Also, the low humor and pageantry in the play heightens its appeal to a wider audience. Students of world history might especially be interested by this view. In addition, this play provides a primary source perspective on 17th-century attitudes about imperialism. The Tempest is an excellent play for study, though, because it shows Shakespeare's final treatment of themes that have run through the other plays, e.g. So, this play will be most appropriate for high school seniors or college students. These questions assume an audience of students who have previously encountered Shakespeare. Does he see himself in Prospero? Does he feel somehow isolated, in need of reconciliation? How is this play a culmination of other themes he has explored? The role of the artist is explored through Prospero's use of his magic, and parallels can be drawn to Shakespeare's own sense of his artistry.įinally, knowing that this is Shakespeare's last play, it is intriguing to explore autobiographical connections. Because it was performed at court, there is a lot of stage business: music, dance, masque-like shows. Was it possible to create an ideal state when given a chance to begin anew? Could humans hope to recreate a "golden age," in places not yet subject to the ills of European social order? Could there be different forms of government? Would humans change if given a second chance in an earthly Paradise? Europeans were intrigued with the possibilities presented for new beginnings in these "new" lands. The theme of Utopianism is linked to the explorations of new lands. As modern readers, sensitive to the legacy of colonialism, we need to ask if Shakespeare sees this as the right order what are his views of imperialism and colonialism? What are our twentieth century reactions to the depiction of the relationship between the master and slave, shown in this play? But Prospero does not drive Caliban away, rather he enslaves him, forcing him to do work he considers beneath himself and his noble daughter.
He teaches this "native" his language and customs, but this nurturing does not affect the creature's nature, at least from Prospero's point of view. Prospero lands on an island with a native inhabitant, Caliban, a being he considers savage and uncivilized. The play can be read as Shakespeare's commentary on European exploration of new lands. The period in which it was written, the seventeenth century age of exploration, the circumstances of its performance at court, and the context of the playwright's writing career suggest immediately some of its rich themes and ambiguities. Scholars attribute the immediate source of the play to the 1609 shipwreck of an English ship in Bermuda and travelers' reports about the island and the ordeal of the mariners. The Tempest is generally regarded as Shakespeare's last play, first performed in 1611 for King James I and again for the marriage festivities of Elizabeth, the King's daughter, to Frederick, the Elector Palatine.
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