The Theme of Natural Order in "The Tempest"

Lawrence E. Bowling

College English, Vol. 12, No. 4. (Jan., 1951), pp. 203-209.

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http://www.jstor.org Thu Nov 8 13:49:26 2007 THREE METHODS OF MODERN FICTION 203 fied and embodied. Until this point is naturally alive to the most subtle nu- made, the reading of modern works of ances of theme. He is not interested literature is sterile and unprofitable. merely in a story, a fabrication-he is Once understood, however, the reader is interested in life.

The Theme of Natural Order in "The Tempest"

LAWRENCE E. BOWLING'

THE temptation to see The Tempest as mance; but a close examination of the a romance is almost irresistible. Lytton play reveals that it is not at all devoid of Strachey has excellently summarized this meaning and common sense, that it is in aspect of the play: "In The Tempest, un- no way the "poetical dream" of a man reality has reached its apotheosis. Two bored with real people and real life. On of the principal characters are frankly the contrary, The Tempest is really one not human beings at all; and the whole of the most intellectual and ideological action passes, through a series of impos- of all Shakespeare's works, reflecting sible occurrences, in a place which can Renaissance ideals, and extremely ame- only by courtesy be said to exist. The nable to discussion and explanation. Enchanted Island, indeed, peopled, for a Among the last works of a mature and timeless moment, by this strange fantas- practical playwright, it is one of Shake- tic medley of persons and of things, has speare's most significant commentaries been cut adrift for ever from common upon the conduct of real human beings sense." Strachey concludes, therefore, and practical government in a modern that at the time this play was written civilized state. Shakespeare was "bored with people, To Shakespeare and his Elizabethan bored with real life, bored with drama, contemporaries, no question was more bored in fact with everything except fascinating or more important than poetry and poetical dreams." In like "What constitutes the natural order of manner, Dover Wilson remarks: "Is not things in the universe?" To many, the The Tempest of all Shakespeare's plays idea of the chain of being seemed the the most Mozartian, the least amenable best solution. That Shakespeare was fa- to discussion or explanation; a dramatic miliar with this philosophical concept poem in which the author seems to soar and was influenced by it is clear from the altogether clear of the world of meaning fact that he bases several of his plays and common sense." upon it and has the wisest of all the The surface appearance of The Tem- Greeks outline the idea in detail in pest does point in the direction of ro- Troilus and Cressida. After listening- to two long-winded harangues from Aga- I Visiting lecturer in English, University of Ken- tucky. Author of "The Thematic Framework of memnOnand concerning why the Romeo and Juliet," PMLA, March, 1949, "The Greeks have so long failed to defeat the Technique of Faulkner's The Sound and the FzL~Y," Trojans, Ulysses goes straight to the Kenyon Review, Autumn, 1948,and "What Is the Stream of Consciousness Technique?" PMLA, June, point in his characteristic manner and 1950. explains that Troy still stands, not be- 204 COLLEGE ENGLISH cause of the strength of the Trojans, unity and the married calm of states but because of the weakness of the restored; then and only then does the Greeks and that this weakness is due to play end. the fact that the Greeks have not heeded Almost every character in The Tempest the natural order of "degree." This is responsible for one or more infractions speech contains the key to the meaning of the natural order. The first person of The Tempest: guilty of interference, and the one there- Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down, fore responsible for the later guilt of the And the great Hector's sword had lack'd a others, is none other than Prospero him- master, self. In the opinion of the Elizabethans, But for these instances: the first duty of a ruler was to rule. The specialty of rule hath been neglected; ...... Prospero committed a serious infraction When that the general is not like the hive by forsaking his primary duty as a ruler To whom the foragers shall all repair, and putting his younger brother into his What honey is expected?Degree being vizarded, own position. In terms of the chain of Th' unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask. being, Prospero was attempting to re- The heavens themselves, the planets, and this centre move one of the prime links from the Observe degree, priority, and place, chain and shift a secondary link into that Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, position. By the time the play begins, Office, and custom, in all line of order: Prospero has become aware of his respon- ...... sibility for his brother's guilt: But when the planets In evil mixture to disorder wander, The government I cast upon my brother, What plagues, and what portents, what mutiny, And to my state grew stranger, being trans- What raging of the sea, shaking of earth, ported Commotion in the winds, frights, changes, And rapt in secret studies. horrors, ...... Divert and crack, rend and deracinate I ...in my false brother The unity and married calm of states Awak'd an evil nature. Quite from their fixture! O! when degree is shak'd, Escaping to the island, Prospero be- Which is the ladder to all high designs, gins his twelve years of suffering and The enterprise is sick. How could communities, regeneration; but even here he commits Degrees in schools, and brotherhoods in cities, another infraction of the natural order, Peaceful commerce from dividable shores, The primogenitive and due of birth, which is fundamentally the same as his Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels, first error. This is the unrealistic and But by degree, stand in authentic place? sentimental attitude which he takes Take but degree away, untune that string, toward Caliban. Instead of accepting And, hark! what discord follows! this half-beast as the subhuman that he In The Tempest we see what discord fol- is, Prospero attempts to elevate Caliban lows when the specialty of rule has been to the level of human beings by bringing neglected and various persons fail to ob- him into his own household, putting him serve degree, priority, and place. This on equal terms with Miranda, and try- state of discord and disorder prevails un- ing to educate him in the same manner til leadership has again been correctly as he does his own child. Prospero's un- reassumed and all individuals are willing due kindness to the half-fish reminds one to return to their proper places in the of the Fool's reference in King Lear to universal chain. Then and only then is the ignorant cockney who, "in pure kind- THE THEME OF ORDER IN "THE TEMPEST" 503 ness to his horse, buttered his hay." His begins with Gonzalo's admiration