🎈Shakespeare Unit 12 – The Tempest: Magic and Colonial Redemption

Plot Overview

• The Tempest opens with a storm conjured by Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, causing a shipwreck on his island
• Prospero, a powerful sorcerer, lives on the island with his daughter Miranda, the spirit Ariel, and the deformed slave Caliban
• The shipwrecked passengers include Alonso (King of Naples), his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian, and Prospero's treacherous brother Antonio
• Prospero manipulates events to bring Ferdinand and Miranda together, causing them to fall in love
• Caliban plots with Stephano and Trinculo, two drunken servants, to overthrow Prospero but their plan is foiled
  • Ariel uses magic to confuse and manipulate the conspirators, leading them into a trap
• Prospero confronts his brother Antonio and Alonso, revealing his true identity and reclaiming his dukedom
• In the end, Prospero renounces his magic, frees Ariel, and prepares to return to Milan with Miranda and Ferdinand, who are to be married

Characters and Relationships

• Prospero: The protagonist, the rightful Duke of Milan, and a powerful sorcerer who uses magic to control events on the island
  • He has a complex relationship with his daughter Miranda, whom he loves deeply but also manipulates
• Miranda: Prospero's innocent and naive daughter who falls in love with Ferdinand
• Ariel: A spirit bound to serve Prospero, who carries out his magical commands and helps him achieve his goals
  • Ariel longs for freedom and is eventually granted it by Prospero
• Caliban: A deformed slave, the son of the witch Sycorax, who resents Prospero's control and plots to overthrow him
  • Caliban claims the island as his own and feels it has been stolen from him by Prospero
• Ferdinand: The son of Alonso, who falls in love with Miranda and undergoes trials set by Prospero to prove his worth
• Alonso: The King of Naples, who believes his son Ferdinand has drowned in the shipwreck
• Antonio: Prospero's treacherous brother who usurped his dukedom and conspired to have him exiled
• Sebastian: Alonso's brother, who plots with Antonio to kill Alonso and take the throne of Naples

Themes of Magic and Power

• The Tempest explores the nature of power and how it can be used for good or ill
• Prospero's magic is a source of both his power and his downfall, as it leads to his exile and isolation on the island
  • His magic allows him to manipulate events and people, but it also creates a barrier between him and others
• The relationship between Prospero and Ariel demonstrates the power dynamic between master and servant
  • Ariel's longing for freedom highlights the inherent imbalance in their relationship
• Caliban's resentment of Prospero's control over the island raises questions about the legitimacy of Prospero's power
• The tempest itself is a symbol of Prospero's magic and his ability to control the natural world
• Prospero's decision to renounce his magic at the end of the play suggests that true power lies in forgiveness and reconciliation

Colonial Context and Interpretation

• The Tempest is often interpreted as a commentary on European colonialism and the exploitation of indigenous peoples
• Prospero's arrival on the island and his subjugation of Caliban can be seen as a metaphor for colonial conquest
  • Prospero's treatment of Caliban, including his attempts to "civilize" him, mirrors the attitudes of European colonizers towards native populations
• Caliban's resentment of Prospero and his claim to the island reflects the perspective of colonized peoples
  • His plot to overthrow Prospero can be interpreted as a form of anti-colonial resistance
• The play's depiction of the island as a magical and exotic place reflects European fantasies about the New World
• The tempest itself can be seen as a symbol of the destructive force of colonialism, uprooting and transforming the lives of those it touches
• Prospero's ultimate decision to return to Milan and leave the island behind suggests a critique of the colonial enterprise

Language and Literary Devices

• The Tempest is written in a mix of verse and prose, with characters of higher social status generally speaking in verse
• Shakespeare uses a variety of literary devices to create meaning and convey themes
  • Metaphors and similes are used to describe the island's magical qualities and the characters' emotional states (e.g., "the isle is full of noises")
• Prospero's speeches are often long and complex, reflecting his power and control over language
  • His final speech, in which he renounces his magic, is a notable example of his rhetorical skill
• Caliban's language is more earthy and crude, reflecting his lower social status and his resentment of Prospero's control
  • His curses and insults (e.g., "you taught me language, and my profit on't is I know how to curse") are a form of linguistic rebellion
• Ariel's songs and poems add a magical and ethereal quality to the play
• The play's epilogue, spoken by Prospero, breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the audience
  • This meta-theatrical device highlights the artifice of the play and the power of the playwright

Symbolism and Imagery

• The island itself is a central symbol in the play, representing both a place of exile and a site of transformation
  • Its magical qualities and strange inhabitants reflect the characters' inner states and conflicts
• The tempest that opens the play is a symbol of Prospero's power and his ability to control the natural world
  • It also represents the chaos and upheaval that his magic brings to the lives of others
• Prospero's books are a symbol of his knowledge and his magic, as well as his isolation from the world
  • His decision to drown his books at the end of the play represents his renunciation of magic and his reintegration into society
• Ariel and Caliban are both associated with the elements (air and earth, respectively), reflecting their supernatural qualities and their roles in Prospero's power structure
• The masque (a symbolic play-within-a-play) performed for Ferdinand and Miranda's betrothal is rich in allegorical imagery
  • It celebrates the harmony and fertility of marriage, in contrast to the discord and barrenness of Prospero's exile

Performance History and Adaptations

• The Tempest was first performed in 1611 and was one of Shakespeare's last solo-authored plays
• The play has been adapted and reinterpreted numerous times over the centuries
  • Notable adaptations include the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956) and Julie Taymor's 2010 film version
• The role of Prospero has been played by many renowned actors, including John Gielgud, Patrick Stewart, and Helen Mirren
  • The casting of a female actor as Prospero adds a new dimension to the play's themes of power and gender
• The character of Caliban has been a focus of many post-colonial adaptations and critiques
  • Aimé Césaire's 1969 play A Tempest reimagines the story from Caliban's perspective as a anti-colonial allegory
• The play's themes of magic, power, and colonialism have resonated with audiences and artists across different cultures and historical periods
• Modern productions often highlight the play's political and social implications
  • For example, a 2017 production at the Royal Shakespeare Company featured a diverse cast and emphasized the play's themes of migration and exile

Key Quotes and Analysis

• "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." (Prospero, Act 4, Scene 1)
  • This quote reflects the play's themes of illusion and reality, suggesting that life itself is a kind of dream or fiction
• "This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou tak'st from me." (Caliban, Act 1, Scene 2)
  • Caliban's claim to the island reflects the perspective of colonized peoples and highlights the injustice of Prospero's rule
• "Hell is empty and all the devils are here." (Ariel, Act 1, Scene 2)
  • Ariel's quote suggests that the island is a kind of purgatory or hell, and that its inhabitants are tormented by their own demons
• "O brave new world, that has such people in't!" (Miranda, Act 5, Scene 1)
  • Miranda's exclamation reflects her innocence and wonder at the wider world, but also ironically highlights the corruption and treachery of the play's characters
• "Let us not burden our remembrance with a heaviness that's gone." (Prospero, Act 5, Scene 1)
  • Prospero's final act of forgiveness and reconciliation suggests that the only way to move forward is to let go of the past and its grievances
• "Now my charms are all o'erthrown, and what strength I have's mine own." (Prospero, Epilogue)
  • Prospero's renunciation of magic in the play's epilogue reflects his acceptance of his own humanity and his reintegration into society