The Tempest is a romance l i l s thc other thm last plays, and its story

is romanhc with its enchanted island full of mystuious whispennp. 1:erdtnatld

Wonders,

Where should this music be ?

In the air or the eaah ?
It sounds no more; and surc it waits upon
Some god of the island (Act Sc I, 11)

'Ihc play IS the supreme exprcsslon of the magical philosophy of the last
plays. As Frances A.Yates says, "the themes of The Tempest connect wtth the
last plays themes as a whole. 'I'here is a young generahon, Ferdinand and
Miranda, the very young princely pair, and an older generation, I'rospero and
his contemporaries, divided by bitter wrongs and quarrels but brought together
at the end in the magical atmosphere of reconciliation."'

The Tempest also 'abounds in theological languagw; even the humour

is theolopjcal." The play also endorses and expounds the well known Christian
tenet-'to forgive is divine.' According, to Victor I J u p , "The Tempest is rhe
supreme denouement dream by Shakespeare for the bloody drama of Genesis.
It is the expiation of primordial ~rirne."~rhe
play also has captured the special
attention of innumerable readers and the critics of the world. Although the play
has been known for its concentration and unitics of timc, place and action, it
has nonetheless an epic quality which is expressed. "'l'he play is thc logical
conclusion of the integrating process that produced The Winter's Tale, and
consequently Shakespeare's art. As in The Winter's Tale, the storm and the
calm which follows it are related to it respectively to the tragedy caused by
 205
human pasion and the reconciliatk~n,which after a p k n d of trial to which the
actors arc cxposcd in order t o dctemirlc their respc.cti\*erespc)nsibiliticsand
access to redemption, follows upon redemption In :ts a f t e m a ~ h . " ~

A Christian interpretation of a play such as The Tempest has an

intensity parellel to several modem accounts of 7'.S.Illiot's The Waste Land.
In Eliot's poem, as in Shakespeare's last plays, there if; littlc or no direct
presentation of any Christian material. Prospcro as a my~ret-iousfigure is
endowed by Shakespeare with powers and tributes more than human : he
controls the action from start to finish, he allots as it were, praise and blame,
hc is lit at moments with divine suggestion comparable with his almost divine
power of foreknowlcdff.,and control and wisdom. 'llere is an enibmatic, other
wordly mystery suffusing I'rospero's figure and the meaning of his acts.
1.I.R.Charleton in his Shakespearean tragedy suggests that, "Shakespeare's
world is moral rather than metaphysical; humanity and humanism hold him far
more passionately than religion and theology." 'Consequently if Shakespeare
wished to express Christian attitude, he had to do so largely within a non
theological frame-work, so that the absence of Christian terms of reference
specifically from much of his later works does not mean that the plays including
The Tempest are not Christian in spirit. As IJatiick Murray observes, "the
of distinctivejy Christian ideas, implied or expressed, in Shakespeare's

work as a has not received anything like its duc sharc of attention."'
'I'he play looks like a revelation of Shakespeare's rich religious csperiencc

transmuted and transfigured into something universal. A considerable part of

the speciality of The Tempest with regad to it! unique features, is, as has k e n
 206

shown by Shakcspcarcan commmtators, the result of a number of historical

and polittcal circumstances.

The play opens with a sttmny tempest alluding to loss and h'dln in hutnan
life. Nonso, Sebastian and Antonio arc on board and along with them arc
Ferdinand and (;onzalo symbolising virtue. '['he p)od and cvil men face the
brunt of this storm raised by the p)werful magic of I'rospero. It is dso a
symbt>llicsuggestion that good and cvil co-exist.

?he tcmpcst 1s mwd ulth a purposc to serve as purgarlon as'thy \vould

leave their wc world behmd and enter the world of tragicomedy through self
knowledge, where good invariably triumphs ovcr evil, w~ththe awakening
process of repentance, rcconcdiation, forgiveness and redemption'.

Prospero was ' a prince of power' in Milan twelve years before. In his
thirst for knowledge, Prospen, was 'rapt in secret studies' and sequestered
himself from his subjects and the state. Antonio, his brothcr, to whom he
delegated powers grew ambitious and plotted with Alonso the king of Naples,
to depose Prospero. Antonio did not kill his brothcr but put him and his
daughter on a board with no sails and ropes or mast. Gonzalo, the noble lord
took pity and secretely provided Prospcro with csscntials and the magtc books

that he prized above his own Dukedom. The 'dcpee' IS disrupted both by

Pmspero and his brothcr Antonio.

The Tempest illustrates and testifies to a baqic controlling desig~to

dramatise a story of utlimate fulfilment through initial failure, a story of
conquest of evil by p o d through p o d , the story of pain crcating roughncsses
 207
of human foolishness finally chastened into joy, viclding, t~ndcrstandic~g.

Hzavarai S.Naikar says, "the play holds testimony to thc cotlccptiorl of

an ideal character, a hero noble, who is an embodiment o f rhc ultimatc

howlctigc of the truth of lifc and is in possession of thosr. final powers o f the
soul of character and being, through which t o turn the hell o f human lifc into

a heaven on earth."" 'lhe supernatural clcmcrlt is very much an cpic indes of

the immaterid, superhuman orcicr that is cvcr related with human universe. 'l'hc
dance of the music and the spectacular clcmcnt of the Mask, cat.cr to the
demands of the occasion crcatcd by diffcrcnt exigencies o f thc immediate

audience of king James's (:ourt, and to the recopisable cpic design of

multitudinousness and the underlying integration.

The storm brings the ship with lung's men within his prcvicw. I...iLJesus
in St.Mark Chapter four, verses 35-39, assuring his disciples of thcir st#y
during a storm, I'rospero assures Miranda, who pleads on bchalf o f the sailors
in the 'brave vessel',

Uc cullcctcd;
No more amazement : tell your piteous heart
There's no harm done ( I,t1,13-15)

I'rospcru works thro* magic and he is a consummate magician. I.ikc

Cerimon of Pericles, Prospero 1s a religious recluse endowed with powerful

q c . In Prospero we find both the adventure o f Rmarssance discovery and
the majesty of Kenaissance intellect.' Middleton Murry, says "l'he island.... rs
what would be iff iumanity - the best in man - controlled the life of man. And
7
I'rospcro is a man in whom the best in man has won the victory". 'l'here is an
inward tempest of anxiety in what I'rospcn, tells Minndn,

I find my zenlth doth dcpcnd upon

A most auspicious star, whose influence
If now I court not but omlt, my fortune
Wtll ever after droop. ( I,tr, 181- 184)

At the centre of the action, l'rospcro formerly victim of the storm,

raised by unleashed forces of epism, now happens to be the master of events
as he is in control of the phys~caltempest he has raised to bring his cnemics to
the stage upon which their destiny is to be decided. As 'l'raversi points out,
"through his action and those of A d a c t q at his behest the different motives
which prevail in his former enemies, are brought to thc surface evaluated and
fmally judged."%hakcspeare, was developing a Christian view of life within a
non-Christian framework As D.C.James in Scepticism and Poetry says,

"where the situation is repeated, in a sense, four times, it is difficult to avoid the
conclusion that it is a clue to an important element in what Shakespeare was
trying to convey "'

In all the last plays Shakespeare was seeking to body forth his sense

of the loss by man, through h a own evil, of his most treasured possession.

