Youth Love And Women In The Tempest By William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare is widely considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Shakespeare`s work is commonly used as a springboard for English literary analysis classes and papers, and many of his plays are household titles, such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Shakespeare`s life, outside of writing, greatly shaped the moods and themes in his plays, the most important of which was his relationship with the women in his life. These events, including the tragedy of losing his sisters during his youth and his own marriage to a woman 8 years older than him as a teenager, greatly influenced his play The Tempest, and shaped his obsession with youth love and disregard for the cultural standards of marriage in his works.

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During act two, there is a scene where Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano have a drunken conversation where Trinculo exclaims (in fun): “A howling monster: a drunken monster!” (II.ii.179). Given the tragedies of Shakespeare`s early life, such as “[... his parents] first two children, both girls, [...] not liv[ing] beyond infancy.” and “[his sister] Anne, [... dying] at seven,” (“Shakespeare’s Life,” 2014), it is quite possible and not unreasonable to infer that he wrote his comedies and tragicomedies to alleviate the stress and sorrow of his losses. But fortunately for those who wish for more romance and less barbaric comedy, Shakespeare incorporates that element just as well.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Tempest is the relationship that forms between Ferdinand and Miranda, an unconventionality almost certainly driven by Shakespeare’s life. While it is a small part of Prospero’s elaborate plan, it is a detail significantly influenced by Shakespeare’s relationship with the women in his life. Initially, Ferdinand and Miranda are smitten by each other and flirt wherever they can, despite Prospero attempting to impede the progression of their relationship. For example, in (I.ii 521-532), Ferdinand remarks:

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