The Art of Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s play, the Tempest, begins with a
storm and ends with a wedding. In between these two events unfolds another
human drama of envy, revenge, love and reconciliation. But at the end of the
story, what has really changed? One ruler of Milan has been exchanged for
another. Caliban is still a rough creature, devoid of reason. Antonio and
Sebastian show no signs of remorse for the trouble they have caused. The drama
of human existence goes on much as it did before. So art has its limitations.
For the true effects of this art can only be felt in the minds and hearts of
the audience, not in the players who perform this drama upon the stage.
Some critics have surmised that the Tempest is a
kind of swan song to Shakespeare’s career, a way of announcing his professional
departure from the stage. If so, what kind of message is he leaving us? What
moral or lesson do we take away from this final story? From Shakespeare’s
earlier work, we have learned that greed and envy fester in the hearts of men,
that good does not necessarily triumph over evil, and that the innocent always
suffer. How can this final play (if indeed it is Shakespeare’s final play) add
anything more to this legacy?
The setting of this play on an obscure island populated
with magical creatures is a clue to its intent. The drama opens with a great
storm at sea which threatens to overwhelm a ship full of men struggling to
survive. Eventually, we learn that the storm was caused by Ariel, a fairy who
owes a debt to Prospero. Thus, right from the beginning of this play, the
natural world is in collision with the supernatural.
Prospero, who is the rightful Duke of Milan, was
overthrown and deprived of his title by his ambitious brother, Antonio. Quite
naturally, Prospero feels cheated of his rightful place in the world. Twelve
years ago, he and his young daughter, Miranda, were put on a small boat, towed
out to sea, and then left to drift until their small provisions run out. Thanks
to Gonzalo, luck, and magic (it is never clear which), they survive their
journey and land upon this strange island far from the civilized world.
This is the background of the play. The action
of the play is designed to bring about a certain resolution to Prospero’s
predicament. Yet Prospero’s imprisonment on this primitive island has resulted,
to some degree, from his decision to withdraw from the affairs of men, and his
political responsibilities in Milan. The truth is that Prospero does not
care much for government. The problems of governing are much less interesting
to him than his books on magic and philosophy. So he appoints his brother,
Antonio, to handle the daily affairs of his office which allows Prospero to
focus on what really matters to him: the ability to control or subdue nature.
Right from the beginning we have a central
conflict between things in opposition: the real or natural world (the world of
matter) vs. the imaginary world we aspire to (the world of spirit). I use the
term imaginary to describe the realm of ideas which primarily exists in the
mind (and is codified in books). As we will see in this play, the island which
Prospero inhabits is a Twilight Zone kind of intersection between the natural
and the supernatural.
Whether or not Prospero’s attraction to magic is
a form of philosophical seduction is not exactly clear. What we soon learn is
that Prospero feels a great injustice has been done to him. The kingdom of
virtue (which perhaps only existed in his mind) has been violated and he plans
to set it right. To accomplish his objective, he needs the service of Ariel, a
spirit endowed with magical powers who is in his debt.
The society of men to which we are all
accustomed is predominantly a world of politics fueled by ambition. This is the
world of Antonio, Sebastian, and Alonso. But this world now collides with an
imaginary world (the sphere of virtue) which exists predominantly in Prospero’s
head. Here on this remote island, far from the daily affairs of Milan, Prospero
plays the part of the magus or artist who manipulates the elements of his drama
to suit his own design.
Thus, it is not extravagant to compare
Prospero’s use of magic with the realm of spirit, for these are the elements of
transformation. In his mind, Prospero has an idea of the way the world should
be. It is an image of truth and virtue which exists only in the mind of the
idealist, and corresponds to a certain Greek idea of moral perfection.
To me, Prospero is attempting to reconcile the
domain of matter (politics) with the domain of spirit (virtue). But it is
unclear to me whether these elements can ever be successfully combined. Yet, if
such a transformation is possible, I believe it must occur within the domain of
art. This might be Shakespeare’s greatest trick, for I believe all great art is
a form of deception. It inspires us to believe that the boundaries of human
experience can be transcended. Thus the world of magic (or supernatural)
connects the rational to ordinary experience, or to put it another way, mind is
now connected to matter. This is why Prospero orchestrates the romance between
Ferdinand and Miranda. It isn’t about revenge; it’s about redemption. It’s
about elevating man’s spirit over his flesh. And love is the force which
Prospero uses to bind the spiritual to the material. In this way, he reconciles
the domain of matter with the domain of spirit which is a form of transcendence
that only art and revelation can aspire to.
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