Shakespeare's usc of the theme of the loss and recovery, remtnds us of the
treatment of the same theme ni the gospels. In each case, a person of the
greatest beauty and ~ncomparableworth is lost through evll, and m each case
that person is restored, and wtth that restoration comes the recovery to those

who have lost them of thetr true nature.

 209

'Ik
play is a dramatisation of vision that has rcalised the cosms epic
principle of the ultimate recobmition and asschon of thc life. promoting moral
values llke faith, patiencc, charity, hopc and love. As Naikar obscn.cs, ''this is
the vision of all epic poetry; this is the vision of all morality, all philosoptly, all
religion. 'l'hat is Shakespeart:'~vision in the final plays. 'l'hat is the vision of
Prospero in The Tempest, the dream inspiring his ~onduct."~"

The Tempest is gncrally considered Shakespeare's autobiography.

I t also looks as though thc saintly patience and fortitude of I'cricles, the

modcsty and humility of Cymbcline and the sincere penitence of Irontes, all
these are exemplified and elucidated as a 'rarer action' of forgiving enemies
through I'rospero, the Shakespearean superman. The play has been acclaimed
as the 'consummation of Shakespeare's artistic genius'. As Wilson Knight points
out, "Shakespeare has objectified, not merely his created world, but himself as
creator -- the total result is nearer self transcendence than self- reflection; while,
in throwing himself as creator onto the screen, and showing himself at work in
creative activity and control, the poet constructs a myth of creation in its
wholeness and univer~alit~."~'

The Tempest has the unique distinction of being a play rich in

symbolic significance. Prospero has been variously taken to stand for
I'rovidence or for an inspired artist and Ariel for his imahkation. IZeadcrs have
been fascinated by this most pactic play of Shakespeare. Henry Jamcs calls this,
'the finest flower of Shakespeare's experience.'

Victor Hugo observes in this play," 'thc solemn tone of a testament ...
 2 10
In thk wchantcd island, full of sounds and swwt vrs that give delight,' we may
expect to hold an utopia, the promised land of future kwneratrotls, paradise
repined ... I'rospcro n the shipu~rrrkedsailor who reaches port, thc csile who
rebnins his native land, he who from the depths of despa~rhccornc5 all-
powerful, thc woker who by his science has tamed mattcr, (hliban ;u~dby his
genius, the spirit Aricl. l'rospero a man, the master of naturr. and arid the
despot of destiny, " he 1s thc man l'rovidcncc".''

l'rospero is attended by the 'Vegetative soul' Calibati and ' the sensitive
soul' Ariel. Prospro as a practising magclan is expected to live a wry pure life.
As Wilson Knight says, " Ariel and I:aliban are yoked in the employ of
I'rospero ,like Plato's two steeds of the soul, the noble and the hideous, twin
potentialities of the human spirit." "

Ariel carries grace and charm with him. Ariel represents the creative
function of imqnation. Hc is Prospcro's instrument in controlling and
developing acaon. As Kmght says," 14s powcrs range freely over and between
the thunderous and the musical, tragic and lyric, extemes of Shakespearian
drama."'4 John Dryden in his Prologue comments,

But Shakespeare's Magck could not C:opy'd be,

Within that circle, None durst walk but he
The Enchanted Island 1667.

?he plot therefore presents a complctc story by giving not a partial

picture either of mere revLnge or of mere forgiveness but by dealing with both
of them which together form one whole. It is in this sense that thc. play is
'complete action.' The vision o f The Tempest is naturally the consequence o f
 21 1
Shakespeare's innlr urge for wholeness. As Wi1sr)n f\;tliKhtsays, "Shalicspcarc
is now the object of his own search, and no other theme as tha~of vlsionar).

self is now of p w c r to call forth the riches of imagination.""

I'rospero is invinciblc and all knowing and hr 1s [tic tnstrumcnt of

destiny. 1 Iis magic is both n:Wc and art in the old sense of thc trrtn and this
art is 'pietistic' and llslturalisttc as Christ's."" 'I'hc play itsclf is thc work of
l'rospero who raised it as a sort of purgation and as a mcasurc for measure
against the ininjustice m d our to him in Milan. 'l'he essence of the last plays is
found in The Tempest and thc esscnce o f The Tempest is projected in
Prospero.

As Middleton Murry says, " there is a fixed period in Shakespeare's

work, which exists in reality... . I t is equally certain that The Tempest is
artistically, imaginatively and sensationally thc culminatiion of that period ...
I'rospero is its prime mover, he governs and directs it from the bcpnning to the
end; he stands dean apart from dl Shakespeare's characters in this... he is the
quintessence of a quintessence of a quintessence."17

Prospero is a sort of demi god and so it is said that there is no

conflict of man and circumstance or of man and man in the play. I'rospero is
too manifestly the c m ) @ spirit to arouse much concern for his fortune. He
is the mighty magidan who plans and orders all the events of the play down to
the minutest details. His omnipotence makes it certain that hc will be able to
impose his will on his enemies, and the action would end as he would want tt

to end.
 212
As has bccn rightly said by Joscph Warton, "the poet is a powcrful
than his own I'rospero. We arc transponrd to a fairy land, urc arc
wrap in a delicious dream, from whlch it is misery to be disturbed, dl around
is en~hantrnent."'~

Prospcro's magic is uscd for the purposc of chastrning his forcc by

aW d e + typc of expcricncc. and for restoring lost royalty to hirnsclf and tc.
his daughter. I lc is in no way like l>r.I'ausr~~s proclaiming his
v;~ir~gIoriously
sup=- in s~~retivt'
arts. As 1)ert.k 'l'ravcrsi rightly notes, "kncath the action
of the s t o q which appears ro reflect in its apparent pidcssncss the inhumanity
of man, there lies a sense of spiritual fitness, a corresl~ondcnccwith this
situation, tragic indecd but not beyond redemption, of its human victims. The
maring waves answer their cries, and to their sighs the sea, 'sighing back again'
respnds with an action which, though merciless is finally 'loving', open to
compassion. The double nature of Shakespeare's tragic symbolism, at once
implacable and its human associations redeeming, 1s once morc vindicated."'"

Caliian is half a d , and half - fsh. Callban s thc symbol of thc animal
element in human nature. As John Nankvns belicvs, 'lzaliban as the bestial man
is like Aristodds 'bestial man', possessing the attribbutcs of the sensiblc soul but
not those of the intell~ctual."~
I-le is referred to as 'thou earth' and hls mind IS

o&&l downward. As Phillips puts it," It is possible that we arc also mcant to
idenafy w b a n with the pcrati\ve or reproductive functions of thc vcgetativc
soul, as well as with its mai~~tenancc
functions. It docs not appear to be thc
ps&ns of love or lust in the smsitivc soul that motivate Caliban's attempt to
viola the honour of Mirmda but simply thc instinctive urge to reproduce his
 213
own kind.""

