During the course of the play The Tempest, the psychoanalytical criticism can be applied while reading these scenes. As Freud argues that all humans have a dark side to them, we tend to hide this side of us as we get older. This can be shown by the character, Caliban with his uncontrolled side, which is reflected as the dark side in a human. Caliban is seen to be the superego in the play, which is evident when he does not wish to receive Prospero’s physical punishments. Despite the punishments he receives, his desires fail to remain within him. Caliban is also missing his mother in this play, which leads him to feel inadequate. Prospero is one of the only obstacles between him and Miranda. Prospero’s desire for power and control over the characters in the play, shows Freud’s theory coming into play, if one craves power, it is possible because one has lacked in its childhood. …show more content…
One of the symbols often shown or spoken throughout the play is water. The image of water is shown to be deadly. This is shown by Ferdinand losing his father at sea and he deems to think that his father drowned as they were involved in a shipwreck. Water is a huge symbol and image in the play, as the setting takes place on an Island near the Bermuda Triangle and portrays the image if anything is lost in the water, it is lost or gone forever. The song by Ariel, leads Ferdinand to think that his father drowned at sea and is gone forever. Ariel’s song puts in our minds that his body will not be found as a body, but as something else. The symbol of water gives us the impression that once something is lost at sea, it’s never coming back. This is shown in the movie Titanic when Rose drops the heart of the sea necklace into the ocean, never to be seen
Prospero's Judgment of Caliban in Shakespeare's The Tempest “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
The Tempest by William Shakespeare is one of the most relevant and studied plays of the Elizabethan period among scholars, from both, ancient and actual times. One of the many readings that have prevailed suggests that the play’s protagonist, Prospero, and his two su-pernatural servants, Ariel and Caliban, can work as a single psychological unit is constantly discussed by the academics. This reading is not new; it has been considered for longer than the idea of The Tempest as an autobiographical allegory, being first proposed by Thomas Campbell in 1838 (Yachnin).
Through a historical lens, Shakespeare’s The Tempest revolves around the evolving times of England during the Tudor Dynasty in 1552-1603. During those times Queen Elizabeth I was the newly appointed ruler of England after her half-sister, the previous ruler had died. This new change was the new beginning for England. It allowed many opportunities to arise such as a new stock company, provisions for the poor, and a chance for many to explore the world with their new wealth. To thank and impress their new Queen, many set sail to conquer new lands. Similar to history, The Tempest did contained a few curious Englishmen and their king discovering new land but the exact location is unknown. At the time of Shakespeare’s
In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” there are many different events throughout the play that affect and shape the main character Hamlet. The biggest event being when Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, the king, who then proceeds to tell him that his uncle murdered him. This event will lead Hamlet to madness with sanity while plotting his revenge on his uncle which will ultimately end in his, his uncle and several other’s deaths at the end of the play.
Shakespeare’s play: The Comedy of Errors tells the story of twin brothers, Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus, along with their twin servants, Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus, who were separated at birth. The twins grew up in completely different places and led totally different lives until the Antipholus of Syracuse goes looking for his brother. The twins’ two lives intertwine when friends and family confuse the two sets of twins for the other. Eventually Adriana, Antipholus of Ephesus ' wife, begins to think he has gone mad and brings him to an abbey where everyone meets and the conflict is resolved. Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, humor and account of the ego can be applied to The Comedy of Errors. Throughout this essay we I will address the following questions: Can we actually use psychoanalysis in analyzing Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors? How does this particular play relate to Freud’s understanding of humour? Does Freud’s account of the ego fit Shakespeare’s characterization of the self? Freudians psychoanalytical theory, his view on humor and his account of the ego can be applied to Shakespeares play The Comedy of Errors.
The theatre metaphor also helps to explain why, in the last analysis, Prospero has to surrender his magical powers. Life cannot be lived out in the world of illusions, delightful and educative as they can often be. Life must be lived in the real world, in Milan or in Naples, and Miranda cannot thus entirely fulfill herself on the island. The realities of life must be encountered and dealt with as best we can. The world of the theatre can remind us of things we may too easily forget; it can liberate and encourage youthful wonder and excitement at all the diverse richness of life; it can, at times, even wake people up to more important issues than their own Machiavellian urge to self-aggrandizement, and, most important of all, it can educate us into forgiveness. But it can never finally solve the problem of evil, and it can never provide an acceptable environment for a fully realized adult life.
