The Tempest

November 2021: Prospero is truly a despicable character. I'm almost inclined to let that simple statement be my entire review. However, if I wish to include this review in my total count for Cannonball Read, it has to be at least 250 words. I haven't delved into this play for a decade. I've never witnessed it being performed either. Even though I've read it several times, it's never been my top favorite. The most remarkable aspects of it involve some of Shakespeare's most iconic lines. For instance, "Hell is empty and all the devils are here." This line truly sets a dark and foreboding tone. Another one is "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." It beautifully captures the ephemeral nature of life.

"What's past is prologue." This phrase holds a certain wisdom and suggests that our past experiences shape our future. And who can forget "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!" It expresses a sense of wonder and hope.

Also, every scene featuring Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo is pure gold. I failed to appreciate in high school just how hilarious those scenes were. They are filled with puns that went right over my head because I don't live in Jacobean England. The biggest conclusion I draw from this, as stated in the very beginning, is that Prospero is a terrible person, and Caliban deserved much better. So did Ariel and Miranda. Prospero is an interfering, sanctimonious, patriarchal, controlling, manipulative, cruel, and gaslighting monster. Part of the reason this play will never be my favorite is that I don't entirely believe Shakespeare intended for us to criticize Prospero or feel sympathy for Caliban. I think he presented it in a straightforward manner, and its ethics simply don't align with my own. Nevertheless, it's a short play that can be read in approximately an hour.

February 2011: I'm not certain why I gave this such a low rating (three stars) previously. I suppose the first two times I read it, I was being rather foolish.

**"The Tempest: A Tragicomedy in the Land of Phantoms"**

I set aside my relatively mild pursuit of the chronological sequence of Shakespeare's works - thanks to a kindred spirit - and arrived at "The Tempest" with a significant shift in time and style. The path that Shakespeare had begun in the early 1590s with rather exuberant and unfinished plays (such as "The Two Gentlemen of Verona"), relying on wordplay ("Love's Labour's Lost"), and based on slapstick (such as "The Comedy of Errors"), culminated around 1610 in "The Tempest", which is likely Shakespeare's last independent work and, in the opinion of many, one of his greatest masterpieces.

**About the Story**
"The Tempest" is about a man named Prospero who was formerly the Duke of Milan but now, after being usurped, is a sorcerer living on a desolate island with his daughter and two servants. By chance, the ship of his old enemies passes near the island. What better opportunity to settle scores and restore things to their former order? Prospero has a precise and calculated plan, not by using the force of the sword or even great wisdom, but by means of his staff and his book that can subdue all the forces of nature.
**About the Genre**
The first point is that "The Tempest" can hardly be placed alongside the earlier comedies I mentioned. Of course, there are still moments and characters that are humorous and carry the comic burden, leading the story to its intended destination - the "happy ending" that the audience desires. But "The Tempest" is overall serious, solemn, and brooding, like the dark clouds and waters that toy with the king and his companions on the ship in the first act. However, the colorful backdrop here is an important and older one than Shakespeare: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and its magical world where anything was possible. The difference is that in "The Tempest", there is no news of the mischievous fairies who make childish mistakes and easily make amends. Here, a great injustice has occurred that must be righted. A god-like hand is at work that does not err, that can take life or give life and shape the plot as it wishes. ["The Tempest" is usually classified among Shakespeare's late romances; middle-aged men alongside young lovers, the presence of a colorful tragedy that, of course, has a happy ending and does not prevent comedy, the portrayal of pre-Christian gods in a secondary but important and influential way, and the elements of the supernatural and magic.]
**About Power**
Each of the characters around Prospero confronts his power in a different way. His daughter Miranda has complete faith in Prospero's kindness. [Of course, we cannot completely place the relationship between the two in the framework of the complete and ordinary authority of a father over his daughter in the seventeenth century.] Ariel, Prospero's servant in magic, is obedient, but cannot hide his longing for freedom from the numerous commands of his master. And finally, Caliban, the household servant in daily affairs, who with all his being wants to be freed from the evil of this master and enter the service of another master. It is not surprising, then, that one of the most important themes, both in the analysis of the text and in its interpretation and staging, is the treatment of power and authority. The discussion becomes even more complicated when Caliban is often depicted as a wild, dark (in skin or in spirit?), and postcolonial figure. When we place this alongside the formation of the first stable British colonial colony in North America in 1606, it becomes clear why the relationship between Prospero and Caliban has been the most problematic part of the play in the last four centuries. Is Prospero a kind and merciful father and ruler or a tyrannical colonizer who demands that everything go according to his will? [Shakespeare, of course, does not make any direct reference to colonialism and incidentally says that the story takes place in the Mediterranean. But this critical approach is not a modern reading of the ancient text, because the way of dealing with the natives has been a controversial topic since the beginning of the colonial era and the time of Shakespeare.]
**About Maturity**
"The Tempest" is a mature play in many ways, focusing its energy on a specific goal. First, the wordplay in it has been minimized, and it does not overly immerse the audience in a multiplicity of meanings. Second, it has a remarkable unity of time and place, and the plot lines have a greater coherence. [Compare it with "A Midsummer Night's Dream".] Third, in accordance with the gradual trend in Shakespeare's plays, the rhyming in it is very limited, and we are dealing with a kind of free verse. [Was Shakespeare also opposed to the confinement of old forms?]
**About Other Things**
The richness of "The Tempest" can also be seen in other aspects: numerous references to the classical texts of Virgil, Ovid, and Montaigne (a little familiarity with which makes reading more enjoyable), a different look at magic in the age of witch-hunts, its emphasis on the instability of the stage and its comparison with the real world, and finally, the importance of memory. Prospero is constantly remembering, and what he desires more than anything from those around him is their forgetfulness. We can understand this as part of the mechanism of his power or as an allegory of God's omniscience and omnipotence, but I like to summarize it in this famous sentence as the summary of the play: I forgive but I do not forget.