Ariel's song of transformation rccdls thc supposed burial at sea of

hlarina in Pericles, her rccovey and restoration . Aricl Ie.aJs I:crdinmd ro
Miranda Mitanda is 111 of love, innocence and kindness. Shc is known for her
elemental simplicity. Miranda's typical upbringing can bc sccn In hcr words
when she says,

I might call htm

A thing divme. for nothing natural
I ever saw so noblc (1,11, 320-322)

As Wilson Knight says, " Our new pair illustrate humility (as in
1:erdinand's log piling), innocence, faith and purity, their words being
characterised by utter simplicity and sincerity."2' I'rospero feels that the
winning of M m d a should not be so easy. He is asked to rcmove heavy l o p .
Ferdinand tells Wranda,

This my mean task

Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
'Ihe mistress which I serve quckcns what's deed,
And makes my labours pleasures. (111, i, 4 -7)

Miranda seeing Ferdinand carry wood says,

If you'll sit down
11' 1 bear your logs the whilc. (1 1 I , i, 22 - 23)

Shakespeare paints thc feeling and passions morc truly than any other
writer. In her plain and holy innocence she asks,

I am your wife if you will marry me

 214

If not, I'll die your mad. (III,i, 87 - 84)

Aricl and (Aiban stand for l'rospero's supra reason and instinct
respectively. I fis ultimate happiness is ascribable t o hi:; achicvcnlcnt for
harmony between these two faculties. Although I'rospcro has been dethroned
and escaped from Milan, he ncver loses his sanity or ccason o r ecluanimity.
I'rospero's heroism in this play is moral and spiritual and is comparable to
Adam's heroism in Paradise Lost. lJrosyro adheres t o the h~ghidcal of life by
following sublime ethics. I iis nobility reachcs the height of a saint. Prospcro
svith his contemplative wisdom is all knowing and invincible.

In the sub-plot C;aliban, l'nnculo and Stephano come together and their
comic conspiracy against I'rospero is a foil to that of Sebastian and Antonio.
Prospero as a benevolent l'rovidencc appears invincible. A banquet is spread
before Alonso and his party. Ariel appears as a ' harpy to thunder and lightning'.
Prospero uses his tempest - magic to draw all his cnomics to the island and
render them homeless.

The masque celebrated by I'rospcro at the union of Iwdinand and

Miranda depicts the ideal of chashty and it constitutes the pastoral element in
the play. Ferdinand calls this,

a most majestic vision, and

I~larmoniouscharmingly. (IV, 1, 92-03)
l'rospero realizes tho fertility of man's lifc and says

We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little lifc
Is rounded with a sleep. (IV, i, 131-134)
 Strangely enough it is only in The Tempest that Shakespcare
introduces thc classical clement. As (;enre C;c,rdon potnts out, "The
Tempest is singular among Shakcspcarc's plays for thc perfect regularity of its
smctun" "'lhe action of the play is presumably centred around an afternoon
and is expected to be completed by six in t11c cvcning. 'I'he classical unities of
time, place and action arc strictly adhered to. licmarkably Shakcspcarc uses a
r g d stmcture in a rclmance like The Tempest and into this world of romance
Shakespeare deftly weaves a very closely knit structural desihm. 'l'hc device of
r e t r o s p v e namtion is carehlly uscd by Shakcspcarc to reveal the events of
the past in Prospero's life and present a situation where I'rospcro is in Full
control of this storm in a bid to subjugate all his enemies who had been
perfidow. In the story of Prospero's expulsion, ewl strikes both at the roots of
the human stability- As head of the state he was the parantor of that degree
by which alone society can prosper and the unity of the family ro overthrow the
natural order of things. As Traversi points out, "In casting I'rospcro with his
daughter onto the open scene, Antonio transgressed both against the Duke of
Milan and his own b r ~ t h e r . " ' ~

The Tempest fits very well into the general and hlstoncal approach wlth
16 argument that these thcmcs of, 'reconcdiahon through a younger generation'
belong to an actual hetoncal sltuat~onm whtch I'mcc I i c n y and his sister were
seen as hopeful figures of this kind. o n l y a daughter and her lover represent the
 216

young hwtieratlon 111 The Tempest. Mtranda has no brothc,r, nor 1ndcc.d have
I'crdita or Manna Only Imohwn has brothers.

I;rank Kcrmodc, the Shakea+an critic was a plonccr in poirittng t o

h

1 Icilry (:ornclius Ag-ippa as a powcr bchind I'rospcro's ;trt "l'n)spero as a

inag~s,"feels Kermode, "cscrciscs a discipline. crf virn~ousknowledge; his art is
achieven~entof an intellect pure and conjomcct with thc po\L1ers of the gods
uithout which we shall never happily ascend t o the scrutiny o f secret thiilgs,
and to thc powcr of arondcrful urorking~."'~'I'hc play is full of hwacc and
p J c u r and as William f-iazlitt says, "'l'he human arid tmry:mary characters, the
dramatic and the grotesque, are blended togcther with the greatest art, and
without any appearance with it." "
Learning is a major theme in the play and we understand that
hliranda is capable o f it and Caliban not capable. 'I'herc is a plan of the place
of learning in the dispositions of I'rovidence. I'rospero like Adam fell from his
kingdom by an inordinate thirst for knowledge, but learning is a Lqcat aid to
virtue, thc road by which we love God I%ospcro and Miranda come assured by
'Providcncc Ilivinc'. I'rospcro has achieved the great object of lcaming and
regained a richer heritage. 'l'here is nothing remarkable about Prospero's

ambition to rcpin his own kingdom and strengthen his house by a royal
rnarriqrr. As ];rank Kermodc fct.ls,"to be studious and contcmplativc, but also

to be able to translate knowledge into power in the active life was the object of

I'rospero's discipline." "

Northrop t;ryc classifies the tendency to contain the action of the

 2 17

play within 'the shadow o f an older gcncrat;on' ;is a structural d c ~ k ccommon

to all Shakespearean romances. I Ic claims that, "cvi.rything in The Tempest
is subordinatcd to the return of I)rospcro.""

'Ihc rcco\.cty of I'rospcro's dukedom parcllels 1'c.riclc.s' rcunlon with

'Ihnsa and Irontcs' reconcdiatic,n with I lcnnionc. /Is (:liSford Siskin says, "if
l'rospero's reward is to bc as revivifying, then a hvcat deal of strcss rnust be
placed on thc political sikmificance of thc plot. 'l'he (:alil~an. Stcphanc~-
'I'rinculo and Antonio - Sebastian conspiracie~undoubtedly rc-enact the cvents
in Milan turelvc years earlier, pwvidtng Prospcro with his opportunity to
demonstrate convincingly hls ncw political acumen.">

The Tempest is not merely a plausible fairy talc or a supernatural

allegory. I t is a profound revelation of the marvels of existence and of the
moral enlightenment to be derived from the perceptions of those marvels. The
Tempest showing us the life unclouded by the relative considerations of time
and spacc, is peculiarly able to reveal to us something at least of essential
existence, something of the wonders of the world before us. Miranda and
Prospero have Ieamcd to look on their world as a harmonious composition of
natural and supernatural eltmcnts and to live in peaceful accord with the varied
foxes at work a b u t them. Miranda serenly accepts her father's marvellous art
as part of the schtme of think-, and sees in the every day mcn of the outer
world a strangeness and beauty that arc almost divine.

Prospm also has achieved true greatness of soul through his life on

the island. For twelve long years he has breathed its transparent atmosphere
 218
retaining its contact with reality through his own rnemurics and thn)ugh

Miranda, laying hold o n sky and earth, Aricl and (hliban ;wd constantly
deepening his own perceptions by mcditat~onover his prentuls volumes. 'l'his
discipline has increased his p w c r and his wisdom tcn fold, Out it has increased
his goodness also. I'rospero's potent art is never cscrtcd sclftshly and he IS

animated throughout by r~oblerreason. 'l'hc vcly first tvords he speaks in thc

play arc spokcn t o @ve comfort to his daughter,

'I'here 1s no harm donc ....

