Patroclus
April 2nd 2003, 07:59 PM
Robert Clark
3/24/03
The Tempest
One of the themes of The Tempest is that people live their lives as in a dream. This is supported in Prospero’s words: “We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on” (IV.i.156-157). Further textual support is found in setting, and the ways in which the main characters cope with life. Shakespeare uses different patterns and methods of escape to reinforce the dream-like state that is maintained throughout the play. Finally, Prospero’s closing words invite the audience into a certain dreamy lucidity.
There are two settings in this play: the boat, and an island. When considering a dream the closest association is with sleep—one sleeps, and then dreams. Keeping this in mind, the play can be divided into two stages: the approach of sleep upon the boat, and the dream upon the island. The setting on the boat is perfect for the approach of sleep if sleep can also be associated with death. First of all, the ship is caught in a storm, which denotes darkness. However, it is a violent enough storm that by the middle of the scene, the mariners consider “All lost” (I.i.51). To the mariners, it is the end of the boat, and, ostensibly, the lives of those on the boat—in a sense, sleep. Finally, Gonzalo has a scene-closing thought: “Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown [furze], any thing. The wills above be done! But I would fain die a dry death” (I.i.65-68). This is the beginning of the dream. Rather than making a direct statement about the present situation, he imagines a form of rescue. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what he gets.
The island contains the dream. It is from the art of Prospero upon The island that the tempest emanates and is sustained. Furthermore, the island is described as rather barren, at least in part (e.g. II.ii.18-20). However, it may be imprecise to call the island barren, but “blank.” Upon this island are an old sorcerer and his beautiful daughter, a monster and various spirits who appear in the most unusual places, casting strange enchantments on people and re-figuring themselves. In a sense, the island represents a dream that is ready to be had. And everybody, including the audience, is involved.
Each main character lapses into occasional states of imagination, such as the lines by Gonzalo that have already been discussed. Aside from Gonzalo, Miranda is the first to be seen under the spell of the Island, and of Prospero. Her first speech is fraught with fear (a good transition from the first scene), but is soon soothed by her father. At this point, it would be a mistake to assume that Prospero is the soul orchestrator of this dream. If he were, it would be reasonable to assume that he has full control over it, but he does not. He says to Miranda,
“Canst thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell?
I do not think thou canst, for thou wast not
Out three years old” (I.ii.38-41)
The fact that Miranda does remember a life outside of the island is surprising to Prospero, so it is not reasonable to conclude that he is the soul orchestrator of this dream. However, what is of most interest is that Miranda remembers this life as “far off;/ And rather like a dream than an assurance/ That my remembrance warrants” (I.ii.44-46). Not only is the way she remembers it like a dream, but the fact that it is so distant smacks of the way people pull real-life events into their dreams.
Each of the other characters fall prey to similar imaginations. Caliban has a twisted perception of his life that justifies his rebellion against Prospero and asserts his lordship over the island (I.ii.330-344). The motivation behind Ariel is escape. Ariel has lived as a prisoner or vassal for many years. The dream is the source of forgetfulness to Ariel—forgetfulness of the torture that this spirit suffered under the witch, Sycorax. For Gonzalo, the island gives cause for him to comfort Alonso with the idea of setting up a Utopian society upon The island (II.i.148-156, 160-165). For Sebastian and Antonio, the dream is of power. As Antonio says:
“Worthy Sebastian, O, what might—? No more—
And yet methinks I see in thy face,
What thou shouldst be. Th’ occasion speaks thee, and
My strong imagination sees a crown
Dropping on thy head” (II.i.205-209)”
Again, the speaker’s imagination reveals the dream state. For Stephano and Trinculo, the desire is for power and money. Trinculo and Stephano both imagine the profit that could be made by showing-off the monster, Caliban (II.ii.27-36, 68-70 respectively). Later, Stephano has Caliban pledge fealty to him (142-143).
Prospero’s presence in the play is the most pivotal because it is by Prospero’s wishes that events of the play are carried out. In a sense, it is Prospero’s dream. The happy ending is for Prospero: he re-gains his dukedom and his daughter shall be Queen of Naples. However, it is a time of loss as well. Though his daughter will be Queen, she will have left him. What is more, he is renouncing his magic, which has seemed to support him all the way through (V.i.35-57). Upon carefull consideration, however, though Prospero is skilled in magic, in most cases, it is only at his behest that anything happens. Rather, it is Ariel who does most of the work. One could argue that Prospero is only renouncing his dream. However, Prospero’s epilogue would seem to undercut that because Prospero says that he wants the audience to imagine him with his dukedom (Epilogue.5-6). What is probably most safe to say is that Prospero wants some form of power. In act one, Prospero confides in Miranda that, though he was Duke of Milan, he was more concerned with his “secret studies” (I.i.77). If then he is renouncing his magic, all that is left is the power of state.
Finally, the audience is requested to, in essence, continue dreaming of Prospero. At this point, the audience is awakened to the reality that they have been dreaming. At this moment, the play ends, much like most dreams when the dreamer wakes up after he or she realizes is dreaming. This, therefore being the case, Prospero’s line, “We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on” (IV.i.156-157), is doubly true.
