Prospero in “The Tempest” by William Shakespear

Prospero (the rightful Duke of Milan) is the protagonist of The Tempest, William Shakespeare’s final written play. Finding himself deserted on an island with his daughter Miranda after being betrayed by his own brother for power, Prospero ends up having twelve years of built up anger and revenge to dish out on those who have wronged him.

From early on the readers see how Prospero’s use of magical powers from his spell books almost guarantee his authority on the island. In The Tempest, Shakespeare depicts Prospero as like a controlling puppet master whose desire to manipulate everyone and everything around him is shown consistently, with the use of magic.

Prospero’s motivation is fueled by two main things. According to R.D Gooder, “The first is Prospero ‘s ambition to marry his daughter to the right sort of person; the second is his desire to be revenged upon his enemies” (4). From early on readers can see the protective nature that Prospero has for Miranda. He shelters her from knowledge about their past until the boat carrying his betrayers arrive. Prospero says to Miranda, “The hour’s now come.

Obey and be attentive, the very minute bids thee ope thine ear” (Shakespeare 1.2.46-48). Prospero is finally about to tell Miranda how and why they ended up on the island. This scene lets the readers sympathize with his selfishness, shows the justification of his reasonings for using his spirit Ariel to stir up The Tempest (storm), and why he brings his betrayers on land. Prospero’s love for his daughter motivates him to make sure that she ends up with the right type of person.

This should portray him as being a caring father at this point but his motivation for revenge shows the audience his bluff. The play slowly reveals that “the true internal necessity for his opposition being feigned lies in his double nature” (Snider 197). Miranda meeting and eventually marring Ferdinand, who is the prince of Naples, isn’t by chance. Prospero uses his magic and hold over Ariel to help them meet. This is just another little piece in Prospero’s real agenda to get revenge and his eventually dukedom back.

Prospero is like a two-faced person; on the outside he seems like a dad wanting what is best for his daughter, but his real motives are what helps benefit him in the end. The relationships between Prospero and the people on the island seem different but he uses magic to manipulate every single person in some way shape or form. At first the readers catch a glimpse of the relationship between him and his brother.

Antonio takes advantage of Prospero being so into the studying of his magic and books, “While Prospero’s nose was buried in his extensive library, his snaky brother manages to steal his title and gets him thrown out of Italy” (Shmoop Editorial Team). So, going forward from this, the audience can somewhat relate to why he acts the way he does. He uses Ariel as he pleases; it is always either him or Prospero manipulating every moment of everyone on the island.

No one on this island is truly free; Prospero uses his magic to ensure that. Prospero also uses Ariel to spy on Caliban, who is described as a fish like man and a servant to Prospero. Caliban encounters Trinculo and Stephano, who are a Lester and a drunken butler. Caliban begs them to let him be their servant, saying “Ill show thee every fertile inch o’ th’ island, and I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god” (Shakespeare 2.2.154-155).

Caliban eventually talks them into killing Prospero, all while Ariel is listening. Betrayal for power is a big theme in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. First with Alonso and his pupils and now his servant Caliban. The way he puts them all through hell associates with the justice and revenge themes also plotted throughout the play. Illusion vs reality is also a big theme carried out by Prospero throughout this play. The whole time everyone is on the island, they are in an altered state of reality, tailored specifically to how he sees fit.

The way this is used throughout the play forces both the characters and readers to wonder if something is real or the result of Prospero or Ariel’s doing. The audience can see it being used on his daughter Miranda, when he asks her to remember about her past and she says “tis far off, and rather like a dream than an assurance that my remembrance warrants” (Shakespeare 1.2.56-58).

She is telling the audience that her memory of her life up to this point seems like a dream, with only Prospero’s illusions using magic to blame. Prospero stands for Prospero is portrayed to be a certain stereotypical character, the forceful, controlling, protective one. This is seen time and time again in the play. On the island Prospero and Miranda live among of his now servant Caliban, the son of a witch that was on the island before they arrive.

Prospero takes the island from him, which is another way he shows the audience how controlling he is. At first, they live together nicely, and Miranda and Prospero even teach Caliban how to speak their language. They way they treat Caliban abruptly stops when Prospero catches Caliban trying to rape his daughter. Prospero says “Filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee in mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child (Shakespeare 1.2.415-418).

Caliban becomes Prospero’s servant from this point on. Prospero’s stereotype is however, crafted to be broken. The way he changes throughout the play from how he is and becomes this forgiving, almost new person, makes for a very intriguing character. This also puts Prospero into the Round character category. Round characters are complex and develop through their stories, sometimes adequately to shock the readers.

Prospero does end up surprising the audience in The Tempest in the last act of the play. Although Prospero remains the same self-centered, controlling man throughout the entire play, he changes from an unsympathetic character into a sympathetic one. He makes his servant Ariel to do much of the dirty work for him. He doesn’t care about his enemies and puts them through a lot while he sits back and watches. This is seen almost immediately in the beginning of the play as Prospero has Ariel disperse his brother Antonio, the king of Naples Alonso and his son Ferdinand, and everyone else that is on the boat onto different places on the island.

Watching them scramble around, he is getting pleasure out of their disarray. All these things show Prospero’s superiority complex for control. According to the Shmoop webpage, “in Prospero, Shakespeare creates a figure who decides to forgive his enemies even though they betray him in the worst possible ways” (Shmoop Editorial Team). This is where he changes into a sympathetic character, surprising the audience by forgiving all his betrayers.

