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William Shakespeare 's The Tempest Essay

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Numerous interpretations of William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest depict its main protagonist, Prospero in a negative light. Many such renderings of Prospero’s character are identified in the introduction of The Tempest. The introduction makes reference to Dryden’s and Davenant’s rewriting of the play. Their rewriting portrays Prospero as a very controlling and deceptive individual whose character is stagnate. Accordingly, the foreword also mentions the possible employment of the narrative, by Prospero to further dominate all those around him. In essence, history has attributed many villain-like characteristics to Prosporo. However, the interpretation of the play performed at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame directed by Wess Hyler, depicts Prospero’s character in a way that moves from the vision of Prospero shown historically. Wess Hyler’s production of The Tempest utilizes the stage elements of costuming, blocking, and the actors’ performance to reveal the transformative agency that has changed Prospero into a tyrannical, enslaved individual who loses control over his power. Hyler’s The Tempest then shows the impact that others can have on an individual through its portrayal of Ariel influence as the catalysis of Prospero’s ultimate change into a freed individual.
Hyler’s Tempest employs the stage elements of the actors’ performance and their costumes to identify the events that have occurred in Prospero’s past that have turned him

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