AO5 Interpretations of the Tempest

Prospero the Renaissance Magus (Hebron 2016)

Prospero can be seen as a magus but also goes against this. He says that Prospero ‘bring enemies to recognise their evil and repent’

P also calls his art ‘rough magic’ showing his sinister traits as well

Play doesn’t attack magic but suggests it tests out humanity to the utmost - magic beyond rational understanding

This is Shakespeare (Smith 2019)

Explores how Prospero can and cannot be seen as the embodiment of Shakespeare.

Almost like as if Prospero is inventing all these characters fleshing out a backstory for them to develop the force of his creation.

However p is the opposite - at the end he is returning to resume active life as duke whereas Shakespeare is retiring

Other ideas like Ariel and Caliban representing parts of Prospero that he attempts to keep quiet

Modern interpretations show p as tyrannical - we wouldn’t much like Shakespeare if people see them as the same

Prospero’s books (Greenaway 1991)

Production - Prospero voiced all lines in the play and even at beginning has him writing by hand the plays opening speeches

Shakespeare’s midlife crisis (Gary Taylor)

In his 40s Shakespeare was trying to recycle his 20s and 30s reputation

‘Une Tempete’ (aime cesaire)

It was a significant postcolonial rewriting of the tempest and shifted narrative from Prospero being Shakespeare and instead ‘is Prospero a slave master’

McRae (2024)

Believe p resembles a character has to be dr Faustus and thinks the interpretations that Shakespeare is p is a ‘myth of the play’

Jamie Lloyd production

Prospero played by a woman and is constant presence

Ariel very ambiguous

Caliban is highly sexualised and dehumanised - leather pants and crawls around

RSC 2017

Prospero very expressive and explosive

Stick as his staff and summoner of his magic - found on island - making a claim on smt that isn’t his

Hologrammed Ariel

Calibans spine is visible

P blindfolds Miranda and takes it off to reveal f

Spirits and Ariel in background hold real power on stage - Ariel controls sword with his foot shows he has the control but is enslaved by p

Spectacle

Globe 2013

P is much more calm and seems more unsure when he tells M about story so sounds like he’s making it up

Talks to audience - playwright

Ariel is whimsical and childlike makes him more human - different to other recent ones

Caliban is intelligent - runs away from p and recognises him as a villain. He is apprehensive to kiss s foot so seen as less complacent - he is also red suggesting hell but lots of things on island is red so shows he belongs there links nicely to island speech and could symbolise abuse from p

Conflict order and chaos (Zimbardo)

‘The heart of the play is not regeneration through suffering but the eternal conflict between order and chaos’

Island colony exploration (Strehler and Simpson)

Island is far from a utopia is ‘where civilisation, instead of recreating its lost paradise, creates a colony of ancient exploitation’

Power control freedom (D.Lindley)

‘Play is often seen as a play about power and control, but perhaps should be regarded as a play about the illusion of freedom’

Suppressed unspoken (Barton)

‘A surprising amount of the tempest depends on the suppressed and unspoken’

Vaun - Distinction between white and black magic

Prospero refers to his magic as Art - it being capitlased makes us question it (is it benign evil or precarious - balance of both). Theurgist means white magic and Goety is dark.

There will be physical signifiers to show Prospero’s power eg staff, robe and books.

Johnson saw his magic as bad and his own plays show the negatives of having an art.

Magic is P fatal flaw as it may help him but he has to give it up to return to normality.

New Historicism ideas

• Argues texts are products of their culture, and often reflect dominant outlooks of the time and also that you’re going to reflect your time (writer and critic)

Critics will point to the 1609 Sea Venture shipwreck in Bermuda that sailed into a hurricane and were marooned in the island. They seemed to live fairly well and people think it inspired the play - reflecting and almost promoting colonial power perhaps. In fact it is suggested that S had connections to business set out on voyage and may well have met people on it - connection even stronger.

• people of Renaissance saw union between moral and political implications - wanted people to see exploration as an honourable and sanctified activity - even called Drake like ‘Moses’

• Purchas tries to justify the lawfulness of discovery by referring to its fruitfulness - a lot to have from there. Kermode calls this ‘sophistical’ (hides deeper contradiction) because it involves usurping - stealing - from native populations. = indigenous are blank slates (nature not art) but also we need to colonise them even though there’s no need - contradiction in Tempest (Caliban pure but also not great as he tries to harm others)

Kermode introduction to Tempest

• ‘the tempest is a pastoral drama’ - art and nature come into contact

• Caliban is described as the following:

  • ‘he is the natural man against whom the cultivated man is measured’

  • ‘senses without the man’

  • ‘he is born to slavery, not to freedom, of a vile and not of a noble union’

Kermode idea about Shakespeare setting?

The Tempest setting is in an island of the Old world - may indicate his rejection of the merely topical.

‘The qualities of the poor isle which gave their nature a new birth, which purged Alonso’s guilt and taught Prospero the princely skill to submit his fury to his reason, are a main theme in the play.’

What does Hermione say about God and how can this be linked to the play?

‘This action I now go on, Is for my better grace’ - to receive mercy from God is to be good - F labour, shipwreck, Prospero being seen as a Magus. The infortunate become to fortunate.