The Tempest: Themes

The Tempest: Themes

1. Morality

   • Prospero
     • bad
       • greed/ambition
         • CONTEXT: Can be seen as colonial dictator
           • Caliban
             • 'my slave,'
             • 'abhorred slave'
             • 'fetch the wood,'
             • 'poisonous slave,'
             • 'this island's mine,'- C
           • Ariel
             • 'thou my slave,' 'my brave spirit,'
             • 'thou liest malignant thing,'
             • Prospero saved Ariel however as a result expects obedience
               • 'mine art,' - emphasis that it was Prospero who saved Ariel
         • 'tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning'
           • revenge/bitter
     • good
       • 'neglecting wordly ends,'
         • CONTEXT: 'Superego,' - shows awareness for his mistakes
       • CONTEXT: 'superego'
         • 'In virtue than in vengeance,'
           • sacrifices his 'id' instinct throgh giving up his power therefore arguable superego prevails
             • 'this rough magic i here abjure,'
             • 'I'll break my staff,'
           • highlights Shakespeare's moral code
   • Caliban
     • bad
       • 'the honour of my child,'
       • 'I pitied thee'
       • understandable?
         • 'I had peopled else this isle with Calibans,'
           • CONTEXT: psychoanalytical approach
             • 'id'- the most basic, primitive instincts/need to survive
           • ironically innocent desire
         • hasn't been taught morally wrong from right
     • Good
       • Shakespeare = admirable of Caliban's (and Ariel's) ambition as it is 'pure'- amibtion for freedom
         • freedom=human right,
   • Minor characters
     • Gonzalo
       • 'holy Gonzalo, honourable man,'
       • 'good Gonzalo,'
       • 'Gonzalo, out of his charity,'
       • ideal world
         • 'All things in common nature should produce without sweat or endeavor,'
           • BUT CONTEXT: from a marxist perspective characters like Caliban/stephano/trinculo are oppressed
         • high class mock but working class consider its merits
         • flawed as he would be the king:
           • 'I would with such perfection govern sir,'
     • Miranda
       • honest/pure
         • 'poor souls'
         • 'O brave new world,'
           • hopeful declaration
             • BUT naive?
               • instantly undercut by Prospero :
                 • 'tis new to thee,'
           • some critics say its shakespeare celebrating the goodness of humanity
   • CONCLUSION: in the same way that the conclusion of the play is ambigious, so is the presentation of human nature
     • Prospero doesn't fully forgive his brother
     • Miranda's famoous line: naivity and undermined by Prospero being cynical: 'tis new to thee'
     • constant battle within human nature against ID and SUPEREGO.... CONTEXT

2. Power

   • Prospero Imposing his power on Caliban, Ariel and Miranda as a COLOIAL DICTATOR
   • Strive for power
     • comic subplot designed to parallel with political subplot in order to criticise ambition- DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES
       • Trinculo and Stephano
         • 'Come on then. Down. And swear.'
       • As shakespeare has a cynical viewpoint of ambition
       • CALIBAN
         • Power on the island
           • 'ill show thee the best springs, ill pluck thee berries,'

3. Politics/Governance

   • political
     • Prospero neglects political power in favour of personal power
       • 'thus neglecting worldly ends,'
     • CONTEXT Machiavelli : should avoid being hated
       • Prospero v Caliban
         • Prospero's restriction of freewill for Caliban leads to Caliban's rebel
           • 'this island's mine,'
           • 'a tyrant, a sorcerer,'
           • manipulation of fear to control
             • 'thou shalt have cramps,'
             • 'pinched as thick as a honeycomb,'
           • link to fear in Catholic Church! CONTEXT
     • Gonzalo's ideal world
       • 'all things in common nature should produce without sweat or endeavor,'
       • extremely radical
         • 'I would with such perfection govern sir,'
     • clown's subplot
       • Trinculo+Stephano
       • attempt to reverse social order but instead replace it with a new one
         • Stephano the Westerner is the new king whilst Caliban subjugates himself to a new master
           • caliban
             • 'thy true servant,'
             • 'most ridiculous monster,'
             • 'a plague upon the tyrant I serve,'
               • irony as he's still willing to serve
           • Stephano
             • 'come on then. Down, and swear,'
     • Marriage between Miranda and Ferdinand
       • political compromise
         • refers to it as, 'business,'
       • attempt to heal old rift between families

