This play left me with many questions…The tempest’ setting is within unfamiliar grounds,  mysterious and irrational.  The Genre of this play should be Science Fiction not Romance.  THere is this “Magical Island” where Prospero finds strange creatures like Caliban & Ariel and “miraculously” gains some magical powers …If this “Magic” was so true and powerful, and With all the “Magic” going on throughout the play why didnt Prospero just return to his Country and work his “magic” on his brother and reclaim his original position?  Why didnt he return to civilization if he had the “Magical” powers to do so?   Why didnt he reclaim Miranda’s Mother’s life so that they could live “happily ever after” on this “magical island”?   Was this “Magic” Prospero’s way of mentally manipulating and oppressing the people around him?

How ironic that his brother et. al. landed on this specific island.. I think that being in isolation for so long lead Prospero to imagine/create all of these events for closure.

The following post is by Melissa Williams:

Is it me or is Miranda a slave, just like Caliban and Ariel? Prospero has in some ways physically enslaved Caliban and Ariel, but one of his great successes was his ability to have mental dominion over Miranda. He seems to have done so purposely. Because of this she is so naive. When she offered to marry Ferdinand, she also offered to be his servant should marriage plan not work out, which shows her inexperience. Miranda mentioned that other than her father, Ferdinand is the only man she has ever laid eyes on. Ferdinand has had other women but, what about Prospero? Now that there are no women other than his daughter Miranda within reach, does he secretly desire her(sexual cravings are only human)? If not her, is he sexless or interested in the same sex? I found it odd that with all the desire going on( Caliban supposedly trying to rape Miranda, Ferdinand and Miranda being in love with each other) Prospero’s desires for companionship fail to be recognized.

-MW

The Tempest has some magic elements. I tend to think of The Tempest as a play that has love and betrayal on it. Caliban represents the slave who wants to freed from his former kind master, Prospero, the real and exiled Duke of Milan, uses him because he was the only person in the island. Let’s just say Prospero represents the Christian who was betrayed by his only kin brother and takes his anger out on Caliban because he was displaced in life. He has a daughter called Miranda whom he loves with his every last breath. Ferninland, the son of the King of Naples, was Prince Charming and Miranda was Cinderella. But alas, let’s forget, Christians do not practice sorcery and magic, so let’s place Prospero as a wizard who wants revenge on the three men who wronged him. Prince Charming (Ferinland) and Miranda (Cinderella) both eventually got permission from Prospero to start dating, but Prospero, the wizard who wants to takes his revenge, decides to hulimate the three that banished him from Milan. Caliban decides to find people to displace Prospero. Caliban represents the rebellious slave who wants out from their masters because they have enough of their treatment of suffering, now they want revenge, just like the rebellions of Nat Turner and Gabriel in the early 17th century.

Alonso, Antonio, and Sebestian represents the betrayers. Let’s say Alonso, who had enough of the violence he did, was a sinner who wants to be forgiven by Prospero. Having lost his only son, he had lost his joy in life and would do anything to have his son back and be forgiven by the wizard Prospero. Antonio and Sebestian were unrepentant men who would kill and do bad deeds and they were not satisified with Prospero out of the throne. Now they want Alonso out of the throne, too. Antonio and Sebestian represents the Judas (Antonio, who betrayed his brother for the kingdom, just like Judas betrayed Jesus for money) and Sebestian represents another Judas (who wants his brother’s kingdom, too). However, I called Prospero a Christian (partly, not fully, because of his magic) because he has forgiven the three that betrayed him a decade ago. In Christian rules, you must forgive your enemies before God will forgive you. Despite being forgiven, Antonio and his sidekich Sebestian want to continue being evil, even though Ariel, who represents an angel that does the bidding of its master, for revenge against Prospero’s enemies. Caliban the slave was caught in his act and was fearful of being punished by Prospero. Perhaps Prospero has forgiven Caliban, too, after all, if he had forgiven the three that stole his kingdom a decade ago, perhaps Caliban the slave would be forgiven? There are different answers to this question.

Do you think Caliban would have been forgiven by Prospero because he had forgiven the three men that betrayed him in the past? Here are my opinions:

YES! After all, if Prospero could forgive the three that upsurped his throne, surely he can forgive Caliban, who was a slave’s son who tried to rape his daughter and disobeyed Prospero by rebelling. Perhaps Prospero would be merciful to even a slave….

NO! Caliban tried to rape Miranda when she tried to help him. Angry at the fact that his daughter almost got raped by the hag Synxax’s son, Prospero decides not to forgive Caliban (which conflicts forgiving the other three villians) because Miranda was the pearl of Prospero’s eye. Perhaps it might take time for Prospero to forgive Caliban? We shall see….

First thing, is it just me or is the Tempest a prologue of the American colonization? So far this play is screaming out British settlers and Native Americans to me.

Caliban is a native of the island the play takes place in. He is deformed, and disfigured. Caliban’s physical appearance symbolizes primitive, unchanged culture. Prospero and the characters on the shipwreck (Ferdinand, Stephano, Trinculo) represent the polished, civilization (settlers) and the spirit Ariel who is light represent the European immigrants.

As we learn more about the relationships between Caliban, Ariel, Prospero and his countrymen in the play we can see the american colonization theme even more. Prospero finds out all about the island from Caliban; Stephano and Trinculo from the shipwreck also does this by offering him alcohol. After Caliban gets everything (mainly knowledge) from Caliban, he imprisons him. Prospero tries to change Caliban by teaching him his language, just like settlers tried to change the Native Americans by converting them to Christianity. Ariel however used to be imprisoned by evil witch, Prospero frees him. Ariel representing the European immigrants who is freed and accepted by the settlers. The way Prospero and his countrymen look at Caliban is the way “civilized” cultures look at “primitive” culture. Caliban’s innocent, trusting nature also reflect the Native Americans’ accepting nature towards the settlers. Stephano, Trinculo, Prospero all represent the manipulative civilized settlers.

