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Shakespeare's play presents a fascinating exploration of the power and value of books. Prospero, banished from Milan, was given rich garments and linens by a noble Neapolitan. But most importantly, "Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me / From my own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom" (I.2). These books provided Prospero with the power of magic, as seen in his interactions with characters like Miranda and Caliban. Miranda's neo-Platonic view of Ferdinand contrasts with her father's description of Caliban as a "freckled whelp hag-born." Even Caliban cites neo-Platonic judgments on faces.
The play also contains the wise father, Prospero, who wants his daughter to fall for Ferdinand. He realizes that his approval might make her shy away, so he pretends to disapprove and binds Ferdinand with magic. My grad advisor, Leonard Unger, pointed out Prospero's great insight when Miranda and Ferdinand are engaged. At the end, Prospero swears off magic, as a Christian and a modern "magician" should. The play also features Stefano and Trinculo parodying the Mass in their drinking scene with Caliban. Additionally, it was performed with more than the usual music, influenced by the growth of the Court Masque. It includes many sound effects and a brief masque. Curiously, stage time seems to equal real time in some parts of the play.
The play also contains the wise father, Prospero, who wants his daughter to fall for Ferdinand. He realizes that his approval might make her shy away, so he pretends to disapprove and binds Ferdinand with magic. My grad advisor, Leonard Unger, pointed out Prospero's great insight when Miranda and Ferdinand are engaged. At the end, Prospero swears off magic, as a Christian and a modern "magician" should. The play also features Stefano and Trinculo parodying the Mass in their drinking scene with Caliban. Additionally, it was performed with more than the usual music, influenced by the growth of the Court Masque. It includes many sound effects and a brief masque. Curiously, stage time seems to equal real time in some parts of the play.