1 have done norhing but in carc uf thee
O f thee my dear one, thee tny daughter
As Nclson Shenvtn IZushnell rightly says, "the nchcst fruct of the
renascence of wonder m the court years is the moral regeneration whtch it
accomplishes. In this doubly- blessed island, things that seemed foul in thc
work a day world are revealed as fair as I'rospcru's own mtsfortune, whlch bore
him great happiness... not all the erring and vicious charactcrs c~pcricnccthis

It is very evident that The Tempest preaches no permanent

detachrncnt from human affairs. ?'he wonderful island, having revealed the
vision of life, has done its work, and the isiandcrs and the visitors returned to
the familiar world taking their vision with them. 'l'he characters sccmed to be
cxpcri~rtcingthe r c a d i c n k g of the wonder, followed by moral conversion and
a vitaliscd rcturn to red life. As Sushnell points out, "the audience and the
reader g) through thc process ofreawakening; first reconciled by thc natural to
the supernatural by its naturalness and beauty, we learn to perceive a miraculous
nature of red events as the characters in the play, and we cjursclves feel the
 2 10
scale drop from our moral V I S I ~ I I...
I The Tempest is r, ~I lcr
t his ultimatc
achievement in prcscnting thc natural \vorld and the ~ u p c r ~ i ; ~ t hide
i ~ ~ ;by
i I SIJC,
in stressing the essential vdidib of tach, ;lnJ tn ech,,ir.~gthe iticffiible
sphere-musics that ansc from their harmonious inter play." "

I'rospcro IS the noblest conc-rptlon o f the m;igic character that hiis

ever entcrcd into the mind of a poct. 'l'hc strlrv o f I'ro.;pcro tn The Tempest
is not presented direct to the rcadcr. As 'l'lllyard says, "an csccrrtlvr work,
Shakcspearc chove a method new to himself but rcpeatcd later by Milton in
Samson Agonistes, t Ic began his action at a point in thc story that thc story
was wtually over; and he included the total story either by narrative in the past
or by re enacting samples of it."."

In the first act of The Tempest the mature I'ro\pero inakcs a sihnuficarit
use of the present tense when hc refcrs to use his maFc books as

Volumes that
I praise abovc my Ilukedom.
Hy the end of the play, he prefers his rctum t o Mllan, he has both
forgiven his enemies and abjured his 'rough magc'.

'['he exact relation between I'rospero of Jury and his forgiving needs is
to Ix. settled. It is also arped that if I'rospero's initial project illvolvcd recovery

of his Dukedom, it did not necessarily require him to abandon his mapc. I t is
dequatcly to be explained why Prospero who prized his m q c at the bcginnlng

found it 'rough' at thc tnd. If by 'rough' Prospero means us to understand that

he is experiencing a strong sense of self disbwst, then it is also taken to mean
 220

that his magical project will not proceed. I f 'rough' simply means unrcfincd,
then his abjuration docs not indicate any sense of repulsion o r failure. tiis
project is undergoing a metamorphosis, and will be succ-cssfullv attaincd
through the substyucnt exercise o f mow refined means I:mnk Kcrtnode argues
that I'rospero's 'rough ma$ is rough simply bccausc 11 1s ~rnsettledby
comparison with the next degree of the magic. I'rospcro shares his magic and
proceeds to only those clemcnts which are consistent with \vhitc magic .

11s a man I'rospero is caught in thc f;imiliar Rcnaissancc tiichotomy

behveen the bcasts and the angels. I Ic also enjoys a m~ddlcstatc and a de&wcc
of nobility uniquc in thr cham of being. I-lis ftecwill ei~ableshim either to

ascend towards the angels or to degenerate towards the beasts. 'l'his dilemma
is well exemplified in The Tempest in the implied contrast between (Ialiban
and h e l . Cahban occupies the hstral end of the scale \vhile Aricl approximates
to the angelic end. A concrete sense in which man's middle naturc is defined in
the moral terms in The Tempest, expresses a conflict between his I-Ioly
Guardian Angel and his malevolent demon. 'l'hc whole philosophy is overtly
Christian. Prospero's final acknowledgwment of Caliban as a 'thing o f darkness'
has moral overtones that seem to associate Caliban's bestiality with a propensity
for e d . As Cosmo Corfield believes, 'the important thing to extract as reburds
I'rosperi,'s rnqjc, is that it is possible to see his state as one suspended not just
h m e t q beast mhrt'l but also between evil and good, just as Anel represents
his aspiration towards bwod."'J

?he fundamental aspiration of Prospero towards the gods is

dramatically charactcrised in The Tempest in terms of a dlalcctic between
 22 1
Uiban's association with thc clcmcnl cart11 and hncl's connection with alr.
Arid is frw o f (:aliban's contaminating earthiness. :\s (:orfirid s;iys. "/\tic1 1s
subodnatc t o I'rospcro but in a sense his insubstantial~t!.makes him supcnor
to I'n)spc.ro's confining inatcriali ty... hticl is o i the \vor;J rhal I'uospero is

aspiring to and cont;iins part of it. A \\lay of ;iccounting for the str;inbv \u.istful
that 12rid's parting shows,i:i that I'rospcro longs for the fcccdoni hc is ablrb to
give Ariel but is unable tc t claim I-or himscl

I'royxro b\ riaturc tran\formc man'\ rliilurc into true human nature.

I~rosplroassumes 6)J'ncad not t o revenge but to forpve 11s the king's retlrluc
learns rcpcntancr, Anel, lo whom human fcclinp drc not attnbutcd, 1s moved

by the sight.

1'n)spero alms at the rcgcneration of thc noble characters, and all his

actions arc a continuous movement towards this unforeseen end. The

Tempest is full of symmetrical episodes. As a rcvcngcr, I'rospcro assumes the
power of godhead, setting himself up as a substitute t o godhead. What is more

conc~telpconvincing is that Ariel seems partly responsible for the change in

I-'msp,'s mind, the change which leads to forpvcncss. Magic ts all pcn-asive

in The Tempest. As C:.J.Scisson says "wc may bc tempted to read into The
Tempest a symbolic representation of the world in which god, o r providence,
cxe&es direct rule by constant intenrcntion in the pcrsoii of I'rospcro -
I'rospero is all fx,werfu] and all knowing and 1s moved by Lcnevolcnce in his
gr -,cvity, like the love of p d . Hc is capable of anger, cvcn as the wrath of

god may turn to the punishment of cvd. Just~ccI~csIn hts hands alone, thc
l m q of divine lustlce in direct operation, free from thc all unccrtalnltlrs o f
 222
human justice even u, deleyrtion from god to hng and f n ~ mking to mapstrates
and iudges.""

