AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – the Tempest Page
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HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest Summary: - The play transports us to a mysterious island where humanity’s flaws and qualities are amplified enabling the audience to discover the importance of compassion and reconciliation. o Despite the focus on redemption and reconciliation Shakespeare was a realist who acknowledged that humanity’s propensity for evil will never be suppressed. This is evident in Antonio’s inability to seek forgiveness, a reminder that evil will continue to plague us. - Shakespeare takes the audience to a position of uncertainty and ambiguity inviting us to a question humanity, ourselves and the world so that we arrive at a deeper understanding of the human condition. - Shakespeare frequently explores how loss can be a catalyst for rediscovering what is important in life resulting in an understanding of how our flaws comprise or morality and our ability to live a life of grace. - The play has an undisputed underlining commentary on the ability of theatre. - The three storylines each offer a different element of theatre to the audience. o Ferdinand and Miranda exhibit the ability for theatre to dabble in the love genre. o Alonso and Antonio’s political storyline express how theatre can deal with more serious issues. o The drunken storyline of Caliban, Trinculo and Stefano shows the theatres potential for humour. - Prospero’s position as presider over all these storylines and their differing natures reflects Shakespeare’s position as master of all these genres in theatre. - The concept of Prospero as a reflection on Shakespeare can be read as his farewell to theatre a reflection on the bard’s on the fluidity of the art form. - Characters are created: o By their actions o By what is said about them o Through their own language. Page 1 of 12 HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest - The island is a microcosm of Shakespeare’s Jacobean society, this is reflected in Gonzalo’s line “All torment, trouble, wonder and amazement/Inhabits here…” Context and Perspectives: - The play reflects the tension between renaissance humanist philosophy that focused on self-knowledge and an individual’s ability to shape his or her own destiny and providentialism that espoused God’s role in determining humanity’s position in life and ultimate fate. - Prospero is a renaissance man whose quest for greater knowledge and power blinded him to his brother’s usurpation of his power and the discovery that seeking revenge comprises his morality mirrors the Christian humanist views of Shakespeare and Montaigne. o Montaigne was a French philosopher that believed that humanity is so flawed that people will make foolish choices, and even embrace evil to achieve their ambitions unless they are directed by a moral compass and live a life of grace guided by God. - Antonio’s attaining of power through his ambitions and the exploitation of the vulnerabilities and flaws of others demonstrates the influence of 16th century Machiavelli’s political treatise The Prince. o Machiavelli believed the pursuit of power should not be hindered by morality. - The play’s opening with a ship floundering in a raging storm and setting his play on an island were inspired by the age of exploration that had been instigated by Queen Elizabeth who was eager to expand England’s territories and power. o The opening was also inspired by the tragic shipwreck of the Sea Venture in 1906. The Sea Venture was on its way to Jamestown in the Americas. The exploration to the Americas saw the British meet the Native Americans, whom they thought of as less than human and not to be trusted. - Gonzalo’s speculation that the island could become a utopia where all were free reflected Montaigne’s assertions that the non-Europeans were “noble savages” and more civilized than the cultured Europeans. Page 2 of 12 HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest - The magic in the play represents the occultism that still existed in King James’ reign, despite the fact that so-called witches were being burned at the stake or drowned. o Prospero’s obsession with the dark arts is blamed for the loss of his dukedom and his use of magic to control and punish on the island reveals that he is capable of cruelty. Form and Structure: - The Tempest is a hybrid mix of tragedy, romance and comedy. - There are scenes so dark they could be convince the audience they’re watching a tragedy. o An example of this is when Antonio is able to persuade Sebastian to attempt to murder his own brother, the King. - These moments, however, are punctuated by bursts of comedy. o Such as when Stephano and Trinculo encounter Caliban. - Even in these scenes, however, the humour is tempered by the actions of Caliban that parallel Antonio’s evil plans when he urges the men to overthrow Prospero and take his life. - The fusion of tragedy, comedy and romance reflects the bitter