The Tempest Motifs

Explain how Ariel and Caliban serve as character foils for each other. Be sure to consider their physical appearance and their roles as servants to Prospero.

The Tempest is about an ousted Duke of Milan ,Prospero, who has been living in exile on a remote island for the past twelve years with his daughter Miranda. He is a powerful magician, who happens to be the master of Ariel and Caliban, and a guy who really likes his books. When Prospero's enemies wash up on shore, he uses his black magic to seek revenge and restore himself to power. The Tempest belongs to the genre of Elizabethan romance plays. It combines elements of tragedy with those of romantic comedy, and like one of Shakespeare's plays previously, it asks deeper questions that are not completely resolved at the end. The tone that seeps into the play is one of wonder, amazement, and admiration. Mystery is still present , but the magic performed is not black and scary. The version that seems to grasp my attention more, would have to be the Utah Valley University interpretation because it takes Shakespeare’s main purpose and tone but shows it in its own unique way. Furthermore, with its silly drunkards, the play has a certain lightness to it and even the so called killers of the King tell hilarious jokes and are lighthearted. But there is also the tone of revenge and reconciliation in the play. We feel a revenge burning in Prospero while, at the same time, a wish for forgiveness and reconciliation with those who have wronged him.

Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something old that had been unrecognised as meaningful. The nature of discovery allows an individual a new perspective and view of themselves, others, and the wider world. In The Tempest, William Shakespeare reveals how discovery can lead to a new-found identity, position and view on society. Whilst, in The Eagleman Stag, composer Michael Please reveals how a discovery allow a change in perception of themselves and relationship with others. Regarding both texts, it can be said, from the discovery of the truth, the individual is given the opportunity of a new perspective of themselves, others, and the wider world.

Aime Cesaire’s A Tempest is a ‘new world’ response to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In Cesaire’s adaptation, the characters and plot are generally the same. However, there are a few small deviations from Shakespeare’s The Tempest that make a significant impact on the play as a whole, and lead the play to illustrate important social issues occurring in the time of the adaptation.

Humans have often struggled to define their relationship with nature throughout history. In the early periods of their existence, humans were ruled by the brutality of untamed nature. They utilized nature to an extent of survival, but had not yet developed a system to thrive within it. As humans advanced, both mentally and technologically, their aptitude and desire to exploit nature increased dramatically. These two polar relationships between humans and nature are mirrored in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Aimé Césaire’s A Tempest. In The Tempest, Shakespeare fixates on Caliban’s attachment to nature and Prospero’s exploitation of it, while in A Tempest, Césaire employs nature as the dividing force between Caliban and Prospero. These two separate themes both represent the consequences that occurred throughout history as a result of two ideologies about nature colliding during colonization.

In Brave New World, Huxley uses a numerous amount of allusions that pertain to the works of William Shakespeare. These allusions help to strengthen the plot and connect readers to the piece. For instance, when John is eagerly awaiting his visit to the civilized world he says, “O brave new world that has such people in it” (Huxley 139). This is an allusion to one of Shakespeare’s plays, The Tempest, where Miranda says the same line when she realizes there are many men like the ones she was rescued by. The use of that quote helps readers understand the emotions John is feeling in relation to the feelings Miranda felt. Huxley also alludes to Romeo and Juliet by describing the way John feels when he sees Lenina getting ready to go to bed. John recites to himself, “Oh! she doth burn teach the torches to burn bright. It seems she hangs upon the cheeks of night…” (Huxley 178). Using this quote Romeo and Juliet, Huxley is able to emphasize that John sees Lenina as a true beauty yet she is out of his reach since they come from two different worlds. Shakespeare acts as a figurehead to many writers, but to Huxley he is almost a mentor as can be seen by the ample amounts of times Huxley directly quotes lines from Shakespeare’s plays to clarify and fortify aspects of the plot.

In this motif tracing, I argue that the epithet “monster” is used as an agent of othering, a way to remove Caliban from the other characters and depict him as something other than human. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Caliban’s name is only said eight times, while he is addressed as “monster” the rest of the 34 times he is spoken to. This motif is used to belittle and dehumanize a unique character that plays an essential role in the plot. Shakespeare’s use of this epithet combined with Caliban’s servile role, restraint of his speech to simple diction, and portrayal as an insurgent, causes the uncultured native to be born. This plays into the 16th century view of the native: one who is there to serve the more sophisticated, knowledgeable masters.

