Advanced English Notes on The Tempest
English Advanced
Area of Study: Concept of Discovery
The Tempest
What is discovery?
The process of finding information, a place, or an object, especially for the first time, or the thing that is found. ‘The process of being found’. Discovery can be:
Something new.
A rediscovery.
Sudden, unexpected.
Carefully planned.
Fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.
Confronting
Provocative.
Creating new values.
Enable speculation.
Change perceptions of individuals, groups etc.
Types of discovery
Physical
Emotional
Intellectual
Spiritual
Creative
Synonyms
Catch
Come upon
Contrive
Determine
Dig up
Disclose
Elicit
Explore
Bring to light
Unearthing
Ascertainment
Encounter
Invention
Origination
Exploration
Exposure
Locate
Perception
Sensing
Stumble upon
Epiphany
Witness
Unravel
Antonyms
Hidden
Lose
Cover
Conceal
Withheld
Secret
Dispose
Mystery
Unknown
Mask
Disguise
Cloak
Obscure
Deception
Lies
Falsehood
Façade
Pretence
The Tempest - Plot outline
i. Ship wrecked near Prospero’s Island. ii. Nobles stranded on island and Ariel plays tricks on them at Prospero’s bidding. iii. Prospero tells Miranda her life story. iv. Caliban and Prospero argue.
v. Ferdinand and Miranda see each other for the first time and fall in love. vi. Gonzalo attempts to cheer Alonso but is mocked. vii. Sebastian and Antonio prepare to overthrow Alonso. viii. Trinculo and Caliban meet. Stephano enters and Caliban swears to be his slave. ix. Ferdinand and Miranda talk of love and Prospero is pleased.
x. Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban plan to murder Prospero. xi. The courtiers are exhausted and endure the banquet scene. xii. The masque. xiii. The gaudy clothes are hung as a trap for Trinculo and Stephano. xiv. Prospero makes the circle for the courtiers. xv. Forgiveness and redemption for the usurpers. Miranda and Ferdinand to marry. xvi. All are to leave the island the next day after Prospero relates his story.
Thesis
‘Discovery can be in the form of physical, emotional or spiritual matters and often involves the revealing of something previously hidden or merely misunderstood.’
People and the concept of discovery
Prospero: His grand design is to initiate others into a range of physical, emotional, creative, intellectual and spiritual discoveries. He himself is capable of discovery though as seen in the discovery of a buried and forgotten desire in Act 5, Scene 1 to forgive even those who have wronged him, such as Antonio, despite their refusal to demonstrate repentance.
Miranda: The daughter of Prospero discovers and falls deeply in love with Ferdinand, her father’s captured ‘spy’, who she observes in his wandering through the isle and later in his imprisonment, a set of discoveries alternately emotional, physical, creative, intellectual and spiritual. Prospero’s daughter learns patience, empathy and strength in preparation for her future role as queen of Naples.
Her journey begins with her discovery in Act 1, Scene 2 of the evil machinations of her uncle Antonio. Within Miranda, Prospero’s careful tutoring and discovery of the shipwreck has already produced the desired qualities of compassion and empathy (as evidenced by her heartfelt reaction to the shipwreck. He furthermore seeks to enlighten her to the cutthroat and Machiavellian ways of the royal court, which she will soon join in Naples should his plan prove successful. What she ultimately discovers is a lover, a husband and humanity itself.
Ferdinand: The Neapolitan prince’s discoveries and exile on the island prepare him for a just kingship of Naples and prevent him from repeating his father’s mistakes of greed, conspiracy and persecution. Ferdinand gains humility and grace via a disconcerting set of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual discoveries which by their very nature (hard work, loss of father and marriage) transform him into a man. The origin of his first emotional discovery is patently false: his father King Alonso is not dead. The concept of discovery relevant to a responder’s study of Ferdinand is that sudden and alarming discoveries of the emotions and intellect are vital in order to experience empathy and personal growth: “There be some sports are painful, and their labour / Delight in them sets off” (P. 79, act 3, scene 1, lines 1-2).
In bringing Ferdinand to the isle and immediately imprisoning him after his daughter has fallen in love, Prospero invents a courtship which teaches the prince and Miranda that marital love is built upon a gymnast’s fine line of patience, temperance, fidelity and slowly-burning lust: “They are both in either’s powers, but this swift business / I must uneasy make, lest too light winning / Make the prize light” (P. 37, act 1, scene 2, lines 449-450).
Prospero condones Miranda’s filial disobedience, despite his apparent reluctance to celebrate her union to the young prince: “So glad of this as they I cannot be / Who are surprised with all; but my rejoicing / At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book.” (P. 85, act 3, scene 1, lines 94-96).
Ferdinand imagines via Prospero’s planned ‘discovery’ that his father has been lost to the sea, unleashing a sensory grief and speculative frame of mind, which tests his maturity and willingness to be monarch. In experiencing what it is to lose a parent, and endure the work of a common log-bearer, Ferdinand is humbled and made empathetic to all who have endured sorrow, adversity and the arbitrary power of a despot. Through such an experience he intends to gain the ‘common touch’ and therefore be a wiser ruler than Prospero, who despite his protestations to Miranda of his local popularity, wholly ignored his Milanese public and unwisely delegated his sovereignty to Antonio in pursuit of scholarly studies.
Alonso: The Neapolitan king discovers an overwhelming sense of guilt and empathy for Prospero in his exile, and the heartbreaking belief that his son and heir, Ferdinand, has perished in the storm. Alonso eventually reconciles with his son and his repentance for his crimes against Prospero creates the circumstances for a stable transition of his regal powers to Ferdinand, and importantly, the necessary conditions for Prospero’s safe return to Milan. The king’s various physical, emotional and intellectual discoveries form the basis of the play’s central plot. Alonso represents the way that painful emotional discoveries centred on guilt and self-recognition may ultimately provide spiritual benefit and redemption for their sufferer: “But O, how oddly will it sound, that I / Must ask my child forgiveness!” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, lines 196-197).
Caliban: Sycorax’s son and demi-devil of the isle undergoes experiences variously physical and emotional, which for some represent the way that the European ‘discovery’ of land robbed African and Caribbean natives of their identity, dignity and territorial rights. In this way, ironically, Caliban shared Prospero’s loss of land and title: “This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother” (P.29, act 1, scene 2, line 332). Caliban furthermore initiates the physical discovery of the island for Stephano and Trinculo in the play’s second subplot. Caliban’s use of language is alternately sullen, fierce, accusatory and serene. His famous “Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises” speech (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 127) captures his natural eloquence, an eloquence ironically learnt from Prospero via language which he has earlier rejected in Act 1, Scene 2.
Stephano and Trinculo: The drunken butler Stephano and court jester Trinculo comically ‘discover’ the island by means of their host, Caliban. The two men are represented as murderous opportunists who literally stumble onto the isle after shipwreck and afterwards experience a range of unsettling and painful physical discoveries in their drunken greed to seize kingship of the island. The pair represent the contemporary savagery and opportunism of Europeans in their exploitation of subjugated foreigners, especially so in Trinculo’s speculation about how he could paint and exhibit his “strange fish” Caliban (P. 67, act 2, scene 2, line 25) for a “piece of silver” in England (P. 67, act 2, scene 2, line 27).
Gonzalo: The Neapolitan lord’s reaction to his exile prompts fevered speculations about the utopian possibilities of the isle. He is open-minded to the steep challenge of his predicament and therefore represents the aspect in the rubric, which declares ‘discoveries open us up to new worlds’ and ‘discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.’ Gonzalo is innocent of all criminal intent (and was indeed a benefactor of Prospero during his forced exile from Milan), yet is rewarded via metaphysical leaps and bounds through his various discoveries on the isle. His knowledge of the evil ways of the Neapolitan court complements his wondrous speculations about the possibilities for mankind on the isle, and in this way his rapid character arc is a foreshadowing device for that of Prospero’s. Gonzalo’s epiphany about the possibilities of the isle is most famously captured in his speech about a shared wealth without services, contracts, agriculture and occupations, essentially the dream of a Christian paradise: “I ‘th’ commonwealth I would by contraries Execute all things. For no kind of traffic Would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known; riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none.” (P. 53, act 2, scene 1, lines 144-148). His speculations are moreover an ironic statement on the miraculous sustenance achieved by Prospero on the isle and the beatific results of his own compassion twelve years earlier, having personally supplied the exiled Duke’s raft with nourishing provisions and his prized books. Gonzalo reacts to his isolation with a continuous discovery of the intellect and emotions, which transform his perceptions of others and his broader society. The various language devices of his ‘commonwealth’ speech-listing, inverted syntax and the repetition of ‘no’, ‘not’ and ‘none’ - is an effective means of capturing the nature of his perverse epiphany after being stranded, but also the underlying difficulty of his projection. When critics refer to his speech as ‘utopian,’ it essentially means that it is idealistic to the point of being impractical. Shakespeare acknowledges this reality in the language of Gonzalo.
Ariel: Prospero’s spirit enacts the discoveries of the other characters at his master’s request. He is an agent for discovery and driven by the memory of his own discovery by Prospero which relieved him from imprisonment in a cloven pine by Sycorax: “Hast thou forgot / The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy / Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?” (P.25, act 1, scene 2, lines 257-258). Ariel furthermore assists his master in the recognition of a far-reaching and transformative discovery for the individual as well as broader society.
Antonio: The brother of Prospero (and usurper of the dukedom of Milan) represents the way that intense, sudden and unexpected physical discoveries do not always effect change upon one’s character. He plots the murder of Gonzalo and Alonso along with co-conspirator Sebastian, an action of criminal opportunism. Prospero only reluctantly forgives his brother in Act 5, Scene 1 for seizing his dukedom twelve years earlier. Antonio is unaffected by his sensory experiences and furthermore seeks to opportunistically exploit his exile in convincing Sebastian to murder Alonso. This points to an undercurrent of realism in the play but also to the miracle of the contrary experiences of Alonso and Ferdinand: the transformative effects of discovery create the desired measure of humility, empathy and understanding within the Neapolitan king and his heir.
