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Mood : S Song Scene In William Shakespeare's The Tempest

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Mood sets the tone for an entire scene and, if properly utilized, visually illustrates the meaning of words. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Ferdinand’s ship has wrecked on a mysterious island leaving him traumatized and isolated and he hears a strange voice in the background. Ariel’s song scene helps the audience understand, without the aid of written text, the turmoil that Ferdinand is suffering via the manipulation of lighting, sound, and visual props, all of which embody Ferdinand’s sensory overload while he searches for solace in the wake of his father’s death.
To begin, the scene, Act I Scene ii, opens with Ariel singing, “Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands. Curtsied when you have, and kiss'd The wild waves whist./ Foot it featly here and there,/ And, sweet sprites/ bear The burden/ Hark, hark!…Hark, hark!/ I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer”(1.ii, 375-381, 385-387). Ariel is singing to Ferdinand, son of King Alsono, who has landed on an island after a shipwreck. Prospero ordered Ariel to guide Ferdinand to him, so Ariel sings her song ushering Ferdinand through the yellow sand through the forest to Prospero. While Ariel is singing to him, Ferdinand’s mind is running amuck, he washed up on a mysterious island without his father with him, he is disoriented and someone is singing quietly to him.
In order to set the mood for the scene, lighting is crucial to the audience’s understanding. Throughout Ariel’s song, he would be
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