  The Tempest is generally considered to be Shakespeare's last sole-authored play. The play draws a number of oppositions, some of which it dramatises, and some of which it only implies. Prospero, a figure exhibiting many resemblances to the Elizabethan idea of the 'Mage', (of whom the best known is probably Dr. John Dee), is opposed to both his corrupt brother, usurper of his role as Duke of Milan, and to Sycorax, an evil witch and mother of the 'deformed slave' Caliban. Sycorax does not enter the action of the play, having died before it opens, but enough is made of her evil disposition and behaviour to show Prospero as a model of human virtue in comparison. This despite Prospero's own use of magic to

Many have different a opinion of what The Tempest by Shakespeare was really about. I strongly believe that Shakespeare wrote it as a criticism of colonialism. Artists during that time usually used literature as way to express their views on certain event. He did that especially since colonialism was something very important that affected many. While others may disagree, there is a lot of evidence to support this idea.

The similarities and differences between Aime' Cesaire's ATempest and William Shakespeare's The Tempest gives the reader an idea that it is a political response. From the way that both of the titles of these works of literature differ, an idea of concept is offered. They share a similar story line yet, after some one has read A Tempest : a different perspective is gained. A Tempest is actually considered a post colonial period piece of writing and one can acquire and prove this by the forms in which Aime' Cesaire portrays the characters and switches around their personalities and their traits,the time periods and the acquisition of language, and the ways power is used reveals that it is indeed a political response from a post

Dale Carnegie once said “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The ability to transform something appalling to alluring is a true indication of appreciation for life, but can at times result in consequences. In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, Prospero commands one of his spirits, Ariel, to summon a tempest as an act of revenge for being deposed as the rightful Duke of Milan by Antonio and Alonso. Although the tempest causes isolation between characters, Ferdinand, Miranda and Ariel are blessed by the tempest; receiving opportunities achieve a better life.

The Tempest is a play that has a theme of nature and civilization. It has a strong theme that deals with issues of colonizer and the colonized. While to many people this play may simply be just a play, it really has a story of what happens when nature and civilization collide. The character Caliban represents a being of pure nature. The character Prospero is civilization. These characters can also be seen as the colonized and the colonizer. The relationship they have is very complex and is a constant struggle, much like any relationship between a colonizer and colonized. It questions what is pure nature? Is it savage and monster like, as Caliban is? In this paper I will examine the relationship between Caliban

The Significance of Sound and Music in The Tempest ‘The Tempest’ is on a basic level a play about a magical island, complete with its own wizard, monster and handsome prince. However, it is much more than a fairytale. Complex themes such as usurpation, colonialism and the supernatural are interwoven into the plot to produce a play so diverse that it is widely considered to be one of Shakespeare’s finest works. Music and sound are dramatically significant in this diversity. This makes ‘The Tempest’ very different to other Shakespeare plays.

The Tempest, a tribute to Shakespeare’s life, contained many references his own personal life, as well as exciting elements such as revenge, romance and the use of magic, uncommon during the time period the play was written. After being exiled onto an island with his daughter, Prospero has to deal with his desire for revenge once his enemies are brought to shore by conjuring a tempest. The original play, written by William Shakespeare in 1611, was adapted by Julie Taymor in 2010. With the part of Prospero played by Helen Mirren, a new take on the classic story arose with the introduction of Prospera. The compassion and care for Miranda was more evident with Prospera due to the nature of a feminine and motherly character.

     During the time of Shakespeare, society had a hierarchical structure. In Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, the characters of Prospero and Caliban, represent two different extremes on the social spectrum: the ruler, and the ruled. Their positions on the social hierarchy are largely due to the fact that Caliban responds almost wholly to passions, feelings of pleasure -- his senses, while Prospero is ruled more by his intellect and self-discipline -- his mind. However, the fight that Prospero has against his own natural tendency to ignore the discipline of his intellect, and give in to pleasures such as vanity and self-indulgence, cannot be ignored.