The "Other" but Necessary

When asked to find the “other” in The Tempest I admit I was stuck. I couldn’t think of who would fit the definition of a marginalized character. As I looked over the play again I found that Caliban would fit into the description. With Caliban’s plans and ventures it would seem like he would be considered a major character. Although looking at him he seems to be some-what sensitive monster that for whatever reason allows himself to be transformed in to a fool. This could be seen as Shakespeare marginalizing Caliban in order to have the other characters to shine.

Another “other” could be the lords that travel with Alonso, the King of Naples. For, they were really supporter characters for the King. Their roles were not big; they were conversation, and time taking characters.

After reading many different stories picking out the “other” is difficult because sometimes the marginalized characters are the ones we like the most. For example, in “The Lion King” a marginalized character is the monkey, Rafiki, but he is the one that introduces Simba to the other animals. He is also the one to convince Simba to return to Pride Rock and in the end shows some of his kung fu skills. He would be considered an “other” but without him the movie would be very different.

It is the same with “The Tempest” without the “other” pieces of the story wouldn’t make sense. It’s like having a chocolate covered peanut without the peanut or an egg without the yolk.

The other’s make up the play no matter how insignificant their role might be.

Father? Daughter? Relationship?

In the Shakespeare's play The Tempest the relationship isn't shown as one of much love from the father Prospero. After being trapped on an island for twelve years, he waits until the information is beneficial to himself as well as his daughter Miranda before telling her about her heritage and why they are on the island. He could have told her years before in order to calm her curiosity as to why her father was the only person she's even seen that she remembers. But Prospero waits until by happenstance, his enemy's ship was blown off course near the island that Prospero and Miranda are stuck on.
It is then, in Act one, Scene 2, that Prospero tells Miranda that he was once the Duke of Milan and a Prince of power until his brother Antonio betrayed him and took his position. After their conversation Miranda "falls" asleep when really Prospero put her to sleep with his magic "Will ever after droop. Her cease more questions./ Thou art inclined to sleep. 'Tis a good dullness,/ And give it way. I know thou canst not choose" so that she is out of the way until he needs her. Throughout the play he seems to be thinking about her happiness by wanting her to fall in love with and marry Ferdinand, the son to the King of Naples. But in reality it was his way of using them to get of the island and possibly get his position back "Ay, with a heart as willing/As bondage e'er of freedom. Here's my hand."
Throughout the Play it seems as though all Prospero cares about is getting off the island and not about what will happen to his daughter. Although in the beginning it says, "You have often/Begun to tell me what I am, but stopped/ And left me to a bootless inquisition,/Concluding, "Stay, not yet." Showing that he was waiting for the right time not caring that Miranda was a little lost and confused because it is in a child to know who they are and he wasn't ready to share that information.

As to say the this particular father/daughter relationship isn't one of much love and devotion, unless that devotion is veered towards the use of one's daughter to benefit for yourself. Although in the end they all win Prospero was more focused on himself but in that he wanted love to form between Miranda and Ferdinand would show that he does love his daughter and wants her to be happy but only if things go his way and he can get off the island.
This shows that Prospero's love for his daughter isn't a traditional one. To gain from the use of others seems to be Prospero's "thing", which is what he does to get what he wants, through his own daughter and his magic.
The traditional father/daughter relationship is usually one of love and the daughter being spoiled and the father being OVER protective. Prospero and Miranda don't fit this traditional mold.

Kinds of Love in "The Tempest"

In "The Tempest" their are a few different kinds of love. Their is the romantic love between Miranda and Ferdinand and the love between father and daughter. Along with the love of father and son. The love between brother's is shown with Alonso and Sebastian but Antonio and Prospero need some work in the love department. Since it is the lack of love between them that made this play possible in the first place.

Annotated Bib. Fun Fun

Absoluteshakespeare.com. 2000-2005. Absolute Shakespeare. 6 October 2010

                    <http://absoluteshakespeare.com>

            I found this online study guide on Absolute Shakespeare. There are links to the plot summary, commentary, characters, character analysis, and an essay about The Tempest. If you look to the side it shows that there are study guides for other Shakespeare plays. The site would be helpful to high school or college students that need help understanding the play or studying for a test. I’m sure that there are teachers whom would recommend the site to their students.

Ackroyd, Peter. Shakespeare: The Biography. New York: Doubleday, 2005

            This book is a Biography of Shakespeare’s life found in our very own library. When looking at the contents page it seems that Achroyd puts the chapter titles in Shakespeare’s words as if he is the narrator. When trying to find information on Shakespeare it is smart to find a few different biography’s because each copy will have not only the same info but a few may have different pieces of information which is why there is controversy on if Shakespeare actually wrote Shakespeare.

