In the first act of “The Tempest,” we learn about events that happened before the play begins. Which aspect of the play’s pre-history do you think is most important, or simply the most memorable. Why?
English 220: Introduction to Writing about Literature
Nature and the Modern World
In the first act of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, we learn about a number of events that have occurred before the play begins. As an audience, we find out important details about the past of the characters that better explain their actions. For example, we learn that Prospero was the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, united with Alonso, the King of Naples, and deprived him of his position as the Duke of Milan. We also learn that Alonso and Antonio inhumanely dethroned Prospero from his position as a Duke by marching a full-on army to Milan and how they tried to kill Prospero but failed. Prospero was able to escape with his daughter due to the help of his true friend, Gonzalo. It was also revealed that Gonzalo helped Prospero by supplying him with all the resources needed and his books. The audience was also able to find out that Prospero and his servant spirit, Ariel, were the ones in charge of the storm that wrecked the ship with the help of their magical powers.
The aspect of the play`s pre-history that I believe is the most important would be the fact that Prospero was wrongfully deprived of his Duke title and position by his very own brother and King of Naples. Knowing that Prospero was harshly wronged by his brother and King of Naples helps the audience better understand why Prospero may have wanted to wreck the ship that had Antonio and Alonso, and take his revenge by bringing them to his island with his magical powers. The event also helps the audience have a better view of the context of the play, the problems, and also the characters. The audience can right away figure out that Antonio and King of Naples, Alonso, are not righteous individuals and know that they are greedy individuals who value their materialistic desires. The event also helps the audience understand the betrayal that Prospero had to suffer and understand the reasoning behind his actions and further actions of his in later acts of the play.
Very nice observations, Madinabonu.
“Knowing that Prospero was harshly wronged by his brother and King of Naples helps the audience better understand why Prospero may have wanted to wreck the ship ”
You are coming very close to an argument here: that Prospero is justified in causing the shipwreck because he has been wronged by those aboard. This is something we can talk more about in class.
In the first scene of the first act of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, the audience learns that the scene takes place on a ship that is sailing through a raging storm. The second scene is where the reader learns more about play’s pre-history. In the very beginning of scene 2, Miranda believes that her father, Prospero used magic to bring about the storm. In doing so, Prospero reveals key facts about his past. A poor picture of him was painted by others. Prospero was the Duke of Milan and he was cast out of power by his brother Antonio after he gained the favor of Prospero’s “people.” Prospero believed he was too lenient with his brother and gave him too much power to the point where their extent of power was not so different. Antonio sided with Prospero’s enemy, The Duke of Naples to overrun Prospero and kick him out of power. The only things that kept Prospero going was his daughter and some help from a man named Gonzalo, a nobleman from Naples, who supplied him with some necessities. Later in the scene, it is revealed that Prospero with the help of a spirit named Ariel brought the storm to light.
The most important part of the play’s prehistory is likely to be the part where Prospero’s brother, Antonio kicked Prospero out of power to rule as the new Duke of Milan. Prospero made a major mistake in becoming less politically involved allowing Antonio the prime opportunity to gain the favor of the public and overtake him. This key point in Prospero’s history will likely drive the plot of the play as Prospero is the protagonist and Antonio is an antagonist. From there on out, the actions that follow will likely be in respondence to this tragic event. Prospero is likely using the storm along with Ariel to get some sort of revenge or enact a punishment upon Antonio.
“The most important part of the play’s prehistory is likely to be the part where Prospero’s brother, Antonio kicked Prospero out of power to rule as the new Duke of Milan. Prospero made a major mistake in becoming less politically involved allowing Antonio the prime opportunity to gain the favor of the public and overtake him.”
It is interesting that you emphasize Prospero’s mistake; this seems to suggest that he is in part responsible for losing the Dukedom. This is something that we can talk about more in class.
William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” provides a prehistory of the play which provides the reader with some background knowledge. The prehistory sets the setting, which is on a ship in the middle of a storm that is caused by Prospero. It is later revealed that he also had the help of his servant spirit, Ariel. Prospero was previously the Duke of Milan, but his title was wrongfully stripped, and he was replaced by his brother with the help of the King of Naples. Alonso, the King of Naples, is aboard the ship with Prospero and angered by the storm. Once Prospero was banished from Milan, he fled with his daughter who is also on the ship.
The plays prehistory shows the relationships the characters have with one another and problems that happened between them, which is most important. This knowledge builds a sense of irony when Ferdinand takes an interest in Miranda. Ferdinand is the son of Alonso, whom we learned is the reason Prospero is not the Duke of Milan. If Miranda also takes an interest in Ferdinand, she will become Queen of Naples where Alonso currently rules. Out of all the girls Ferdinand can choose, he chooses the daughter of the man his father caused to no longer be Duke of Milan. Although Prospero does not seem to be fond of a relationship between the two, if he allows them to be together, he could have a greater plan in mind. The prehistory also builds a sense of irony in knowing that all the characters have many issues amongst them, yet they’re all on the same ship.
You say “If Miranda also takes an interest in Ferdinand, she will become Queen of Naples where Alonso currently rules.” You also emphasize how “the characters have many issues amongst them.”
There is an interesting contrast in your post between emphasis on the broken relationships of the play’s history (between Prospero, his brother Antonio and Alonso, the King of Naples) and on the blossoming romance between Ferdinand and Miranda. The romance will prove crucial to the play’s movement from tragedy to comedy, bad feeling to forgiveness between its characters.