Relationships and the concept of discovery
Prospero: Shakespeare constructed ‘The Tempest’ in such a way that the discoveries of the major characters are ‘paired’ with Prospero’s growing discoveries about himself and to our own recognition as responders that Prospero, in part, shares the very character traits of those whom he persecutes. It is a type of intellectual discovery for the responder which informs our response, especially so in regards to the character arc of the protagonist. Prospero’s eventual reconciliation with his enemies is moreover a reconciliation to himself. His emotional, intellectual and spiritual discoveries lead him to the point of deciding to abandon his earthly magic - the appeal to a divine power for forgiveness - and return back to Europe an ordinary man, although the reinstated Duke of Milan.
Prospero’s grand design is for the revelation, guilt, shame, repentance and forgiveness of his enemies, and regal marriage for daughter Miranda. Prospero’s focus is therefore centred on repairing his fractured relationships with individuals who have previously wronged him, but also on creating a key relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda by means of a continuous set of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual discoveries. However, an element of the responders discovery is that Prospero’s own character, faults and sins closely resemble those of his enemies and friends: “Two of these fellows you / Must know and own; this thing of darkness, I / Acknowledge mine” (P. 141. Act 5, scene 1, lines 273-273). It is arguable from the theoretical standpoint that the play is about Prospero’s journey from revenge to forgiveness, and that his sudden pardon of his enemies is brought about from this inner recognition of guilt and self-recognition as much as his stated compassion for Gonzalo’s suffering. The recognition of his own human failings and propensity for cruelty creates a means to reconcile himself to his enemies, and to humanity at large. The role of relationships in the play is that through these various pairings with other characters and their planned discoveries Prospero recognises that, despite his years of isolation and study of magic, he is more human than divine: “Shall not myself, / One of their kind … be kindlier moved than thou art?” (P. 125, act 5, scene 1, lines 22-24). The point about the role of discovery in the play’s relationships (and relevance to the concept of discovery) is that for Prospero, discovery is confronting and provocative, leading to new worlds and values that challenge his widely-held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience: “Through with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick / Yet, with my nobler reason, ‘gainst my fury / Do I take part. The rarer action is / In virtue, than in vengeance.” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, lines 25-28).
Ariel and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder.’
Prospero is very similar to Ariel with regard to their joint desire to force and control. An element of Prospero’s plan is to coerce his spirit Ariel with the threat of imprisonment long enough to conjure the various discoveries of his enemies. Both characters wield magic to achieve their own ends, display wilful and temperamental cruelty: “I will rend an oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howled away twelve winters.” (P. 27, act 1, scene 2, lines 294-296). Critically, both characters ultimately yearn for freedom from their imprisonment on the isle.
Antonio and Prospero: ‘An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to their personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values.’
Prospero shares Antonio’s concerns with regards to their joint propensity for the transformation of themselves and others. Prospero’s explanation of his brother’s ride to power in Act 1 reveals that Antonio had the power to cast spells and transform those around him: “new created / The creatures who were mine, I say, or changed ‘em, / Or else new formed ‘em … to what tune pleased his ear.” (P. 13, act 1, scene 2, lines 81-85), an ironic reference both to Prospero’s magical powers and Ariels sweet music. The brothers are alike in respect to their willingness to opportunistically draw upon the power of others to their own advantage. Antonio was the ivy who “sucked the verdure” out of Prospero, just as the exile, in turn, draws upon Ariel’s power to create havoc among the shipwrecked crew (P. 13, act 1, scene 2, line 87).
Stephano, Trinculo and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others.’
Prospero is wholly similar to Stephano and Trinculo with regards to their collective paranoid and neurotic ways and hubristic propensity to claim kingship. Prospero’s neurotic ways are evidenced in his insistent questioning of his daughter’s attentiveness in Act 1, his obsession about Miranda’s sexual chastity in discussions with Ferdinand, and his abandonment of the masque to quell the conspiracy of Caliban. The drunken jester Trinculo and butler Stephano have a common belief they are suffering persecution. In Trinculo, Prospero encounters a compulsive and highly nervous jester who is a psychological doppelganger (double) of himself. In Stephano, the ship’s drunken butler, Prospero encounters an unsettling reminder of his own life: a servant hostage to a higher power who believes himself king of the isle and is intoxicated with dreams of regency and another who arbitrarily wields his power over Caliban only to eventually relinquish this at the recognition of a higher authority.
Alonso and Prospero: ‘Discoveries … can lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ides, and enable us to speculate about future possibilities … The ramification of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds.’
Prospero’s experience on the isle matches Alonso’s in numerous ways. Alonso knows that owing to his plot twelve years earlier with Antonio, Prospero has lost his dukedom. By ‘losing’ his own kingdom for three hours on the isle, Alonso understands the sensory nature of Prospero’s loss and is able to recognise the immorality of his actions, thereby empathising with Prospero as another who has lost all: kingdom, heir and sense of self.
In Alonso, Prospero has under his spell a foreign ruler who effected the overthrow of another sovereign (as Prospero himself does to Antonio in act 5, scene 1), a father and monarch who has lost his heir, and a despairing ruler in the company of desperate and opportunistic lords who seek to topple him. Moreover, Alonso’s similarity to Prospero lies in his affection for Ferdinand and his desire to be with his missing child, as Prospero is similarly prepared to sacrifice his beloved book and drowns it “deeper than did ever plummet sound” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, line 56) to grant Miranda a second chance at life.
Sycorax and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something which has been lost, forgotten or concealed.’
Prospero shares the following with Sycorax: a child stranded on the isle; a controversial ability to conjure magic; and accusation of being linked to the devil (Sebastian: “The devil speaks in him!” P. 133, act 5, scene 1, line 129); and the power to condemn Ariel to a cloven pine. Both are forced exiles at the hands of their countrymen and each has a mysterious reprieve: just as Sycorax’s life is spared for “one thing”, Prospero’s is saved by the sole virtue of his popularity (P. 25, act 1, scene 2, line 266). Furthermore, the exile of Sycorax condemns the marital prospects of her son just as Prospero’s banishment similarly condemns Miranda’s: Sycorax is the only woman besides Miranda who Caliban has laid his eyes upon, just as Prospero is the only man besides Caliban who Miranda has sighted.
Ferdinand, Miranda and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.’
The young prince shares noticeable similarities to the bookish Prospero, who also knows little of the hardships of common men prior to his exile. Prospero leads Ferdinand through a series of physical, emotional and spiritual discoveries and thereby trains Ferdinand to be hard-working, compassionate and empathetic king through his log-carrying travails (reminiscent of Edgar’s ‘Poor Tom’ experience in King Lear). Moreover, Ferdinand’s thoughtful, articulate and fairly spoken replies to Prospero’s various questions finds a willing listener in the Duke, who recognises a similarity evident in Ferdinand’s display of endurance and idealism in the face of imprisonment. In Miranda, Prospero has a kindred spirit who is idealistic and naïve in her conception of mankind, a trusting soul whose noble purpose is betrayed by Caliban, just as his own is broken by his brother Antonio.
Places and the concept of discovery
In ‘The Tempest’ Shakespeare directly address the link between notions of place and the broader concept of discovery. The opening lines of the play express the Master’s fear that the tempest will “run ourselves aground” (P. 3, act 1, scene 1, line 3) and lead to disaster for the ship’s crew. Indeed, the deposed Duke of Milan and Prospero and his realm of spirits, subjects and shipwrecked castaways all experience an unsettling chain of discoveries in their unwanted new land: insights, intuitions and new understandings by turn physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual. It is the very exile of these characters from their homelands and imprisonment in a foreign place, which creates the stage for the play’s continuous and revelatory process of discovery.
Character Analysis
Prospero:
Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan who has lost his kingdom to his brother Antonio. He was set adrift and came to the island with his daughter, Miranda. He is the central character of the play and the plot revolves around his plans for revenge and his abilities with magic.
Prospero has many more lines than any other character and is in more scenes. He manipulates the action. We see him change both his plans and abilities as the story unfolds.
He is ruler of his island, using his magic to take it from Caliban, a native of the island. The island has been his refuge and he has used his magic to control the spirits of the island for his own purposes. He has waited twelve years for his revenge, which comes in the space of three hours.
As the Duke he was a serious student with his books, which he teats as most treasured items. He trusted his enemies and this led to his downfall. When he is marooned on the island he is able to control the spirits because of his studies. He becomes master of all. He is a loving father to Miranda and wants the best for her.
It is interesting to note that he uses his abilities but does not cling to them, renouncing magic when he is to return home. Prospero is very focussed on getting revenge and regaining his position but he does not take revenge for its own sake - he shows forgiveness.
Prospero is strict but fair with Ariel and releases him, as promised, when his duties are over. With Caliban he was kind but after Caliban tries to take Miranda’s virtue he is harsh and lacking in sympathy.
Alonso:
Alonso is the King of Naples. He was involved in the plot to overthrow Prospero and give the dukedom to Antonio. His son Ferdinand is the heir and Alonso is saddened by the belief that he is dead.
Alonso is not seen as completely evil and is quick to repent at the conclusion. His actions are portrayed as being bad judgement rather than outright evil, although he does suffer for his crimes.
Alonso is pleased and gives his blessing to the union of Ferdinand and Miranda after he resigns the dukedom. This helps restore the natural order.
Miranda:
Miranda is Prospero’s daughter and has been on the island for so long that she can barely remember her previous life as an infant in Milan. She is quite naïve about human affairs having only her father and Caliban for company on the island.
Miranda is nonetheless intelligent having had a good tutor in her father. She had had a simple life without the intrigues of the court that had stymied her father. She is used to the spirits that Prospero uses so she is not limited in her thinking. She is disgusted with Caliban who has tried to rape her so the good nature and sympathy she shows others is not misplaced through her innocence.
Her union with Ferdinand suggests a new order or generation is coming to power and that the problems of the fathers have been swept away. She is infatuated with Ferdinand and he reciprocates her love.
Ferdinand:
Ferdinand is Alonso’s son and heir to the kingdom of Naples. After being shipwrecked on the island he falls in love with Miranda with the help of magic. He is love struck for the whole play and even through his imprisonment and labour. His father who is searching for him presumes him dead.
After Ferdinand has proved his love through servitude, Prospero decides he is worthy of his daughter and both he and Alonso approve of the union. Ferdinand is a good character and brave. He proved this by being prepared to fight Prospero and is also portrayed as a handsome young man. He is a good match for Miranda and says he will protect her honour before the marriage when warned by Prospero.
Antonio:
He is not the Duke of Milan because he overthrew Prospero, his brother. Prospero was involved in his studies and Antonio took advantage of this. He also pans to murder Alonso and has no conscience for his misdeeds.