Read more

The Other in the Tempest

In order to understand the characters in a play, we have to be able to distinguish what exactly makes them different. In the case of The Tempest, Caliban, the sub-human slave is governed largely by his senses, making him the animal that he is portrayed to be and Prospero is governed by sound mind, making him human. Caliban responds to nature as his instinct is to follow it. Prospero, on the other hand, follows the art of justifiable rule.

Even though it is easy to start assessing The Tempest in view of a colonialist gaze, I have chosen instead to concentrate on viewing Caliban as the monster he is portrayed to be, due to other characters that are not human, but are treated in a more humane fashion than Caliban. Before we meet Caliban, we meet Ariel, Prospero s trusting spirit. Even though Ariel is not human either, he is treated kindly and lovingly by his master who calls him my quaint Ariel. Caliban, on the other hand, is called a tortoise and a poisonous slave by Prospero.

As Caliban enters in Act 1 Scene 2, we realise his fury at both Prospero and Miranda. He is rude and insulting and Prospero replies with threats of torture. Prospero justifies his punishment of Caliban by his anger at the attempted rape of his daughter, something Caliban shows no remorse for. Miranda distinguishes herself from Caliban by calling him a thing most brutish and inadvertently, a thing that has only bad natures. She calls his speech gabble, but doesn t stop to wonder whether it was she that didn’t understand him because she didn’t know how to speak his language.

Surely Caliban communicated verbally with his mother for the twelve years before Prospero killed her? It seems that Prospero and Miranda expect Caliban to be grateful for the knowledge of their language, but Caliban has just learned how to curse and justifies his anger by claiming rights to the island. Even though they obviously detest each other, Prospero needs him, as he tells Miranda: We cannot miss him: he does make our fire. Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices. That profit us, Caliban stays on because he is afraid of Prospero s art of such power, making Prospero the feared conqueror ad dictator.

Prospero is the right duke of Milan and Caliban is the savage and deformed slave. They represent two different extremes on the social spectrum: that of the natural ruler, and the naturally ruled. Their positions on the social hierarchy are largely due to the fact that Caliban responds almost wholly to passions, feelings of pleasure i. e. his senses, while Prospero is ruled more by his intellect and self-discipline i. e. his mind.

Although we are not given details of Caliban s birth, it seems likely that a creature as subhuman in appearance as Caliban was not born of a human union. It has been postulated that, to quote Prospero, he was got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam, from a union between Sycorax and an incubus (an extremely attractive male apparition with intention to tempt). Caliban was therefore a creature born from passion, the offspring of an unholy pleasure. Prospero was not only of noble birth; he was also born to be ruler of the city-state of Milan.

Nobility, in Elizabethan times, carried with it heavy implications: it was expected that Prospero would be intellectually superior, and that he would exercise as great discipline over himself as he was expected to exercise over others, in his role of leadership. From their ancestry, Prospero is more ruled by his intellect, and Caliban by his love of pleasure. Caliban s original love for Prospero and Miranda, and his later misdemeanour and subsequent hatred for them, illustrate his fundamental reliance on his senses.

Caliban loved Prospero and Miranda because they made much of me; and his response to this was purely sensual in his recollections. What Caliban responded to, more than anything else, was the sensation of pleasure that being loved and petted gave him. The action that caused Caliban to be removed from this position and punished was his attempt to rape Miranda, another example of how he seeks pleasure.

Prospero s position on sexual relations is quite opposite he tells Ferdinand repeatedly not to take advantage of his daughter, for the obvious reason that rape and taking advantage of someone sexually is considered wrong. This is something Caliban doesn’t seem to understand and further distances himself from the human figures. During The Tempest itself, Prospero and Caliban have two very different purposes. Prospero intends to resolve the injury that was done to Miranda and himself, bloodlessly, by the use of his Art.

Caliban s dearest wish is to depose Prospero by killing him and, rather than resuming rule of the island himself, submit to the rule of Stephano. Caliban s purpose for attaching himself to Stephano and plotting to kill Prospero is almost wholly passionate. The reason that Caliban believes Stephano to be a worthy ruler, indeed, a god, is that Stephano is the custodian of liquor, a substance that appeals to his senses. His favourable response to Stephano is like his previous response to Prospero- that someone who makes him feel good must be good.

Likewise, his attempt at achieving revenge on Prospero is largely in retribution for the punishment Prospero has visited upon his senses. However, though Caliban s desire for revenge is certainly not cerebral, his passions in it are not entirely sensual either. The crafty manner in which he persuades Stephano to aid him in his plan, by mentioning Prospero s riches and Miranda s beauty, shows the presence of some mental ability; as does his attempted tact in trying to keep Stephano s mind upon bloody thoughts.

Furthermore, one of his grievances against Prospero is that he stole the island that was, by birthright, Caliban s and imprisoned Caliban upon it. In spite of this, Caliban s mind is subject to his senses, much as Prospero s passions are subject to his mind. Caliban s underlying motives are still passionate. His indignation at having his inheritance usurped loses its weight when we realise that, of his own free will, he will let Stephano rule- showing himself to be naturally ruled, not ruler.

At the end of the play, when he recognises that his choice of Stephano as ruler was foolish, it is not mental reasoning that has led him to this conclusion, but the evidence of his senses and experience. Caliban had mid enough to function as part of society, but training him to become part of that society cannot be abstract, like Prospero s failed attempt at educating him with Miranda Caliban s education must be practical and hammered home with his own senses. If the senses represent something natural and the mind represents an art like knowledge or in Prospero case, magic, then we can say that Caliban represents Nature and Prospero Art.