Graff, Gerald, ed.; Phelan, James, ed. The Tempest. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin,
                    2009.

            This is the book that was required for my Shakespeare class. It has a modern version of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. The book is also a case study in critical controversy, meaning there are plenty of essays in the back that critically view this particular play. All the essays are broken down in to chapters that fit the essays compared to the time period the play was written. This contains the chapter Shakespeare and the Power of Order which contains essay’s by Frank Kermode, Reuben A. Br
ower, and Leah Marcus.

Kernan, Alvin. Shakespeare, the Kings Playwright Theater in the Stuart Court. New Haven,                     London: Yale University Press, 1995.

            Alvin Kernan focuses on the writers that were working in times when the literary system was changing. “This social history would be incomplete without a study of at least some aspects of writing in the country, patronage setting from which modern literature emerged, first in Italy in the time of Dante and Petrarch and then during the age of kings. Shakespeare, the King’s Playwright is designed to fill this gap.” This book gives us some history about what was going on when Shakespeare’s plays were first preformed. The preface gives more i
nformation about why the book was written and why the author did some of the things he did. I found this book in the VCSU library.

Muir, Kenneth, ed., Shakespeare: The Comedies. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1965

            This particular book talks about the end of The Tempest where the hero forgives his enemies and they all ride home together on the same ship as if nothing ever happened. The
author Muir tries to find a reason behind it along with how the play is a Comedy. He also compares the themes in The Tempest to themes in other Shakespeare plays like, The Winter’s Tale, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pericles, and Cymbeline. I found this book in the VCSU library

"Shakespeare After All"

      In Marjorie Garber's book "Shakespeare After All" she states that The Tempest is address by the modern critics in two important perspectives. They are: the fable of art and creation and a colonialist allegory. "The Tempest is a story of mankind at the center of the universe "man as created and authority".

       In the play Prospero is seen as the "man-the artist" or "man-the-scholar". while Ariel and Caliban represent Prospero's ethereal and matierial selves. One is airy,imaginative, and swift. The other is earthy, gross, and appetitive. Through the play Prospero's magic is seen as good/white or benevolent.

      The Play was first performed in 1611 with King James present. The Tempest was performed as a part of the marriage celebration for King James's daughter Princess Elizabeth whom he was going to "lose" to Frederick, the Elector Palatine, just like Prospero "loses" his daughter Miranda To Ferdinand.

Garber, Marjorie. Shakespeare After All. New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Print.

Comedy or Tragedy

"The Tempest" is a Shakespear Comedy. A comedy according to BrainyQuote.com is "A dramatic composition, or representation of a bright and amusing character, based upon the foibles of individuals, the manners of society, or the ludicrous events or accidents of life; a play in which mirth predominates and the termination of the plot is happy; -- opposed to tragedy."
I see the play as a comedy because no one dies at the end. They all get on to the ship and head off to Italy as if nothing happened. The play also had lines like "I have great comfort from this fellow. Methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging!" said by Gonzalo (pg 11-12)
To determine that a man is going to die by hanging and not somthing else is a little bit of Shakespear humor.

"The Tempest" a Working Synopsis

The Tempest is about a man, Prospero that lost his rightful position as Duke of Milan because his brother, Antonio conspired against him with Alonso, the King of Naples. It is twelve years since then and Prospero is stuck on an island with his daughter Miranda. Until a ship comes by carrying Alonso the King of Naples, Ferdinand his son, Sebastian Alonso’s brother, Antonio Prospero’s brother, Gonzalo an honest old councillor, Stephano a drunken butler, and Trinculo a jester.
 Prospero uses his spirit familiar Ariel, to conjure up the tempest and to separate the passengers among the island. Prospero’s plan is for his daughter to fall in love with Ferdinand in order to have them married as a way of revenge. It seems as though Miranda and Ferdinand were smitten on first sight. While the love blooms here, on another part of the island the others are worried about Ferdinand’s safety.
Until Ariel appears invisible and puts everyone but Sebastian and Antonio asleep and as the others “rest” Sebastian and Antonio contemplate killing everyone else. As they finally decide to take action Ariel appears and wakes Gonzalo, who shouts waking the rest of the party. Causing the two to make up an excuse and to why their swords were drawn.
The next scene contains Prospero putting Ferdinand to work but when Miranda thinks her father is asleep they begin to flirt. Miranda suggests marriage and Ferdinand agrees. Secretly Prospero wakes from the shadows happy with the development.
With his ability to influence people Ariel seems to hold all the cards. He uses his ability to influence others to want to kill Prospero and with that Prospero gains perspective. In the end they all get back on the ship and return on their journey to Italy.