I believe that the contrast between your life and The Tempest is very thought provoking. In today’s society, the act of forgiveness is such a rarity, as people are blinded by the desperate need to take revenge. Therefore, how can we personally be free if we have all this tension within our mind, body and soul? In Act V, the new world within The Tempest is symbolic of reconciliation and regeneration, and so the discordant elements of nature, particularly the tempest, have now been converted to the promise of “calm-seas” (Shakespeare V.I.314), hence the notion of forgiveness.
Theresa
Works Cited List
Shakespeare, William, Peter Hulme, and William H. Sherman. The Tempest: Sources and Contexts, Criticism, Rewritings and Appropriations. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.
1/ What experience, idea or feeling is the author trying to convey? How effective is the way the author has used language to bring his or her subject to life?
The Tempest is centralized around the character of Prospero, and thus it is through his relationship with other characters that themes such as freedom, love and chastity, music, nature versus nurture, retribution and transformation, resonate throughout the play.
In Act IV, Scene I, Prospero describes Caliban as a “beast” (Shakespeare IV.I.140). The character of Caliban is described as a “savage and deformed slave” (Shakespeare I.I) amongst being referred to as a “tortoise” (Shakespeare I.II.316), and a “fish” (Shakespeare II.II.25). Ironically, it is evident that the island is Caliban’s “by Sycorax his mother” (Shakespeare I.II.130) and Prospero is an invader and usurper. The notion that nurture is more than nature is present within the relationship that Caliban has with Prospero and Miranda. Moreover, the endeavor of Prospero and Miranda to civilize and educate Caliban has only succeeded in corrupting him, and accordingly it is the consequence of nurture that has led Caliban to almost raping Miranda. Therefore, his savageness is dramatized in the play by highlighting his unruly natural instinct in his impenitent desire to “violate” Miranda (Shakespeare I.II.347) and “peopled else/This isle with Calibans” (Shakespeare I.II. 348-349).
The savagery and evilness of Caliban is central to the play, as it is civilization that has paradoxically propelled his supposed desire to reproduce and populate the island. Contrariwise, although Caliban is described as a savage and deformed slave, his sensitivity toward the beauty of the island is stimulating, as his body and soul is connected to the earth. Furthermore, Caliban’s description of the island is poetically divulged as a picturesque lament, “…the isle is full of noises/Sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not/…when I waked/I cried to dream again” (Shakespeare III.II.133-141). Therefore, Caliban’s experience is brought to life with words, meaning and rhythm.
Caliban’s Monologue
Works Cited List
Shakespeare, William, Peter Hulme, and William H. Sherman. The Tempest: Sources and Contexts, Criticism, Rewritings and Appropriations. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.
Hello Renee,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your interpretation of Prospero’s short speech in Act V, Scene I. The character of Prospero is so blinded by his need for revenge, that time has become his biggest enemy, and so I agree when you say that Shakespeare is explicitly emphasising that people should live their life to the fullest.
Theresa
What is the significance of the function of music in The Tempest, and how does it relate to the main plot of the play?
The function of music within the play is a powerful metaphor in determining harmony and disintegration. The Tempest can be seen metaphorically as being one long concert with Prospero as the conductor, in which conflicting elements of nature are gradually resolved into harmony. The relationship between Ariel and Prospero is central in determining the harmony of the play, as it is through Prospero’s wielding and Ariel’s obedience that people come into contact with their human nature.
In Act I, Scene II, Ariel who is an ethereal spirit of the air, symbolically sings about a “sea-change” (Shakespeare I.II.399), emphasizing the notion of cleansing, renewal and transformation. Therefore, it is only through purification that the “wish” for “peace” can be attained (Shakespeare IV.I.163). In Act V, Scene I, Ariel sings, “Where the bee sucks, there suck I…” (Shakespeare V.I.88) and this is where the play truly moves out of the magical world into the real world, thus bondage is ultimately transformed into “freedom” (Shakespeare V.I.96).
Works Cited List
Shakespeare, William, Peter Hulme, and William H. Sherman. The Tempest: Sources and Contexts, Criticism, Rewritings and Appropriations. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.
Hi Maree,
I really enjoyed looking at your interpretation of Act V, Scene I, in The Tempest. I can see that you have picked a great choice of images to illustrate the quote you have chosen, which gives a great aesthetic appeal to the play. I look forward to reading more of your work!
theresaaniello1 