William Shakespeare The Tempest

Introduction

"Tempest is one of the most original and perfect of Shakespeare's productions and he has shown in it all the variety of his powers. It is full of grace and grandeur." These are the words said by Hazlitt which perfectly justifies the triage-comedy "The Tempest".

Discussion

The Tempest can be dated with some precision, since there is a record of a performance of it at court on November 1, 1611, and since it borrows some details from accounts of the travels and adventures of Sir George Somers in Bermuda which were not available in England before the fall of 1610.the tempest is the second shortest play of the whole canon in the First Folio edition in 1623 ,and has the fewest scenes. Theatrically ,however, its is one of he most spectacular ,with an inserted masque, a "quaint device" of a disappearing banquet, a pack of spirits in the shape of hounds, and the storm at sea which opens the play and gives it its name.

The key theme of this play is the chain of penitence / forgiveness / reconciliation, all of which is filled with religious overtones. The entire plot is an elaborate scheme designed by Prospero to bring his rivals to a state of regret so that he can pardon them and restore the rightful order of things to his dukedom of Milan. Since Prospero is seen as being all-powerful over the island, he could easily destroy or punish his enemies in the royal party by any method or means. Instead, he brings the past conspirators face-to- face with the sins of their past, which causes them to be repentant. In a god-like way, Prospero forgives each of them, allowing them to live and return to Italy. In appreciation, they promise to faithfully serve Prospero. It is a picture of full reconciliation, with the exception of Antonio. To add to the beauty of the reconciled image, Prospero masterfully brings Miranda and Ferdinand together as symbols of a new generation standing for hope and re-generation.

Because of the religious overtones of the forgiveness/reconciliation theme, many critics judge Prospero as a Christ-figure. Like Jesus, he is betrayed by his enemies. After he is stripped of his power, Prospero is then sent to die at sea; but he is almost miraculously raised from the near-dead due to the loving care of Gonzalo, who is a God-like figure due to his age, ...