sweetness of life and engages the audience actively in the process of discovering the flawed nature of humanity. - His self-reflexive mediation on the art of theatre suspends the dramatic illusion and in doing so sets up a conceptual mirror which illuminates the illusory nature of life. o This stresses the power of introspection that facilitates self-discovery. - Prospero is the director of the action and meta-theatrically reminds the audience that this is just a play. o “These our actors, /as I foretold you, were all spirits and/are melted into air, into thin air: / and, like the baseless fabric of this vision.” - The play employs the five act structure of the tragedy. o This structure captures the process of self-discovery. o It begins with the exposition: the back story (protases). Page 3 of 12 HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest . This enables the audience to discover why Prospero and Miranda are on the island and enables Shakespeare to start the play in the middle of the action (in medias res.) o This is followed by the rising action and the complications where new and provocative discoveries from different perspectives are evident (epitasis). o The climax then occurs when Antonio and Sebastian try to kill Alonso and are stopped by Ariel. The audience now discovers how treacherous Antonio can be and the seductive nature of power. o The falling action signals the journey to self-discovery by Prospero and Alonso. o Finally the denouement (the conclusion) ends in self-knowledge for Prospero and transformation. However, Caliban’s promises sound insincere and Antonio has not atoned for his actions. - The Tempest reflects Aristotle’s assertion that a play should have unity of action if it is to imitate life. o This means it should have one main action. In the Tempest this is Prospero’s direction. o There should be unity of place. This is evident in the confined setting of the Island. o There should also be unity of time. Setting: - The imaginary setting of the island enables Shakespeare to connect his audience’s interest in the new world with this strange place of deserts, springs, beautiful sounds, natural resources, sprites and exotic animals. - It is a microcosm of the Jacobean world where humanity’s flaws can be intensified. - The island with its synthesis of disparate elements provokes different reactions from characters. o Prospero refers to the island as his “poor cell”, and a place he can exploit to enrich his magic and exact his revenge. o Caliban delights in the beauty of the island that he considers to be his own. Page 4 of 12 HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest - The use of the Island setting (far away from England with Italian characters) also enables Shakespeare to make comments about the nature of power and being held accountable to for your ruling ability. o Shakespeare’s distancing from Jacobean England is what facilitates this commentary as it appears as not a comment on his own society or rulers. Themes: - Usurpation and treachery o Play includes rebellions, political treachery, mutinies and conspiracies o All challenge authority and are made at all levels (the boat, the island and back in Naples) - Nature versus nurture o 2 views in the tempest . One is that when nature is left alone, nature grows to perfection and is inherently good . Two is that nature is inherently bad and therefore must be controlled and educated in order to become good Caliban o The contrast between nature and nurture is questioned when Prospero says about Caliban “on whose nature/Nurture can never stick.” This poses the concept that nature is neither good nor bad but whether or not nurture can have an influence on it - Imprisonment and powerlessness o All characters suffer some form of confinement . Exile, unjust punishment, tests of character, the effects of magic, their own conscience everyone years for freedom - Forgiveness and reconciliation o For most of the play it’s unclear what Prospero wants to do with his enemies o At the end, however, he relents deciding mercy and forgiveness are better guides to human conduct than dominance and revenge - Illusion and magic o The opening tempest is an enchantment o Music is everywhere Page 5 of 12 HSC English – AOS Discovery – Section 4 – Specific Notes on Text – The Tempest o Strange shapes, fantastic creatures and wonderful illusions o Everything undergoes an alteration - Colonialism and exploration o Tales from explores brought back to England about the ‘new world’ are echoed in the play o Gonzalo’s vision of his ‘commonwealth’ is a stark contrast to the harsh realities of colonialism - Sleep and dreams o Prospero sends Miranda to sleep o Ariel causes Alonso and Gonzalo to sleep o Caliban’s dreams are so wonderful that he longs to sleep again o The island itself has dream like qualities Characters: Prospero - Prospero intrigues the audience with his protean personality: an ambivalent blend of loving father, rancorous brother, powerful magician, tyrant and direct of the play.