Antonio is also mocking and cruel. He mocks Gonzalo, which is mean and unnecessary. While Antonio is forgiven at the conclusion, it is not without some effort and he makes no effort himself to be repentant.
Antonio does show some bravery in trying to fight the spirits and he does try to carry through with his plans. He is a man of action if not morals. He can only imagine power and its rewards.
Sebastian:
Sebastian is Alonso’s brother and he cautiously takes up Antonio’s suggestion that he seize the crown by killing his brother and Gonzalo. He blames Alonso for their predicament on the island and is easily manipulated in agreeing to the plan.
He is not essentially evil like Antonio but has a flawed nature like many of Shakespeare’s villains. He does have some good qualities and is brave in that he is prepared to face the spirits, ‘I’ll fight their legions o’er’ but being flawed he is too ready to believe Antonio.
Gonzalo:
Gonzalo is counsellor to Alonso as he was to Prospero before him. He is portrayed as honest but weak in the play. He is seen positively at the beginning in the way he has helped Prospero and Miranda when they are cast off. He gives them sustenance for the journey.
He seems constantly optimistic as we see when he tries to cheer Alonso and is confident enough to retort to Antonio’s jibes. This optimism disappears after the search for Ferdinand and the imaginary utopia he talked about has long disappeared from the imagination.
Gonzalo keeps an even temper and is loyal to the individual in charge whoever it is. There is no evil in Gonzalo but he does talk too much and even Alonso must ask him to be quiet.
Caliban:
Caliban is the offspring of a witch and is native to the island. Prospero takes control of the island from him and makes Caliban his servant. At first Prospero treats him well and tries to educate the uncouth creature.
When Caliban tried to rape Miranda, things change. Prospero begins to punish him and Caliban becomes more prone to complaints and is brutish. Caliban is an imaginative creation who captures the audience’s attention both physically and with his language.
Caliban plots against Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo but their plot comes to no avail when Ariel tells Prospero of it. They are incompetent plotters and Caliban is afraid of Prospero’s magic.
The other characters in the play treat Caliban poorly, either wanting to use him for profit or to comment on his physical appearance and stranger manner. Only Gonzalo attempts to see positives withn him.
Shakespeare does give Caliban some quality lines and he speaks in verse rather than the prose of his companions. His speeches in Act 3 are very descriptive of places and people.
Caliban is said to be an anagram of cannibal. Shakespeare is said to have developed the character from a combination of factors both real and imaginative. Caliban is contained by Prospero in the play but never really tamed and Caliban causes him more trouble than other characters.
Trinculo:
Trinculo is a servant of Alonso who is consistently drunk in the play. He is not an intellectual character but is used as comic relief in ‘The Tempest’. He never threatens any real action and is ineffective in his plotting due to an inherent cowardice.
Trinculo wants to use Caliban for profit but Caliban pledges devotion to Stephano. Caliban involves them both in a plot to murder Prospero and take over the island. Trinculo, due to Ariel’s intervention, is struck by Stephano and thereafter plays “second fiddle,” agreeing to be a viceroy.
Trinculo is visually comic with his fall in the pond, gaudy clothes and intoxicated manner.
Stephano:
Stephano is Trinculo’s friend and is also a drunken character. He is a butler in the court and is a jolly, comic figure. Caliban decides that her has the qualities of a lord or master ad swears allegiance to him. Caliban convinces him that he could be king of the island if he kills Prospero.
This plan also involves getting Miranda to marry him. However he is not a cunning character and has no chance of completing the plan. As drunks they are easily led and distracted by Ariel.
Stephano is, like Trinculo, comic relief, partnering him well.
Ariel:
Ariel is a spirit on the island. He is Prospero’s servant as Prospero defeated Ariel’s previous master, Sycorax. His obedience to Prospero leads to his greatly desired freedom. Ariel is the core of Prospero’s power and without him the plot would never come to fruition.
Ariel creates the storm, moves freely and invisibly over the island while he keeps Prospero informed of all the action. In carrying out the plan we see that he is sympathetic to the courtiers and feels for their situation. Ariel is a loyal servant who is eventually freed by Prospero for his faithful and valued service.
Boatswain:
The boatswain is second in charge on board the ship and he appears at the beginning and end of the play. In the opening scene he tries to save the ship but the courtiers, especially Antonio and Sebastian, interfere with his work and abuse him.
He returns at the end of the text to explain what has happened to the crew and the ship after the storm.
Adrian and Francisco:
They are two noblemen who are shipwrecked with the other courtiers. They have a limited role in the text and are described as lords.
Masque Characters:
These are Roman mythological figures. Iris is the rainbow goddess; Ceres the goddess of agriculture and Juno is the queen of the gods.
Summary
ACT 1:
The shipwreck itself - that is, the ‘drowning’ of the mariners and the exile of the wandering crew upon the isle after the tempest (P. 3, act 1, scene 1). One of the many symbols of the sea-storm is that of Prospero’s anger: the elements are conjured to send down his wrath upon Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian. The metaphor of birth is used in the event of the shipwreck, an idea explored in more detail later in the chapter.
Consider a handful of quotes which support the symbolism of the shipwreck as a birth in the fifty-eight lines of Act 1, Scene 1: “Blow till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!” ; “You mar our labour” ; “What cares these roarers for the name of King?” ; “… make the rope of his destiny our cable” ; “If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable” ; “… as leaky as an unstanched wench” ; “Lay her a-hold, a-hold” ; “We split, we split, we split!”. The imagery of pregnancy, labour and delivery aptly foreshadows the birth of emotional and spiritual understanding Prospero’s enemies will experience during their three-hour sojourn on the isle (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Miranda’s journey - Prospero places Miranda on a journey of discovery about the fate of the crew. It produces the desired effect within her of compassion: “O I have suffered with those that I saw suffer!” (P. 9, act 1, scene 2, line 5). Prospero recounts their dangerous voyage to the enchanted isle.
Prospero’s intentions - Ariel reports the sinking of the ship in the tempest to Prospero (P. 23, act 1, scene 2, line 217). When Prospero asks whether or not the mariners are safe, the airy spirit replies, “Not a hair perished”. The biblical allusion to Christ (Luke 21:18: ‘not a hair of your head shall perish’) effectively foreshadows that Prospero’s intentions are grand, epic and ultimately benevolent (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
Ferdinand’s discovery - Ferdinand is approached by Ariel and discovers that his father has drowned, a troubling but false discovery, as it later transpires: “Full fathom five thy father lies / Of his bones are coral made / Those are pearls that were his eyes” (P. 33, act 1, scene 2, lines 396-398). Ariel’s song softens Ferdinand’s emotional discovery about the transformation of his father’s body deep at sea, beginning a structural motif in the play: song, which is employed by Ariel to variously comfort, tease, frighten and warn the shipwrecks and alternately employed in the subplot with Stephano and Trinculo to suggest the drunken and lascivious mood of the isle’s would-be usurpers (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Ferdinand and Miranda - Miranda discovers and lays eyes on Ferdinand and declares him “a thing divine” (P. 35, act 1, scene 2, line 417). Prospero’s reply, “No, wench it eats, and sleeps, and hath such senses as we have, such” (P. 35, act 1, scene 2, lines 411-412) is a deliberate attempt to disguise his true purpose to bridge the two in marriage. His language here is notable for the way it reverts to monosyllables and effectively breaks the rhythmic iambic pentameter with a prose-like rebuke of harsh, base words. The effect of this language shift is to emphasise Ferdinand’s supposed coarseness and vulgarity as a usurper of a title.
Discovery of love - Prospero charms the ‘traitor’ Ferdinand and imprisons him. The purpose of his actions is to create an emotional discovery of love within his daughter for the wandering stranger (P. 41, act 1, scene 2).
ACT 2:
The sea - Gonzalo attempts to console Alonso with the discovery that their garments were not so fresh when they were first worn, and fails: “You cram these words into mine ears, against the stomach of my sense” (P.51, act 2, scene 1, lines 101-102) The imagery begins a set of nautical metaphors in the play, notably with Alonso’s next lament for his missing son: “what strange fish hath made his meal on thee?” (P. 51, act 2, scene 1, lines 107-108). Later, Shakespeare positions the sea as a type of divine digestive tract in Antonio’s declaration to Sebastian, “we were all sea-swallowed” (P. 59, act 2, scene 1, line 247), and Ariel’s explanation to Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian: “The never-surfeited sea hath causes to belch up you” (P. 99, act 3, scene 3, lines 55-56). The effect of this extended metaphor is to position Prospero as the Hebrew god Jehovah and the sea as the devouring whale in the biblical story of Jonah. It alludes to the idea that Prospero’s enemies have been stranded by destiny until they repent for their crimes (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
A new age - Gonzalo attempts to have the lords imagine they have discovered a new golden age, a commonwealth without riches or poverty, greed or hunger, and fails: “I’th’ commonwealth I would be contraries / Execute all things” (P. 53, act 2, scene 1, lines 144-145). Gonzalo’s speech is analysed in a later section of the chapter but it worth noting briefly that the irony of the utopian declaration begins with his promise to ‘execute’. The verb puns on the contrary attitude of the other shipwrecked in the subplot, which literally plot the execution of Prospero, and more broadly alludes to the psychological dominance felt by all colonials who inhabit a foreign land (the post-colonial interpretation of the play).
Temptation - Antonio tempts Sebastian to discover his own buried desire to be king while Alonso sleeps: “My strong imagination sees a crown / Dropping upon thy head”,persuading him to join in the killing of Alonso and Gonzalo (P.55, act 2, scene 1, lines 204-205).
Alonso’s journey - having awoken to the drawn swords of Sebastian and Antonio, Alonso leads the party on a journey of discovery to retrieve “my poor son” (P.63, act 2, scene 1, line 321).
Opportunities - Stephano and Trinculo discover Caliban, a “most poor, credulous monster” (P. 73, act 2, scene 2, line 124). Stephano imagines he has discovered a four legged beast (actually Caliban and Trinculo beneath a gabardine) and speculates that he will profit by taking the ‘monster’ back to Naples: “He’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat’s leather” (P. 69, act 2, scene 2, lines 62-63). Discovery is presented in this context as an opportunistic moneymaking venture for the wicked colonial exploiting the native ‘strange fish.’ The stage directions for Trinculo to hide under Caliban’s cloak add a further layer of irony and humour: the ‘beast’ itself is not Caliban (or the native) but rather the exploitative invaders themselves, horribly entangled in a confusion of greed, theft and murder (the post-colonial and Shakespeare as dramatist interpretations of the play).
