the tempest

the tempest

1. themes

   • exploration and colonisation
     • discovery of new lands fuelled public curiosity about new existences and the position of humanity
     • social possibilities posed by new lands
       • gonzalo's monologue
         • he envisages an idealistic civilisation reminiscent of the essay "of the cannibals" by Montaigne who desrcibes the primitive people of the imaginary nation as being inherently good with no need for civilisation
           • society as a corruptive force
   • reconciliation
   • freedom
     • freedom is important for humanity but holds different meaning for the individual
   • power and authority
     • master/slave relationship
     • inescapable nature of hierarchy
       • when gonzalo envisages an equal world he is mocked for his naivety
     • kingship
       • each character has a plan for if they were to rule
         • caliban would perform sycorax's spells and "people the isle with calibans"
         • stephano plans to murder his way to rule and marry miranda
         • gonzalo pictures an idyllic, equal society
           • ironically, he is one of the few characters who could potentially be a successful king
       • shakespeare calls into question the qualities of a good leader
         • prospero's rule
         • gonzalo's utopian vision
         • caliban's native right
   • humanity
     • the primacy of the individual or the collective

2. motifs

   • the tempest
     • symbolises a rearrangement of the social order
       • begins on the boat with the aristocracy and mariners reversing roles as the mariners attempt to save the ship
     • unsettling for the audience
       • most of shakespeare's audience would never have travelled by seas
     • signals the beginning of an imaginative journey
     • movement to the green world
       • (as described by northrop frye, a social laboratory where true characters are revealed through their personal struggles in an unsettling place
     • significant discoveries don't occur during times of 'smooth sailing'
     • the renaissance was a tempestuous time of crisis and upheaval
     • metaphor for human struggle and emotion
       • overcoming the tempest of emotion and acting in accordance with the correct values
       • attempt to numb or protect from emotional turmoil through power and oppression
   • the island
     • enchanting atmosphere
       • prompts different responses from different characters - reflection, self awareness, growth ... some are immune to its transformative power
     • microcosm
       • represents how ambition, greed and a colonial quest for power can instigate discovery in other world and cultures (including their overthrow/exploitation)
     • physical dislocation and emotional disorientation
       • transformative catalyst for reassessment and self exploration
     • encourages audience's moral assessment
       • of human relationships on a political, societal and personal level
     • prospero orchestrates conditions that encourage insight, repentance and discovery
     • nature
       • abundance of natural imagery
       • discovery as an element that is naturally omnipresent
       • the opportunity to discovery can occur anywhere, anytime
       • dynamic and unpredictable nature of discoveries
   • conspiracies
     • reveals how characters are affected by discoveries differently
       • antonio - scheming, manipulative, devious, mocking, cynical, arrognat
       • sebastian - easily influenced by sinful ideas but resistant to virtuous discoveries
       • caliban - fearful and desperate
         • caliban's conspiracy is a satire targeting incorrect kingship
           • shakespeare questions the right to rule and the qualities a good leader should possess
           • prospero: omnipotent ruler - reveals the cruel subjugation of indigenous people
           • caliban rightful native ruler
     • conspiracies are futile - none go to plan
       • suggests the danger of greed and ambition
       • the conspiracies that do succeed are followed by punishment
         • alonso and antonio's past usurpation results in their experiences on the island
         • prospero's discovery of mercy protects him from punishment
     • a comment on the prevalence of greed, ambition and desire in society
       • experienced by a range of character
       • the general state of society as a complex, conspiratory place
   • books
   • robes and gowns
     • symbolic of power
       • Trinculo and Stephano fooling with prospero's garments highlight the idea of fooling with power
         • highlights the oddity of them as rulers
       • antonio describing his well fitted garments
         • irony that he doesn't actually fit the role of duke, he merely stole it