While the need for control over nature is asserted continually, the ending suggests that art must ultimately come to terms with nature; for while Caliban s limitations are apparent, his wish to improve himself is promising, and his new relationship with Prospero seems to be more stable and more reassuring than the resentment-filled and extremely uneasy jailer-prisoner master-slave relationship shown earlier.

Read more

The Tempest as a Power Struggle Between the New and the Old World

To what extent do you agree that The Tempest is a power struggle between the old and the new world? Shakespeare’s Plays II Assignment 1 Rocio Corral Garcia 119042576 It is generally accepted that Shakespeare’s Play The Tempest is complex in many senses, but it cannot be denied that it is especially rich in terms of interpretation. A huge variety of critical analyses have been written about Shakespeare’s last play suggesting different possible approaches to it, such as human salvation, magic, colonisation and power.

This essay will focus on the struggle between the old and the new world, which is one of the major themes in this play and that can be easily applied to politics and conspiracy in their more broad sense. Prospero is a European who dominates the island on his own and he is able to do so because he has magic powers. In this way he controls the island and its inhabitants by combining threats of force, promises of freedom and all kind of techniques characteristic of a proper dictator. He takes charge of the island which does not belong to him and exerts his power over the inhabitants, forcing them to serve him as slaves.

It is almost impossible to draw a parallelism between this situation and the European colonial power in North America during the XVII century. Thus, it may be assumed that the old world stands for Europe and all its common practices and customs while the new world is represented by the uncivilised island. Throughout the whole play the reader is able to find several occasions in which the struggle between the new and the old world is very noticeable. In the first scene of the play, for example, we find the exchange between Prospero and Miranda talking about what has been left in the old world: dukedom and serving women.

For them, living in the island means abandoning all these things and implementing facets of the new world. Miranda has been educated by her father following the old world rules but at the same time she has learned the secrets of the island by Caliban. Caliban is a native of the island who rails against language and is forced to submit. He reveals against all those things related to the old world, since he belongs to the new one. This fighting is constant along the play. Then, on the second act Shakespeare presents the difference between the new and the old world in terms of appearance.

That is to say, the green and the light of the new world contrast with the European world. The new world is wild and uncivilised. Gonzalo has his own dream which is labelled as a utopian view of the island. He portrays it without order and hierarchy. In his new world there would not be chaos because everyone will be happy: I’ the commonwealth I would by contraries Execute all things; for no kind of traffic Would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known; riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none; No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;

No occupation; all men idle, all; And women too, but innocent and pure; No sovereignty; The reader may acknowledge this as the internal fight men had in this era. Following this scene we find the metaphor of the drunken servant men that come to the island and they imagine that they are able to rule it, thinking that they will secure the loyalty of a native through gifts and the promise of benevolent ruling. This metaphor is made on the basis of a strong parallelism with the real accounts of the colonisation. So, there cannot be any reading of The Tempest without considering it as a study of colonialism.

During the colonisation the struggle between the colonizers and the colonized world was a constant feature, so this view support the idea that The Tempest is a clear example of the struggle between the old and the new world. The English colonial project is on Shakespeare’s mind throughout the play, as almost every character, from Gonzalo to Stephano, imagines how he would rule the island if he were its king. Shakespeare seems as well to be influenced by Montagne’s essay “Of the Cannibals” since the name of Prospero’s servant is Caliban could be an anagram of “cannibal”.

Prospero stands for the dominant part in his relationship with Caliban and his allusions to him are most the time is contemptuous. Prospero describes Caliban as: “Devil, a born devil on whose nature, Nurture can never stick” This description of Caliban is quite similar to those descriptions of the “savages” by Captain John Smith who set the first English settlement in Jamestown, or to those descriptions given by Mary Rowlandson later in the XVII century.

These descriptions fit perfectly with Prospero’s concept of Caliban, so maybe Shakespeare’s intention here is to make a direct link between the current accounts of the colonisation process and the situation of the play. Again, this makes a clear instance that the play wants to portray the confrontation between the old and the new world. This clear struggle in the play between the new and the old world may be emphasized by political themes associated with Caliban’s conspiracy and Prospero’s colonialist control of the island. This essay will focus now on the political issue of the play.

On the one hand, it may be clear that usurpation is the main political theme pervading the play. The possibility of usurpation is precisely what allows Prospero to legitimise and sustain his totalitarism on the island. Paradoxically, he was first usurped from his throne and it is him who repeats that behaviour in the island. Prospero’s power is proved by Caliban’s resistance. Caliban stands for the main dissident voice in the play. His threatening integration of Prospero’s rhetoric makes him a dangerous insider to the established system: “You taught me language, and my profit on ’t

Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language! ” Caliban’s use of language illustrates perfectly the potential to resistance contained within power. , and Prospero’s response to Caliban consists in violent outbursts of rage: “Hag-seed, hence! Fetch us in fuel. And be quick, thou ‘rt best, To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, malice? If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps, Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar That beasts shall tremble at thy din. Prospero’s violence hardly hides his terror at Caliban’s appropriation of his language. On the other hand, the play deals perfectly with the topic of conspiracy, being Caliban its maximum exponent. Caliban resists to Prospero’s authority, but this authority may be called into question, since Prospero gets it by means of usurpation. Anyway, Caliban’s role is essential in terms of resistance; however, by depriving Prospero by his unique discourse, he represents the existence of alternative voices in the island.

He exposes three different versions of the past in the island: Caliban’s, Ariel’s and Prospero’s, although it is the latest the one who succeed. Prospero appropriates the past of the island, and he rewrites history according to his own standards, in order to construct a credible narrative. Caliban shows his resistance: “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me” Prospero manages to make his version the one to be trusted. He describes Sycorax as the malevolent witch, a chaos and evil, which contrasts with him, the balance.