of the treatment of Caliban as a human being isle and his remarks concerning how he continues, until the subhuman, accept- would rule if he were king on it: ing the elevation of himself to the equal of Miranda, attempts to people the isle with little Calibans. The typical Eliza- Had I plantation of this isle, my lord, And were the king on't, what would I do? bethan view of the matter is the one I' the commonwealth I would by contraries which Prospero arrives at only after Execute all things; for no kind of traffic many years of trying to humanize the Would I admit; no name of magistrate; subhuman : And use of service, none; contract, succession, PROSPERO Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none; No occupation; all men idle, all; Thou most lying slave, And women too, but innocent and pure; Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have No sovereignty ,---- us'd thee, Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodg'd thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate Yet he would be king on't. The honour of my child. The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the Oh ho! Oh ho!-would it had been done! beginning. Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else Gonzalo's inconsistency here is as obvi- This isle with Calibans. ous as Sebastian and Antonio say it is; beginning by observing what he would Abhorred slave, do if he were king, Gonzalo immediately Which any print of goodness will not take, eliminates himself and all other rulers by Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, asserting that there would be no name Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee of magistrate and no sovereignty. Al- each hour One thing or other though we do not like to associate our- ...... selves with the two arch-realists, we but thy vile race, must, if we are to take the characteristic Though thou didst learn, had that in't which Renaissance (and Aristotelian) view pre- good natures sented by Ulysses, agree with Sebastian Could not abide to be with. and Antonio in this one point: that Gon- Only after this disappointing experience zalo's utopian commonwealth would cer- with Caliban does Prospero realize the tainly be far less likely to produce inno- fundamental nature oi the blunder he cence and purity than it would whores had committed in his treatment of his and knaves, as Antonio quickly points brother Antonio. In the experience with out. Alonso, with whom we are more Caliban, however, he realizes his error sympathetic and whose opinions we in time to restore the natural order be- more readily accept, observes that Gon- fore things get completely out of control. zalo is talking "nothing." Whether Gon- That The Tempest is basically a zalo's original intention really was merely treatise on practical government is spe- to provoke the wit of the two realists, as cifically emphasized at two different he now says it was, the fact remains that points in the play when two separate his romantic commonwealth would not groups discuss matters of state. The first be practical. 206 COLLEGE ENGLISH Government is again directly focused Then everything includes itself in power, upon when Caliban, Stephano, and Trin- Power into will, will into appetite; And appetite, an universal wolf, culo form a conspiracy to overthrow ...... Prospero. The drunken butler intends Must make perforce an universal prey to establish himself as king and appoints And last eat up itself. the court jester and the half-fish as vice- To the Elizabethans, such a condition roys. Although Stephano's order does was the logical sequel if even one link in admit some degree, priority, and place, the chain of order should swerve from its the no-government of Gonzalo would be natural function. In the words of Shake- less evil than Stephano's dictatorship of speare's representative contemporary, the drunken-dumb-and-dilatory, which Richard Hooker : is to be organized by completely invert- ing the natural chain of being and placing As long as each thing performeth only that work which is natural unto it, it thereby pre- all the inferior links at the top. Whereas serveth both other things and also itself. Con- Gonzalo favored mere absence of any trariwise, let any principal thing . . . but once order, Stephano is for the presence of a cease or fail or swerve, and who doth not positive disorder. Viewed in relation to easily conceive that the sequel thereof would be ruin both to itself and whatsoever dependeth Ulysses' standards, Stephano's brief on it? And is it possible that man, being not regime serves as another good example of only the noblest creature in the world but even bad government. a very world in himself, his transgressing the The conspiracy of Antonio and Sebas- law of his nature should draw no manner of tian to murder Alonso illustrates another harm after it? aspect of the theme. Having supplanted By "any principal thing" Hooker means his brother, Antonio now becomes the any chief or leader in its class. In terms example and precedent for Sebastian of The Tempest, the principal thing which to do likewise. Antonio's remark that his first swerves from its natural course is garments as duke of Milan sit becom- Prospero. It is proper, therefore, that he ingly upon him reminds us of Ulysses' should be the one primarily responsible statement that "degree being vizarded, for restoring the order which he was the th' unworthiest shows as fairly in the first to transgress. mask." These younger brothers do not Prospero's restoration of the natural heed their natural duty to respect "the order is accomplished partly by super- primogenitive and due of birth, preroga- natural means, and the tendency has tive of age, crowns, sceptres, ...office been to exaggerate the strangeness of and custom." Instead, they consider the these supernatural elements at the ex- sleeping king "no better than the earth pense of their deeper significance in rela- he lies upon." tion to the central theme. In The Tent- This is a sorry state for things to come pest, more than in any other of Shake- to, and they might be expected to come speare's plays, the supernatural is used as to much worse if they were allowed to a means of giving further amplification work themselves out without super- and extension to the natural. A good natural intervention. Sooner or later, example is Prospero's magical tempest. Antonio and Sebastian could be expected Dover Wilson, commenting upon this to fall out among themselves and reduce storm, remarks that Shakespeare's first everything to the universal chaos out- scenes are often symbolic of the rest of lined by Ulysses: the play but that in The Tempest the THE THEME OF ORDER IN "THE TEMPEST" 207 first scene "serves as a contrast, not as vanity of mine art"; but this display of an initiation." On the contrary, it may Prospero's supernatural powers, when be observed that in no other Shakespear- seen in relation to the rest of the play, ean play is the first scene more com- has for us a deeper significance than that pletely