaneness is powerless to defeat the inhumanity of countless Caliban, it cannot dispose of evil. The island is not only a symbol of physical or moral isolation. It is a symbol of isolation, caused by powerlessness, isolation, which makes one not only lonely but also humiliated.
Works Cited
Nuri, Akash. “Colonialism in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. Ezine Articles. Web.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Murrieta, CA: Classic Books Company. Print.
Language of every nation is a dynamic phenomenon that exists in permanent development. Time brings some new phenomena into the life of a nation and removes some old ones. All these processes find their reflections in the language and the basic differences between the English of Shakespeare’s times and modern English are the topic of this very paper. The following excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays are to be transformed into the English language spoken in the world nowadays.
Context: The boatswain of the ship carrying the Italian dignitaries is wrestling with the storm that threatens to destroy the entire ship and all its crew. Because of this, he ignores requests made by the dignitaries and tells them all to go back to their cabins. Gonzalo, takes issue with this, essentially tells him to remember his place, and reminds him of the importance of those to whom he had spoken so freely with. This is the boatswain’s response.
Boatswain: None that I more live than myself. You are a councilor: 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.—Cheerly, good hearts!—Out of our way, I say. (I.i.21-27)
The words of the boatswain can be interpreted into modern English in the following way as the words uttered in an emergency situation and full of emotional coloring: “There is no person more experienced than me. You are a councilor: if you can calm the forces of nature down at least for now, then do it by your power and authority. If you can not, then thank God and me that you are still alive. Now go to your cabin and be ready to face the disaster if there will be such a need. – Move on, my faithful sailors! Keep on fighting with the storm! – And you, officials, get out of our way! Do not prevent us from doing our job and saving us all! You do have no knowledge in the seamen’s craft, so if you can not help them do not impede at least!”
Context: Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco have arrived safely on the island, having jumped ship in the storm to avoid apparent shipwreck. Gonzalo speaks to the remarkableness of their survival. He addresses the others:
Gonzalo: Beseech you, sir, be merry. You have cause / (So have we all) of joy; for our escape / Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe / is common: every day some sailor’s wife, / The master of some merchant, and the merchant, / Have just our theme of woe; but for the miracle, / I mean our preservation, few in millions / Can speak like us. (II.i.1-7)
The words uttered by Gonzalo to his friends after they were safe from the storm can be interpreted into modern English as follows: “We can be jolly and glad now, my friends. I beg you not to be sad, be merry. You, as all the rest of us, have reason to rejoice – we are saved from the storm, we are alive and not even wounded by it. And this fact is worth more than all the misfortunes that could occur in our further lives. We are all sad right now a little bit but this is a common thing – all people have sad moments in their lives. Wives of sailors, merchants, and even people who are very rich sometimes mourn something. But the reason for our gladness and genuine happiness can not be compared to the reasons for their sorrow. By a miracle, we are saved from that storm, and this feeling of happiness is familiar to only a few of millions of people living on this Earth.”
The Tempest is one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote as his career in theatre came to an end. It is set on a remote island, and it revolves around Prospero’s efforts to restore his daughter Miranda back to glory. Prospero, the protagonist in this play, is an exiled Duke of Milan, and he is up against his brother Antonio, who deposed him and his daughter.
Shakespeare divides Act 1 into two scenes, where the first scene opens in a ship that is riding a big storm at sea. The scene opens with the frantic efforts of the master and the boatswain to save the ship and the people therein. The master orders the boatswain to organize the mariners to try and save the ship.
As the boatswain frantically organizes the mariners, some of the ship’s passengers enters the scene and starts exchanging words with him. From the exchange between the two parties, the audience is made aware of the fact that one of the passengers in the ship is a king. This is made obvious when Gonzalo, when trying to prod the boatswain to get into action, says to him, “good, yet remember whom we thou hast aboard”.
Scene one ends with the sinking of the ship. Antonio tries to convince the others to stay with the king, whose cries can be heard in the background as the ship sinks. But Sebastian thinks otherwise, and replies to Antonio “let’s take leave of him (the king)”. Gonzalo is the last to exit scene one, and he bemoans the fact that they are drowning at sea. He says that he will give anything to be on land right now, as opposed to be at sea drowning.