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Read from the Cambridge edition with countless footnotes and an introduction as long as the play itself.
And with thanks to my dear kindred spirits.

William Shakespeare, the renowned playwright, reached a point in his life where he desired a return to the simplicity and tranquility of his hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. After over two decades of intense and fruitful writing for the stage, he was ready to leave the chaos of London behind. At nearly 50, an advanced age for the 17th century, his career was illustrious and unrivaled.

His last play, "The Tempest," begins with a fierce storm that strands a ship carrying noblemen on an unnamed island off the coast of Italy. The rest of the fleet is scattered, and the passengers and crews assume the worst. However, the island is not as deserted as they think. Prospero, a sorcerer, rules this land with his daughter Miranda and the deformed slave Caliban.

Prospero, who can be seen as a representation of Shakespeare himself, has learned black magic from mysterious books. He was once the Duke of Milan but was overthrown by his treacherous brother Antonio with the help of the equally wicked King of Naples Alonso. Now, both Alonso and Antonio are shipwrecked on the island, along with Ferdinand, the King's son. Miranda, who has only ever seen two men in her life, falls in love with Ferdinand at first sight.

As the story unfolds, plots for power emerge, but Shakespeare, like Prospero, ultimately desires peace and tranquility. He wants to enjoy his remaining days in peace. The author believes that, in the meantime, people should be kind to one another, a message that is powerfully conveyed through Shakespeare's works. His genius is truly unparalleled.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.

Six years ago, I embarked on a journey to read through Shakespeare’s complete plays. I mostly experienced them as audiobooks, hoping to get as close to the theater experience as possible. At that time, The Tempest left me unimpressed. Given that it was not only Shakespeare but one of his most renowned plays, I refrained from giving it a star ranking, as I felt no ranking was better than a low one.

Six years later, I am revisiting this famous play. Honestly, I still don't have a deep affection for it. I suspect that the very aspects that make it a favorite among Shakespeare scholars are the cause of my antipathy.

The Tempest is widely regarded as Shakespeare's summation of his life's work - referencing his previous plays, revealing his writer's techniques, and bidding farewell to it all. In modern terms, it is filled with Shakespearean Easter eggs. While this makes it a treasure trove for enthusiasts to study, it poses challenges for actual performance.

I have seen this play once and now listened to two different full cast audio performances (reading along with the text the second time). It is so crowded with characters and action that, when experiencing it as a performance, it is difficult to follow the action with comprehension. There are too many characters, the main characters are either underdeveloped or unlikable (Prospero is a rather unpleasant character whom I have never warmed to), the clowns are subpar (some of the weakest in Shakespeare), and the plot lacks the focus and drive of Shakespeare's best works. I believe that all, or at least most, of these issues can be attributed to the play being used as a clever summation rather than being centered on a unique story.

The Tempest does have some redeeming qualities. As already mentioned, it is cleverly crafted as Shakespeare's summation of his work and an implicit farewell. Beyond that, it contains many of Shakespeare's most brilliant lines, flashes of genius amid the overly loud and chaotic thunder of this play. However, I have yet to experience a production that can focus that lightning so that it overpowers the din of its confusing thunder, and I don't think it's entirely the fault of the actors.