This is another actual clue that asserts the play as the struggle between the new and the old world. Prospero assures that it was Sycorax who imprisoned Ariel and it was him who released Ariel. It seems that Sycorax is dead, since she does not appear on stage, but her presence lurks ominously in the background. Despite her physical absence from the play Sycorax has great importance. In the politics of the play she serves an ideological function as she is constructed as the evil witch, the ‘other’, through which Prospero’s ownership of the island is legitimised.

She is constructed as being the antithesis to Prospero – female, non-European and evil – and Prospero uses her to justify his acts of dispossession. Prospero shapes the past on his own way. However, the presence of other rivals frightens Prospero, and his anxiety increases as it is shown with his irrational outburst of anger at Caliban’s command of language. Besides, in the island there are different ideological ways of thinking, such as Gonzalo’s political manifesto mentioned above “No sovereignty” (2. 1, 156). Indeed, Gonzalo’s utopia is likely to the real hierarchy in the island, ince there is a king but without sovereignty. Another aspect of the play that may be related to politics is the marriage between Miranda and Ferinand, since it serves as an agreement between the old world, here represented by Ferinand, and the new world, embodied by Miranda. In this way the marriage stands as a peace treaty between both worlds. It might represent a political marriage, which were very common during the Elizabethan period. The reader may find another political marriage in the play, since in Act II Alonso’s daughter marries the king of Tunis against her wishes.

But this is not the case of Miranda, since she falls in love to Ferinand at the first glance. However, this marriage is a sort of business because Miranda is a political tool in Prospero’s plan. Besides, it is very interesting that Miranda is the only female character on an island full of men. She makes possible the reconciliation and redemption of both, Prospero and Alonso. The most important value of Miranda is her chastity which enables the marriage. Virginity is a matter of politics in the play, since with Miranda being not pure the marriage would not be possible.

But Prospero makes sure that her daughter is virgin and emphasizes Miranda’s purity linking her to her mother: Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir And princess no worse issued. Finally, it may be concluded that The Tempest presents different instances of the struggle between the old and the new world, and that Shakespeare draws a strong parallelism with the issue of colonisation and the plot of the play. It might be also acknowledged that there is a final reconciliation between both worlds which is sealed by Miranda and Ferinand’s marriage.

Although this play was composed in the XVII century, there are several timeless topics that Shakespeare portrays like political usurpation, conspiracy and struggle for power, that occupy a first place in present day life. Bibliography Primary texts: Shakespeare, William. The Riverside Shakespeare, ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974 Secondary texts: Free Tempest Essays: “Relevance of The Tempest Today” Retrieved February 26, 2012 from: http://www. 123HelpMe. com/view. asp? id=7486 Gibson, Rex. The Tempest. Cambridge Student Guides. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,2006.

Hamilton, Donna B. Virgil and The Tempest: The Politics of Imitation . Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1990. Montaigne, Michael de, The Complete Essays. London: Penguin,2003. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Gonzalo’s speech. (2. 1,123-32) [ 2 ]. Montagne, Michael de. The Complete Essays. Trans. M. A. Screech. London: Penguin, 2003 [ 3 ]. Prospero’s description of Caliban (4. 1,188-9) [ 4 ]. Caliban’s speech (1. 2,369-70) [ 5 ]. Prospero’s speech (1. 2,371-76) [ 6 ]. Caliban’s words (1. 2,334. 5) [ 7 ]. Prospero’s speech (1. 2,56-59)

Read more

The Tempest and Adam & Eve

Nature of Man In order to connect with his Christian dominated audience, all of Shakespeare’s plays contain important allusions to the bible. The Tempest is no exception. Throughout the play various allusions to the Genesis story of Adam & Eve are made. This serves to portray men in a state of nature which plants the question of whether men are intrinsically evil or good. In the play the island is described as a Utopia. This can be seen in Gonzalo’s speech in Act 2, Scene 1 “No kind of traffic would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known, riches, poverty and use of service, bound of land none…

No occupation, all men idle, all, And women too, but innocent and pure (Shakespeare)”. Here Gonzalo describes the type of world he would create for himself if he was ruler of the island. The Utopia he ends up describing has many similarities to the Bible’s Garden of Eden. Gonzalo would reject from the island earthly possessions and inventions such as metal, wine and weapons. This would create a world with no possessions and weapons which would keep people in a state of nature where greediness and jealousy would not exist. When Gonzalo says “Letters” he really means “Learning”.

Banning learning is something very similar to what happened in the Garden of Eden where Adam & Eve were not allowed to eat form the Tree of Knowledge and share God’s wisdom. Having knowledge makes men independent as they will start to do things by themselves which distances them from God and make their own order. Here Shakespeare suggests that just as this was the downfall of Adam & Eve, it will also be the downfall of man. Sebastian comments that marriage would also not be allowed in Gonzalo’s Utopia. In the story of Adam & Eve, they don’t get married until after they had been banished from the Garden of Eve.

This suggests that marriage also distracts men and women from God as it makes them dependent on their partner rather than God. Marriage would also give people a sense of possession on another human which would not be in accordance to Gonzalo’s Utopia. Gonzalo also states that in his Utopia all men and women would be idle. This alludes to the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve did not have to work for food because the land was fruitful. It was not until Adam was expelled from Eden that God cursed the ground so Adam would have to work hard to eat.

