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The role of nature in modern literature
The tempest and midsummer night's dream
Midsummer Night's Dream similarities to Shakespeare
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William Shakespeare’s The Tempest refines his portrayal of nature from the earlier play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, nature is shown to be mysterious presence that blurs the lines between reality and illusion; it is a magical force that is unreachable and incomprehensible for human beings. A Midsummer Night’s Dream gives nature a mischievous, playful, dreamlike feel because in this play nature interferes for the sake of love. The Tempest breaks down the barrier that divides human society and the natural world, a divide that is present in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, because nature’s presence and effects become more noticeable and it becomes a power that is within the reach of humans. In The Tempest nature isn’t romanticized but rather is given a darker ominous characterization due to it becoming a tool for Prospero’s revenge. While Shakespeare does refine his depiction of nature in The Tempest, he shows through both plays that nature interferes with the lives of humans and entangles humans by blinding and diverting them from their chosen paths. In both plays’ the forces that drive the conflicts are caused by nature. The conflict in A Midsummer Night’s Dream centers on the confusion and mistakes caused by Puck, the fairy, who enchants the wrong people causing them to fall in love, while in The Tempest, the play’s conflict begins with a tempest ravaging the ship that is carrying the nobles and Gonzalo, therefore diverging them from their path and stranding them on an island. The interference of nature within both plays shows that while it is used for different reasons, being love and revenge respectively, it is an uncontrollable force that manipulates people.
Within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare ...
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...and he is able to finally let go of his powers. In resolving to give up his powers, Prospero’s need for revenge vanishes, causing nature’s control to dissipate. In choosing to leave the island and return to Milan, Prospero leaves nature, which mirrors the moment the Athenian lovers leave the forest to return to Athens. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest differ in certain aspects of their portrayals of nature, Shakespeare characterizes nature as a manipulative and influencing force in both plays, showing that although they may appear different, nature is essentially the same in both plays.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ed. Wolfgang Clemen and Sylvan Barnet.
New York: Signet Classic, 1998. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Ed. Peter Hulme and William H. Sherman. New York:
Norton, 2004. Print.
William Shakespeare was a Stratford Grammar School boy, who was a member of the Church of England, similar to just about everyone else in Stratford. However, due to some events that occurred in the Shakespeare family home, there is some evidence that could prove that the family may have had some Roman Catholic connections. When William Shakespeare was 10 years old, legal issues and debt took a toll on his family’s life. Shakespeare’s father’s stopped attending alderman meetings which resulted in the removal of his name to become an alderman, and he was also forced to sell his beautiful home. The cause of this crisis is unknown, however the records can be used to throw together the idea that there were peculiar religious events going on (Fox). Due to these mishaps, William Shakespeare’s religion is a bit of a mystery. The play, Hamlet, was written by William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan era, which happened to be a time when religious conflicts were a big deal (Alsaif). The protagonist in the story, Hamlet, is a character who seems to make his choices through his religious beliefs. Hamlet is a very indecisive person, but his thoughts on religion tend to persuade him. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the character of Hamlet to show the flaws in all religions. Hamlet does his best to follow the rules of Christianity, but he often questions the morality involved. Although Shakespeare belonged to the Church of England, he didn’t find any particular religion to be perfect.
...self in his quest for vengence, (or at least righting the wrongs done him), is the prime mover of The Tempest. He exists in a higher level of 'nature' than do the other characters because he has educated himself in obedience to primordial laws and exercised the habit of virtue. To this extent, the entire society formulated on the island by Prospero's ministrations is a natural society. Prospero's daughter, Miranda, occupies the highest level of this society, because of her chastity and innocence, which place her in harmony with higher nature. The discipline-required to exist in this higher nature is imposed on the other characters by Prospero's magic. Throughout The Tempest the emphasis is on moral and spiritual rebirth; this suggests rituals of initiation and festivity in a way which represents the culmination of achievement in Shakespeare's dramatic art.
Fate or choice? Choice or fate? How does one separate these ideals? Can one? Shakespeare could not. Nor can we. Fate and choice are so intertwined that our choices determine our fate, and our fate determines our choices. William Shakespeare trusts the audience to scrutinize whether it is fate or choice that rules our human life. Shakespeare aptly conveys this oxymoron (with which people have been dealing for ages) through the evidence and structure of his play, Romeo and Juliet.
Relation between Nature and Man in A Midsummer's Night's Dream, King Richard II, and King Lear
In conclusion, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare effectively uses the motifs of the seasons, the moon, and dreams to show that love, irrationality, and disobedience directly cause chaos. By calling to mind the seasons in unnatural order, describing the moon behaving strangely, and discussing the dualistic, irrational nature of dreams, Shakespeare effectively evokes a sense of chaos and disorder. Linking each of these motifs to the themes of love, irrationality, and disobedience allows Shakespeare to illustrate the disarray that is bound to result from any romance.
The Tempest raises many questions regarding the formation of authority and power. Is hierarchy understood as natural or as constructed? Also, what are the consequences when authority is usurped? This paper will attempt to answer these questions in a succinct manner using textual references to solidify its arguments. As the play progresses, Prospero constructs the hierarchy in such a way as to return things to their "natural" state. Any type of usurpation, whether attempted or successful, will always end up with power back in its rightful place, and most of the time with a lesson learned.