The Tempest also offers a wider perspective oi'ltfc wherein evil

though quite powerful is thrown into sig~ificancc.Antonio who had usurped
I'rospero's throne in the paqt has now come under the control of I'tospero and
is at the mercy of his own enemy. J-;vil is thus reduced to a hclpless state. (;ood
in The Tempest has been symbolised by !'rosperofs mapjc which is the
illustration of the power of knowledge. Aricl, who is the epistemologtcal
instrument and executive officer of I'rospero helps the latter to know the
diabolical plans and intentions of his detractors and prevent the same. Good
expresses itself in Prospero's magic which gives him supreme control over
Antonio, Sebastian, Alonso, Stcphano and l'rinculo. Prospero evidently can do
and undo things and harass his enemies and takc revenge upon them. But he
does not do that. Once the conflict between good and evil is resolved by the
viurnph of good over evil, the q c factor has been absorbed by the whole or

epic pattern. As Basavaraj S. Naikar says, "The Tempest shows the tragic
pattern in its retrospective narration or indirect action and highlights the post
tragc and hence epic course of events. Prospero, with his magc has negated
the negative forces of the evil embodied in Antonio and has started the r e i p
of right~)usness.Good, which has dcfeated and enervated evll, upholds its own
transcendental values of life."36

Prospen) is closer to h e 1 than he is to us. But since Ariel's capacity for

motional closeness is as insubstantral as Ariel's nature, Prospero's dealings with
hYn evince sterility whenever they cross emotional thresholds. Evil plays an epic
function in the play in that t bccomes an inevitable mstrumcnt of good.

'I'heodore Spencer points out, "In The Tempest whenever cvtl remains
impotent, goodness returns to action. I lcrc as in all thc last pI.~ys,there is a

rebirth, a return to life, a heightened, almost symbolic awarenrss of the beauty

of normal humanity after it has bccn purged of evil, a blcsscd reality under thc
cvil of appearance." "

Prospero's irnpliat admission that his magic has undernounshed his

humanity, depends of course, upon his first accephng that humanity. 'l'he all
embracing 'we are such stuff includes himself, he puts himself back mto the

category of humanity, painfullly accepting his mortality himself and the reality
of death ...

Our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.

Prospero's crisis speech according to Cosmo (;orfield, "accepts his

vision of perfectability for whar it is..- Pisgah ~i~&t."~"andwitchedbetween
Anel's pursuasive appeal to I'rospero's humanity and the magician's decision to

forgive his enemy is this address to Anel:

I Iast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling of their

afflictions, and shall not myself,
Onc of their kind, that relish all as sharply, passion as they, be
kindlier mov'd them thou art?
?'bough with their high wrongs I am struck to
The quick, Yet with my nobler reason against my fury
Ilo I take part the rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance . (T.T, Act V, Sc,l, L.22-30)
 224
In this crisis speech, l'n~spcwimplies his humaniq and his kinship with
diurnal reality. Since he cannot proceed to cncrgisc 1n the gods 'he rnust
reencrgise with his humanity.'

As I'rof. Spalding says, "such.... was Sh;lkespcare's solutton of the

perplexing problem of the evil. It is for man's ultimate bcncfit that I~Icawnhas
admitted evll into the world. In making uneasy man's attainment o f rational
narure, evil is destined to reinforce and invigorate it. lloomed finally to perish,
yet evil must for a while have its heavenly part to play in the \vodd; and a world
of sinless perfection must be possessed no more than a common joy."'"

When I'rospero has achieved a perfect control over his enemies, he

steals a march over them by following a highcr and nobler path of thought,
feeling, and action. I'rospero's behaviour is inspired by sublime ethics and
highest kind of idealism. Far from taking revenge upon his enemies, he wants
to forgive them. When Prospero feels that his enemies have been adequately
punished with the consequent insecurity, he pities them and asks Aricl to bring
them before him. His consummate maturity and sublimity is evident in his
words;

'I'he rarer action is

In virtuc than in venbyancer

Even though I'rospero's forgvcness and abluratlon reprcsent a sincerc

expression of the reunion wlth the world, tt 1s a reunion that 1s only
approached, not reality.

?he effectiveness of The Tempest as a play requires some measure

 225
of assent to bc given by the audience to this portrait o f a magician. Othcnvisc
it is a pure fantay, on the lcvel o f modem pantomin~c.Certainly John 1)rydcn
has no doubts upon the subject when he cotncs t o translate T h e Tempest Into
the idiom of his own day;

I must confess I was bold, nor would you know

'I'hat liberty to vulgar wits allo\v,
Which works by magic supernatural thmg,
But Shakespeare's power Is savcd as a kmg's
Those legends from old priesthood wcrc received,
And he the writ, as people then believed.
(Ilavenant-Ilryden, T h e Tempest,lln~lope)

As C.J. Sisson says, "The Tempest lives and moves throughout magic.
Prospero is a magician and conjurer, with all the implements of the professional
practitioner, a book of secret magc learning, a magic staff, and a magic robe
like that donned by subtle magician in his dcalings with his victims. I Ie has the
spirit at his command, with power over the olements, the wind and the scas.
Like Oberon in Greene's James the Fourth he can spellbind men from
moving, a known power of witchcraft. And magic music waits upon him.""'

It is felt that one of the sources for The Tempest is probably Isaiah
Chap XXIX.

"Ye're out, then there is not one.

My lave's Labour (I-low I came to write it, I know not)
Is nearest to lawfull Issue. My Tempest how 1 came to
write that, I know is in some part my own stuff."
Kudyard Kipling, Proves of Holy Writ
 .Ihe
. verses Kipling happens to choose, for their Shakespearean
splcndour of phrase, signify the words from the altar 1300li of Isaiah. "l'hc
Ebrcw word Acne1 signifieth the altar because the altar srctru to devour the
sacrifice that was offered to God.' It a much casicr to imagine Shakespeare
being struck with the sound, heard from 111 a church reading, for instance, than
to envisage him diggng thc name out o f a marginal note frc~tnthe Bible.
Shakespeare would have attended church regularly as the law demanded. 'The
laws insisting upon attendance at church ufcre persistently enforced by the
authorities and "it is not likely that the member of a company of I.,ord
Chamberhe of players which occu~icdso conspicuous a position and enjoyed
such &stingushed patronage would compromise himself and his company by
refusing to inform to the law of the land."4'The relevance of the prellel can
best be seen retrospectively. As Ann Pastemak Slater says, "The two tests agree
in their shared dramatic movement from sin, to punishment involving a trans
llke state, to the final coming of understanding, justice and joy."42

The striking number of parellels and variations, strongly suggest that

this chapter had some influence on the creation of the play. Several verses from
the book of Isaiah strike at the heart of thc play, presenting in a concise form,
the motto. At first The Tempest merely echoes incidents and phrases from the
opening verses of the book of Isaiah, by the second half of the chapter and the
relationship becomes more fundamental until it seems that thc themes of
Isaiah's prophecy take on a dramatic form in thc play, so that the last act in the
play has as its text the last verses of Isaiah. As A.I'.Slater points out "it is
almost as though Isaiah Chap. XXIX were the lesson, and The Tempest, a
dramatic sermon embodying its theme." '"'l'he lkshop's Bible was authonsed
by Episcopate for church reading, and thts is the most likely clatmant to
Shakespcarc's attention, if he heard the chapter rathcr than rcad rt 'I'he
authoriscd version was only published in 1611 and the differences between the
C;encva and the bishop's Biblc arc slight after the first verse.

