Play of the Month: The Tempest

I just completed studying my sixth Shakespeare play: The Tempest. Initially considered a comedy, the work was later categorized as a romance, so now I've experienced my third genre of Shakespeare's plays, after tragedy and comedy.

I chose this play because it's one of Shakespeare's most studied works in the Western world, though it's little known in my country.  I don't know why it's so but even I myself had never heard of it until recently. 

Then, as part of my pre-study research, I was surprised to learn that the play, exceptionally rich in its themes and symbolism, is one of Shakespeare's most adapted works, and is a must read for undergraduates with an English literature major in the US and the UK. The story begins with Prospero, Duke of Milan, who was too absorbed in his books, losing his dukedom to his brother Antonio. So it starts with a tragedy in which Prospero is forced into exile on a deserted island with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda, crying in his arms. No one lives on the island except the enslaved fairy Ariel and the mooncalf Caliban, the son of Sycorax, who died before Prospero and Miranda arrived

Twelve years later, a ship carrying the King of Naples, the Duke of Milan, and their entourage sails near the island. In his quest for revenge, Prospero uses magic to conjure a tempest, and with Ariel’s help, all the crew and passengers on the ship are enchanted as if they were experiencing a deadly storm.  Ferdinand, prince of Naples jumps into the sea and swims ashore. Then, led by the music of the invisible Ariel, Ferdinand runs into Miranda, and the two hit it off at their first glance of each other. A courtly romance follows, which is why the play is re-categorized as a romance.

I was most amused by the dialogues between Caliban, Trinculo (the jester to Alonso, King of Naples), and Stephano (Alonso's drunken butler). For that reason, the play felt like a great comedy to me!

Another comedic episode I equally enjoyed was the bet between Antonio and Sebastian about who was more talkative: the old cock (Gonzalo, the honest old councillor ) or the cockerel (Adrian,  a lord of King Alonso). I especially loved Gonzalo's speech about ruling a utopia, which highlights his exceptional positivity compared to the others, who survived their imagined shipwreck

I was amazed by the dialogues between Miranda and Ferdinand, expressing their mutual, passionate love. I have a lovely,  innocent daughter myself, so I can fully empathize with Prospero's thought of "too light winning makes the prize light."

This play contains more music than any other of Shakespeare's plays, and these two songs sung by Ariel are the best known: "Full Fathom Five" and "Where The Bee Sucks There Suck I". 

In addition, the song sung by Juno, Ceres, and Iris stands out as it is followed by the spectacular masque performed by the nymphs and the sicklemen.

At the end, I was fascinated by the epilogue narrated by Prospero, which is such a creative literary device that many Shakespearean critics believe the play was Shakespeare’s valedictory performance, and that the role of  Prospero was in fact Shakespeare himself.

Apart from studying the play text and listening to an audiobook, I also watched the 2010 film production from the Stratford Festival, with Christopher Plummer playing the role of Prospero.

One of the main themes of the play is chastity, which is well visualized in the film with Prospero tutoring Miranda closely.

I love how Ariel was played in the film. I was surprised to learn, though, that Ariel is male in The Tempest, because all Ariels I knew in real life are female. I checked and learned that the given name Ariel is indeed used for both sexes. 

This is Caliban in the film. Through my extended study I learned that Caliban's role is as significant as anyone else's in the play, including Prospero, because he is interpreted by many critics as a symbol of then emerging colonization and slavery of the New World, with profound, lasting influence remaining to this day.

By watching the film production, I learned about The Stratford Festival for the first time, a prominent art festival based in Ontario, Canada and recognized worldwide for its productions of Shakespearean plays. This will be a must visit destination for me if I travel there in the future.

Finally, among its countless adaptations, this looks special to me: The 2022 Japanese anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. A very creative adaptation! 

Studying the Tempest was a wonderful, imaginative journey. I look forward to my next imaginative journey with Shakespeare.