Tempest
Monday's test: 20 multiple choice, 10 line identification, 20 essay on Cantor. (what? No pre-reading essays?)
Tuesday's test: Strands through the dates 10.1 to 11.11
Symposium discussion (bit tardy): If the theme of the play is power, what does Shakespeare have to say about it?
posted by erdecker @ 9:03 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Cantor makes the point, in his essay, that a recurring theme in Shakespeare’s tragedies is that wisdom and power can not coexist. For example, in King Lear power and wisdom are in open conflict. The Tempest deters from this them by having Prospero, a wise man, ending with power. Cantor justifies Shakespeare by saying "power and wisdom are reconciled, but the case is only an ideal, a dream." Therefore, Cantor says that The Tempest has the same theme saying power and wisdom can only be united in a dream with supernatural powers and "remarkable good fortune."
With the contrast between Prospero, and Gonzalo, Shakespeare illustrates the idea that power doesn't come to the idealist, moral, honest people. Power comes to those with the ambition to hurt others for one's own personal gain. Gonzalo did not want any harm to come to anyone, no soveriegnty, Prospero wanted as much power as he could achieve. Prospero didn't care if he made the King believe his son was dead, or that caliban was so completely oppresed, he cared only about regaining his position.
-beckster-
I believe that Shakespeare points out in The Tempest almost everyone desires power. From the beginning, Prospero is the controller of the entire island and basically what happens on the island through magic and manipulation. Ariel wants to be free of servitude from Prospero, to regain the power to control his own life. The story of how Prospero gets usurped from his brother. Also with the plots to kill those in power to gain control of the land shows the desire for power as well. With influence from Caliban, a primitive beast bent on revenge, it only took a suggestion to show the true colors of those who plan to kill.
Shakespeare shows the disgusting side of human desire, power. How people would want to do anything, murder, dishonoring family, manipulation, and so much more in order to obtain a social level or simply land. The only way one is to obtain power and express that power positively, is to be wise and not corrupt.
For the following, accept the idea that everyone wants power in some way or another as being true: Is power necessarily ruling over others? Caliban might not care at all who keeps society functioning on the island as long as he can indulge himself of his physical desires. Ariel wanted freedom more than anything else. He might see not having to answer to anyone as being power; controling one's own future.
I most certainly agree that Shakespeare wanted readers to understand that power and wisdom come together in highly rare situations. In the intrest of not repeating what has been stated, Shakespeare also seems to question the definition of what power may mean. It doesn't have to mean rule over subjects, maybe just rule over one's self.
He is shakin' up that paradigm.
-Adam Kephart
Shakespear showed how power is a privelege and responsibility. Prospero had the privlege of being the Duke of Milan until he irresponsibly, slowly gave his powers to Antonio and thus Antonio accepted and gained the privelege of becoming the Duke and respnsibly took care of the affairs of the state. Prospero was responsible and honest in his power over ariel and kept his word in letting him free in the end. Shakespear showed the greed for power through antonio and sebastian. He portrays them as cruel and shows how they'll go to any length to have the priveledge of power.
(With the idea of this being Shakespeare's farewell to the world and theater) Assuming that Shakespeare parallels himself to Prospero, the context in which the quote "we are such stuff as dreams are made of" proves telling. It is almost like Shakespeare admits that all he has done is fabrication. Though his work has been done with the "backdrop" of a theater (bad pun...), he has still manipulated people. Arguably, his manipulations have been for the enjoyment of others and not devious schemes, but he seems to be admitting it. The power Shakespeare wielded throughout his life in theater is ephemeral and "rounded with sleep." All the power he had will fade, dissolve. If this is a humble statement, he seems to be relinquishing his power.
Alyssa
The Tempest is a guide to power and ruling just as much as The Prince was. The only difference is that Shakespeare encodes his teachings within a story. He shows how all people can be goverened, either through bribing with material goods or threats of restriction of freedom. He demonstrates the need for a balance between study and involvement in political affairs. He provides methods of gaining and holding power, such as marriage and forgiving so as to put others in your debt for later use. He addresses the prospect of rebellion and answers it with "if the leader is a weak, foolish one, allow the rebellion to continue to a point that when you squash it, the leader is thoroughly humiliated in their foolishness." Sure, Prospero was able to carry out all these actions because his situation was ideal, but nonetheless rulers could take just as much counsel of how to rule from The Tempest as they could from The Prince.
Going off of what Alyssa said about Shakespeare paralleling himself with Prospero, I really liked how he incorporated his other plays into this one. I thought it was very clever to intertwine them, and now I can see the similarities between The Tempest and his other plays.
Sibley
Shakespeare sends us the message that power, no matter how noble a person intends to be in using it, can easily corrupt. In The Tempest, Shakespeare seems to speak through Prospero. Prospero obviously has all the power in the story and is able to control the other characters to achieve his own ends. Although Prospero claims that he is using his power for the good of everyone, I still found that he was being self-serving in his actions. The only other characters who represented power in the story were Antonio, Alonso and Sebastian, the usurpers. They also represented the corrupt side of power and the consequences of greed.
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