Scene two opens on the island, with Prospero and his daughter talking before his cell. Prospero gives Miranda, his daughter, the story of how they ended up on the island. In this scene, other characters such as Ariel the spirit, Caliban the slave and Ferdinand are introduced. The scene comes to a close with Prospero giving Ariel, the spirit, instructions. The scene closes when Prospero, the spirit and Miranda exit.
One of the major themes that come out in this act is theatre. Shakespeare brings out the nature of The Tempest as a play in this act. A connection emerges between Prospero’s art and theoretical illusions, and this makes the audience draw parallels between this character and Shakespeare. The shipwreck scene that opens the play is an illusion created by Prospero, using Ariel. The theatrical scene in this act is further emphasized by the disguises assumed by Ariel. The spirit assumes the form of a nymph and a harpy in this act.
Another theme central to this act is magic, brought forth by the fact that Prospero is seen to possess a mantel and he is able to take control of Ariel. However, the Shakespeare makes great effort to prove that Prospero’s is a rational form of magic, and not of occultist nature. This distinction is achieved by the use of Sycorax, the magician who was occupying the island before Prospero came along, when differences are drawn between him and Prospero, and the powers that both possess.
One aspect that stands out in this act is the fact that female characters are not given prominence in both scenes. In fact, in the whole of the act, there is only one female character, Miranda, and she only comes into play in the second scene. Other women are just mentioned, like Sycorax, the mother to Caliban. All of the female characters, including Miranda and the others that are mentioned, are subordinated to the men in the play.
Colonialism also stands out in this act, and this is especially depicted by the control that Prospero has on Ariel and Caliban. The island was occupied by Sycorax, Caliban and Ariel among others before Prospero came along. But Prospero was able to take control over the island, and even make Caliban and Ariel his subjects. This is not unlike the way white explorers colonized Africa and other foreign lands and made the natives their subjects.
In The Tempest, William Shakespeare shows how Prospero magic and manipulations prompt other people to re-evaluate their values, attitudes, and world views. This paper is aimed at discussing the way in which Ferdinand develops a new perception of his inner world. Overall, it is possible to argue that he begins to appreciate love since this feeling has not been familiar to him. In particular, he understands that love implies responsibility and willingness to make sacrifices for another person. More importantly, Ferdinand understands that he is capable of such actions. This is the main thesis that should be examined more closely. His transformation can be illustrated by looking at Ferdinand’s relations with Miranda. Moreover, one should discuss his response to situation when he is separated from his father and friends.
Ferdinand begins to lose his identity at the time, when he is separated from his father and friends by Ariel. The author does not let readers see his experiences during the storm because he does not participate in the conversation with other people. One can say that Prospero’s manipulations reveal the light-heartedness of this character and his inability to take responsibility for his words and actions. For instance, Ferdinand promises to make Miranda “the queen of Naples” and it does not even occur to him that he may not be able to fulfill his promise (Shakespeare 45). Moreover, he is quick to forget that his father could have perished. To a great extent, these examples indicate that Ferdinand is a flippant person who is driven by the desire or last, rather than by love and responsibility.
Nevertheless, the encounter with Miranda transforms Ferdinand’s outlook since he understand that there is a person who he can love. Furthermore, he discovers that this feeling has not been familiar to him. The following quote can throw light on his experiences:
“Full many a lady I have eyed with best regard and many a time The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues Have I liked several women; never any With so full soul, but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed” (Shakespeare 93).
To a great extent, this experience has a transformative effect on this character since he learns that there are some feelings that he did not know before. This is one of the main aspects that can be identified.
More importantly, Ferdinand understands that he should make sacrifices for the woman he loves. This is the main change that he undergoes. For instance, Prospero forces him to haul wood, but Ferdinand finds this activity very pleasant because it is for the benefit of Miranda. Later, he assumes an obligation to arrange a formal marriage with Miranda (Shakespeare 121). In this way, Ferdinand shows that he is willing to take responsibility for his actions. This is one of the main aspects can be identified. To a great extent, this character plays an important role in this play. By looking at his behavior, Shakespeare shows how a person can acquire a new understanding of love. Ferdinand discovers that he can be dedicated to the needs of another person.
Thus, Ferdinand’s experiences on the island transform many of his attitudes and worldviews. In particular, he discovers that he can be fully devoted to another person. Prospero’s magic and trick make him discover such a feeling as love. By looking at his relations with Miranda, Shakespeare shows how this person reveals his true self. This is why the role of this character should not be overlooked.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.