A physical journey - Caliban leads Stephano and Trinculo on a physical journey to discover “every fertile inch o’th’ island” (P. 73, act 2, scene 2, line 125) and partake of the isle’s crabs, pignuts, sea birds and “clust’ring filberts” (P. 75, act 2, scene 2, line 148).
ACT 3:
Ferdinand’s journey - Prospero places Ferdinand on a journey of physical discovery while carrying logs. Miranda’s insistence that he cease is an element of Prospero’s design: her witnessing his discomfort builds empathy for Ferdinand’s experience and a growing desire for marital companionship: “If you’ll sit down I’ll bear your logs the while” (P.81, act 3, scene 1, line 25).
Miranda’s discovery - Miranda relates her discoveries of other men and woman to Ferdinand, unsuccessfully trying to imagine “a shape besides yourself, to like of” (P.83, act, scene 1, lines 57-58). The biblical allusion here to Adam and Eve is instructive: for those who perceive discovery as a thing of wonder (such as Gonzalo), the isle is a veritable Eden and fecund paradise with Prospero at its centre, a god-like figure wandering through the garden and eavesdropping on his creatures.
Ariel’s accusations - Ariel enters invisible and sounds hostile accusations - “thou liest” - to inspire Stephano to strike Trinculo (P. 89, act 3, scene 2, line 56). Caliban places Stephano on a journey of imagination and discovery that he will be lord of the island and populate it through Prospero’s daughter if they can “brain” the sleeping man, “having first seized his books” (P. 91, act 3, scene 2, lines 80-81). Later in the stage directions “Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2), a physical discovery causing Trinculo to speculate that a devil is upon them and furthermore, the mock-repentant exclamation of “O, forgive me my sins!” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 123). Caliban consoles Stephano and Trinculo in turn: “Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 127).
Alonso promptly declares of his missing son “He is drowned” (P. 95, act 3, scene 3, line 8). A vital element of Prospero’s intention is that Alonso’s assumption and ‘discovery’ will lead to empathy and understanding for what he has perpetrated upon the exiled Duke of Milan (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
Intellectual discovery - sweet music fills the air and “several strange shapes” (P. 95, act 3, scene 3) bring in a banquet before the weary lords, prompting Sebastian’s acceptance of supernatural phenomena such as unicorns and the phoenix throne. Gonzalo is prompted to recall the scepticism of his youth about the existence of “mountaineers dewlapped like bulls” (P. 97, act 3, scene 3, lines 44-45), a discovery of the intellect, which challenges the characters and responders rational assumptions. The banquet furthermore inspires Gonzalo to speculate whether the people of Naples would believe their account of the islanders: “Who though they are of monstrous shape, yet note / Their manners are more gentle, kind, than of / Our human generation you shall find” (P. 97, act 3, scene 3, lines 31-33). Discovery is presented in this context as a process of identification with broader society or, in post-colonial theory, the ‘other’: the untouchable native strangers who populate the colonial’s acquired territory.
Self-discovery - Ariel enters, removes the viands and announces that Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian are “three men of sin” (P. 99, act 3, scene 3, line 53), prompting Alonso to speculate that his own son is certainly drowned. He experiences overwhelming guilt for his actions against Prospero: “The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass” (P. 101, act 3, scene 3, line 99). Thus Prospero has fulfilled a vital element of his grand design: creating understanding within the Neapolitan king via discovery for the wickedness of his actions twelve years earlier.
ACT 4:
Ferdinand’s discoveries - Prospero informs Ferdinand that he has won his endurance trials and is permitted to marry Miranda. Ferdinand’s range of physical, emotional and spiritual discoveries has formed the greater part of Prospero’s plan for the elevation of his daughter to the Neapolitan throne (P. 105, act 4, scene 1).
Discovery of a crime - The masque begins and is interrupted by the plot upon Prospero’s life in the shape of Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, whose would-be victim discoveries their intentions. Prospero ends the masque in anger at the discovery of Caliban’s plot to murder him, informing Ferdinand “We are such staff as dreams are made on” (P. 115, act 4, scene 1, lines 156-157), and placing Ferdinand and the audience on a journey of intellectual discovery concerning the ontology of human beings. Prospero employs theatrical metaphors (“actors”, “baseless fabric of this vision”, “the great globe itself”, “insubstantial pageant faded”) to emphasise the way that the stage offers its audience manifold intellectual and spiritual epiphanies in the course of a play.
Ariel’s lead - Ariel describes how he led Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban through thickets by means of a tabor to discover a filthy “mantled pool” and left them in the stink up to their chins (P. 117, act 4, scene 1, line 182).
The jester and the butler - Caliban urges Stephano and Trinculo to murder Prospero but the butler and jester are distracted by their discovery of “glistening apparel” (P. 117, stage direction, act 4, scene 1) and squabble over the gowns. Trinculo’s language is full of mock exclamations: “O King Stephano, O worthy peer, O worthy Stephano!” (P. 119, act 4, scene 1, line 220). The drunken worship of the jester is a feature of dramatic irony and humour: the audience recognises that the murderous plot is doomed to fail and mirrors the failed plot of Antonio, Sebastian and Alonso.
A physical discovery - Prospero and Ariel set “diverse spirits in shape of dogs and hounds” (P. 121, act 4, scene 1) upon Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban, a distinctly sensory or physical discovery for the three insurgents. Prospero’s language in this scene displays his bitter, vengeful and malevolent temperament when faced with a conspiracy: “Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!” (P. 121, act 4 scene 1, line 251). The dogs’ names aptly symbolise his inner ferocity for his would-be murderers.
ACT 5:
Prospero’s choice - Prospero informs Ariel that he will soon forgive his enemies and afterwards declares to the spirits that “I’ll drown my book” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, line 57). Prospero’s overly measured iambic pentameter achieves a near-staccato rhythm, which conveys his anger at the assumptions of Ariel. His speech is broken into multiple enjambments and caesuras (or run-over thoughts and comma breaks halfway through the lines) to symbolise the overwhelming nature of thoughts ‘flooding’ his mind - the fierce divisions within his thinking about whether or not to forgive his enemies - and provides a perfect mirror of the mercurial, neurotic magician who previously lost concentration at the masque to focus on revenging the foul plot upon his life:
ARIEL: Your charm so works ‘em
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.
PROSPERO: Does thou think so, spirit?
ARIEL: Mine would, sir, were I human.
PROSPERO: And mine shall. Hast thou, which
Art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their affections, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
(P. 125, act 5, scene 1, lines 17-24).
Coming full circle - Prospero draws a magic circle around his enemies who, to their astonishment, discover the former Duke of Milan standing in their midst (P. 131, act 5, scene 1) strongly conveys the high symbolism of the moment: the ‘revolution’ against the Duke of Milan has come ‘full circle’. Prospero has entrapped his enemies in a circular ‘isle’ analogous to his own island prison. The men are trapped within a metaphorical womb of time and soon to be delivered, reminding responders of the multiple imagery of pregnancy, labour and birth in the opening scene of the sea-storm (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Discovery and rediscovery - Prospero forgives his enemies and discovers that Antonio is not penitent. Alonso rediscovers Ferdinand and sees him playing chess with Miranda (P. 135, act 5, scene 1). The stage direction is a further element of symbolism and irony: it is Prospero who has ‘played chess’ with his enemies and brought them to within one square of their figurative checkmate, remembering that his grand design is to advance the ‘pawn’ Miranda to the queen of Naples. Miranda discovers the king and courtiers and stands amazed: “O wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world / That has such people in’t!” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, lines 181-183). Miranda’s awe is almost too plainly ironic in that she actually beholds her father’s enemies, yet her heartfelt, ecstatic declaration contrasts the hollowness of Trinculo’s earlier drunken worship of Stephano and underscores her essential humanity, despite her father’s wry retort, “Tis’ new to thee” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, line 184).
The Epilogue - Prospero sets Ariel free and asks the audience to “release me from my bands with the help of your good hands” (P. 145, act 5, scene 1, lines 9-10). His words are ambiguous upon a closer reading of the text: Prospero may be genuinely set free from the isle by play’s end or else left stranded to dwell on the bare island. The Epilogue might, in fact, form a plea for forgiveness to the courtiers who have already exited and thereby left him with Caliban (P. 145, act 5, scene 1). Such a reading would be regarded either as a post-colonial or Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play.
Area of Study: Concept of Discovery
The Tempest
What is discovery?
The process of finding information, a place, or an object, especially for the first time, or the thing that is found. ‘The process of being found’. Discovery can be:
Something new.
A rediscovery.
Sudden, unexpected.
Carefully planned.
Fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.
Confronting
Provocative.
Creating new values.
Enable speculation.
Change perceptions of individuals, groups etc.
Types of discovery
Physical
Emotional
Intellectual
Spiritual
Creative
Synonyms
Catch
Come upon
Contrive
Determine
Dig up
Disclose
Elicit
Explore
Bring to light
Unearthing
Ascertainment
Encounter
Invention
Origination
Exploration
Exposure
Locate
Perception
Sensing
Stumble upon
Epiphany
Witness
Unravel
Antonyms
Hidden
Lose
Cover
Conceal
Withheld
Secret
Dispose
Mystery
Unknown
Mask
Disguise
Cloak
Obscure
Deception
Lies
Falsehood
Façade
Pretence
The Tempest - Plot outline
i. Ship wrecked near Prospero’s Island. ii. Nobles stranded on island and Ariel plays tricks on them at Prospero’s bidding. iii. Prospero tells Miranda her life story. iv. Caliban and Prospero argue.
v. Ferdinand and Miranda see each other for the first time and fall in love. vi. Gonzalo attempts to cheer Alonso but is mocked. vii. Sebastian and Antonio prepare to overthrow Alonso. viii. Trinculo and Caliban meet. Stephano enters and Caliban swears to be his slave. ix. Ferdinand and Miranda talk of love and Prospero is pleased.
x. Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban plan to murder Prospero. xi. The courtiers are exhausted and endure the banquet scene. xii. The masque. xiii. The gaudy clothes are hung as a trap for Trinculo and Stephano. xiv. Prospero makes the circle for the courtiers. xv. Forgiveness and redemption for the usurpers. Miranda and Ferdinand to marry. xvi. All are to leave the island the next day after Prospero relates his story.
Thesis
‘Discovery can be in the form of physical, emotional or spiritual matters and often involves the revealing of something previously hidden or merely misunderstood.’
People and the concept of discovery
Prospero: His grand design is to initiate others into a range of physical, emotional, creative, intellectual and spiritual discoveries. He himself is capable of discovery though as seen in the discovery of a buried and forgotten desire in Act 5, Scene 1 to forgive even those who have wronged him, such as Antonio, despite their refusal to demonstrate repentance.
Miranda: The daughter of Prospero discovers and falls deeply in love with Ferdinand, her father’s captured ‘spy’, who she observes in his wandering through the isle and later in his imprisonment, a set of discoveries alternately emotional, physical, creative, intellectual and spiritual. Prospero’s daughter learns patience, empathy and strength in preparation for her future role as queen of Naples.
Her journey begins with her discovery in Act 1, Scene 2 of the evil machinations of her uncle Antonio. Within Miranda, Prospero’s careful tutoring and discovery of the shipwreck has already produced the desired qualities of compassion and empathy (as evidenced by her heartfelt reaction to the shipwreck. He furthermore seeks to enlighten her to the cutthroat and Machiavellian ways of the royal court, which she will soon join in Naples should his plan prove successful. What she ultimately discovers is a lover, a husband and humanity itself.
Ferdinand: The Neapolitan prince’s discoveries and exile on the island prepare him for a just kingship of Naples and prevent him from repeating his father’s mistakes of greed, conspiracy and persecution. Ferdinand gains humility and grace via a disconcerting set of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual discoveries which by their very nature (hard work, loss of father and marriage) transform him into a man. The origin of his first emotional discovery is patently false: his father King Alonso is not dead. The concept of discovery relevant to a responder’s study of Ferdinand is that sudden and alarming discoveries of the emotions and intellect are vital in order to experience empathy and personal growth: “There be some sports are painful, and their labour / Delight in them sets off” (P. 79, act 3, scene 1, lines 1-2).
In bringing Ferdinand to the isle and immediately imprisoning him after his daughter has fallen in love, Prospero invents a courtship which teaches the prince and Miranda that marital love is built upon a gymnast’s fine line of patience, temperance, fidelity and slowly-burning lust: “They are both in either’s powers, but this swift business / I must uneasy make, lest too light winning / Make the prize light” (P. 37, act 1, scene 2, lines 449-450).
Prospero condones Miranda’s filial disobedience, despite his apparent reluctance to celebrate her union to the young prince: “So glad of this as they I cannot be / Who are surprised with all; but my rejoicing / At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book.” (P. 85, act 3, scene 1, lines 94-96).
Ferdinand imagines via Prospero’s planned ‘discovery’ that his father has been lost to the sea, unleashing a sensory grief and speculative frame of mind, which tests his maturity and willingness to be monarch. In experiencing what it is to lose a parent, and endure the work of a common log-bearer, Ferdinand is humbled and made empathetic to all who have endured sorrow, adversity and the arbitrary power of a despot. Through such an experience he intends to gain the ‘common touch’ and therefore be a wiser ruler than Prospero, who despite his protestations to Miranda of his local popularity, wholly ignored his Milanese public and unwisely delegated his sovereignty to Antonio in pursuit of scholarly studies.
Alonso: The Neapolitan king discovers an overwhelming sense of guilt and empathy for Prospero in his exile, and the heartbreaking belief that his son and heir, Ferdinand, has perished in the storm. Alonso eventually reconciles with his son and his repentance for his crimes against Prospero creates the circumstances for a stable transition of his regal powers to Ferdinand, and importantly, the necessary conditions for Prospero’s safe return to Milan. The king’s various physical, emotional and intellectual discoveries form the basis of the play’s central plot. Alonso represents the way that painful emotional discoveries centred on guilt and self-recognition may ultimately provide spiritual benefit and redemption for their sufferer: “But O, how oddly will it sound, that I / Must ask my child forgiveness!” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, lines 196-197).
Caliban: Sycorax’s son and demi-devil of the isle undergoes experiences variously physical and emotional, which for some represent the way that the European ‘discovery’ of land robbed African and Caribbean natives of their identity, dignity and territorial rights. In this way, ironically, Caliban shared Prospero’s loss of land and title: “This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother” (P.29, act 1, scene 2, line 332). Caliban furthermore initiates the physical discovery of the island for Stephano and Trinculo in the play’s second subplot. Caliban’s use of language is alternately sullen, fierce, accusatory and serene. His famous “Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises” speech (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 127) captures his natural eloquence, an eloquence ironically learnt from Prospero via language which he has earlier rejected in Act 1, Scene 2.
Stephano and Trinculo: The drunken butler Stephano and court jester Trinculo comically ‘discover’ the island by means of their host, Caliban. The two men are represented as murderous opportunists who literally stumble onto the isle after shipwreck and afterwards experience a range of unsettling and painful physical discoveries in their drunken greed to seize kingship of the island. The pair represent the contemporary savagery and opportunism of Europeans in their exploitation of subjugated foreigners, especially so in Trinculo’s speculation about how he could paint and exhibit his “strange fish” Caliban (P. 67, act 2, scene 2, line 25) for a “piece of silver” in England (P. 67, act 2, scene 2, line 27).
Gonzalo: The Neapolitan lord’s reaction to his exile prompts fevered speculations about the utopian possibilities of the isle. He is open-minded to the steep challenge of his predicament and therefore represents the aspect in the rubric, which declares ‘discoveries open us up to new worlds’ and ‘discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.’ Gonzalo is innocent of all criminal intent (and was indeed a benefactor of Prospero during his forced exile from Milan), yet is rewarded via metaphysical leaps and bounds through his various discoveries on the isle. His knowledge of the evil ways of the Neapolitan court complements his wondrous speculations about the possibilities for mankind on the isle, and in this way his rapid character arc is a foreshadowing device for that of Prospero’s. Gonzalo’s epiphany about the possibilities of the isle is most famously captured in his speech about a shared wealth without services, contracts, agriculture and occupations, essentially the dream of a Christian paradise: “I ‘th’ commonwealth I would by contraries Execute all things. For no kind of traffic Would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known; riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none.” (P. 53, act 2, scene 1, lines 144-148). His speculations are moreover an ironic statement on the miraculous sustenance achieved by Prospero on the isle and the beatific results of his own compassion twelve years earlier, having personally supplied the exiled Duke’s raft with nourishing provisions and his prized books. Gonzalo reacts to his isolation with a continuous discovery of the intellect and emotions, which transform his perceptions of others and his broader society. The various language devices of his ‘commonwealth’ speech-listing, inverted syntax and the repetition of ‘no’, ‘not’ and ‘none’ - is an effective means of capturing the nature of his perverse epiphany after being stranded, but also the underlying difficulty of his projection. When critics refer to his speech as ‘utopian,’ it essentially means that it is idealistic to the point of being impractical. Shakespeare acknowledges this reality in the language of Gonzalo.
Ariel: Prospero’s spirit enacts the discoveries of the other characters at his master’s request. He is an agent for discovery and driven by the memory of his own discovery by Prospero which relieved him from imprisonment in a cloven pine by Sycorax: “Hast thou forgot / The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy / Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?” (P.25, act 1, scene 2, lines 257-258). Ariel furthermore assists his master in the recognition of a far-reaching and transformative discovery for the individual as well as broader society.
Antonio: The brother of Prospero (and usurper of the dukedom of Milan) represents the way that intense, sudden and unexpected physical discoveries do not always effect change upon one’s character. He plots the murder of Gonzalo and Alonso along with co-conspirator Sebastian, an action of criminal opportunism. Prospero only reluctantly forgives his brother in Act 5, Scene 1 for seizing his dukedom twelve years earlier. Antonio is unaffected by his sensory experiences and furthermore seeks to opportunistically exploit his exile in convincing Sebastian to murder Alonso. This points to an undercurrent of realism in the play but also to the miracle of the contrary experiences of Alonso and Ferdinand: the transformative effects of discovery create the desired measure of humility, empathy and understanding within the Neapolitan king and his heir.
Relationships and the concept of discovery
Prospero: Shakespeare constructed ‘The Tempest’ in such a way that the discoveries of the major characters are ‘paired’ with Prospero’s growing discoveries about himself and to our own recognition as responders that Prospero, in part, shares the very character traits of those whom he persecutes. It is a type of intellectual discovery for the responder which informs our response, especially so in regards to the character arc of the protagonist. Prospero’s eventual reconciliation with his enemies is moreover a reconciliation to himself. His emotional, intellectual and spiritual discoveries lead him to the point of deciding to abandon his earthly magic - the appeal to a divine power for forgiveness - and return back to Europe an ordinary man, although the reinstated Duke of Milan.
Prospero’s grand design is for the revelation, guilt, shame, repentance and forgiveness of his enemies, and regal marriage for daughter Miranda. Prospero’s focus is therefore centred on repairing his fractured relationships with individuals who have previously wronged him, but also on creating a key relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda by means of a continuous set of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual discoveries. However, an element of the responders discovery is that Prospero’s own character, faults and sins closely resemble those of his enemies and friends: “Two of these fellows you / Must know and own; this thing of darkness, I / Acknowledge mine” (P. 141. Act 5, scene 1, lines 273-273). It is arguable from the theoretical standpoint that the play is about Prospero’s journey from revenge to forgiveness, and that his sudden pardon of his enemies is brought about from this inner recognition of guilt and self-recognition as much as his stated compassion for Gonzalo’s suffering. The recognition of his own human failings and propensity for cruelty creates a means to reconcile himself to his enemies, and to humanity at large. The role of relationships in the play is that through these various pairings with other characters and their planned discoveries Prospero recognises that, despite his years of isolation and study of magic, he is more human than divine: “Shall not myself, / One of their kind … be kindlier moved than thou art?” (P. 125, act 5, scene 1, lines 22-24). The point about the role of discovery in the play’s relationships (and relevance to the concept of discovery) is that for Prospero, discovery is confronting and provocative, leading to new worlds and values that challenge his widely-held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience: “Through with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick / Yet, with my nobler reason, ‘gainst my fury / Do I take part. The rarer action is / In virtue, than in vengeance.” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, lines 25-28).
Ariel and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder.’
Prospero is very similar to Ariel with regard to their joint desire to force and control. An element of Prospero’s plan is to coerce his spirit Ariel with the threat of imprisonment long enough to conjure the various discoveries of his enemies. Both characters wield magic to achieve their own ends, display wilful and temperamental cruelty: “I will rend an oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howled away twelve winters.” (P. 27, act 1, scene 2, lines 294-296). Critically, both characters ultimately yearn for freedom from their imprisonment on the isle.
Antonio and Prospero: ‘An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to their personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values.’
Prospero shares Antonio’s concerns with regards to their joint propensity for the transformation of themselves and others. Prospero’s explanation of his brother’s ride to power in Act 1 reveals that Antonio had the power to cast spells and transform those around him: “new created / The creatures who were mine, I say, or changed ‘em, / Or else new formed ‘em … to what tune pleased his ear.” (P. 13, act 1, scene 2, lines 81-85), an ironic reference both to Prospero’s magical powers and Ariels sweet music. The brothers are alike in respect to their willingness to opportunistically draw upon the power of others to their own advantage. Antonio was the ivy who “sucked the verdure” out of Prospero, just as the exile, in turn, draws upon Ariel’s power to create havoc among the shipwrecked crew (P. 13, act 1, scene 2, line 87).
Stephano, Trinculo and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others.’
Prospero is wholly similar to Stephano and Trinculo with regards to their collective paranoid and neurotic ways and hubristic propensity to claim kingship. Prospero’s neurotic ways are evidenced in his insistent questioning of his daughter’s attentiveness in Act 1, his obsession about Miranda’s sexual chastity in discussions with Ferdinand, and his abandonment of the masque to quell the conspiracy of Caliban. The drunken jester Trinculo and butler Stephano have a common belief they are suffering persecution. In Trinculo, Prospero encounters a compulsive and highly nervous jester who is a psychological doppelganger (double) of himself. In Stephano, the ship’s drunken butler, Prospero encounters an unsettling reminder of his own life: a servant hostage to a higher power who believes himself king of the isle and is intoxicated with dreams of regency and another who arbitrarily wields his power over Caliban only to eventually relinquish this at the recognition of a higher authority.
Alonso and Prospero: ‘Discoveries … can lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ides, and enable us to speculate about future possibilities … The ramification of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds.’
Prospero’s experience on the isle matches Alonso’s in numerous ways. Alonso knows that owing to his plot twelve years earlier with Antonio, Prospero has lost his dukedom. By ‘losing’ his own kingdom for three hours on the isle, Alonso understands the sensory nature of Prospero’s loss and is able to recognise the immorality of his actions, thereby empathising with Prospero as another who has lost all: kingdom, heir and sense of self.
In Alonso, Prospero has under his spell a foreign ruler who effected the overthrow of another sovereign (as Prospero himself does to Antonio in act 5, scene 1), a father and monarch who has lost his heir, and a despairing ruler in the company of desperate and opportunistic lords who seek to topple him. Moreover, Alonso’s similarity to Prospero lies in his affection for Ferdinand and his desire to be with his missing child, as Prospero is similarly prepared to sacrifice his beloved book and drowns it “deeper than did ever plummet sound” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, line 56) to grant Miranda a second chance at life.
Sycorax and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something which has been lost, forgotten or concealed.’
Prospero shares the following with Sycorax: a child stranded on the isle; a controversial ability to conjure magic; and accusation of being linked to the devil (Sebastian: “The devil speaks in him!” P. 133, act 5, scene 1, line 129); and the power to condemn Ariel to a cloven pine. Both are forced exiles at the hands of their countrymen and each has a mysterious reprieve: just as Sycorax’s life is spared for “one thing”, Prospero’s is saved by the sole virtue of his popularity (P. 25, act 1, scene 2, line 266). Furthermore, the exile of Sycorax condemns the marital prospects of her son just as Prospero’s banishment similarly condemns Miranda’s: Sycorax is the only woman besides Miranda who Caliban has laid his eyes upon, just as Prospero is the only man besides Caliban who Miranda has sighted.
Ferdinand, Miranda and Prospero: ‘Discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual.’
The young prince shares noticeable similarities to the bookish Prospero, who also knows little of the hardships of common men prior to his exile. Prospero leads Ferdinand through a series of physical, emotional and spiritual discoveries and thereby trains Ferdinand to be hard-working, compassionate and empathetic king through his log-carrying travails (reminiscent of Edgar’s ‘Poor Tom’ experience in King Lear). Moreover, Ferdinand’s thoughtful, articulate and fairly spoken replies to Prospero’s various questions finds a willing listener in the Duke, who recognises a similarity evident in Ferdinand’s display of endurance and idealism in the face of imprisonment. In Miranda, Prospero has a kindred spirit who is idealistic and naïve in her conception of mankind, a trusting soul whose noble purpose is betrayed by Caliban, just as his own is broken by his brother Antonio.
Places and the concept of discovery
In ‘The Tempest’ Shakespeare directly address the link between notions of place and the broader concept of discovery. The opening lines of the play express the Master’s fear that the tempest will “run ourselves aground” (P. 3, act 1, scene 1, line 3) and lead to disaster for the ship’s crew. Indeed, the deposed Duke of Milan and Prospero and his realm of spirits, subjects and shipwrecked castaways all experience an unsettling chain of discoveries in their unwanted new land: insights, intuitions and new understandings by turn physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual. It is the very exile of these characters from their homelands and imprisonment in a foreign place, which creates the stage for the play’s continuous and revelatory process of discovery.
Character Analysis
Prospero:
Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan who has lost his kingdom to his brother Antonio. He was set adrift and came to the island with his daughter, Miranda. He is the central character of the play and the plot revolves around his plans for revenge and his abilities with magic.
Prospero has many more lines than any other character and is in more scenes. He manipulates the action. We see him change both his plans and abilities as the story unfolds.
He is ruler of his island, using his magic to take it from Caliban, a native of the island. The island has been his refuge and he has used his magic to control the spirits of the island for his own purposes. He has waited twelve years for his revenge, which comes in the space of three hours.
As the Duke he was a serious student with his books, which he teats as most treasured items. He trusted his enemies and this led to his downfall. When he is marooned on the island he is able to control the spirits because of his studies. He becomes master of all. He is a loving father to Miranda and wants the best for her.
It is interesting to note that he uses his abilities but does not cling to them, renouncing magic when he is to return home. Prospero is very focussed on getting revenge and regaining his position but he does not take revenge for its own sake - he shows forgiveness.
Prospero is strict but fair with Ariel and releases him, as promised, when his duties are over. With Caliban he was kind but after Caliban tries to take Miranda’s virtue he is harsh and lacking in sympathy.
Alonso:
Alonso is the King of Naples. He was involved in the plot to overthrow Prospero and give the dukedom to Antonio. His son Ferdinand is the heir and Alonso is saddened by the belief that he is dead.
Alonso is not seen as completely evil and is quick to repent at the conclusion. His actions are portrayed as being bad judgement rather than outright evil, although he does suffer for his crimes.
Alonso is pleased and gives his blessing to the union of Ferdinand and Miranda after he resigns the dukedom. This helps restore the natural order.
Miranda:
Miranda is Prospero’s daughter and has been on the island for so long that she can barely remember her previous life as an infant in Milan. She is quite naïve about human affairs having only her father and Caliban for company on the island.
Miranda is nonetheless intelligent having had a good tutor in her father. She had had a simple life without the intrigues of the court that had stymied her father. She is used to the spirits that Prospero uses so she is not limited in her thinking. She is disgusted with Caliban who has tried to rape her so the good nature and sympathy she shows others is not misplaced through her innocence.
Her union with Ferdinand suggests a new order or generation is coming to power and that the problems of the fathers have been swept away. She is infatuated with Ferdinand and he reciprocates her love.
Ferdinand:
Ferdinand is Alonso’s son and heir to the kingdom of Naples. After being shipwrecked on the island he falls in love with Miranda with the help of magic. He is love struck for the whole play and even through his imprisonment and labour. His father who is searching for him presumes him dead.
After Ferdinand has proved his love through servitude, Prospero decides he is worthy of his daughter and both he and Alonso approve of the union. Ferdinand is a good character and brave. He proved this by being prepared to fight Prospero and is also portrayed as a handsome young man. He is a good match for Miranda and says he will protect her honour before the marriage when warned by Prospero.
Antonio:
He is not the Duke of Milan because he overthrew Prospero, his brother. Prospero was involved in his studies and Antonio took advantage of this. He also pans to murder Alonso and has no conscience for his misdeeds.
Antonio is also mocking and cruel. He mocks Gonzalo, which is mean and unnecessary. While Antonio is forgiven at the conclusion, it is not without some effort and he makes no effort himself to be repentant.
Antonio does show some bravery in trying to fight the spirits and he does try to carry through with his plans. He is a man of action if not morals. He can only imagine power and its rewards.
Sebastian:
Sebastian is Alonso’s brother and he cautiously takes up Antonio’s suggestion that he seize the crown by killing his brother and Gonzalo. He blames Alonso for their predicament on the island and is easily manipulated in agreeing to the plan.
He is not essentially evil like Antonio but has a flawed nature like many of Shakespeare’s villains. He does have some good qualities and is brave in that he is prepared to face the spirits, ‘I’ll fight their legions o’er’ but being flawed he is too ready to believe Antonio.
Gonzalo:
Gonzalo is counsellor to Alonso as he was to Prospero before him. He is portrayed as honest but weak in the play. He is seen positively at the beginning in the way he has helped Prospero and Miranda when they are cast off. He gives them sustenance for the journey.
He seems constantly optimistic as we see when he tries to cheer Alonso and is confident enough to retort to Antonio’s jibes. This optimism disappears after the search for Ferdinand and the imaginary utopia he talked about has long disappeared from the imagination.
Gonzalo keeps an even temper and is loyal to the individual in charge whoever it is. There is no evil in Gonzalo but he does talk too much and even Alonso must ask him to be quiet.
Caliban:
Caliban is the offspring of a witch and is native to the island. Prospero takes control of the island from him and makes Caliban his servant. At first Prospero treats him well and tries to educate the uncouth creature.
When Caliban tried to rape Miranda, things change. Prospero begins to punish him and Caliban becomes more prone to complaints and is brutish. Caliban is an imaginative creation who captures the audience’s attention both physically and with his language.
Caliban plots against Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo but their plot comes to no avail when Ariel tells Prospero of it. They are incompetent plotters and Caliban is afraid of Prospero’s magic.