Also while in the Garden of Eden, Eve was innocent and pure just as Gonzalo describes the women in his Utopia. Adam and Eve were innocent people fed by the abundance brought forth by nature in the Garden of Eve. This is exactly as how Gonzalo describes how he would feed the people in his Utopia. The story of Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban also portrays commentary on the nature of men. When Stephano and Trinculo arrive at the island they are not portrayed as evil but instead as drunken comic characters. While it would be inaccurate to describe them as good and innocent men, they definitely suffer a fall in character as the play progresses.

Their downfall is in direct correlation to Caliban’s bad influence. In the play, Caliban is portrayed as the devil who is a savage and deformed slave. In the time of Shakespeare, people believed there was a correlation between the outward appearance and someone inner self. In the play Caliban represents man’s worse nature and is the source temptation to Stephano and Trinculo. In the play, Caliban plants evil thoughts in the minds of the unsuspecting Stephano and Trinculo to kill Prospero; Caliban’s real master. This has resemblance to the serpent in the story of Adam & Eve.

In the story of the bible Adam & Eve were fooled by a serpent to eat from the Tree of Knowledge so they could gain the knowledge of God. In both The Tempest and the Bible, plan of the tempters (Caliban and the serpent) was only to undermine and overthrown their real masters. However, in both instances neither the serpent nor Caliban wanted to rule themselves. In the bible, Satan does not eat of the fruit himself and instead seems to want Adam & Eve to rule instead. By giving Adam & Eve power he wanted to cause disorder between humans and God so that he could rule indirectly.

Similarly, Caliban wanted Stephano to be ruler of the island as Act 3, Scene 2 says “Thou shalt be lord of it and I’ll serve thee (Shakespeare). ” Caliban only wanted to kill Prospero and not to rule himself. Here the dark side of the state of nature is shown. Caliban represents man’s greediness and want for power. Just as the serpent was the cause of the downfall of Adam & Eve, so will Caliban be the cause of downfall of Stephano and Trinculo. Shakespeare is portraying a state of nature of man similar to Hobbes view were . In both the story of Adam & Eve and The Tempest knowledge is the source of Godly power.

In The Tempest Caliban says that the only way to defeat Prospero is to take away his books as he says in Act 3 Scene 2 “Remember first to possess his books, for without them He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not one spirit to command. They all do hate him as rootedly as I. Burn but his books (Shakespeare). ” In the story of Adam & Eve, the serpent tells Eve that the only reason God is all powerful is because of his knowledge. Therefore, the serpent tells Eve that if she wants to be like God she simply has to eat from the Tree of Knowledge; Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die.

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. ” Here Shakespeare is suggesting that it is human nature to want to be like God. With every invention and scientific breakthrough humans will feel more powerful and therefore more God like. This will make humans less dependent on God and will therefore cause men to distance themselves from God. However, over time humans will get a false feeling of power and will try to overthrow God just like the drunk Stephano and Trinculo tried to do to Prospero.

In The Tempest Shakespeare explores human nature and its relation to religion. In the end he comes to a conclusion similar to that of Hobbes theory. Shakespeare suggests that as long as humans stay faithful to God they will do fine. However, Shakespeare states that human nature is to distance himself from God and this will in the end be its downfall. In today’s society the distancing from God is fairly obvious; however it still remains to be seen if this will be the downfall of the human race.

Read more

The Tempest theme on illusion

An illusion is an incorrect or distorted perception of a real situation. The Tempest, written by Shakespeare in 1600-1611, uses illusion in many different ways. I am going to Juxtapose the play with the There are 4 different aspects to the play, which are Magic, Deception, Dreams, and the Theatre. I am going to study 3 different episodes in the play where Illusion is relevant, and I will consider the ways illusion is presented. Illusion is a prevalent theme throughout both the play and the film, where it is amplified by the use of special effects.

The first aspect that I am going to expand on is Magic. This is an aspect that creates illusions. The Tempest itself was an illusion created by Prospered magic. I will be examining Act 1, where there are numerous episodes surrounding the aspect of magic. “Hell is empty and all the devils are here,” Ferdinand had screamed as he threw himself from the burning ship during the tempest. The ship burned but it didn’t get torn apart or wrecked. The ship was taken safely into the harbor and the crew was magically charmed to sleep.

Prosper had even told Miranda that “not so such perdition as a hair/ Betide to any creature in the vessel/ Which thou heart’s cry, which thou sat sink. ” The use of iambic pentameter, as well as the use of enjambment, creates an eerie atmosphere of mystery, which goes hand in hand with the aspect of magic. After this episode had finished, Prosper says to Miranda, “Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions: / Thou art inclined to sleep; its a good dullness, / And give it way: I know thou cants choose. At which point Miranda falls asleep. This was due to the powerful magic of Prosper, who cast a spell on Miranda o fall asleep. Moreover, when Ariel, Prospered spirit-servant, who had been issued the task of creating the Tempest by Prosper, was summoned by him, Riel’s starting words were, “l come/ To answer thy best pleasure: bet to fly, / to swim, to dive into the fire, to ride / On the curled clouds, to thy strong bidding task/ Ariel and all his quality. This monologue gives Ariel a magical aura, and is also spoken in a haughty tone, alluding to the powerful magical side to the spirit. Ariel boasted that, “Cove’s lightning, the precursors/ 20th’ dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary / And sight- outrunning were not; the fire and cracks/ Of sulfurous roaring the most mighty Neptune / Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, / Yea, his dread trident shake. ” This prose was said in an enthusiastic tone, with an iambic pentameter, but cleverly written by Shakespeare in Blank Verse.

