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Kirk 1 Jonathan Kirk Mr. Domingo Pre-AP English 10 16 May 2005 A Master's Farewell Was The Tempest really Shakespeare's way of saying goodbye to his life's work? Truly, Shakespeare was a master of poetry, theater, and the English language itself. He is the most renown literary figure in England and perhaps the world. The Tempest was Shakespeare's final, solo-written masterpiece. In The Tempest, Shakespeare portrays himself as the magical Prospero to reflect his own struggle and aspirations as a theatrical artist: In the second scene, Prospero's speeches, till the entrance of Ariel, contain the finest example, I remember, of retro-spective narration for the purpose of exciting immediate interest, and putting the audience in possession of all the information necessary for the understanding and comprehending of the Shakespeare's message and the significance of Prospero ("The Tempest Essay"). says Samuel Taylor Colridge, Shakespearean scholar, regarding Shakespeare's purpose. To understand the power and significance of Prospero and The Tempest as a whole, attention must be paid to Shakespeare's history, his references to his own prior works in the play, and his subtle hints of departing theater through Prospero. The Tempest is one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays but arguably one of his best. The story begins with a cast of characters, including |
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Kirk 2 Prospero's brother, Antonio, on a ship that is caught in a giant storm. Prospero, who is summoning this storm with his magic, brings them to the island his brother stranded him on years back due to a struggle of power between them. Prospero is merciful to the ship's crew, his brother included, and gathers them together as to explain the situation. Three of them try to murder Prospero but back down due to his kindness. He forgives all of his offenders without a second thought, and they all travel home, taking Prospero, who has abandoned his magic, with them ("The Tempest Essay"). Shakespeare was born in Stratford, England in 1564. Mysteriously, the exact date of birth is not known. He grew up a man of his times, and wrote his first play at the age of twenty-five. Above all else, Shakespeare sought to please his audience with his play, be it comedy, history or even tragedy. Throughout his life and career, Shakespeare composed 154 sonnets and thirty-seven plays ("The Tempest Essay"). The Tempest is one of the only plays that Shakespeare wrote by himself and without any prior bases of reference- it was completely made up (Graham 62, 63). The significance of Prospero and overall meaning is sometimes overlooked, however. The play has been attributed to an idea of slavery rather than a reflection of the author's own career and life. For example, a high school student wrote: Slavery occurs on a widespread basis in The Tempest. Occurrence of slavery in many of the characters, all in different ways, helps to provide the atmosphere for the play. The obvious slaves are not the only slaves, however, as Prospero has basically got everybody entranced when he wants, to do whatever he wants with them. He can also control the way that they think ("Character Studies: Prospero"). |
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This gross misinterpretation is understandable with Shakespeare's eloquent and poetic diction. In a way, however, this student was on the right course of thinking. The mentioned slaves are actually Prospero's (Shakespeare's) enthralled audience, cherishing his every word. The Tempest has, many times, been compared to other works due to certain situations and phrases Shakespeare employed. For example, the love between Ferdinand and Miranda is often compared to that of Romeo and Juliet. The twelve years which Prospero is stranded is also significant. "Caliban had been on the island for 12 years, then Prospero spent 12 years there. The first 12 years was the time from when Shakespeare started writing to the crises that was 'Hamlet in himself,' and another 12 years passed until he wrote The Tempest. Thus finding 'his own individual island self'" (Wood 76) says Van der Post, a prestigious old English professor at Yale university. In addition, the style has been compared to A Midsummer Night's Dream, however the language is not as poetic. Specifically, as put by Alfred Bates of the London Historical Publishing Company, "A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest may be so far compared that in both the influence of a wonderful world of spirits is interwoven with the farcical adventures of folly." (Brandeis) Shakespeare made this comparison as a lament of his leaving of the theater. Not only did Shakespeare depict himself his final, individual masterpiece, he also inserted many of the best, most memorable parts of the past plays he had written. So thus it can be concluded that The Tempest was somewhat of a collage where he compiled all his work and life and pasted it neatly together. After years upon years of brilliance and prestige, William |
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Shakespeare finally decided it was time to take his bows. Shakespeare best put his intentions in his own words in The Tempest: Our revels now ended. These our actors As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air... ...the great globe itself Yea, all which inherit, shall dissolve And, like this unsubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind (Shakespeare 85). The pivotal words are, of course, "...the great globe itself" The Globe was the theater at which Shakespeare's plays were performed. If, indeed, he is referring to that globe, then the evidence is right there. Another farewell to the stage can be found in the final lines of the epilogue of The Tempest "As you from crimes would pardon'd be, Let your indulgences set me free" (Shakespeare 105). This "personal farewell" so put by Robert Graham demonstrates Shakespeare's struggle of leaving his life's work as an artist. (Graham 63) It is plain to see that Shakespeare desired a subtle, mysterious, and intriguing exit from theater. A man like Shakespeare, among his times, simply could not bow out without a grandiose encore, and The Tempest is exactly that- a piece dedicated to his struggle as a poet and artist. However, in order to fully comprehend Shakespeare's unique way of saying farewell, his history, references to his own prior works in The Tempest, and his hidden messages containing his goodbye must be fully understood. |