The other characters in the play treat Caliban poorly, either wanting to use him for profit or to comment on his physical appearance and stranger manner. Only Gonzalo attempts to see positives withn him.
Shakespeare does give Caliban some quality lines and he speaks in verse rather than the prose of his companions. His speeches in Act 3 are very descriptive of places and people.
Caliban is said to be an anagram of cannibal. Shakespeare is said to have developed the character from a combination of factors both real and imaginative. Caliban is contained by Prospero in the play but never really tamed and Caliban causes him more trouble than other characters.
Trinculo:
Trinculo is a servant of Alonso who is consistently drunk in the play. He is not an intellectual character but is used as comic relief in ‘The Tempest’. He never threatens any real action and is ineffective in his plotting due to an inherent cowardice.
Trinculo wants to use Caliban for profit but Caliban pledges devotion to Stephano. Caliban involves them both in a plot to murder Prospero and take over the island. Trinculo, due to Ariel’s intervention, is struck by Stephano and thereafter plays “second fiddle,” agreeing to be a viceroy.
Trinculo is visually comic with his fall in the pond, gaudy clothes and intoxicated manner.
Stephano:
Stephano is Trinculo’s friend and is also a drunken character. He is a butler in the court and is a jolly, comic figure. Caliban decides that her has the qualities of a lord or master ad swears allegiance to him. Caliban convinces him that he could be king of the island if he kills Prospero.
This plan also involves getting Miranda to marry him. However he is not a cunning character and has no chance of completing the plan. As drunks they are easily led and distracted by Ariel.
Stephano is, like Trinculo, comic relief, partnering him well.
Ariel:
Ariel is a spirit on the island. He is Prospero’s servant as Prospero defeated Ariel’s previous master, Sycorax. His obedience to Prospero leads to his greatly desired freedom. Ariel is the core of Prospero’s power and without him the plot would never come to fruition.
Ariel creates the storm, moves freely and invisibly over the island while he keeps Prospero informed of all the action. In carrying out the plan we see that he is sympathetic to the courtiers and feels for their situation. Ariel is a loyal servant who is eventually freed by Prospero for his faithful and valued service.
Boatswain:
The boatswain is second in charge on board the ship and he appears at the beginning and end of the play. In the opening scene he tries to save the ship but the courtiers, especially Antonio and Sebastian, interfere with his work and abuse him.
He returns at the end of the text to explain what has happened to the crew and the ship after the storm.
Adrian and Francisco:
They are two noblemen who are shipwrecked with the other courtiers. They have a limited role in the text and are described as lords.
Masque Characters:
These are Roman mythological figures. Iris is the rainbow goddess; Ceres the goddess of agriculture and Juno is the queen of the gods.
Summary
ACT 1:
The shipwreck itself - that is, the ‘drowning’ of the mariners and the exile of the wandering crew upon the isle after the tempest (P. 3, act 1, scene 1). One of the many symbols of the sea-storm is that of Prospero’s anger: the elements are conjured to send down his wrath upon Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian. The metaphor of birth is used in the event of the shipwreck, an idea explored in more detail later in the chapter.
Consider a handful of quotes which support the symbolism of the shipwreck as a birth in the fifty-eight lines of Act 1, Scene 1: “Blow till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!” ; “You mar our labour” ; “What cares these roarers for the name of King?” ; “… make the rope of his destiny our cable” ; “If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable” ; “… as leaky as an unstanched wench” ; “Lay her a-hold, a-hold” ; “We split, we split, we split!”. The imagery of pregnancy, labour and delivery aptly foreshadows the birth of emotional and spiritual understanding Prospero’s enemies will experience during their three-hour sojourn on the isle (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Miranda’s journey - Prospero places Miranda on a journey of discovery about the fate of the crew. It produces the desired effect within her of compassion: “O I have suffered with those that I saw suffer!” (P. 9, act 1, scene 2, line 5). Prospero recounts their dangerous voyage to the enchanted isle.
Prospero’s intentions - Ariel reports the sinking of the ship in the tempest to Prospero (P. 23, act 1, scene 2, line 217). When Prospero asks whether or not the mariners are safe, the airy spirit replies, “Not a hair perished”. The biblical allusion to Christ (Luke 21:18: ‘not a hair of your head shall perish’) effectively foreshadows that Prospero’s intentions are grand, epic and ultimately benevolent (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
Ferdinand’s discovery - Ferdinand is approached by Ariel and discovers that his father has drowned, a troubling but false discovery, as it later transpires: “Full fathom five thy father lies / Of his bones are coral made / Those are pearls that were his eyes” (P. 33, act 1, scene 2, lines 396-398). Ariel’s song softens Ferdinand’s emotional discovery about the transformation of his father’s body deep at sea, beginning a structural motif in the play: song, which is employed by Ariel to variously comfort, tease, frighten and warn the shipwrecks and alternately employed in the subplot with Stephano and Trinculo to suggest the drunken and lascivious mood of the isle’s would-be usurpers (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Ferdinand and Miranda - Miranda discovers and lays eyes on Ferdinand and declares him “a thing divine” (P. 35, act 1, scene 2, line 417). Prospero’s reply, “No, wench it eats, and sleeps, and hath such senses as we have, such” (P. 35, act 1, scene 2, lines 411-412) is a deliberate attempt to disguise his true purpose to bridge the two in marriage. His language here is notable for the way it reverts to monosyllables and effectively breaks the rhythmic iambic pentameter with a prose-like rebuke of harsh, base words. The effect of this language shift is to emphasise Ferdinand’s supposed coarseness and vulgarity as a usurper of a title.
Discovery of love - Prospero charms the ‘traitor’ Ferdinand and imprisons him. The purpose of his actions is to create an emotional discovery of love within his daughter for the wandering stranger (P. 41, act 1, scene 2).
ACT 2:
The sea - Gonzalo attempts to console Alonso with the discovery that their garments were not so fresh when they were first worn, and fails: “You cram these words into mine ears, against the stomach of my sense” (P.51, act 2, scene 1, lines 101-102) The imagery begins a set of nautical metaphors in the play, notably with Alonso’s next lament for his missing son: “what strange fish hath made his meal on thee?” (P. 51, act 2, scene 1, lines 107-108). Later, Shakespeare positions the sea as a type of divine digestive tract in Antonio’s declaration to Sebastian, “we were all sea-swallowed” (P. 59, act 2, scene 1, line 247), and Ariel’s explanation to Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian: “The never-surfeited sea hath causes to belch up you” (P. 99, act 3, scene 3, lines 55-56). The effect of this extended metaphor is to position Prospero as the Hebrew god Jehovah and the sea as the devouring whale in the biblical story of Jonah. It alludes to the idea that Prospero’s enemies have been stranded by destiny until they repent for their crimes (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
A new age - Gonzalo attempts to have the lords imagine they have discovered a new golden age, a commonwealth without riches or poverty, greed or hunger, and fails: “I’th’ commonwealth I would be contraries / Execute all things” (P. 53, act 2, scene 1, lines 144-145). Gonzalo’s speech is analysed in a later section of the chapter but it worth noting briefly that the irony of the utopian declaration begins with his promise to ‘execute’. The verb puns on the contrary attitude of the other shipwrecked in the subplot, which literally plot the execution of Prospero, and more broadly alludes to the psychological dominance felt by all colonials who inhabit a foreign land (the post-colonial interpretation of the play).
Temptation - Antonio tempts Sebastian to discover his own buried desire to be king while Alonso sleeps: “My strong imagination sees a crown / Dropping upon thy head”,persuading him to join in the killing of Alonso and Gonzalo (P.55, act 2, scene 1, lines 204-205).
Alonso’s journey - having awoken to the drawn swords of Sebastian and Antonio, Alonso leads the party on a journey of discovery to retrieve “my poor son” (P.63, act 2, scene 1, line 321).
Opportunities - Stephano and Trinculo discover Caliban, a “most poor, credulous monster” (P. 73, act 2, scene 2, line 124). Stephano imagines he has discovered a four legged beast (actually Caliban and Trinculo beneath a gabardine) and speculates that he will profit by taking the ‘monster’ back to Naples: “He’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat’s leather” (P. 69, act 2, scene 2, lines 62-63). Discovery is presented in this context as an opportunistic moneymaking venture for the wicked colonial exploiting the native ‘strange fish.’ The stage directions for Trinculo to hide under Caliban’s cloak add a further layer of irony and humour: the ‘beast’ itself is not Caliban (or the native) but rather the exploitative invaders themselves, horribly entangled in a confusion of greed, theft and murder (the post-colonial and Shakespeare as dramatist interpretations of the play).
A physical journey - Caliban leads Stephano and Trinculo on a physical journey to discover “every fertile inch o’th’ island” (P. 73, act 2, scene 2, line 125) and partake of the isle’s crabs, pignuts, sea birds and “clust’ring filberts” (P. 75, act 2, scene 2, line 148).
ACT 3:
Ferdinand’s journey - Prospero places Ferdinand on a journey of physical discovery while carrying logs. Miranda’s insistence that he cease is an element of Prospero’s design: her witnessing his discomfort builds empathy for Ferdinand’s experience and a growing desire for marital companionship: “If you’ll sit down I’ll bear your logs the while” (P.81, act 3, scene 1, line 25).
Miranda’s discovery - Miranda relates her discoveries of other men and woman to Ferdinand, unsuccessfully trying to imagine “a shape besides yourself, to like of” (P.83, act, scene 1, lines 57-58). The biblical allusion here to Adam and Eve is instructive: for those who perceive discovery as a thing of wonder (such as Gonzalo), the isle is a veritable Eden and fecund paradise with Prospero at its centre, a god-like figure wandering through the garden and eavesdropping on his creatures.
Ariel’s accusations - Ariel enters invisible and sounds hostile accusations - “thou liest” - to inspire Stephano to strike Trinculo (P. 89, act 3, scene 2, line 56). Caliban places Stephano on a journey of imagination and discovery that he will be lord of the island and populate it through Prospero’s daughter if they can “brain” the sleeping man, “having first seized his books” (P. 91, act 3, scene 2, lines 80-81). Later in the stage directions “Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2), a physical discovery causing Trinculo to speculate that a devil is upon them and furthermore, the mock-repentant exclamation of “O, forgive me my sins!” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 123). Caliban consoles Stephano and Trinculo in turn: “Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises” (P. 93, act 3, scene 2, line 127).
