Discovering

The Tempest

Overview of the Context

In The Tempest, considered his last great play, Shakespeare

transports us to a mysterious island where humanity's flaws and

qualities are amplified enabling the audience to discover the

importance of compassion and reconciliation. Shakespeare takes us

to a position of uncertainty and ambiguity inviting us to question

humanity, ourselves and the world so that we arrive at a deeper

understanding of the human condition. He makes us realise that

discovery is revelation - we are provoked to discover something new

about the known. Gonzalo wisely observes that the island is a

microcosm for Shakespeare's Jacobean society.

The Renaissance period in Shakespeare's time displayed a strong

interest in self-knowledge and belief that this was a condition to the

knowledge of God. Humanist philosopher, Erasmus wrote in Enchiridion

militis Christiani in 1503 'know yourself; do not allow yourself to be led by

the passions, but submit all things to the judgement of reason”.

Context

Discovery Rubric

Technique/ Character

Shakespeare's plays explored how loss can be a catalyst for

rediscovering what is important in life resulting in an understanding

of how our flaws compromise our morality and our ability to live a life

of grace. In his Sonnet 146, Shakespeare acknowledges his own

flawed nature and how we all need to question and examine the self:

Poor soul, the

centre of my sinful

earth, (...) these

rebel powers

that thee array?

You will discover that The Tempest is a play about redemption and

reconciliation demonstrating our capacity for transformation.

However, Shakespeare was a realist who acknowledged that

humanity's tendency for evil will never be suppressed. Antonio's

inability to seek forgiveness and his palpable silence are a useful

reminder that evil will continue to plague.

Reflect:

1. How does opening the play with a fierce storm signal to the

audience that The Tempest will be about self-discovery?

2. Why does Shakespeare include Prospero's recount of what

happened in Milan?

3. How does this retelling trigger rediscovery?

Thus, Prospero, becomes our guide prompting us to discover with

him how our own actions can contribute to our downfall and that

seeking revenge renders us bitter and enraged. He journeys from a

fixed mind set focused on retribution and atonement to a profound

discovery of self. His cathartic self-discovery begins when he

recounts the story of his brother's betrayal and is aided during the

play by the compassion of his innocent and virtuous daughter

Miranda, and the capricious spirit of the island - Ariel.

Sea bound, Montaigne wrote 'The mind is a dangerous blade, even for

its possessor'. Prospero is a Renaissance man whose quest for greater

knowledge and power blinded him to his brother's evil ambitions. His

acceptance of his contribution to his brother's usurpation of his power

and the discovery that seeking revenge compromises his morality mirrors

Montaigne and Shakespeare's Christian humanist views The discovery

by Antonio of how he can attain power and achieve his ambitions by

exploiting the vulnerabilities and flaws of others demonstrates the

influence of 16th­ century Machiavelli's political treatise The Prince.

Machiavelli asserted that the pursuit of power should not be hindered by

morality. His assertion in The Prince that one

should 'Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception' is practised by Antonio.

Shakespeare's inspirations for opening with a ship floundering in a

raging storm and setting his play on an island were the age of

exploration that had been instigated by Queen Elizabeth who was eager

to expand England's territories and power, and the tragic shipwreck of

the Sea Venture in 1609. Survivor William Strachey wrote in his account

the True Reportory of the Wracke:

the clouds gathering thick upon us and

the winds singing and whistling most

unusually . . . a dreadful storm and

hideous began to blow from out the

northeast, which swelling and roaring . .

. at length did beat all light from heaven

The Sea Venture was on its way to Jamestown in the Americas.

People who inhabited these new worlds were viewed by non-

Europeans as less than human and not to be trusted.

Montaigne's essay 'Of Cannibals’ argues that these 'noble

savages' were more civilized than the cultured Europeans.

Gonzalo's speculation that the island could become a utopia where

all were free reflected Montaigne's assertions. Shakespeare's

mysterious representation of Caliban is a clever merging of the

Eurocentric view of the new world 'savages' and Montaigne's

'noble savage'

The magic in the play represents the cultism that still existed in King

James' reign of England despite the fact that so-called witches were

being burned at the stake or drowned. During Queen Elizabeth's

time, Dr John Dee was her astrologer and theurgist (magician with

extraordinary powers).

Prospero's obsession with the dark arts is blamed for the loss of his

dukedom and his use of magic to control and punish on the island

reveals that he is capable of cruelty. He does not transform until he

demonstrates that he is willing to:

...break my staff,

Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,

And deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll

drown my book.

Reflect:

1. What do you believe is the significance of Shakespeare's

context in terms of how he represents his characters'

responses to discovery?

Form and Structure

The Tempest is a hybrid mix of tragedy, romance and comedy. We

are in the middle of the tragedy that is a shipwreck; however there

are scenes such as when Antonio persuades Sebastian to attempt

to murder his own brother, the King, that are dark and sinister.

Notice how these moments are punctuated by bursts of comedy,

such as when Stephano and Trinculo encounter Caliban. Yet, even

in these scenes, the humour is tempered by the actions of Caliban

that parallel's Antonio's evil plans when he urges the men to

overthrow Prospero and take his life. The fusion of tragedy, comedy

and romance reflects the bitter sweetness of life and engages the

audience actively in the process of discovering the flawed nature of

humanity.

Further to this, Shakespeare appropriates and transforms the ancient

analogical trope of theatrum mundi – ‘all the world’s a stage’ by being

the first to represent the concept of ‘dramatic illusion’ on stage.

Shakespeare set up a conceptual mirror which illuminates the illusionary

nature of life and the power of introspection that facilitated self-

discovery.

The play employs the five act structure of the tragedy. This structure

captures the process of self-discovery.

'

1. It begins with the exposition - the back story - protases

2. New and provocative discoveries from different perspectives are

evident – epitasis

3. Then the climax occurs when Antonio and Sebastian try to kill Alonso and are

stopped by Ariel. The audience now discovers how treacherous Antonio can be

and the seductive nature of power.

4. The falling action signals the journey to self-discovery Prospero and Alonso.

5. Finally the denouement - theo!

Conclusion - ends in self-knowledge for Prospero and transformation.

However, Caliban's promises sound insincere and Antonio has not

atoned for his actions.

The Tempest reflects Aristotle's assertion that a play should have unity of

action if it is to imitate life.

This means that the play should have one main action - Prospero

directs the action in the play. There should be unity of place and this

certainly is evident in the confined setting of the island. Finally there

should be unity of time: The time-frame should cover approximately

24 hours.

Characterisation of Miranda

Miranda’s name in Latin translates to 'admirable' reinforcing her role to

remind the audience of the innocence they might have lost. Miranda's

response to the world and Ferdinand is one of delight and wonder –

'A thing divine; for nothing natural/ I ever saw so noble'.

Her discovery of love powerfully contrasts with the treachery and bitterness

of other characters

...

Shake

speare

approp

riates

and

transfo

rms

the

ancien

t

analog

ical

trope

of

theatrum mundi - all the

world's a stage. He and Marlowe were experimenting with the meta-theatrical

nearly 350 years dramatic illusion and in so doing sets up a conceptual mirror

which illuminates the illusory nature of life. This stresses the power of

introspection that facilitates self-discovery. Prospero is the director of the

action and meta-theatrically reminds the audience that this is just a play: