How Does Shakespeare Use Clothing In The Tempest

Gabriela Toledo
2/9/15
Texts and Contexts
Essay 1:
The Tempest Clothing and Appearance:
Connotations in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Shakespeare’s
The Tempest was written between the years 1610 and 1611, and was known as one of only two plays that Shakespeare wrote as an entirely original piece. It was performed for the second time in 1612 to honor the wedding of the daughter of King James.
Given the fact that it was written as an original, there is possibility that Shakespeare may have written this with royalty in mind. While staging and props were not a particular focus of the play in a visual sense, it is known that extreme detail was dedicated to the garments and costumes worn by the actors. Just as the social gatherings of the Elizabethan era would
One thing to note about the typification of clothing in the play, however, is that the quality of the clothing worn by the characters does not directly correspond with the intellectual power of the characters wearing them.
Prospero, the protagonist of the piece, is a perfect representation of the correspondence between attire and social hierarchy in the play. When analyzing Prospero, however, one cannot simply consider his magic cloak—his outfit in entirety is the key to understanding why his clothing corresponds with power. Prospero is seen throughout the play with three items: a cloak, a staff, and his book of magic. There is no character throughout the play that possesses more items onstage than Prospero does. This abundance of notable personal items is the first hint that Prospero claims the most authority on the island. The most important attribute of the items, however, is the fact that all three correspond with magic.
Prospero’s magic is seen as the true foundation of his power and authority on the island. In
Act I, Scene 2, Prospero attempts to explain to his daughter why and how they came about living on the island. In doing so, Prospero removes his magic cloak and staff. He explains,
The three soon come across strategically placed garments, in which the drunkards take to them in a heartbeat. Caliban exclaims, “Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash…” (4.1, 223). This line implies that even at the sight of the fineries, Caliban does not succumb to the materialistic outlook that the two men of supposed superiority carry with them.
Ironically enough, clothing acts as Prospero’s power and paradoxically as Caliban’s downfall.
Of course, throughout the scene, Stephano and Trinculo still consider themselves to be rulers of Caliban, shouting orders at him to “put some lime upon your fingers,” and “help to bear this
[garment]” (4.1, 244­249). It is evident at this point in the play that their ignorance is a prodigious reason for the failed attempt at overthrowing Prospero. Ironically enough, clothing acts as Prospero’s power and paradoxically as Caliban’s downfall. It should also be recognized that Caliban never directly wishes to be more fully clothed, nor does he ever wish to be clothed in garments like that of the Italians. His intentions are focused solely on the destruction of Prospero, while these supposed “masters” are only focused on an obvious