4. religion/context

   • Prospero=godlike figure as he punishes the sinful
   • freewill
     • Ariel
       • response to restriction of free will: motivation to complete commands
         • 'My Liberty'
           • Ariel's response when asked what he wants
             • only way you can live a fulfilled life is through freedom as it is a human right and NECESSITY
         • 'my lord, it shall be done,'
           • submissive, contrasts to Caliban
         • 'hast thou forgot the foul witch sycorax'
           • when Ariel attempts to rebel
           • 'pardon master,'
             • Ariel's reply to this
             • shows free will can be easily manipulated through fear and threat if there is a motive
     • FREE WILL IS NECESSARY TO LIVE A JUSTIFIED LIFE
       • BUT through Caliban you can how easy it is to lead to sin
         • freewill with certain restrictions and alternate motives eg heaven is best way to end conflict
     • Caliban
       • Prospero deprives Caliban of free will entirely through belittling him
         • 'abhorred slave' 'poisonous slave,'
         • 'fetch the wood,'
       • Prospero uses violence to manipulate Caliban (contrast to use of fear with Ariel.)
         • explores the shift towards New Testament's teachings of forgiveness as opposed to Old Testament's retribution
           • manipulation of fear in Catholic Church in renaissance era to force people to follow the bible- mainly through fear of divine judgement/transition to heaven or hell
           • 'thou shalt have cramps,'
             • mirrors language of ten commanders
           • Shakespeare criticises the Roman Catholic church through Caliban rebelling against Prospero
             • explores negative effects of restricting free will
         • 'pinched as thick as a honeycomb,'
         • lack of free will promotes hatred
           • 'a tyrant, a sorcerer,'
             • arguably reflects Shakespeare's criticisms of restricting free will and the consequences it has. Bring in machiavelli
           • 'this thing of darkness i acknowledges mine'
       • Manipulation of fear in th Roman Catholic church to make sure people follow the bible
         • mainly through fear of divine judgement and or afterlife
       • lack of freedom resulted from his abuse of power.
         • Shakespeare presented as godlike, ability to punish sinful
     • Prospero
       • Prospero=god
         • ability punish for abuse of free will, similar to divine judgement
         • 'on top, invisible,' (stage directions)
           • present Prospero as powerdul to the audience
             • contrasted to the rest of islanders- he has power on the island
         • 'mine art,'
           • extent of Prospero's power (over sycorax)- omnipotent
         • The Tempest created by Prospero can arguably be punishment for Antonio and his men's abuse of free will by usurping Prospero as Duke of Milan
           • abuse of free will Must have a punishing consequence
       • Prospero: abuse of free will
         • dedicated too m uch of his time to selfish means eg books
           • 'neglected worldly ends,'
           • arguably punishment allows for a person to identify their sins, suggesting it is necessary
         • Alternative Readings
           • Prospero being sent to the island wasnt punishment as he ended up with more freedom
             • represents the colonial dictator CONTEXT
               • TEMPTATION TO ABUSE FREEWILL DUE TO LUST FOR POWER
     • Miranda: contrast
       • married Ferdinand with her own free will
         • degree of rebelliousness shown
         • tells Ferdinand her name, 'Miranda,' against Prospero's free will
       • 'O Father, I have broke your hest to say so,'
         • 'father'= religious connotations- continues motif that Prospero is god
         • BUT marriage arguably political
           • 'swift business,'
           • Mirada represents patriarchy of renaissance era and the reality wome were often manipulated by men in order to increase male's power
             • Shakespeare criticises unjust nature pf ,aipulating others free will in order to gain something for yourself
     • CONCLUSION
       • Shakespeare is perhaps criticising the machiavellian cutthroat tactics and the restrictions of free will they have, leading to the negative outcomes
       • levels of free will can be manipulated in order to control the lives of others, and the negative affects this has on both ends of the spectrum
         • similar to the restrictions of the Roman Catholic Chirch
       • through characters of Miranda and Ariel, Shakespeare stresses the importance of freewill to make a life feel fulfilled
         • some rules over freewill may help prevent conflict
       • The Tempest: freewill is presented as a catalyst, a gift and a motive
         • OVERALL: presented as a necessity for himan life despite complications that come with it

5. Dramatic Techniques

   • Use of Spectacle
     • The Tempest
       • godlike ability to control nature
         • what cares these roarers for the name of the king?'
       • Prospero intends for this to cause conflict
       • all men are equal in the eyes of nature
       • 'tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning' pathetic fallacy
       • 'the wills above will be done,'
     • The Masque
       • Act 4 Scene 1
       • 'materialation of Prospero's will and power,'
       • illustration of wealth and power through dance, music, extraordinary sccenery and special effects
         • shows is rightful stance as the duke of milan
       • 'No tongue. All Eyes. Be Silent.'
         • commanding tone
       • dramatic effect created as audience are watching a play within a play
         • sense of awe and curiosity towards Prospero is created, thus adding to the idea that Prospero is omnipotent
       • 'Honour, riches, marriage blessing, long contiuance and increasing'
         • use of verse
           • adds to theme of power as these are all gifts from queen of gods Juno
       • semantic field of power continued through initial introduction of gods- the wedding so important even gods attend
       • through staging a masque, critics say Prospero becomes a type of king
     • Banquet Act 3 Scene 3
       • 'on the top, invisible,'
       • semantic field of mystery- only Prospero and Ariel are aware
         • omiscient
       • sibilance
         • 'strange shapes,'
         • 'solemn and strange music,'
         • increase tension in audience
       • 'vanishes,'
         • magical connotations=power
     • As opposed to demonstrating his power, can argue it demonstrates his lust for power
       • critic: use of spectacle springs from 'an anxiety over his own lack of control over others,'
       • like a harpy,'