The Tempest presents the character of Prospero the usurped duke of Milan. In the beginning Prospero’s character can be described as foul, spiteful, and selfish. This can be seen in various scenes in acts one and two of the play where he treats the people around him as his servants especially the fateful Ariel who reminded him of his promise only to be threatened of imprisonment. He’s selfish in the sense that he would do anything to accomplish his goal of executing his plan. Like a master puppeteer he is manipulative and deceptive. He even manipulates his daughter to fit according to his scheme. However, all of his foul characteristics left him as his plan nears its end. It is as if the shedding of his clothes represented his change is personality and attitude. After Prospero discarded his staff, drowned his magic book, and wore his duke garments he became more responsible and sympathetic. Instead of exacting revenge on the king of Naples a...
No discoveries are limited to just one aspect of life, but rather can have a range of impacts on a variety of different planes. The wide variety of characters Shakespeare explores throughout The Tempest each undergo different forms of discovery. Prospero’s deliberate conjuring of the tempest acts as a catalyst for all these different discoveries. Miranda, having lived on the secluded island her whole life, is astounded by the newcomers, “O brave new world, that has such people in’t!” This line personifies her ‘new world’ to accentuate Miranda’s astonishment at her discovery of humanity and the diversity of it. Her discovery of feeling such as love and lust as a result of her interactions with Ferdinand demonstrate how other individuals can provoke discovery within one’ self. Shakespeare’s setting; the deserted island, allows each character to explore their individual discovery without the grasps of society constricting them. Ferdinand’s and Miranda’s joint discovery of love is a clear example of this as it never would’ve taken place within society and demonstrates the concept that discoveries can occur as a result of new settings. In contrast to Miranda’s discovery of humanity and all it entails, Pi discovers humanity’s irrelevance in face of the world around us. While traversing across a glowing sea at night, high angle and overhead shots of the
Symbolism plays a large role in the theme of the Tempest. Throughout the play, there is reference to Prospero's books. Prospero's books are what give him his magic. Although the Tempest evidently shows that when one is exposed to uncontrolled power, they will inevitably abuse it. Prospero begins to use his power to seek revenge. Through the duration of the play, the audience observes Prospero's internal debate, as to how to use his magic. He wants to kill Antonio as payback for banishing him to the island. Prospero's desire to kill Antonio comes from his id. Yet by the end of the play, Prospero realizes that he has been consumed by his need for revenge and consequently decides to throw away his books. The act of throwing away the books symbolizes Prospero's freedom from the constraints of revenge and greed. He lets go of his overwhelming
Similarities between The Tempest and King Lear are more numerous than one might at first assume. To begin with, the theme of nature plays a significant role, as it does in many of Shakespeare's works. This is due in part to the popularity of the pastoral theme in the Elizabethan era, as well as the English appreciation for the countryside. (This latter fact persists to this day, as is evinced by the fact that the cover of every Arden edition of Shakespeare is adorned by paintings by the Brotherhood of Ruralists, a group of artists whose primary inspiration is the English countryside.)
Shakespeare presents the influences of both nature and art throughout the play, ultimately with nature prevailing. The tempest he creates in the first act, the anchor that sets into motion the events of the play, is wholly dependent on nature's own capacities. Ariel stirs up the winds and sea to fr...
... is, the death of the two families. The process of disturbance in nature's laws leading to destruction of human lives applies both ways. It is because of disturbed human behavoir, namely Lear's behavoir, that nature is disturbed, which brings about the storm. Shakespeare is basing his characters' suffering on the fact that the characters in his play did not respect and obey the rules of nature. Perhaps by emphasizing the significance of the role that nature plays in human lives. Shakespeare is trying to increase the awareness of the people of his time to the importance of nature's rules, and by that, remind them not to doubt and go against what is accepted for it might result in paing and distruction. Shakespeare accomplishes this through showing the readers the destruction of his characters that was rooted in their violation of the accepted rules of nature.
William Shakespeare was such an intriguing writer. Shakespeare is arguably one of the most famous poet’s in the English language. During what was thought to be the last poem that Shakespeare wrote on all his own, the Tempest, the set of the play is on a deserted island. A loud clap of lightning and thunder were heard all around. Fear sets in as winds gush and the seas roar. “'Mercy on us!'-- 'We split, we split!'--'Farewell, my wife and children!'-- 'Farewell, brother!'--'We split, we split, we split!'” these were the cries heard while the storm rocked the ship back and forth. A sorcerer known as Prospero, conjures up an artificial storm which sank his boat in attempt to prove to his daughter, Miranda, that she is actually a princess. Prospero was once the Duke of Milan until his brother, Antonio, betrayed him and stole his crown.
The resolution of conflict in The Tempest is thus naturalised and constructed as an inevitable consequence through the use of moral and ethical concerns in the play, including the 'divine right of kings', the 'great chain of being', courtly love,
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, is full of symbolism, imagery, and point of view; throughout the play Shakespeare uses these literary devices to convey a message of betrayal, forgiveness, and lessons learned. In the first act, Prospero uses his magic to create a storm that shipwrecks the King of Naples on the island. Like the storm, Prospero's anger is apparent; yet he never wants to do any real harm to the crew. The crew is safely washed ashore on to what seems to be the ideal utopia. Prospero is not an evil guy, he may be controlling and bitter, but only because he lost his dukedom, to his own family. The purpose for his actions essentially lead to forgiveness and a lesson learned by Antonio and Alonso. In the end everyone seems to get what they deserve.