The Tempest is full of unearthly sounds and recchos with Ariel's

invisible voice. later Alonso describes the low voice of the conscience troubling
him. ?'his speech of Alonso is very near to thc 3rd verse of Isaiah tn chap.
XXIX, where he describes the flame of consuming fire. 'l'he fourteenth verse,
"the wisdom of their wisemen shall perish, and understanding of the intclltgent
shall vanish," immediately suggests Prospero's abjuration of his magic, burnt,
buried and drowned, just as 'wisdome shall perish and be hid,'

1 will break my staff,

Bu it certain fathoms in the earth,
7'
An deeper than did ever urnmet sound.
I will drown my book $k,V,i,l54-57)

The closing passag- of Isaiah XXIX sums up the end of The Tempest
as Prospero's charm begins to work, and understanding dawns on Alonso and
his company. Prospcro echoes the words, 'the charrn dissolves space... I'rospero
is merciful and Shakespeare's justice is not that of Isaiah, as from his earliest
plays he harped from the principle that 'the rarcr action 1s in vime than
vengeance'. l'his is triumphantly dramatised by I'rospero when he discloses the
children, Ferdinand and Miranda, absorbed at their 'game of chess.' As Slater
points out, "What more apposite last m o m could there be for The Tempest,
than the closing words of the XXIX chapter of Isaiah. They also that have
 228
bccn of an erroneous spirit, shall comc to ilndcrstanding, and that they havc
been scornful shall learn doctrine. 'l'his is thc vcry illurnmation ~\?orkcdby
Prosper<),and his own words echo Isaiah.'"

Shakespearean historians also rcfcrrcd to thc !,onp spcctficd for

morning servicc on December 8th during Shakespeare's year of ~vrittngThe
Tempest. This is the 8th I'salm o f I)av~d,In thc sercner certainty of this last
play of Shakespeare, the I'sdmist's praise is reaffirmed by M~randa,and her
enlightened and innocent vision rs the starttng point wtth which the play closes:

0 Wonder !
How many goodly creatures are thcre here ?
t Iow beauteous mankind is ? 0 brave ncw world
That has such people in it. (T.T.V, i, 1 181-183)

The dramatic situation in The Tempest is similar, as Shakespeare

involves several of his characters in the elucidations and actions which touch
the very foundations of man's moral nature. 'I'he conspirators' evil IS blunted
by Pmspero's power and they arc pointedy included in cach of the purgatorial
experiences which the magician arranges, and Antonio is ultimatcly forgiven,
perhaps the supreme form of law in that he is forgiven before he requests it.
These cvil doers are told that unregenerate, a lingering perdition and heart
sorrow will attend their ways stcp by stcp. Alonso, Antonio and Scbastian arc
described as realistic characters motivated to uncontroltable passion- jealousy,
murder, ambition and avarice, condoling political usurpation. As 1,arry
S.Champion says, "so total is the mqcian's control that the spectators' primary
h t m s t is in Prospero's attitude towards and ultimate intentions concerning his

captives." 45
 229
Very early in the play it bccomes clear that his intention is t o forgive
his cncmics and to lntroducc his daughter to normal socict)i and thc bliss of
marital love. There is rcally no differcncc in thc tone of his actic,tl. in Act V,
cven when he insists on applying noblc reasons to his cncn~ics,

I do forgive thee
Unnatural though thou art. (T.T.V,i,l 78-82)

Pmspen,'s passion is all too human, as he lashes out in bittcrncss and his
mortality is reflected in his recopition of life as unsubstantial and transitory,
soon to melt 'into thin air'. I'rospero stands bctwecn time and eternity.
Shakespeare adds a warmth to I'lato's wisdom and thc scene over which he
presides is alive with all the desires and the ambitions of humanity. As Peter
Alexander points out, "Prospcro's knowledgt and powers placc him in one way
outside the drama as a character like Hamlet cannot be; yet l'rospero is in
another way as deeply involved. In him is embodied the view characterstlc of
the old age of another philosopher; the affairs of men are not worthy of great
seriousness though we must be serious about them." J6

The play is among Shakespeare's most profound as it is one of the

highest productc of human endeavour. Such was the commitment of authority
to these plays which were also practised at the Inns of Court. 'I'he popular
custom of the Christian feacts that parenthetically enclose the Chnstian season,
as well as thosc of 'l'hc 'l'wclve Days proper, had an inextingulshably pagan
play, though in Endand the paganism of hallowmas of All Saints Day was
probably u much British as Rome. As John B.Bender remarks, "The church
had sought to Christianise pagan celebrations rather than setting the new feast
 230
entirely upon and honouring them in distinctive ways .... 'l'hc p a s s a p selected
to honour the Anglican feast o f All Saints' emphasize the rcasscrtion or
resurrection of (iod." "

In Shakespeare's time the Book of Common Prayer sct down for

ordinary days a cycle of scriptural rcadit~gsthat ~ystctnaticall~
proclaimed
virtually the entire Bible to panshoners tach year. 'l'hese texts preach the verity
of mc.)ral absolutes amid the confusion uf the daily existence, and the
providential moment of natural forces. 'l'hcy assert that lives have final
meaning, summary moments and lost chances. As Bender says, "They arc
scriptures, but from a literary point of view they arc essentially a romantic; the
literary consequence of their world view is but what we call romance." 4R

All Saints Scripture is The Tempest's providence divine which offers

Pmspcro a unique chance to astonish enemies who have considered him dead,
to gain power over them, and recoup a kingdom, rncar~whilelearning for

himself the meaning of death without actually suffering it.

Strachey is right in saying that it has often been wildly asscrted that
Prospero is the portrait of thc author, an embodiment of that spirit of wise
benevolence which is supposed to have thrown a hollow over Shakespeare's
Iatcr life. Temporality and finally, recognition and reversal, these are the
copites and the tonality of the morning of All Saints'in 1611. Although in the
end I'rospero leaves the awful burdens of vengeance to God, he reveals like the
wriprural volces, in the pleasure of vindication occasioned by higher authority
and contemplates vcwance as the comic denouncement of the suffering
 23 1
csistcncc.

'I'hc 149th I'salm selected for spcc~alrcpctition as Introit :it ilnglioan

I loly Communion on All Saints,' rcTrcsents the simplest possrblc d~stillationof
this paradosicd sense of joy issuing out of a tragic past and out of the
sufferings of others.

Frank Kermode in his 11rdcn cdttlon o f The Tempest finds many

analog~csto the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus both In I'rospcro's 'revels'
speech and his lines on the predtcamcnt of vlrt~~c.
AsJohn U.Bendcr remarks,
"in Prospro The Tempest pints a character whose supcrnarural po\Licrs and
contradictory aspects show as much of Judco Christian divinity as dramatic
credibility will allow... the storm &splays his elemental Jehovah -like wrath, and
the middle of the play shows a balance of human traits with god-like
omniscience. Only in the end does Prospero embrace simple humanity." "

Evil is not an unchallenged dictator in The Tempest as it is in a

tragedy. It expresses itself in the inhuman ambition of Antonio, who wants to
rob Prospero, his brother of his liingdom. It is obvious that evil is never
unalloyed as it is always accompaincd by good, The play offers a wider
perspective of life wherein evil though powerful is thrown into insi.gmificance.
Ariel is the cpistimological instrument and executive officeal)rospcro hclps him
to know the evil plans 2nd intentions of his enemies and prevent the samc.
prospert, ob"iously presents a vcry high stature which makes him an epic hero
whose heroism is spiritual. The Tempest, therefore affirms from the Christian
fashion, the transcendental values like love, charity, repentance, compassion,
 232
fratemiv and hpvuness which arc all symbolired ihu psaem rnumph
of good over evil.