The words seem to paint a vivid and somewhat melancholy picture. "As I said,

they are each a spirit,

and all melted and mingled with the air,

that thin air.

Just like the texture of these dreams that cannot be touched by hand,

the peaks of the cloud-covered constellations,

the magnificent palaces,

the great temples,

even this lofty earth

and whatever is on it will one day melt;

Just like this illusory show that just flew away,

not even a wisp of smoke will remain after it."

It makes one think about the transient nature of things, how everything that seems so grand and permanent can eventually disappear. The imagery of the spirits melting into the air and the dreams having an untouchable texture gives a sense of the ephemeral. The mention of the great structures like palaces and temples also emphasizes how even the most magnificent creations of man are not immune to the passage of time. It's a thought-provoking piece that invites us to reflect on the impermanence of life and all that we hold dear.

The Tempest is a captivating romance that delves into a plethora of themes. It explores the realms of magic, love, and marriage, while also presenting intricate plots centered around the acquisition or restoration of political power. Additionally, it touches upon the discovery of new lands and the complex relationship between nature and civilization.

The famous lines "Hell is empty and all the devils are here" and "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep" add a touch of depth and mystery to the play.

The main conflict in The Tempest is political in nature. A duke named Prospero desires redress against his brother and a king who have conspired to usurp his throne.

Parallelism is a prominent feature in the play. Antonio and Sebastian's plot to obtain the kingship of Naples by murdering Alonso in his sleep mirrors Caliban and Stephano's plan to seize the kingship of the island by killing Prospero as he slumbers. These plots also parallel the backdrop of the play, where Antonio and Alonso schemed to deprive Prospero of his dukedom.

As we peruse the pages of this play, it becomes evident that Shakespeare was influenced by the reign in which he lived, where political conflicts were often resolved through marriage. Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan, devises a plan to marry his daughter to the heir of the throne in an attempt to regain his stolen position.

The "aside" parts in the play introduce dramatic irony, as the audience is privy to information that the other characters are unaware of.

I have a profound love for this play as it has made me reflect on numerous aspects of life, such as dreams and fate.

There is no doubt that Shakespeare is the only dramatist capable of touching one's heart and soul in such a profound manner.

Since I was engrossed in reading John Banville's Ghosts and noticed that Banville was using Shakespeare's The Tempest as a sort of lens to view his own tale, and being strongly influenced by this Shakespearean atmosphere, I made up my mind to listen to this particular play. It is one of his later works, a play that I haven't read or seen for a great many years, yet one that I have always held a deep affection for.

The play and the novel both deal with profound themes such as vengeance and forgiveness, art and imagination. The Tempest is a tragicomic romance, sometimes associated with A Midsummer’s Night Dream due to all of its fantasy, mythical, and classical elements. It is also sometimes regarded as Shakespeare's farewell to the theatre, being one of his last and one of his more lyrical plays.

The Tempest, written between 1610 and 1611, is set on a secluded island. On this island, Prospero, a wizard, resides with his daughter Miranda, and his two servants: Caliban, a wild and monstrous figure, and Ariel, an ethereal spirit. This isolation provides the perfect opportunity for Prospero (and perhaps Shakespeare himself) to engage in deep reflections about his life and work, his joys and regrets.

I won't offer a detailed summary of the plot. However, I can say that it is filled with flights of lyrical fancy and concludes with Prospero's renunciation of his own long-held engagement with imagination and art.

But in certain parts of the play, there are beautiful acknowledgments of fancy: "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in it!" and "Now I will believe that there are unicorns...".

At the same time, there are also torments: "Hell is empty and all the devils are here." and "This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine."

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

So, the question arises: is what we have witnessed on the stage and experienced in life "real"? Story, time, memory, and dreams are all intertwined: "What's past is prologue."

And for us, centuries later, as his plays and all the literature and life we have encountered continue to live on: "So. Lie there, my art."

I first saw this play more than fifty years ago in Stratford, Ontario, at the Festival Theatre. I can definitely relate to it more deeply than ever before in my later years.

It was extremely tiring and simple.

It didn't have the depth of those famous shows at all, and the entertainment was not interesting either.

It seemed as if all the interesting events of the story had taken place before the start of the show and behind the scenes, and we were only reading the uninteresting final part.

We expected more excitement and surprises from this show, but unfortunately, it failed to meet our expectations.

The lack of depth and engaging content made it a rather forgettable experience.

Perhaps the creators could have put more effort into developing the plot and characters to make it more captivating for the audience.

Overall, it was a disappointment and we hope for better shows in the future.