The Tempest is non a pure fantasy narrative, but a purposeful fable. The characters in the drama are all representative of characters found in the bible. The first, and possibly most persuasive, arguement would be Prospero typifying God. Prospero is seen to be a representative of God for several grounds. First, he is evidently in control of the actions and has an almighty quality. This has been demonstrated by several scenes throughout the drama. See the power that Prospero possesses, as shown in the Epilogue at the shutting of the drama:
I have bedimmed
The mooontide Sun, called Forth the mutinous air currents,
And? twixt the green sea and the azured vault
Set howling war. . . . The strong-based headland
Have I made shingle, and by the goads plucked up
The pine and cedar. Graves, at my bid,
Have waked their slumberers, oped and allow them forth
By my so powerful art ( V. i. 41-4, 46-50 ) .
These are evidently superhuman plants. In fact, Prospero claims rather decidedly that he possesses the power of mighty Zeus himself, for non merely does he state that he can do lightning, but he declares that he has really used the God ’ s ain bolt of lightning ( Still 6 ) :
To the apprehension rattling boom
Have I given fire, and rifted Jove ’ s stout oak
With his ain bolt.
Having already established that Prospero is the owner of superhuman power, why would Shakespeare include this information except entirely for alligorical intents ( Still 7 ) ? This information serves no intent except to set up Prospero as a God.
Prospero is besides seen in the drama executing several functions that Christianity traditionally assign to God: that of the Omnipotent Judge and the Savior of Man. Prospero is revealed to be the Omnipotent Judge through a address given by Ariel ( Still 7 ) :
. . . . I and my chaps
Are curates of Fate. . . .
The powers, detaining, non burying, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the animals
Against your peace. . . and do pronounce by me
Lingering Hell, worse than any decease
Can be at one, shall step by measure attend
You and your ways ; whose wraths to guard you from,
Which here, in the most bare isle, else falls
Upon your caputs, is nil, but bosom ’ s sorrow,
And a clear life resulting.
Shakespeare tells us, through Ariel, that Prospero can go through sentance of lingering Hell, but whose clemencies can be gained through penitence. This leads into the function of God as the Savior of Man. This is shown through his quotation mark:
They being pentient,
The exclusive impetus of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further ( V. i. 28-30 ) .
Here, Prosperso states that, since penitence has occurred, there is no more ailment will. This reflects the Christian belief that penitence can let the forgiveness of wickednesss. Besides, Prospero is seen as the “ maestro of the island ” – that is, the almighty force commanding it. He manipulates the elements to bring forth his coveted effects ; two first-class illustrations of this are the storm he creates in order to pin down his brother and his comrades, every bit good as the mock-feast he creates to pull strings them. The analogues to God in these cases are obvious.
A concluding analogue between Prospero and God can be found in his Epilogue, lines 15- 20.
And my stoping is desperation
Unless I be relieve ’ d by supplication,
Which pierc
Ess so that it assaults
Mercy itself and liberate all mistakes.
As you from offenses would excuse ’ vitamin D be.
Let your indulgence set me free (Epilogue, 15).
This is every bit near a paraphrasis of Christ ’ s injunction on supplication in Ther Sermon on the Mount or of the words on forgiveness in His supplication as could be found in literature (Coursen 330).
In add-on to Prospero being symbolic of God, Caliban is symbolic of Satan. This is apparent for several grounds. He is referred to as Devil by Prospero, and is represented as the “ lost sheep ” in Prospero ’ s flock – much the same as Lucifer was one time an Angel of God who left the crease. Prospero can non alter the head of Caliban, he can merely read it and trust to queer his secret plans. Caliban ’ s position as an foreigner is shown in the undermentioned quotation mark:
A Satan, a born Satan, on whose nature
Raising can ne’er lodge! on whom my strivings,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, rather lost ( IV. I. 188-93 ) !
Caliban ’ s moralss and ethical motives besides help reenforce his representation of Satan. Caliban has a really different sense of ethical motives when compared to the mean human. Through his interaction with Propsero and Miranda at the beginning of the drama, we learn that Caliban attempted to ravish Miranda. However, in their duologue, the responses given by Caliban show that he has no compunction about the action itself – merely that he got caught.
O Ho, O Ho! Would ’ T had been done!
Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else
This isle with Calibans (I, ii, 349).
Through this quotation mark, it can be inferred that Caliban has no moralss or witting as we define them. Another illustration of Caliban ’ s distorted values occurs subsequently in the drama, when he has aligned himself with Stephano and Trinculo. Here, he humiliates himself by stating Stephano that he will snog his pess and cream his places merely to demo his confederation to Stephano and in order to acquire Stephano and Trinculo to swear him. This shows how Caliban has no pride or trueness ; he manipulates others to function his ain selfish demands, wants, and desires.
A concluding illustration of Caliban stand foring Satan occurs when he attempts to speak Stephano and Trinculo into killing Prospero. In this scene, he lies to Trinculo and Stephano and tells them that he was one time maestro of the island, but Prospero overthrew him. He asks Stephano to take the island back over; in exchange for his freedom, Caliban agrees to function Stephano, who will be the new swayer of the island. Analogues between this scenerio and the expatriate from the garden of Eden narrative in the Bible. Both involve two characters who are tempted with great power and knowlege by an evil being – Satan. Both are successfully tempted by the evil foce ; both finally suffer for their picks.
“The Tempest”, by William Shakespeare, is a really interesting and entertaining narrative when viewed by its face value. However, when one analyzes the characters, scenes, and state of affairss, one realizes the deeper significance intended by Shakespeare in composing the play. Through his creative activity of the island microcosm, which is ruled by Prospero and undermined by Caliban, the Bard creates a consummate work which glorifies a merciful God, who will forgive wickednesss through penitence. In “ The Tempest ”, Shakespeare creates a narrative that is valuable for more than merely amusement intents – he creates a work of art.
References
- Still, Colin. Shakespeare ’ s Mystery Play: A Study of “ The Tempest ” . Cecil Palmer, 1921.
- Knight, Wilson G. The Crown of Life: Essaies in Interpretation of Shakespeare ’ s Final Plays. Barnes & A ; Noble, Inc. , 1947.
- Leech, Clifford. Shakespeare ’ s Tragedies and Other Surveies in Seventeenth Century Drama. Chatto and Windus, 1950.