Caesura, along with enjambment is also used to maintain a magical grip among the audience. In addition, when Prosper asked Ariel if the passengers aboard the ship were safe, Ariel replied, “Not a hair perished. ” This meant that what the passengers aboard the ship were experiencing as all an illusion, created by Riel’s magic, rather than a real shipwreck. Additionally, when moving from Riel’s active speech mentioned before to this part, the use of juxtaposition and contrast makes the magic seem more realistic than it is thought, alluding the audience.

As well as that, Riel’s music, when heard by Ferdinand in Act 1 The Tempest theme on illusion By Sheehan Scene 2, ” Come unto these yellow sands, / A d then take hands; / Curtsied when you have and kissed/ (The wild waves whist)/Foot it featly here and there, / And, sweet sprites, bear / The further” lures Ferdinand towards Prosper and Miranda. Ariel, due to his immense magical power, was invisible to Ferdinand, which shows the audience the power of magic throughout the whole play, as Ariel is a spirit, and is part of the island.

Therefore, if Ariel is that magical, then the island must be teeming with magic. The primary change that I found between the original reading of the play and that of Julie Tommy’s production is the introduction of a female protagonist, namely “Prospers. ” This, along with the introduction of special effects, will give a new interpretation of magic in the Tumor Production. In he film, Prospers is first shown on a cliff, wearing a cloak and bearing a staff, conjuring the Tempest. She is presented as a goddess, as she uses her magical powers to invoke disaster upon the ship containing her enemies.

This shows her immense magical prowess, and therefore creates a distinct variation between the play and the Tumor Production, as there is an unembellished contrast. Visual effects can also be taken into consideration as the Tumor Production uses to represent violent natural incidents, such as when Ariel describes how he “annihilated” the ship sing fire, lightning and thunder. The CGI made the destruction more realistic and the accompaniment of the drums make the whole scene more authentic in general. Another difference is the sex of the protagonist, as it changes the relationship between Ariel and Prospers.

In the play, Prosper controls Ariel in a more volatile way, threatening Ariel constantly. In the Tumor Production, however, Ariel obeys Prospers more willingly, and even though he wishes to be free, he is respectful and more obedient to Prospers than to Prosper in the play. When Prospers was scolding Ariel about his desire to be free, CGI creates the environment that Ariel was in before Prospers came to the island, which was that he was stuck in a tree (this, of course as shown in the Tumor Production, was an illusion).

Now I am going to examine the aspect of deception in the Tempest, in Act 2 Scene 1 . Deception is an illusion, as it is intended to mislead someone. In this scene, Antonio (Brother of Prosper) and Sebastian (Brother of Alonso), conspire to kill the king. Alonso falls asleep due to Riel’s magic, as well as Gonzalez, and so Sebastian and Antonio are given the task of protecting the king and Gonzalez from any harm. In the original reading of the play, I can see that Antonio and Sebastian are the Machiavelli of the play, and are morally deceitful.

They, while King Alonso was resting, were conspiring to kill the king. Antonio hinted this when he said, “And yet, methinks, I see it in thy face, / What thou should be: desiccation’s speaks thee, and / My strong imagination sees a crown / dropping upon thy head. ” This implies that Just as Antonio deceived his brother Prosper by usurping him to become the Duke of Milan as Sebastian mentions, muff did supplant your brother Prosper’), Sebastian should kill his brother Alonso in order to become King of Naples.

The whole dialogue between Sebastian and Alonso, until the point where they drew their swords (unsuccessfully killing the king, as Ariel awoke them first Witt the song, “While you here do snoring lie, / Open-eyed conspiracy/ His time doth take. / If of life you keep a care, / Shake of slumber and beware. / Awake! Awake! ), the dialogue was written in blank verse, and the iambic pentameter was often shared between two people, for example, when Sebastian says, ” What? Art thou waking? ” and Antonio replies, “Do you not hear me speak? ” This adds up to 11 syllables, which is considered a variation of the iambic pentameter.

Even after Alonso and Gonzalez awoke, the pair still deceived them, by Sebastian saying that “Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing / Like bulls, or rather lions: diet not wake you? / It struck mine ear most terribly. ” This was a deception because they were trying to hide the fact that they were about to kill the King and Gonzalez! Antonio, following on from this, to deceive them even further, trotted that, “O, twats a din to fright a monster’s ear – / To make an earthquake! Sure, it was the roar / Of a whole herd of lions. ” The diction used during this dialogue is formal and persuasive.

The blank verse arrangement emphasizes this, as it is somewhat poetic like persuasion is. In the same scene, Ariel utters that, “My master, through his art, foresee / the danger / that you, his friend, are in, and sends me forth / (For else his project dies) to keep them living. ” This meant that Prosper had been deceiving Antonio, Sebastian, Gonzalez, and Alonso from the very beginning, cause Prosper had foreseen this beforehand. This also meant that Prosper is deceiving Ferdinand because he knew that Alonso (Ferdinand Father) would have been alive. In the Tumor adaptation of the play, the scene subtext is different.

In the play, Antonio and Sebastian are morally deceitful, however, in the Tumor production, which is a feminist production, the characteristics that they possess are shown to be not morally, but instead the deceit occurs because they are male. Antonio usurping Prospers is shown as a symbol of male dominance. For example, Ferdinand in the Tumor Production is more sensitive, showing a feminine side, and is accepted by Prospers. Antonio and Sebastian are shown as proud males, and so are looked down upon by Prospers. The actors of Sebastian and Antonio (namely Alan Cumming and Chris Cooper) show that to the audience respectively.