3. characters/individual discoveries

   • ferdinand
     • growth in character
       • from the cowardly person who jumped off the ship first to a dedicated lover who endures hard labour
     • shows the characteristics of an ideal king
       • dutiful and humble
         • endures prospero's trials enthusiastically
       • respectful towards prospero regarding miranda - honour over lust
   • prospero
     • rediscovers his humanity
       • humanistic values restored
         • inconsistency throughout suggests the progressive nature of transformation
         • audience discovers the debiliating effects of betrayal and importance of forgiveness - audience is taken on a similar moral journey
       • complexities of humanity
         • multifaceted character
         • powerful and authoritarian but tender towards his daughter
         • wounded by antonio's usurpation but disdainful of caliban as rightful leader
       • learns compassion from ferdinand and Miranda's relationship
         • whilst he does appear to encourage the blossoming relationship, he is also very pragmatic in regards to the political advantages
         • prospero's usually demanding tone and high modality is substituted with low modality and delicate imagery
         • carefree and serene tone
         • reflective and accepting of life's transience
         • relinquishes his control of miranda when he blesses their relationship, suggesting his understanding of his limitations
       • paradox of humanity
         • only when we render ourselves vulnerable by recognising our own failings can we be truly free
         • battle against the tempest of our emotions to rediscover our humanity
     • ruler
       • omnipotent ruler
         • authoritarian
           • potentially tyrannical towards caliban
       • slave/master trope
         • people of all strata can be enslaved by their own dark emotions
         • caliban's unsettling attempts to regain power reveal the interdependent relationship between power and oppression
       • abandoned his ducal responsibilities for personal desire
         • comes to discover this failing and aims to resume these responsibilities with wisdom and dedication
     • supernatural
       • books
       • reality
         • prospero is seduced by his own ego and intellect, becoming blind to the reality of human frailty
         • illusion that we are in 'control' of our lives
         • illusion of magic giving him power
         • dramatic forms make us question reality e.g masque
       • limitation of magic
         • tension between our ambitions of transcendence and power and the reality of the human context
     • desire for revenge
       • caused the majority of the events of the play
       • results in his ultimate reflection of his failings and self discovery
       • tainted his humanity
         • ariel's trap was violent and threatened death revealing Prospero's lack of compassion and extremity of his wrath
         • often preoccupied and displaying inner turmoil due to his preoccupation with revenge
     • orchestration of events
       • snaring people in their own tendencies, revealing their character
       • by placing the characters in this 'green world', he is catalysing their own discoveries
   • miranda
     • empathetic and feminine
       • she is clearly sympathetic regarding the shipwreck unlike her pragmatic father
   • alonso
     • king of naples who helped antonio usurp his brother in return for money
     • introduced as the mournful father
       • sees the faults of the feast
   • antonio
     • usurping duke of milan
       • repeats a similar conspiracy with his plan to kill alonso
     • pessimistic/dark
       • cynical and mocking of gonzalo's positivity
     • cruelly revel in Gonzalo and Alonso's exhaustion and continue tp conspire against them
       • highlight cruel, evil, strategic, opportunist nature
     • one of the few characters who shows no evidence of growth or repentence from his time on the island
       • no significant discoveries
     • greedy
       • when he sees the feast he is greedy to see more rather than appreciating it
   • caliban
     • innate humanity and intelligence
       • evidenced by his lyrical language and prose
       • his naive sharing of information with prospero when he arrived which he then exploited
     • reality of dispossesion and enslavement
       • loss of his home and autonomy as well as freedom
       • he is a generally fearful character
         • afraid of prospero's punishment
         • reaction to trinculo and stephano was fear
       • intense desire for freedom sees him trade one master for another
     • his dream is symbolic of his imaginative journey of exploring a better world
     • immoral/savage
       • lack of remorse for his desire/attempt to sleep with miranda
       • uncivilsed - shown through language and diction
   • gonzalo
     • portrayed as a man with archetypal humanistic views
       • seen in his attitude to the island - potential for achievement and utopia
       • CONTEXT: humanism is a key part of the renaissance - there was a theological shift where humans rediscovered spirituality by beginning to move away from seeing themselves as sinner and instead focusing on the possib ilties of humanity
     • councillor
     • optimistic, kind, observant and hinest
       • showed kindness to the exiled miranda and prospero
       • the only character to look upon their arrival optimistically
       • sees the feast and spirits for what they are and respects them
   • ariel
   • sebastian
     • alonso's brother
     • similarly dark to antonio
       • conspired to kill alonso with antonio so that he could be the heir (they had assumed ferdinand was dead)
       • also mocked gonzalo
     • easily influenced, weak willed
     • cynical view of the feast - questioning the reality
   • stephano/trinculo
     • drunkard workers
       • they represent the shakespearean working class
       • drunken state symbolises the ignorance of the people and ridiculousness of conspiracy
     • conspiracy with caliban is a political satire
       • caliban is considered subhuman so trinculo and stephano are comparatively the aristocracy
         • furthers the social disorder/rearrangement on the island
         • role reversal when they follow caliban's conspiracy - relative intelligence of aristocracy vs working class
       • satire targets kingship and conspiracy
         • inadequate leadership can prove disastrous
       • juxtaposed to the previous scene with Gonzalo's speech highlighting what constitues a good leader and the importance of effective leadership
     • parody to the more 'serious' conspiracy by the courtiers
       • mocks the aspirations of the would-be conspirators through clownish antics and ramblings
   • the mariners

4. discovery

   • discovery is about possibility, change and the various consequences that accrue from its pursuit