'Ihc pursuit ofthe higher values like J'rospcro's (;)WVCnCSS alld

compassion LXISUKX thc highest kind of happtness of m:l.n and a sense o f
fu1fimc.t in lift. Prosper0 also is in a way to bc enlightened by his own
vision which gives him an elevated view o f life. As I laxelton Spcnccr says, "in
The Tempest the entire scheme of th~ngsis w~clcrthe consideration of a &*cat
mind. Naturally the conclusions are not espn~seclin matht.tnatic;il symbols but

in artistic symbols. One crcator surveys the work of anothrr, on the whole he
hds it good though his warmest enthusiasm is rescrved for that portion of it
known as human nature. Like Beethovan, he modestly restricts himself to
composing Finalc of a nineth symphony with Pericles and The Winter's Tale.
+.
I his last great dream unites, not in a Paean to wordly pleasure or content or
happiness or even hope, but in an odc to joy comparable only to that of othet
titans."

It is commonly believed that Shakespeare's own voice is directly heard

Pmsperols speeches. "fie theme of The Tempest is not the refusal - it is the

purification and rcnewal of thc world. The sea which was the instrument of
c-e was not in a single stroke the agent of redemption since it gave

13rospero the opportunity to practise and perfect his pacl. As spaeight says,
"Miranda is the image of a disciplined, not a sentimental innocence. She will

Imd no ,-dorRomsaevist fantasia of natural pcrfcction. If she is immaculate,

it is because she has been taught the way, if she has the spontaneity of nature

irself, it is a nature that has becn schooled in pee.""

 234

cclcbratcd thcrr betrothal and nature has bccn rcdccmcd on thc. Shakespearean
unlvcrse. Authotiq h;ls k e n restored. I'rospcro, the philosopher-ling so stcrn
and solitary, so little given to forgveness returns to the community of men. 'I'he
key word of thc 'I'empcst 'pace' is last heard on the 11ps of (:allban. The
Tempest is thc end of thc greatest effort of creative genius

I1.C;. James notes that, "the sea.. bnngs t o Shakespeare's tsland all its
characters mcluduy: Atiel and Callban, thc first the servant, the second the child
of Sycorax; Prospm in his affirmation of the dependence of overt life of man
and human socrety upon a rapt, secret, unworldly Itfe; Antonio aware only of
wordhess, without innocence and poetry of primitive man, but having all his
cunning, hatred, Ferdinand and Mranda, embodying the hope without which
we couldn't live and Ariel and Caliban... it is these which dominate
Shakespeare's delineations, in the form of dream or summary symbol of human
life."53 This is to show that the island symbolises the all inclusiveness, the
complexity, the meaning and beauty of life.

The world of Prospcro's art is opposed to Caliban's nature. Caliban

represents nature without the benefit of nurture. According to Kerrnode,
"Caliban is the ground of the play. I Iis h c t i o n is to illuminate the contrast, the
world of art, nurture, civrlity; the world which nonethcless noutishes the
malicious Antonio, the guilt of Alonso, and stains the Jivinc beauty with the
crimes of ambition and lust. 'Ihere is the possibility of purgation, and thc tragc
comic theme of the play, the happy shipwrcck that which we accept, a
punishment against evil is but a medicine against evil- is the means to this
end.lt5'
 235

'Ihough l'rospcro's book is a repository of the occult lore, books alone

are not controlling forces. 1'n)spcro's white magic is a command over nature
attained through an understanding of its phcnomcnon and an tnflucncc over
the spirits that link them to heir comspondcnts in this world. As I larry l ~ ~ v i n
points out, "whereas thc plan of The Tempest would conform t o the
l'yrarnidical structure that Shakespeare favoured, rising to its apes in the third
act, where the Iovcrs light their tmth while the spirits confirmed both the royal
party and thc clownish plotters. 'lhe rcst o f thc play has the falling cadence of
resolution, reconciliation and celebration... Shakespeare's plots have parellel and
symmetricism, in relating the two secondary plots, the main one is
consummated h ~ r e " . ~ ~

Prospero has reached the b h e r level of moral attainment. I-Ie has now
total sympathy and serenity. He gives up his magic, being thoroughly assured
of his plans progressing his cherished goal. As Victor IIugo says,"the play
transports us to an enchanted land where the sentence of damnation is
absolved of clemency, and where reconciliation is ensured by amnestry to the
patricide. And at the close of the piece, when the poet touched by emotion,
throws Antonio into the arms of Prospero, he has made Cain pardoned by
Abe1."56In Prospcro through spiritual exercise and self control, the good has
triumphed over evil. I;inally Prospro sets Ariel free and returns to Milan. Like
Christ hc assures all,

I'll deliver all,

And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales. (V, i, 312-313)
Prospero links the play's vision with the contemporary theological
 236
framework so as to share the personal cspcricncc with thc aud~cncc.I Ic wants
thc audience to p~rticipatcin the act of prayer that will brtng down mcrcy and
redemption on both the praycr and prayed for.
'I'hc epilopc is said to be Shakespeare's farewell to thc 1,ondon stage.
Prospcto, the pardoner, asks pardon,

As you from crimes would pardoned he,

Idctyour indulgcncc set mc free, (V,I, I :pllopc, 18-20)

Charles Cowdcn Clark remarks, "but with all our admiration and
sympathy, we perforce must acknowledge Prospcro to be of a revengeful
nature. 1 Ie has not the true social wisdom And he only leams Christian wisdom
from his servant Ariel. Beyond judgement is yet another purpose-
As Traversi says, "the old order broken by the disruptive entry
re~ondiation."~'
of passion into what had been the deepest natural relationships, need to be
restored on the f m e r basis ~rovidedby a wider experience. The instrument of
r~conciliationas in The Winter's Tale is to be the love spontaneously born in
the children of the very fathers whose friendship passion had destroyed." 5"

The keynote of the whole play which Anel comes to emphasize is

judgement Only when the good and evil in human nature have beeen
understood and separated, will reconciliation and restoration of harmony take
place. Shakespeare's last plays throw an increasing stress upon the Christian
concept of penitence. The Tempest with its insistence upon ideas of penance
and amendment that only follow from an acceptance of a personal, spiritual
conception of Destiny, is concealed as nothing less than a counterpoise to this
tragc process of ruin. Even in the moment of triumph, I'rospero remembers
 237

the claims of judbwment Not all the courtiers bebrc him can be cxpcctcd to
movc in the same moral plane. (bnzalo, expressly dcscribcd in rcl~gousterms
as 'holy and honourable' is also capable of cntcnng into a new world of grace,

and so 1s Alonso purified by rcpcntancc of ha Former s~nfulncss As Gcorgc

(:ofbin Toylar says, "the conventions of Shakespearean comedy almost and
always demand that however villainous any character may be, he must go
scotfree tn the end." 59

Shakespeare modulated the feelings of his audience from fear to love,

from anxiety to joy and from revenge to forgiveness Prospero has the unusual
abhty to control his mviroilment, to act out his will on the external world. The
delight he usually feels in his art is disrupted by thoughts of the mutability, not
only of his device but of all material things.