After reading this play up to act II, I really wonder if the Mayflower had The Tempest on board as a mandatory reading.

Secondly, the thing that caught my attention was the use of magic and illusion in this play. Midsummer Night’s Dream comes closest to the level of using magic but still doesn’t compare to The Tempest. also, we are not in Rome anymore! All jokes aside, the magic and fantasy works here because the whole island works as a green space.

The play opens with so much confusion of characters and action that it sets the mood for a messy play. But all the characters and their motifs start to come out from under the cloud as the play develops. Shakespeare plays usually open with introduction to our plot or main theme. For example Othello opens with Iago’s jealousy, King Richard III opens with his evil planning.This play starts with the tempest in action, which is actually responsible for bringing the people in the ship on the island, the central plot of the story.

“…the great globe itself,/Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,/And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,/Leave not a rack behind.  We are such stuff/As dreams are made on, and our little life/Is rounded with a sleep” (IV.i.153-158).

Upon my first reading of The Tempest, I took away two things: the quote above and the riddling of the word “art”–with its many connotations–used throughout the play.  I have to forewarn you that I am partial to this play because I feel it is a culmination with so many of the elements and aspects encountered in other plays we’ve read.  But as much as I would like to spill the beans, I will stick to my thoughts of what we as readers find in the exposition of Act I.

Right from the start, the characters are in the throes of a tempest with a feeling of chaos on board.  As we come to discover, the tempest–much like death–has an equalizing, democratizing aspect to it which inverts the social order of the “rude mechanicals” of the ship–in this case, the boatswain and mariners–with that of the gentlemen (king, prince, duke, councilor, etc.).  The boatswain says it best to Gonzalo: “What cares these/roarers for the name of king?” (I.i.16-17).  Rich or poor, high-born or low-born, royalty or plebeian, all of those distinctions go out the window once one faces the inevitable “elements.”  I’d also like to think that the manipulation of the elements and weather are somehow tied to Prospero’s psyche filled with vengeance.  According to the Norton Critical Edition, the earliest recorded performance of The Tempest was 1611.  That would put our friend, Will the Bard at 47 years old, so it should come as no surprise that he shifts his attention of subject matter to contemplating what one’s life amounts to during the declining years.

Professor D. likes for us to be mindful of settings.  I find it interesting that Shakespeare sets the scene of The Tempest on “an uninhabited island.”  We will come to find out that it does in fact have inhabitants, but something about the lack of a tie to an imperialistic power/nation allows for unconventional happenings to occur.  I think we can very much consider it as another “green space” similar to the forest in Midsummer Night’s Dream or Portia’s residence, Belmont, in The Merchant of Venice.  The topography of the island is actually quite similar to the liminal grange where Mariana is stashed away in Measure for Measure.  Anyhow, it may be worth keeping an eye out to see how the setting of the island coincides with the events that are about to unfold.

The last thing I want to bring up is how my reading of Prospero has changed slightly.  Upon my first reading, I had somewhat of a woe-to-Prospero empathy.  However, this time around, I’m not feeling as sympathetic towards Prospero.  When he finally decides to reveal to his teenage (pure and virginal, mind you) daughter, Miranda about their origins leading to their current circumstances, Prospero recounts how his “perfidious” brother, Antonio usurps his dukedom.  This bequeathing [usurping] of power is similar to what happens between the duke and Angelo in Measure for Measure; however, Prospero doesn’t share in the duke’s design when the duke states: “Hence shall we see,/If power change purpose, what our seemers be” (Measure for Measure, I.v.53-54).  Prospero admits to his negligence of ducal duties in favor of books and learning: “I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated/To closeness and the bettering of my mind–” (I.ii.89-90), as well as: “I loved my books…From mine own library with volumes that/I prize above my dukedom” (I.ii.166-168).  Now, we’ve come across enough characters to know the corrupting effect(s) that go along with power.  Are we really supposed to feel for a guy who turns his back on the responsibilities that are part and parcel of his position?  I don’t find it surprising that Antonio would be seduced by this taste of power and want more of it for himself.

Another point that turns me off about Prospero is the master/servant power dynamic he has with Ariel and Caliban.  It is also here that I’d like to share somewhat of a digression.  Is it me or can we possibly read Ariel as the supernatural embodiment of Prospero’s learning and “art” rather than a separate entity?  True, Prospero recounts for us how he saved Ariel from his/her previous master, the “foul witch Sycorax,” but, can’t Ariel be another manifestation with magic powers like his “robe?”  Hmmmm…Okay, back to the point.  I bring up the relationship because there still seems to be a sense of entitlement and hierarchy in Prospero (you can take the duke out of Milan but you can’t take Milan out of the duke, I guess)…but all the while, how far would he have gotten without the domination he has over Ariel and Caliban?  It is this slippage–again, reminiscent of the duke in Measure for Measure–afforded to Prospero which makes him slightly more complex/complicated a character.  And while Caliban is a fascinating character in his own right, I feel like I’ve over-shared (like I do in class).  🙂

Thoughts?

-CT

PS – for those of you possibly considering a reworking of The Tempest for your casebook assignment, here is a link of the recent movie adaptation directed by Julie Taymor (the same director of the stylized Titus Andronicus which we saw in class).  How does your perception of the play change–if at all–by having our main character converted to a duchess: Prospera?

http://youtu.be/ZdpQcFdfXdY