In summary, Shakespeare’s The Tempest play explores the theme of opposition to the colonial-style authority of Prospero based on various characters’ covert and overt reactions to the master’s antics. For instance, Ariel opposes Prospero’s continuous detention of the former regardless of an earlier agreement to the contrary. Moreover, Caliban expresses his dissatisfaction with the forced labor that her does for Prospero. To prove his opposition to Prospero’s authority, Caliban plans the master’s death. Miranda also makes a statement that indicates her displeasure with the way Prospero executes his authority especially with regard to Ferdinand. The imprisoned Ferdinand also indicates his opposition to Prospero’s power through a disproving statement made before Miranda.
Psychoanalytical criticism is a form of literary critique, which uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature. The focus of this essay is to use Psychoanalytical criticism while analyzing Lady Macbeth’s character in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. However, before I begin my examination of Lady Macbeth’s character, I feel that concept of psychoanalytical theory needs some introduction.
Bergmann, Martin S. “The Unconscious in Shakespeare's Plays”. London, GB: Karnac Books, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 2 April 2017. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/aubg/detail.action?docID=10761107
The statement “The only journey is the one within” accurately depicts the demise of a character’s psychological development. The play Othello by Shakespeare (1603) and the short story Death by Landscape by Margret Atwood (1990) both display their character’s inner journeys through a single experience to develop their characteristics and their psychological development. Paranoia and obsessiveness are the catalyst of their demise and inner journey.
The illusions of justice and freedom, and what they truly are, has been a reoccurring theme throughout the works. The definitions of justice and freedom have become so construed throughout the times. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero tries to enthrall his audience in his narrative of social justice. The idea of justice the play portrays represents one individual who controls the fate of all others. Their freedom is controlled by the interference of those around them. Although he spends most of the play righting the wrongs done to him, he is misdirecting so to hide his true motive. Prospero misconstrues the definitions of justice and freedom by enslaving Ariel and Caliban, using magic for his own good, and creating a false happy
The play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare is a very cleverly thought out piece of work. Shakespeare very deliberately inter-relates several different forms of power during the course of the play. There is political power, shown through the plethora of political characters and their schemes, while at the same time parodied by the comic characters. The power of magic and love, and its ability to reunite and absolve also plays a major role in the play. Throughout the play, Prospero, the main character, takes great advantage of his power and authority, both properly and improperly. The epiphany of this however, is realized at the end of the play.
Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest is set on a mysterious island surrounded by the ocean. Here the magician Prospero is ruler of the isle with his two servants Caliban and Ariel. Caliban is the abrasive, foul-mouthed son of the evil witch Sycorax. When Prospero was shipwrecked on the island Prospero treated him kindly but their relationship changed when Caliban tried to rape Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Caliban then became Prospero's unwilling servant. Caliban serves his master out of fear Prospero's wrath. Prospero's other servant Ariel is a graceful spirit who has courtesy and charm. Ariel has put her services at Prospero's disposal out of gratitude for his kind actions towards her. Prospero saved Ariel from the confinement of Sycorax who held her prisoner.
The Tempest, like any text, is a product of its context. It is constructed in relation to moral or ethical concerns of 17th century European Jacobean society. The resolution of conflict appears 'natural' or an inevitable consequence if regarded in relation to the concerns of its context. The resolution of conflict in this play incorporates Prospero being returned to his 'rightful' or natural position as Duke of Milan, his daughter Miranda getting married to Ferdinand, and the party returning to Milan leaving the island to the 'monster', Caliban. The resolution is a consequence of the concerns of the time, including the idea of the divine right of kings, courtly love, and colonisation.
In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, there are two characters who appear to be polar opposites. The characters of Caliban and Ariel both play very important roles in the play. The term caliban is defined as “a brutish or brutalized man,” and the term ariel is defined as “a spirit of the air” (Dictionary). The definitions of these two characters names even show the huge difference in the two characters before readers or viewers even get to know the characters. There are also differences in how the two characters feel about the self-proclaimed king of the island, Prospero. However, regardless of their many differences the one thing that they do have in common is the fact that they are both oppressed by Prospero who has deemed himself king of the island and seek freedom.