Prospero functions as the visions and oracles of the preceding romances,

and The Tempest itself is in this sense a vision for the audience as well as for
some of the characters of the play. As Kenneth J. Semon remarks, "in the final
scene of the play we find that we do not feel the joy, one is accustomed to feel
at the end of Shakespeare's othcr comedies and romances. We expeticnce the
same melancholy that Prospcro fecls and it is the result of his developing

awareness of the forces outside of his control. Finally wc are left like Prospero
mystery which remains outside of any art and beyond
to wonder at the esssscntuJ

the capabilities of almost any artist."6"

The Tempest therefore is a summing up of Shakespeare's crystallized

mystic vision of life.
1. Yates Franccs.A., Shakespeare's Last Plays - A New Approach,
(Routledge K c p n I1aul, 1975).,p.93
2 Bethell S.l.., Shakespeare and the Popular Dramatic Tradition, (King
Llr Staples, I,nndon, 1944), p.106
3 flugo, Victor., 'The Tempest' from The Reader's Encyclopaedia of
Shakespeare, Ed. Cambell & Quinn, 1066, p.861
4 'l'raversi, Dcrek., Shakespeare the Last Phase, (Koutlcdgc & Kegan
Paul), p. 194
5. Murray, I'atrick., The Shakespearean Scene, (J.ongman 1969) p.89
6. Naikar, Basavaraj.S., Shakespear's Last Plays, (Crrative, New Delhi
1Wl), p. 195
7. Murry ,hliddleton., Shakespeare, (New York, 1936), p.332
8. Traversi, Derek., Shakespeare the Last Phase, (Hollis & Carter, 1955,
Iandon), p. 194
9. James, D.G., Scepticism and Poetry, p.41)
10. Naikar, Hasavaraj.S., Shakespear's Last Plays, (Creative, New Delhi,
1991) p.196
11. Knight, Wilson., The Crown of Life, (Methuen, London, 1969), p.226
12. flugo, Victor., The Tempest from The Reader's Encyclopedia of
Shakespeare, (Ed. Campbell and Quine, 1966), p.861
13. Knight, Wilson., The Crown Of Life, (Mcthuen & Co, London, 1969),
p.24
14. Jbid., p.210
15. Ibid., p.23
16. Ibid p.242
17. Murray, Middleton., 'Shakespeare's Dream" from The Tempest, (A
case book, Mac Millan 1972), p.110
18. Warton, Joseph., 'Amazing Wildness of 1;ancy' from The Tempest (A
case book Macmillan, 1972), p.41
 239

19. 'l'raversi, llcrck., Shakespeare The Last Phase, (I lollis & Carter
I .ondon, 1955), p.204
20. liaukins John., from 'Shakespeare and the Nature o f Man,' Modem
Essays in Criticism, (OLJI', Ntwr York, 19(,l),p.412
21. I'hillips, J.li.,"The Tempest and the Kenaissancc Idea o f Man,' S.Q.,
Vo1.15, 1964, p. 1 52
22. Knight, Wilson., The Crown Of Life, ( Methuen, I.ondon, 1969), p.
220
23. Gordon, George, Shakesperian Comedy and Other Studies, p.86
24. 'I'raversi, Derek., Shakespeare The Last Phase, (t-Iollis and Carter,
London, 1955), p.210
25. Kermodc, ].'rank., The Tempest Introduction, (Harvard University
Press, 1954),p.XLViii
2B.Hazlitt, William., Characters of Shakespeare's Plays, 1817, p.4 ro
27. Kcrmode, Frank, The Tempest Introducriion, (Harvard University
Press, 1954),P.L.
28. Frye, Northrop., A Natural Perspective, (Newyork, 1965) p.87,88
29. Siskin, Clifford., 'Freedom and 1,oss in The Tempest', S.S.30, (CUI',
1977)~. 147
30. Hushnell, Sherwin Nelson., 'Natural and Supernahlralism in The
Tempest' (PMLAvol XLVii,1932);p.695
31. Ibid p.G98
32. 'l'illyard., E.M.W., Shakespeare's Last Plays, (Chatto and Windus,
London, 1938), p.50
33. (:orficld, Cosmo., 'Why does I'rospcro Abjure 'Rough Magic?,' S.Q
(Spring '85)p.34
34. Ibid p.36
35. Scisson C.J., "l'he Magic of IJrospero' S.S.11, 1969 p.76
36. Nailiar, Rasavaraj.S., Shakespear's Last Plays, (Creative, New Delhi,
1991) p.2113
 37. Spcnccr, 'l'hcodorc, 'I.., Shakespeare and The Nature of Man,
(Macmillan, New York, 1961), p.200
38. (;orfield, C:osmo; 'Why does I'rospero Abjure 111s rc,ugh M a p ?,' S.Q
(Spring 85) p.46

39. SpalLiing, K.A.J; The Philosophy of Shakespeare, (George Ronald,

1961), p. 176
40. Sisson, C.I., "Ihc Magic of Ptospero,' S.S.11, (ed. Allardycc Nicoll, I W),
p. 74
41. Bayne, Rev Ronald., 'Religion' in Shakespeare's England, (Oxford,
1916), p.75
42. Slater Ann Pasternak, 'Variations within a source: From Isaiah XXIX to
'The Tempest', S.S Vol.25(Cambridge 72), p.128
43. Tbtd., p.128
44. Ibid., p. 134
45. Champion S.Larry., The Evolution of Shakespeare's Comedies,
(HUP,Co, Massachusettes, 1970), p.176
46. Alexander Peter., A Shakespearian Primer, games Nisbet eL Co,
London, 1951), p.130
47. Bender, John, R.,'*I'hc Day of The Tempest,' (E.L.H., V.47., 1990),
p.239
48. Ibid., p.239
49. Ibid., p.243
50. Spencer, Hazlcton, The Art and Life of William Shakespeare, (Barnes
CL Noble, New York, 1970), p.374

51. Spaeight, Robert, Nature in Shakespearean Tragedy, (1 lollis and

Center, London, 1955), p. 156
52. Ibid., p. 159
53. James D.G., 'l'he Dream of I'rospero, (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1962),
p.151-152.
54. Kcrmode Frank., The Tempest ( I d . l larvard University I'ress,
Massachusets, 1954) p. XXV
55. I.evin Ilarry., "l'wo Magian (;omcdics: 'The Tempest' and 'The
Alchemist.'S.S., 22, 1969, p.53
56. I lug), Victor., The Tempest from The Readers Encyclopedia Of
Shakespeare, (Gd.(:arnpbcll ~ n (>umc,l906),p.861
d
57. Clark Charles Cowden., 'From 'I'hc Hulprian Origins of The Tempest'
of Shakcspcare bv I Ienry (;regoire., Studies in Philology, 38,
1940, p.256.
58. 'l'raversi llerek., 'The Tempest,' Scrutiny Vol.16, No.2, (CUI', 1963),
p. 132
59. Toylar George Cofbin., 'Shakespeare's usc of the tdeas of beast in man'
Studies in Philology, Vol XIXIii,1945, p.542
60. Semon J . Kenneth., 'Shakespeare's Tempest beyond a common joy,
EI ,I I. Vol 40, 1973 No. 1, Spring, p.43