These notes detail critical views and interpretations of 'The Tempest' which is critical in getting the top marks in the 2nd 15 mark question about play themes and intentions. Also contains historical information, and character relationships which may further help in answering the 1st 15 mark quest...
Themes
❖ Chaos (order and disorder)
➢ Social chaos
➢ Challenging hierarchy
➢ Females narratively marginalised
➢ Psychological ideas: Madness(individuals being mad is a representation of a mad world)
can be seen as a metaphor for a n identity crisis.
➢ Justice: Was it justified for antonio to overthrow Prospero
Yes: No
● ‘Volumes that I prize above my ● The way in which he is
dukedom’: he left off his duties as overthrown is violent. ‘A
a king and yet is still complaining. treacherous army levied-one
● Technically he can be a king and a midnight’
magician. In many ways the island ● Divine right of kings
has given his dream, yet he calls it
a cell. The punishment fits the
crime. ‘Neglecting’ it was right
that the dukedom was taken but
it was not right that he should be
exiled. He was negligent rather
than a tyrant.
● He wants the title but not the job
that goes with it. The identity
becomes split. Power without
duty.
● Neglects divine rights of kings
➢ The genre of the play is unstable.
➢ Stephano’s and trinculo’s ‘celestial liquor’: alcohol creates order and disorder.
➢ Structure of the play tends towards order ars opposed to chaos
➢ The court masque; it is out of place in the sense that it is on an island in the middle of the
Caribbean; it should also be at the end of the play as opposed to the middle of the play. It
was also aborted and the image of marital bliss and unity is interrupted by prospero
remembering Caliban.
➢ Transformation: Shakespeare uses language to represent emotional change.
❖ Natural world:
➢ Climate
➢ Weather
➢ Physical storm
➢ Climate change: can be read as a metaphor of man’s abuse of the world. Caliban is in tune
with nature, while other characters see the island as a resource to be mined and used.
➢ Eco-play
, ➢ Has links with the idea of post colonialism
❖ Religious connotations:
➢ natural world echoing mans’ sins
➢ Justice vs sin (bishop of carlisle)
➢ The storm reflects religious uncertainty
➢ Noah's ark
➢ The natural world is an microcosm of the social world
➢ Religious imagery is prominent in this play
➢ Religious play, sin and judgement is very important.
➢ Catholic view: the island is seen a a purgatory, as good deeds get you into heaven
- The shipwreck can be seen as a proto baptism,
- Gonzalo putting miranda and prospero in a ship is seen as a ‘moses’ moment
- Gonzalo’s prelapsarian view of the island
- Miranda is an eve-like figure
Act 3.3:
- has religious connotations: communion table/ forbidden fruit.
- The banquet vanishing is indicative of excommunication.
- There were mazes at the west door because it symbolises the journey towards
redemption( alter were at the east)
- This island can be seen as a form of purgatory
❖ Conflict/battle
➢ Desert storm’ military invasion of iraq
➢ Hail of bullets, military terminology links to images of storms.
➢ Destructive
➢ Act 3.3: sebstien and Antonio's responses are violent: ‘but one fiend at a time/ I’ll fight
their religions o’er.’ Unified in their arrogance.
, ❖ Appearance vs reality
➢ The storm and its frames. :
➢ What constitutes the title of Duke. What makes Prospero the duke? Prospero wants the
title but not the job. ‘With colours paint fairer their foul ends’
➢ Who has the real power?
➢ Is prospero magic or merely controlling magic
➢ performative: using music.
➢ 3.3 Ariel becoming a harpy: ‘bravely the figure of this harpy has thou performed’
❖ Liminality
➢ Ariels appearance and gender: he is often seen to be agender, or androgenous in his/ her
gender
➢ The island is a liminal space.
❖ Justice and redemption:
➢ Judgement: ‘you are three men of sin’ sentence: and do pronouns by me/ Lingering
perdition, worse than any death/ Can be at once shall step by step attend You and your
ways.
➢ ‘Free’ is the last word of the play. Idea that it is asking the audience to act as judge of
prospero. Asking for applause and asking for mercy.
➢ Why is Prospero a judge, does he have the right to be the judge? He is not a great ruler and
is not impartial to the case. He is very draconian in his laws.
➢
❖ Status
➢ What causes the difference in status?
➢ Lineage giving a right to somewhere- ‘this island’s mine by Sycorax’- Caliban
➢ This play explores some of the renaissance mindset: how fragile status is.
➢ Power is by consent.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller elbeaton33. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
