SHAKESPEARE IN POPULAR CULTURE

 

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/shakespeare-in-popular-culture/

https://notesread.com/why-is-shakespeare-still-relevant-today/

https://www.oxfordscholastica.com/blog/creative-writing-articles/why-is-shakespeare-still-important/

https://www.abc.net.au/education/btn-why-shakespeare-is-still-relevant-today/13924758

THE TEMPEST - 4^C LINGUISTICO

First performed in 1611, The Tempest  is different from many of Shakespeare's plays in that it does not derive from one clear source. The play draws on many of the motifs common to Shakespeare's works. These include the painful parting of a father with his daughter, jealousy and hatred between brothers, the usurpation of a legitimate ruler, the play-within-a-play, and the experiences of courtiers transplanted to a new environment. It is commonly classified with Pericles, The Winter's Tale, and Cymbeline in a small group of plays called "romances."  These plays contain elements of comedy and, to a lesser extent, tragedy, but do not wholly belong to either category. Common elements in Shakespearean romances include experiences of loss and recovery, as well as imaginative worlds in which magic can play an important role. Read here.

Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero’s slave, Caliban, plots to rid himself of his master, but is thwarted by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Their celebrations are cut short when Prospero confronts his brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflict is resolved. Prospero grants Ariel his freedom and prepares to leave the island. Read here.

SHAKESPEARE REVISION - 4^C LINGUISTICO

ROMEO AND JULIET

MACBETH

HAMLET

THE TEMPEST

THE TEMPEST - 4^C LINGUISTICO

Here and here you can find my previous posts about this delightful Shakespearean play.  
You can read The Tempest here and you can find a fascinating interpretation of the play here   -  it contains echoes of Shakespeare’s earlier plays, and the powerful art that Prospero possesses can be compared to the playwright’s theatrical art.

THE TEMPEST

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. 

Scholars attribute the immediate source of the play to the 1609 shipwreck of an English ship in Bermuda and travellers’ reports about the island and the tribulation of the mariners. The period in which it was written, the 17^th  century age of exploration, the circumstances of its performance at court, and the context of the playwright’s writing career suggest some of its rich themes and ambiguities.

The play can be read as Shakespeare’s commentary on European exploration of new lands. Prospero lands on an island with a native inhabitant, Caliban, a being he considers savage and uncivilized. He teaches this “native” his language and customs, but this nurturing does not change the creature’s nature, at least from Prospero’s point of view. But Prospero does not drive Caliban away, rather he enslaves him, forcing him to do work he considers beneath himself and his noble daughter. 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 20^th  century reactions to the depiction of the relationship between the master and slave, shown in this play?

The theme of Utopianism is linked to the explorations of new lands. Europeans were intrigued with the possibilities presented for new beginnings in these “new” lands. 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?

The play emphasizes dramatic effects. Because it was performed at court, there is a lot of stage business: music, dance, masque-like shows. 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.

Finally, knowing that this is Shakespeare’s last play, it is intriguing to explore autobiographical connections. 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? 

Here  you can find the full text of the play.