Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Tempest: Act 1 Scene 1
- 'On a ship at sea. A tempestuous noise of
thunder and lightning'
- Dramatic opening:
creates disorder.
indicates that the
play will end in a
return to order.
- Creates spectacle. It is
deliberately impressive to end
his play write career.
- Use of spectacle suits new Blackfriars theatre. It is likely Shakespeare took this into
account.
- Directly influenced by William Strachey's eye
witness account. The Tempest was written in a
period of travel and discovery.
- The sea is a liminal space for Shakespeare to explore feared or
taboo concepts. (magic)
- BS: "Work you then"
- Imperative,
commanding the nobles
- Inversion of the chain of being
- Shows further disorder
- 'Enter mariners wet'
- Shakespeare creating realism .
- Links to 'Writer's tale': 'Exit pursued by bears
- M: "If by your art, my dearest father"
- 'Art' is linked to skill and beauty (white magic). Perhaps to make Prospero a likable character as necromancy
was feared and illegal in Jacobean society
- 'dearest' is a superlative, suggesting M is respectful
and affectionate towards her father.
- 'Art' also implies intelligence, which
would have been admired by the
audience.
- Immediately presents Prospero as in control
- "... put the wild waters in the roar, allay
them"
- 'Wild waters' makes nature
seem uncontrollable, yet
Prospero causes the storm, thus
proving his dominance.
- Links to Francis Bacon's 'Of Revenge', describing
revenge as a wild form of justice.
- 'Roar' = onomatopoeic, further
reinforcing violence and disorder
- 'Roar' also associates Prospero with a lion - a very dominant and feared aninal
- 'Allay them' is an
imperative, suggesting
Miranda is an active female.
Yet, Prospero doesn't listen
to her, therefore
undermining her influence.
- "Without a parallel"
- Intelligence would have been
admired.
- Perhaps challenging religion by
suggesting he is superior to God.
- Hubristic, like Faustus
- "The government I cast upon my brother"
- The subject is active and therefore
in part to blame for his overthrow
- "Links to King James' True Law of Free Monarchies. He describes the relationship between king and people as a 'father to
his children'.
- Being usurped is far worse than being a
bad ruler. James describes usurpers as
'monstrous and unnatural'
- "My library was dukedom large enough"
- Shows Prospero neglecting his
ruling duties, thus showing he is in
part to blame for overthrow
- Less
sympathy
because
Prospero
chose
magic over
his duties
- Library implies Prospero is a polymath,
and 'excelling' in all subjects. Link
Faustus.
- 'Miranda helps him to disrobe'
- Arguably Miranda is relied upon
and therefore has responsibility and
is seen as active
- Miranda respectful towards Prospero, reinforcing the
idea that he is the most superiour
- Their respectful but patriarchal relationship is a display of order amongst the disorder.