The Tempest Response Essay

Have you ever focused on the idea of whether or not The Tempest could be or was Shakespeare’s last and final play?Give Shakespeare a standing ovation, The Tempest is his swan song. It's hard to think of Shakespeare as being "over" when he’s considered to be the best playwright in English. This guy's plays still transcend fashion and style. It's as ridiculous to say that Shakespeare's plays are over as it is to say that, oh, picnics or roller coasters or stargazing or eating is over.

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.

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.

Naturally, people want to have control over their life and be able to make decisions for themselves, but human greed and pettiness will get the best of people if having control over themselves isn’t enough. The Tempest by William Shakespeare exploits the bad of human nature, making it clear that all people ever want is more than what they have. Caliban, Stephano, Sebastian, and Antonio all are willing to make perilous decisions in order to receive more power. The Tempest argues that characters in the play make treacherous decisions, harmful to themselves and things they care about, because of their craving of power.

An important reoccurring theme of magic and supernatural appears in both "The Tempest" and "Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare. Magic play a good and bad role in these plays. This either stirs the play into a positive motion or a negative one. In "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, different types of magic are explored.

The urge to have revenge is a powerful feeling. The need to get even or the desire for vengeance due to being deeply betrayed is a feeling that has been felt by everyone at some point of their life; this theme is portrayed in the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare. Revenge is also reflected in today’s modern legal system, where society seeks revenge against those who commit crime. In “The Tempest”, the main character Prospero uses his power to seek justice against those who have wronged him. Prospero is betrayed throughout the novel by everyone who he trusts but he soon realizes that revenge is ultimately less satisfying than reconciliation. Prospero’s brother Antonio steals his dukedom, which in turn leads Prospero to cause Antonio’s ship to wreck but he later forgives his brother. Caliban, a slave Prospero

There is always evidence of an author in their works, and to fully grasp an author’s motive and perspective a reader must have knowledge of their personal history and their time period. Whether they instill small parts of themselves in their characters or make themselves actual characters, there are always attributes of authors found in their creations. Sometimes they even go as far as placing themselves inside their stories. One of the most debated topics of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is if the Bard really did base the character Prospero on himself. Some Shakespearean scholars believe Shakespeare used the story of the wise sorcerer as a metaphor for his own life. Others believe that this is reaching too far outside the realm of textual

Language in the Tempest is a tool of subjugation. Prospero uses language as a way to control Caliban and Ariel. So too Caliban language reminds him how different he really is from both Miranda and Prospero. Language also remind Caliban how much Miranda and Prospero changed him. Language reminds him of his time when he wasn’t a slave. In some weird way when Prospero taught Caliban language he took away dome of Caliban freedom.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest has reoccurring themes that could point toward the end of his career, including control and imprisonment. These are shown through multiple relationships: Prospero and his daughter, Prospero with Caliban and Ariel, and his relationship with magic to get what he wants.

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.

Gonzalo states: "We are people of our own minds and no one else's," by this Gonzalo is telling everyone that no one can control what someone sees or does. This is true unless one is using magic to alter the minds and reality of anyone under the influence of magic. In the Tempest, by William Shakespeare, Prospero uses magic to alter the reality and delude the minds of characters. Love or guilt is a form of magic that naturally occurs in one's life. Prospero creates another magic that is placed in the audience's mind when he asks them to become the master magicians.

The Tempest is equipped with an elaborate sound track, in which episodes of violent, discordant, and chaotic noise are set against the harmonious songs and instrumental music performed by Ariel and his consort of spirits. It is not, of course, that this play entirely eschews spectacle, but The Tempest begins with a scene of storm and shipwreck that might appear calculated to vie with the scenic extravagance of masque. The storm called for in the opening stage direction one for which there are very few precedents in the canon can easily seem to be ushering in a display of spectacular theatricality; however, in a printed text that is unusually punctilious in its attentiveness to stage effects, what is particularly striking about the wording is its emphasis upon the aural a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.

Famous critic, Stephen Greenblatt is considered an expert in the Shakespeare field of English literature. Greenblatt studied The Tempest in grave detail and his attitude towards Caliban is that he is an image of the colonial other. In other words, one who considered an outsider from the rest of society because they are not from a popular community. In this case, Caliban is from a faraway island Prospero and his friends just happened to stumble across when they were shipwrecked. In Greenblatt’s argument of the interpretation of Caliban, he states that is it crucial “to have culture

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.