or more appropriately symbolic indicated by Prospero's statement. Ac- of the play as a whole. The tempest in cording to the stage direction, "Prospero the natural sphere symbolizes the basic starts-suddenly" when he realizes that, discord and confusion in the moral and in becoming unduly interested in his political spheres. The title of the play magic, he has "forgot that foul conspir- refers not merely to the brief storm in the acy of the beast Caliban and his con- first scene but also to the greater tempest federates against my life." A moment's which is dealt with throughout the play. further delay might have proved disas- In emphasizing the unreality of The trous. The masque illustrates, therefore, Tempest, Strachey calls special attention not merely Prospero's ability in the su- to the fact that "two of the principal perhuman realm but also the great dan- characters are frankly not human beings ger involved in such vanity, for he be- at all." Assuming that Ariel and Caliban comes so completely fascinated with his are present chiefly because of their un- magic that he temporarily forgets mat- natural characteristic~,he fails to see ters of more immediate and more prac- that their real function is to give exten- tical importance. Thus, the masque sion to the chain of being by adding to serves as a parallel to, or a re-enactment the human order two supporting links of, Prospero's original error, when he had from the superhuman and the subhuman. become interested in secret studies of Ariel, associated with the finer elements, the spirit world to such an extent that he air and fire, represents not only the order neglected his practical duties as ruler and of being above the human but also the allowed matters of state to get out of finer qualities of man; he therefore stands hand. for harmonious obedience to the natural In no aspect of the play is the theme order and is usually accompanied by of inverted order more clearly or more music. Caliban, on the other hand, rep- cleverly presented than in Caliban's con- resents both the order of being below spiracy to overthrow Prospero. Un- man and the coarser elements in human mindful of the natural duty which the nature; associated with the lower ele- inferior link owes to its superior, Caliban ments, earth and water, and referred to is in constant revolt against his master, as "tortoise" and "fish," he is disobedient Prospero. But when he meets Stephano, to the natural order. who appeals to his lowest senses by giv- Another supernatural element com- ing him liquor, Caliban immediately ac- monly seen only as further evidence of cepts this person as his god: the play's romantic character is the That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor; masque in the fourth act. The question I will kneel to him. is, does this masque have any function ...... other than serving merely as an interest- I'll show thee every fertil inch o' th' island; ing interlude? Prospero says that his pur- And I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god. pose in staging the magical show before ...... A plague upon that tyrant that I serve! Ferdinand and Miranda is to "bestow I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee, upon the eyes of this young couple some Thou wondrous man. 208 COLLEGE ENGLISH He thus places the wise Prospero lower Antonio is returned to his subordinate than the foot of a drunken butler, and position under Prospero. Ferdinand, who Trinculo speaks less for himself than he has never attempted to interfere with does for Shakespeare and the Eliza- the natural order and who, in contrast to bethans when he observes that Caliban Caliban, always recognizes and obeys is "a most ridiculous monster, to make a superior powers, is "returned" to Mi- wonder of a poor drunkard!""^ the randa. Alonsoresigns Prospero's dukedom end of the play, however, Caliban dis- to him, entreats his pardon, and will covers the asinine ignorance of his error. hereafter be a better king. And Prospero To Prospero he now repents and pledges gladly gives up his superhuman powers in obedience : order to return to the strictly human I'll be wise hereafter, sphere: this rough magic And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass I here abjure. Was I,to take this drunkard for a god, ...... And worship this dull fool. I'll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, For the first time, Caliban is able to see And, deeper than did ever plummet sound, things in their proper perspective and is I'll drown my book. willing to accept his natural position and Now my charms are all o'erthrown, support the other links in the chain. And ushat strength I have's wine own. All the other characters are likewise returned to their proper spheres of ac- At last, after much suffering for his origi- tivity. Ariel, who had been imprisoned nal error, Prospero fully realizes that by Sycorax and later became a bond "the proper study of mankind is man" servant to Prospero, has now served out and not the spirit world. He is eager to his specified term and is duly returned to return to that which is by nature his oein. his natural element, the air. Caliban is As duke of Milan, he will henceforth returned to his original position on the strive ever to be the best ruler and the island-not taken to Naples, as Stephano best human being that he can. All the had first intended. Stephano, who had links in the chain of order have now been recently attempted to instal himself as completely and correctly restored; the king of the isle, now admits in a pun that "calm seas1' reflect the "unity and mar- he would have been "a sore one" and be- ried calm of state," for each person has comes a butler again. The conversion of now found himself. As "the good old lord Sebastian is indicated by the fact that, Gonzalo" so aptly summarizes: whereas he had originally scorned mira- In one voyage cles, he now admits that there are powers Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis, beyond the grasp of his realistic faculties. And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife Where he himself was lost; Prospero his duke- TObe misled by Caliban's tiefcnse of his owner- dom ship of the island and his rebellious conduct toward In a poor isle; and all of us ourselves, l'rospero and to see in the play "a discussion by Whcn no man u7as his own. Shakespeare of the reIationships between the abo- rigines and their white conquerors" is to miss com- The play itself is likewise an interest- pletely Shakespeare's real meaning and to display a type of sentimentalism of which Shakespeare and ing paradox. On the surface apparently his Elizabethan contemporaries were not guilty. a romantic and unrealistic "poetical THE THEME OF ORDER INUTHE TEMPEST" 209 dream" devbid of all meaning and com- characters who find themselves and be- mon sense, The Tempest proves to be come harmoniously readjusted by return- basically an extremely intellectual and ing to their proper positions in the natu- realistic work, dealing with a group of ral order.