Alonso promptly declares of his missing son “He is drowned” (P. 95, act 3, scene 3, line 8). A vital element of Prospero’s intention is that Alonso’s assumption and ‘discovery’ will lead to empathy and understanding for what he has perpetrated upon the exiled Duke of Milan (the revenge to forgiveness interpretation of the play).
Intellectual discovery - sweet music fills the air and “several strange shapes” (P. 95, act 3, scene 3) bring in a banquet before the weary lords, prompting Sebastian’s acceptance of supernatural phenomena such as unicorns and the phoenix throne. Gonzalo is prompted to recall the scepticism of his youth about the existence of “mountaineers dewlapped like bulls” (P. 97, act 3, scene 3, lines 44-45), a discovery of the intellect, which challenges the characters and responders rational assumptions. The banquet furthermore inspires Gonzalo to speculate whether the people of Naples would believe their account of the islanders: “Who though they are of monstrous shape, yet note / Their manners are more gentle, kind, than of / Our human generation you shall find” (P. 97, act 3, scene 3, lines 31-33). Discovery is presented in this context as a process of identification with broader society or, in post-colonial theory, the ‘other’: the untouchable native strangers who populate the colonial’s acquired territory.
Self-discovery - Ariel enters, removes the viands and announces that Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian are “three men of sin” (P. 99, act 3, scene 3, line 53), prompting Alonso to speculate that his own son is certainly drowned. He experiences overwhelming guilt for his actions against Prospero: “The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass” (P. 101, act 3, scene 3, line 99). Thus Prospero has fulfilled a vital element of his grand design: creating understanding within the Neapolitan king via discovery for the wickedness of his actions twelve years earlier.
ACT 4:
Ferdinand’s discoveries - Prospero informs Ferdinand that he has won his endurance trials and is permitted to marry Miranda. Ferdinand’s range of physical, emotional and spiritual discoveries has formed the greater part of Prospero’s plan for the elevation of his daughter to the Neapolitan throne (P. 105, act 4, scene 1).
Discovery of a crime - The masque begins and is interrupted by the plot upon Prospero’s life in the shape of Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, whose would-be victim discoveries their intentions. Prospero ends the masque in anger at the discovery of Caliban’s plot to murder him, informing Ferdinand “We are such staff as dreams are made on” (P. 115, act 4, scene 1, lines 156-157), and placing Ferdinand and the audience on a journey of intellectual discovery concerning the ontology of human beings. Prospero employs theatrical metaphors (“actors”, “baseless fabric of this vision”, “the great globe itself”, “insubstantial pageant faded”) to emphasise the way that the stage offers its audience manifold intellectual and spiritual epiphanies in the course of a play.
Ariel’s lead - Ariel describes how he led Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban through thickets by means of a tabor to discover a filthy “mantled pool” and left them in the stink up to their chins (P. 117, act 4, scene 1, line 182).
The jester and the butler - Caliban urges Stephano and Trinculo to murder Prospero but the butler and jester are distracted by their discovery of “glistening apparel” (P. 117, stage direction, act 4, scene 1) and squabble over the gowns. Trinculo’s language is full of mock exclamations: “O King Stephano, O worthy peer, O worthy Stephano!” (P. 119, act 4, scene 1, line 220). The drunken worship of the jester is a feature of dramatic irony and humour: the audience recognises that the murderous plot is doomed to fail and mirrors the failed plot of Antonio, Sebastian and Alonso.
A physical discovery - Prospero and Ariel set “diverse spirits in shape of dogs and hounds” (P. 121, act 4, scene 1) upon Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban, a distinctly sensory or physical discovery for the three insurgents. Prospero’s language in this scene displays his bitter, vengeful and malevolent temperament when faced with a conspiracy: “Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!” (P. 121, act 4 scene 1, line 251). The dogs’ names aptly symbolise his inner ferocity for his would-be murderers.
ACT 5:
Prospero’s choice - Prospero informs Ariel that he will soon forgive his enemies and afterwards declares to the spirits that “I’ll drown my book” (P. 127, act 5, scene 1, line 57). Prospero’s overly measured iambic pentameter achieves a near-staccato rhythm, which conveys his anger at the assumptions of Ariel. His speech is broken into multiple enjambments and caesuras (or run-over thoughts and comma breaks halfway through the lines) to symbolise the overwhelming nature of thoughts ‘flooding’ his mind - the fierce divisions within his thinking about whether or not to forgive his enemies - and provides a perfect mirror of the mercurial, neurotic magician who previously lost concentration at the masque to focus on revenging the foul plot upon his life:
ARIEL: Your charm so works ‘em
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.
PROSPERO: Does thou think so, spirit?
ARIEL: Mine would, sir, were I human.
PROSPERO: And mine shall. Hast thou, which
Art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their affections, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
(P. 125, act 5, scene 1, lines 17-24).
Coming full circle - Prospero draws a magic circle around his enemies who, to their astonishment, discover the former Duke of Milan standing in their midst (P. 131, act 5, scene 1) strongly conveys the high symbolism of the moment: the ‘revolution’ against the Duke of Milan has come ‘full circle’. Prospero has entrapped his enemies in a circular ‘isle’ analogous to his own island prison. The men are trapped within a metaphorical womb of time and soon to be delivered, reminding responders of the multiple imagery of pregnancy, labour and birth in the opening scene of the sea-storm (the Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play).
Discovery and rediscovery - Prospero forgives his enemies and discovers that Antonio is not penitent. Alonso rediscovers Ferdinand and sees him playing chess with Miranda (P. 135, act 5, scene 1). The stage direction is a further element of symbolism and irony: it is Prospero who has ‘played chess’ with his enemies and brought them to within one square of their figurative checkmate, remembering that his grand design is to advance the ‘pawn’ Miranda to the queen of Naples. Miranda discovers the king and courtiers and stands amazed: “O wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world / That has such people in’t!” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, lines 181-183). Miranda’s awe is almost too plainly ironic in that she actually beholds her father’s enemies, yet her heartfelt, ecstatic declaration contrasts the hollowness of Trinculo’s earlier drunken worship of Stephano and underscores her essential humanity, despite her father’s wry retort, “Tis’ new to thee” (P. 137, act 5, scene 1, line 184).
The Epilogue - Prospero sets Ariel free and asks the audience to “release me from my bands with the help of your good hands” (P. 145, act 5, scene 1, lines 9-10). His words are ambiguous upon a closer reading of the text: Prospero may be genuinely set free from the isle by play’s end or else left stranded to dwell on the bare island. The Epilogue might, in fact, form a plea for forgiveness to the courtiers who have already exited and thereby left him with Caliban (P. 145, act 5, scene 1). Such a reading would be regarded either as a post-colonial or Shakespeare as dramatist interpretation of the play.
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SYDNEY STUDIES The Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism G. A. WILKES If the study of Shakespeare itself can be viewed as an act of cultural imperialism, a play like The Tempest can readily be seen as a text which is complicit with colonial power. Prospero is the usurping invader, nervous about the legitimacy of his rule, and Caliban is the representative of the subjugated race, his language lessons seen as an attempt to eradicate his own culture, or to bring it under imperialist control. The best way of entry into this debate is still Stephen Greenblatt 's essay of 1976, 'Learning to Curse: Aspects of Linguistic Colonialism in the Sixteenth Century ', though its implications may not yet have been fully grasped.…
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There are 3 main themes in Shakespeare’s: The Tempest just as there are in any other play. One of the themes in The Tempest consist of the falseness of realities justice which creates an illusion. During the play it was shown that the view of one character controlled everyone’s fortune within the story. The way this was presented was how the main character Prospero would walk around the stage and was not even noticed by any of the character who were acting, but he would manage to have control over them. The second theme would be distinguishing the monsters from actual men. Caliban was portrayed as a monster or so called demon. He possessed demonic horns and walked around as he had hooves for feet. Though it seemed that he was accepted by Miranda, but opposed by Prospero, Caliban’s actual identify at times seemed a bit ambiguous. The third theme following the play was colonialism. Following the second theme noticed how devilish Caliban was he would make a remark to Stephano to kill Prospero. Given the thought of opportunity Stephano then sees himself with Prospero’s daughter ruling as King and Queen.…
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Shakespeares so called late plays including works such as The Tempest and The Winters Tale present the audience with a world of incomparable wealth of interest in the unseen world of magic and adventure, all the while conveying Shakespeares unique capabilities with the English language and his risk-taking attitude towards theatre. Although this sudden change in attitude towards a risky side of presenting his plays, Shakespeare still maintains the overall product found in many of his plays; that of the journey of a character often ending in self-realisation and eventually death. All of these journeys are neither of magical or even fantastical nature, but simply of human nature and, in the end, it is the human aspect of theatre, and of life, that Shakespeare attempts to convey. The journey of Prospero presents the story of a rogue, untrustworthy man who once chose self-benefit over serving his country and consequently paid the price, but he is, abnormally, given a second chance.…
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In order to understand the characters in a play, we have to be able to distinguish what exactly makes them different. In the case of "The Tempest," Caliban, the sub-human slave is governed largely by his senses, making him the animal that he is portrayed to be and Prospero is governed by sound mind, making him human. Caliban responds to nature as his instinct is to follow it. Prospero, on the other hand, follows the art of justifiable rule. Even though it is easy to start assessing "The Tempest" in view of a colonialist sight. I have chosen instead to concentrate on viewing Caliban as the monster he is portrayed to be, due to other characters that are not human, but are treated in a more humane fashion than Caliban.…
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The title of this book fascinates me. Here’s why: I’m reading the book in honor of April being National Dog Month (indeed there is a dog named Soldier in the book), yet the story is about two coming-of-age Native boys. The title comes from the geography. Truth is an American town on one side of a river and Bright Water is a reserve on the Canadian side of the same river. Truth and Bright Water are sister cities, or tiny towns to be exact.…
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Discoveries have the opportunity to cause a domino effect, where that one event sets off a chain of similar events and effects each individual that it impacts and eventually a broader society. This notion of a domino effect is evident in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest which is a magical play about people being lost and found and what they find is who they were all along and Bernhard Schlink’s semi-autobiographical novel The Reader a poignant meditation on love, loss, guilt, human frailty and making peace with the past. Through texts authors can project an idea that can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others. Through discovery individuals can achieve metamorphosis which can impact those around them.…
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