3/24/03
The Tempest
One of the themes of The Tempest is that people live their lives as in a dream. This is supported in Prospero’s words: “We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on” (IV.i.156-157). Further textual support is found in setting, and the ways in which the main characters cope with life. Shakespeare uses different patterns and methods of escape to reinforce the dream-like state that is maintained throughout the play. Finally, Prospero’s closing words invite the audience into a certain dreamy lucidity.
There are two settings in this play: the boat, and an island. When considering a dream the closest association is with sleep—one sleeps, and then dreams. Keeping this in mind, the play can be divided into two stages: the approach of sleep upon the boat, and the dream upon the island. The setting on the boat is perfect for the approach of sleep if sleep can also be associated with death. First of all, the ship is caught in a storm, which denotes darkness. However, it is a violent enough storm that by the middle of the scene, the mariners consider “All lost” (I.i.51). To the mariners, it is the end of the boat, and, ostensibly, the lives of those on the boat—in a sense, sleep. Finally, Gonzalo has a scene-closing thought: “Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown [furze], any thing. The wills above be done! But I would fain die a dry death” (I.i.65-68). This is the beginning of the dream. Rather than making a direct statement about the present situation, he imagines a form of rescue. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what he gets.
The island contains the dream. It is from the art of Prospero upon The island that the tempest emanates and is sustained. Furthermore, the island is described as rather barren, at least in part (e.g. II.ii.18-20). However, it may be imprecise to call the island barren, but “blank.” Upon this island are an old sorcerer and his beautiful daughter, a monster and various spirits who appear in the most unusual places, casting strange enchantments on people and re-figuring themselves. In a sense, the island represents a dream that is ready to be had. And everybody, including the audience, is involved.
Each main character lapses into occasional states of imagination, such as the lines by Gonzalo that have already been discussed. Aside from Gonzalo, Miranda is the first to be seen under the spell of the Island, and of Prospero. Her first speech is fraught with fear (a good transition from the first scene), but is soon soothed by her father. At this point, it would be a mistake to assume that Prospero is the soul orchestrator of this dream. If he were, it would be reasonable to assume that he has full control over it, but he does not. He says to Miranda,
“Canst thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell?
I do not think thou canst, for thou wast not
Out three years old” (I.ii.38-41)
The fact that Miranda does remember a life outside of the island is surprising to Prospero, so it is not reasonable to conclude that he is the soul orchestrator of this dream. However, what is of most interest is that Miranda remembers this life as “far off;/ And rather like a dream than an assurance/ That my remembrance warrants” (I.ii.44-46). Not only is the way she remembers it like a dream, but the fact that it is so distant smacks of the way people pull real-life events into their dreams.
Each of the other characters fall prey to similar imaginations. Caliban has a twisted perception of his life that justifies his rebellion against Prospero and asserts his lordship over the island (I.ii.330-344). The motivation behind Ariel is escape. Ariel has lived as a prisoner or vassal for many years. The dream is the source of forgetfulness to Ariel—forgetfulness of the torture that this spirit suffered under the witch, Sycorax. For Gonzalo, the island gives cause for him to comfort Alonso with the idea of setting up a Utopian society upon The island (II.i.148-156, 160-165). For Sebastian and Antonio, the dream is of power. As Antonio says:
“Worthy Sebastian, O, what might—? No more—
And yet methinks I see in thy face,
What thou shouldst be. Th’ occasion speaks thee, and
My strong imagination sees a crown
Dropping on thy head” (II.i.205-209)”
Again, the speaker’s imagination reveals the dream state. For Stephano and Trinculo, the desire is for power and money. Trinculo and Stephano both imagine the profit that could be made by showing-off the monster, Caliban (II.ii.27-36, 68-70 respectively). Later, Stephano has Caliban pledge fealty to him (142-143).
Prospero’s presence in the play is the most pivotal because it is by Prospero’s wishes that events of the play are carried out. In a sense, it is Prospero’s dream. The happy ending is for Prospero: he re-gains his dukedom and his daughter shall be Queen of Naples. However, it is a time of loss as well. Though his daughter will be Queen, she will have left him. What is more, he is renouncing his magic, which has seemed to support him all the way through (V.i.35-57). Upon carefull consideration, however, though Prospero is skilled in magic, in most cases, it is only at his behest that anything happens. Rather, it is Ariel who does most of the work. One could argue that Prospero is only renouncing his dream. However, Prospero’s epilogue would seem to undercut that because Prospero says that he wants the audience to imagine him with his dukedom (Epilogue.5-6). What is probably most safe to say is that Prospero wants some form of power. In act one, Prospero confides in Miranda that, though he was Duke of Milan, he was more concerned with his “secret studies” (I.i.77). If then he is renouncing his magic, all that is left is the power of state.
Finally, the audience is requested to, in essence, continue dreaming of Prospero. At this point, the audience is awakened to the reality that they have been dreaming. At this moment, the play ends, much like most dreams when the dreamer wakes up after he or she realizes is dreaming. This, therefore being the case, Prospero’s line, “We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on” (IV.i.156-157), is doubly true.