Shakespeare’s deemed final
work, The Tempest, has both intrigued and puzzled literary fans and critics
alike for hundreds of years. From the inspiration it provided Aldus Huxley for
the title of his novel Brave New World to references at the end to the play
being his last hurrah, when Prospero says “This airy charm is for,
I'll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did
ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book” (Act V). However, the
most controversial part of Shakespeare’s final work is the classification of
the play itself. As it does not adhere to any of the three forms of tragedies,
Classical, Medieval, or Renaissance, nor does it fit the mold of a comedy.
Because of this, literary critics have long debated over how The Tempest itself
should be classified.
There are many examples throughout the novel that suggest to
me as a reader that this particular play most closely relates to a Renaissance
tragedy due to the moral flaw that caused Prospero’s downfall as leader of
Naples, magical and ghostly element that Ariel brings to the play, as well as
complex subplots and occasional comedic relief.
Prospero’s reasoning behind being on this mystical island
goes back to his obsession with magic. After originally being the King of Naples,
and finding very little enjoyment out of these duties, Prospero became obsessed
with magic and eventually passed most of the power privileges of being King
onto his brother, which in turn lead to his exile.
Another big aspect of Renaissance Tragedies is the
magical and ghostly elements that appear throughout the novel. The character
Ariel, Prospero’s servant, is often times portrayed singing magical spells
throughout the novel, “ARIEL sings Full fathom five thy
father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing
of him that doth fade But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and
strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell” (Act I Scene 2). Ariel in
addition even mentions his non-mortal existence in Act V saying “Mine
would, sir, were I human.” Obviously, a big time characteristic of Renaissance
Tragedy is portrayed through Ariel’s character.
The Tempest also includes many subplots throughout its
duration, such as Trinculo and Stefano’s encounter with Caliban. Caliban is
portrayed as a native to the deserted island, and even characterized by Samuel
Coleridge in his The Tempest Essay as “a brute animal, often confused like
those living in the wild.” Meanwhile, while Trinculo and Stefano plan on taking
the island for themselves by using Caliban and persuading him using alcohol, and
Prospero planning to lure them in, Ferdinand and Miranda begin to fall in love
at the same time these other events occur.
All in all, Shakespeare’s The Tempest correlates most closely
with conventions of Renaissance Tragedies due to its downfall of the main
protagonist, Prospero, ghostly element brought by Ariel, and multiple subplots
as well as comedic relief.
No comments:
Post a Comment