The Philistines Like It

=E title, admittedly, is not immedi- support among educators. All these con- ately clear. By "philistines" a literature victions I shared, and hence I began to teacher like me would of course mean build+ course for nonmajors which would those unfortunate persons who have not be sharply different from that for majors chosen to major in literature but in some and which, I hoped, would leave them other subject such as chemistry or soci- with favorable memories as well as ology or music. Their words and actions credit toward the requirement. prove that they like it. It is a course in As first constituted, the course leaned, masterpieces of world literature invented it now seems to me, too heavily toward and designed to bring philistines to like the enjoyment objective and was not so literature-and continue liking it and high in quality as it might have been. reading it for the rest of their natural The books chosen, while recognizable as lives. literature, did not raise the greater issues The course was first tried in the early of life. I was not sure then that nonma- thirties, when general dissatisfaction was jors would tolerate anything more diffi- being expressed over the usual sopho- cult. But the students themselves began more survey of English literature as a to protest against being considered capa- college requirement. A good many in- ble of only "second-rate literature" and structors felt that even for English ma- vowed that they could read as difficult jors the inclusion of minor figures of only material as the majors if only we would historical interest was hardly stimulat- avoid literary technicalities. The content ing and that the extensive arrays of frag- was accordingly made steadily heavier, ments gave little real idea of the wholes even to the extent of raising the eyebrows from which they had been extracted. of teachers of the conventional survey It seemed obvious, moreover, that course. They declared the nonmajor whatever dissatisfactions the majors in course was more difficult than the ma- English might feel would be considerably jors would want. But the nonmajors do multiplied in the nonmajors. The belief not object. Various types of books have that too often the introductory courses been tried and various books within the in all departments were but the first steps types. One objective now prominent was in a rigid escalator structure intended to not originally so highly valued as now. produce departmental specialists but not Student opinion has caused some modi- cultured human beings was also gaining fications; books expected to be sure-fire I Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio. successes proved duds. Other changes