Role of the Supernatural:
Introduction:
In “The Tempest” Shakespeare has “made the supernatural natural, and the wonderful ordinary.” The whole play develops with the help of the supernatural. Prospero is more a scholar of magic than a politician. Prospero is the right Duke of Milan. He remains lost in books of magic and his younger brother Antonio conspires against him by usurping the throne of Milan. Prospero is banished unlawfully with his child Miranda at midnight. In a boat he is sent to wander in the wide sea. Fortunately Prospero comes to bring books of magic with him. Up to this point magic remains merely confined to books. It comes to practice when Prospero reaches the island of the witch Sycorax. Now he lives on this unnamed island. Being a great magician he has potent spirits to serve him. He is the master of this island.
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| Play The Tempest: Its Development with Supernatural Elements and Powers |
The Island of Sycorax:
Prospero decides to take revenge from the wicked brother. For it he needs power. The island is dominated by the witch Sycorax. First of all he decides to liberate Ariel from the prison of the foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy had grown double. This blue - eyed witch was brought on that island with a child, and here she was left by the sailors. Ariel was then her servant but somehow he made her angry. She arrested him, by help of her more powerful ministers, into rift of a cloven pine. The son Caliban that she delivered here was deprived of human shape. When Sycorax died, Prospero succeeded in becoming master of the island. Prospero liberated Ariel. Caliban, her son was dull creature. Caliban and Ariel are now in his service. Prospero claims that Caliban was uncivilized. Prospero has used him with human care just to civilize him. He kept Caliban in his own cell. But Caliban took its undue advantage and tried to violate the honour of Miranda, his daughter. It forced Prospero to be strict with Caliban. All the feelings of pity for him disappeared and Prospero reduced him to be a slave fit to perform mean duties like arranging for fire by bringing wood. If Caliban ignores his duties he is punished severely.
“But as ‘tis,
We cannot miss him: he does make our fire,
Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices
That profits us.”
Prospero: Controller of Supernatural Powers:
Prospero is strong enough to control supernatural powers. Ariel is a potent airy spirit that serves Prospero. Ariel is obedient to him. It runs through air and remains invisible or in the shape directed by Prospero to serve him. Under Prospero's command the tempest is raised by Ariel. Prospero wants to teach a lesson to his wicked brother, Antonio. It is therefore, none is injured even in such a dangerous tempest.
Ariel reports Prospero that all passengers of the ship are quite safe. Even their dresses look fresher than before; and, as Prospero had commanded him he has dispersed them in small groups throughout the isle. The King's son, Ferdinand is landed by himself heaving sighs in an odd part of the isle , and sitting , sad quite alone . He is under the impression that his father is no more. He does not know that the tempest is not a natural one. Prospero and Ariel remain invisible. They give mental torture to all the victims of the tempest. When they are hungry there enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet; and dance about it with gentle actions of salutations; and inviting the King and others to eat and depart. When they come for that; with thunder and lightning Ariel enters like a witch and claps his wings upon the table; and the food disappears. Prospero controls all the supernatural and presents before Ferdinand and Miranda a masque of Ceres, It is and Juno who bless Ferdinand and Miranda. Still he declares that these actors were all spirits, and they are melted into air, into thin air like a dream. Means instead of Ends - In this play, Shakespeare brings to light a fact that magic or the supernatural powers are means to get something done but they may never be the ends of human life. They may never lead to mental peace. Graves at Prospero's command have waked their sleepers, opened, and let them wander forth, by his so strong magic, but he calls it rough magic. He gives up magic. Now he has requirement of some heavenly music. He decides to break his magic- staff, and bury it certain fathoms deep in the earth. He will drown his book.
“Graves at my command
Have wak'd their sleepers, op’d, and let ‘em forth,
By my so potent art. But this rough magic
I here abjure; and, when I have requir'd
Some heavenly music - which even now I do
To work mine end upon their senses that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book.”
His resolution to give up them shows that he is free from the temptation of keeping them with him forever. It is the quality of real controller.
Another Aspect of the Supernatural:
Caliban is the son of a witch and Ariel an airy spirit. In this they belong to the supernatural but the one is subject to scorn while the other of affection. Caliban represents evil while Ariel represents goodness. Prospero thinks about Caliban that he is a devil, a born devil, whose nature can never be changed on whom his pains taken on account of human ground are all lost, quite lost, and as with age his body grows uglier, so his mind grows corrupt. Prospero will punish them all, even to roaring.
“A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.”
Ariel, on the contrary, acts an as assistant to Prospero. It seems without Ariel Prospero is unable to perform wonders. Ariel brings his master to realize what is proper to think or do. It is Ariel who inspires Prospero to forgive the enemies for they have suffered a lot. Prospero makes Ariel and Caliban free when he leaves the island with his people of Milan. Caliban gets not only liberty but dukedom of the island also.
Thus, the supernatural plays an important role in Shakespeare's “Tempest”.