The final aspect I will be examining is Theatre. To begin with, the whole theatrical aspect of the play is illusory, because to watch a play, you must believe something that is not true. In the case of the Tempest, the characters are not on an island, but on a stage set, and they themselves are not aristocrats, however they are actors. The disappearing feast in Act 3 is certainly relevant to this aspect. In Act 3, Antonio, Gonzalez, Alonso and Sebastian are walking across the island when several strange shapes bring a banquet to them and invites the king to eat.

They all discuss the incident, for example when Sebastian says, “No matter, since / They have left their viands behind; for we / have stomachs. / Will’s please you taste of what is here? ” Just as they were about to start eating, Ariel, in the form of a harpy, appears and makes the banquet vanish. Then Ariel calls Antonio, Sebastian, and Alonso “three men of sin, homo destiny – that hath to instrument this lower world [And what is nit – the never surfeited sea / Hath caused to belch up you,” and then mentions that, “l have made you mad” which means that they could see things that Gonzalez could not, which is illusory.

This would be shown on stage with the use of trapdoors, soundboards, and phosphorus lighting effects, giving the indoor stage an eerie effect. This play was originally created for the indoor stage, and so lighting effects via. Candles could also be used. For example, to produce lightning effects, candles would be repeatedly blocked and unblocked. This gives an illusory effect to the play itself, making it more plausible.

The Toymaker version of this incident is vastly different in respect to Theatre; this was cast in a studio, and in real life islands. The CGI made Ariel look more harpy-like, and it even shows him (Ben Wish) flying. When Ariel mentions making them mad, a burst of crows appear, this is created by SF and makes the madness of the characters more credible. The banquet is seen to be lit by a ‘heavenly spotlight’ in the Tumor Production, whereas in the play, a group of strange shapes brought the banquet onto the stage.

This meant that in the Tumor Production, due to more modern techniques, the banquet would not have to be taken off the ‘stage’ but the camera would be cut at this point. In conclusion, both understandings of the Tempest display the theme of illusion in different ways. Although it is one of the main themes orbiting Shakespearean play itself, the theme is presented in a more sophisticated and is more alluring in the Tumor Production of the play, by the use of special effects and CGI, which highlights the films ability and proficiency to produce believable and credible illusions.

Read more

The Tempest Themes

The Tempest, is sometimes known to be the last major play written by the Bard of Avon. This is a rather complicated play with many different themes. And like many of his other plays, could be performed with many different interpretation. This story follows Prosper, the rightful ruler of Milan, and his daughter Miranda whom have both been sent away by Prosperous own brother on a battered up boat, to fortunately land on an island where they survived for 12 years. The usurper himself, his followers, and Alonso, the man who helped, the usurper to get rid of Prosper, hyperlinked onto the island Prosper lived on.

They were separated into 3 groups at first, but ended up finding their way to each other. This is when Prosper forgave both his brother and Alonso. In the end, they all returned to Naples where Miranda married Ferdinand, the son of Alonso. There are many themes in this play, and several different types of love is of of them. The first type of love, is romantic love. The most obvious, and perhaps the most commonly seen theme in the works of Shakespeare. In this case, this love is seen teen Miranda and Ferdinand.

They first meet in Act 1 Scene II. It was love at first sight. Even before Miranda had her first conversation with Ferdinand, she said, “l might call him/ A thing divine, for nothing natural/ I ever saw so noble” (l, it, 420-422). Miranda is praising Ferdinand, and calling him a good man even though she doesn’t know him at all, yet alone, enough to Judge his character. A little further on in the story, Miranda challenges her father’s decision of making Ferdinand do hard labor when Prosper accused Ferdinand to be a spy.

We know by now that Prosper can become rather intimidating when his orders are defied. From this we can understand just how strong this love (at first sight) was. Parental love is another form of love that which we can observe in this play. Most of the parental love is seen between Prosper and Miranda. One of the many heart warming line is spoken by Alonso in act four. “Have given you here a third of mine own life,] Or that for which I live; who once again/ I tender to thy hand,. All thy vexations” (VI, I, 3-5).

Alonso treasures three things in his life: his study, Milan, and Miranda. This line continues to say that all of the trouble Ferdinand was put through was merely a test Prosper did to make sure he was the right man for his beloved daughter. He loved Miranda so much, that he needed to make sure, by using extreme measures, that the attraction between Miranda and Ferdinand was more than Just a part of Alonso ‘art’. Ferdinand and Alonso have moments in which we can observe said theme. Majority of the love between them appear in the form of mourning.

This is because both father and son believes that the other did not survive the shipwreck. For example, during Ferdinand first conversation with Alonso, he said “Who with mind eyes, en’ ere since at ebb, behold/ The King my father wracked” (l, I’, 428-439). Ferdinand is saying that he has not stopped crying since the shipwreck that took his father’s life. Fraternal love is something we rarely see in this play. In the beginning when Prosper finally opens up to Miranda about his past, he said, “Of all the world I loved,

The Tempest Themes By Billy-Patterson and to him put ” (l, ii, 69) This may be the one and only time in which Prosper speaks of Antonio so dearly. He loved, and therefore trusted Antonio to take good care of his dukedom. However this brotherly bond was ruined when Antonio decided to betray Prosper and usurped the latter’s position as the duke of Milan. Prosper himself described this betray as ‘perfidious’ and called him a ‘false uncle’ which can be translated to become ‘a corrupt uncle’.

It is quite devastating to understand the act that the special bond between the brothers had turned into something that is filled with distaste and resentment. In conclusion, this play has talked about numerous aspects of love. Romantic love, specifically love at first sight, between Ferdinand and Miranda. Parental love between Alonso and Ferdinand, and Prosper and Miranda. And finally fraternal love between Ferdinand and Antonio. The Tempest touches on many different themes throughout the play, but it still brings light to the many different existing aspects of love.

Read more

The Tempest – Caliban

Ye 1 Master and Servant: What Really Determines Your Status? The strangest, yet most intriguing relationship in Shakespearean play, The Tempest, seems to be the one that is shared between Prosper and Clinical. Through their constant interactions, the audience is able to explore the important motif of master-servant relationships, which is one of the major themes that the entire play seems to be built upon. In The Tempest, although it seem as if one’s status and background plays a big part in affecting one’s position on the social hierarchy system, it is ultimately the power of knowledge that does so.

The exchange between Prosper and Clinical in Act I Scene II is one scene that illuminates this clearly. From the way that both individuals are introduced to the audience, with Prosper being described as the “Duke of Milan and a prince of power” and Clinical as a “freckled whelp hag-born” who was “not honored with a human shape”, it becomes distinct that the two characters hail from vastly different backgrounds. This, in turn, affects their social statuses, as it seems to place both of them on opposing ends of the social spectrum: with Prosper as the master, and Clinical as the lowly servant. O 2 From the extract, however, the audience learns that Clinical does not wish to succumb to these social standards. As soon as Prosper enters the scene, Clinical immediately greets both Miranda and his master with a curse: “As wicked dew as ere my mother brushed With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen Drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye And blister you all o’er! ” (Act I Scene II, 321) This plainly shows just how much respect Clinical has for his master, Prosper.

What is really keeping Clinical from escaping the wrath of his master, if he resents him so much? Prosper then threatens Clinical with unending torture and pain, should he dare to disobey. He says, “What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps. Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar, That beasts shall tremble at thy din. ” (Act I Scene II, 369) and at this, Clinical immediately shrinks and tells himself, “l must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam’s god, Settees, And make a vassal of him. (Act I Scene II, 373) It becomes clear to the audience that in truth, it is not Prospered status and background that keeps Clinical as a servant, but his powerful The Tempest – Clinical By attested knowledge to magical powers that gives him the ability to evoke telling to tear in this “man-monster”. Another example of knowledge triumphing over one’s status and background can be examined early in the play, in Act I Scene l, during the storm. Gonzalez reminds the Boatswain that there are important people on board the ship, but he retorts: “None that I love more than myself.

You are a Counselor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work with the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority’ (Act I Scene l, 20) e 3 In this scene, Shakespeare seems to meddle with the idea of authority in the face of chaos. The roles of master and servant in the midst of the tempest are unclear. The King of Naples rightfully owns the ship, but no one but the Master and Boatswain has any knowledge on how to handle the ship in the storm.

The audience is reminded that social hierarchies are unstable and irrelevant in the face of natural disasters, especially through the Boatswain’s adamant tone when he tells Gonzalez that he will do what he has to do to save the ship, regardless of whoever is on board. As a result, we can draw out the fact that knowledge, again, trumps one’s initial status and family background when it comes to master-servant relationships. Lastly, we explore the final master-servant relationship, which is one that is shared between Ariel and Prosper.

Prosper constantly reminds Ariel about the torture he has freed Ariel from: “Dost thou forget From what a torment I did free thee? ” (Act I Scene II, 250) and a guilt-ridden Ariel then begs for forgiveness, saying, “Pardon, master; I will be correspondent to command, And do my spirit gently. ” (Act I Scene II, 297) We can observe that in this case Prosper takes the position as a master, as Ariel owes him a debt in exchange for freedom. Prosper also threatens Ariel, saying that if he should complain anymore, he will “rend an oak And peg thee in his knotty entrails till Thou hast howled away twelve winters. (Act I Scene II, 296) The violent imagery and harsh tone employed by Prosper indicates that he is in command of Ariel. As such, the audience realizes that it really is power that has more control in a master-servant relationship. With that being said, however, what is Prosper without Ariel? He could read all the books in the world in order to churn out magic, but without a spirit to assist him, this vast knowledge of his would be redundant.

Furthermore, it is Ariel that seems to be more humane, reminding Prosper that the act of forgiveness is more powerful than the desire to seek revenge, as examined in: “That, Ye 4 if you beheld them, your affections Would become tender. ” (Act V, 20) Here, it seems as though it is the servant that is guiding his own master in the right direction. Returning to the extract in Act I Scene II , it can also be argued that Prosper NAS tried is best to groom Clinical into a “normal” human being, where he says, “But thy vile race, Though thou didst learn, had that nit which good natures Could not abide to be with” (Act I Scene II, 357).

Prosper seems to have run out of options, as Clinical has and always will have bad blood, no matter how much Prosper attempts to teach him. In such a situation, it might actually be Scallion’s status and family background that ultimately hinders him from breaking free of being a servant to other people. Essentially, this also means that the title of “Master” or “Servant” is not always axed, and it may vary at times, as explored throughout the play.

Regardless, the power of knowledge still seems to be the main determining factor of one’s position on the social hierarchy system as it eventually triumphs over all other factors of status and background. In a strange way, the entire audience seems to be servants to Shakespearean works, for he, too, has a well-rounded knowledge of the arts. Without the power of his imagination, there would be no The Tempest to begin with. We are all slaves to his work, for he guides our thought process and emotions throughout the entire play, just like a master would his servant.

Read more
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp