Critical approaches for the Tempest

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Love/Lust/Marriage

2010 film- 3.1 Ferdinand kisses her hand (marriage bond) but then goes to kiss her to which Miranda stops him with her hand (restraint/desire/marriage)

Lauren Gifford- “Prospero’s presence looms over the budding relationship of Miranda and Feridnand and he proves to be hostile, domineering parental figure who interferes too much for his daughters sake”

Mike Brett- “Miranda’s apparent freedom is entirely illusionary. Although she exhibits a degree of rebelliousness in her courtship of Ferdinand, all her actions are secretly approved of and manipulated by Prospero. He choreographs every aspect of her life, going as far as to imprison Ferdinand as a form of ove to test his devotion of Miranda”
-“Claribel provides an interesting foil to Miranda…[her] predicament serves to highlight the difficulty of being an obedient woman… [she] is unable to quell her repulsion from Tunis, but likewise unwilling to disobey her father”

Richard Jacobs- "We are being invited to see Miranda as a version of Claribel"
-"[Claribel's marriage is an act of] commercial colonial calculation over Africa"

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Director

Coleridge- [“The fringed curtains of thine eye advance”] is an important moment dramatically, and Miranda has just been asleep. Now Prospero, who has stage-managed everything, is about to reveal Ferdinand, as if drawing the curtains to reveal him onstage.

Lauren Gifford- “Prospero’s presence looms over the budding relationship of Miranda and Feridnand and he proves to be hostile, dominaring parental figure who interferes too much for his daughters sake”

Mike Brett- “-“Miranda’s apparent freedom is entirely illusionary. Although she exhibits a degree of rebelliousness in her courtship of Ferdinand, all her actions are secretly approved of and manipulated by Prospero. He choreographs every aspect of her life, going as far as to imprison Ferdinand as a form of over to test his devotion of Miranda”

Leiniger- "Prospero uses Miranda as a player in his political revenge"

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Shakespeare

Kermode- “[Having both the key…And sucked my verdure out on’t. Thou attend’st not.] The effect  seems enfeebled like the tree, sacrificed to the representation of agitated speech; the long sentence with its complex grammar, its refusal of end-stopped lines, its relatively unimpressive, shifting figures, certainly achieves that, but at some cost to the auditor”
-[To have no screen between…Absolute Milan] The trouble such writing gives the auditor or reader is not well spent, and the puzzle hardly seems worth solving”

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Power

Lauren Gifford- “The Tempest emerges as one of the strongest testimonies to the morality of its characters as they respond to Prospero’s egocentric motives, which are resolved by the breaking the vice of power for the sake of his goodness”
-“Prospero’s presence looms over the budding relationship of Miranda and Feridnand and he proves to be hostile, domineering parental figure who interferes too much for his daughters sake”

John Dryden- “[Caliban is] A triumph of poetic invention”

Mike Brett-“Miranda’s apparent freedom is entirely illusionary. Although she exhibits a degree of rebelliousness in her courtship of Ferdinand, all her actions are secretly approved of and manipulated by Prospero. He choreographs every aspect of her life, going as far as to imprison Ferdinand as a form of over to test his devotion of Miranda”

Russ McDonald- "To listen to the language of the Tempest is to become deeply skeptical of all kinds of power"

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Forgiveness

Amanda Mallibard- “There is little, if any, true forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest”
-“It seems Alonso’s true regret is that his betrayal of Prospero has resulted in the loss of his son, Ferdinand”
-“Prospero goes through all the motions of forgiveness but his sincerity is lost on us”
-"Prospero insists that those who wronged him suffer for their crimes before he offers them his forgiveness"

A. Riches- "[Prospero ] acknowledges Caliban and emancipates both his slaves. It is difficult not to forgive Prospero"

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Vengance

Davidson- “Desire for vengeance has apparently lain dormant in Prospero through the years of banishment and now with the sudden advent of his foes, the great wrong of twelve before is stirringly present again and now with the sudden advent of his foes, arousing the passion and stimulating the will to action”

Amanda Mallibard- “Some critics believe that, through Ariels expression of genuine concern for the shipwrecked men, Prospero undergoes a transformation –that he comes to a ‘Christ-like’ realisation [however] Prsopero feels free to forgive those who sinned against him only after he has emerged triumphant and has seen the men, now mournful and ‘penitent’ pay for their transgressions”
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"Prospero insists that those who wronged him suffer for their crimes before he offers them his forgiveness"

Mary Wald- "The play overcomes the effects of the past in order to head towards an idyllic future"

Leiniger- "Prospero uses Miranda as a player in his political revenge"

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Hope

Amanda Mallibard- “Some critics believe that, through Ariels expression of genuine conern for the shipwrecked men, Prospero undergoes a transformation –that he comes to a ‘Christ-like’ relaisation [however] Prsopero feels free to forgive those who sinned against him only after he has emerged triumphant and has seen the men, now mournful and ‘penitent’ pay for their transgressions”
-“It is fitting that the most innocent and virtuous of all the character’s within the play, Gonzalo, should express the most hope for the future”

Mary Wald- "The play overcomes the effects of the past in order to look forward to an idyllic future"

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Magic

Kermode- “[The Masque] conbtributes to the plays magical atmosphere and gives it a distinctive qauloty to its structure [even if the language is] not very impressive”

2010- Masque has no goddesses but instead explore universe
ÄCompares to 2016 Donmar at Kings Cross during “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” big white balloons and projections of nature turning to capitalist

2017 RSC- Uses technology from Dell to inspire and present Magic in the play
-Caliban is given snapped staff at the end

Lauren Gifford- “The Tempest emerges as one of the strongest testimonies to the morality of its characters as they respond to Prospero’s egocentric motives, which are resolved by the breaking the vice of power for the sake of his goodness”

Janet Adelman- "Sycorax is a maternal role"

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Nature

Joanna Williams- “If we are to see the Tempest as being based on [A True Reportory of the Wrack] extracts Caliban is cast as the role of the native –the original inhabitant of the island” 

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Post colonial

2010- Caliban was presented as a black man w/ burnt skin, almost ripped off to appear white
-Stephano forces liquor down Caliban

2017 RSC- Caliban is given snapped staff at the end

Deana Devlin- "It is the mark of Caliban's refinement of social responisibilty that he learns to accept the superiourity of his old master"

Cicily Beny- "Caliban is 'the other' and Prospero has power over him through language"

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Freudian

Forbidden Planet (1956)- Arguably inspired by the play, The Monster is a base creature like Caliban and is meant to draw parallels, this strengthens the critical argument that Caliban is Prospero’s id just as The Monster is a part of Mobius

Leiniger- "Prospero uses Miranda as a player in his political revenge" She is manipulated through reverse psychology

Maslow's triangle of needs (1943)- Caliban is a base creature when styed to the rock, he thinks of food and shelter "I must eat my dinner" but before when he had those things and before he "didst seek to violate the honour" of Miranda, he craves psychological fuffilment on the third layer with intimate relationships (making hjim view P as a father figure and potentially leading him to seek a sexual relationship with M.)

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Feminist

Taymor (2010 film)- “[Prospera] had her whole life taken away from her because she was a woman”

RSC 2017- Presented Miranda as strong but also a teenager HOWEVER actress did not help achieve this aesthetically

Mike Brett- “Miranda is an anomalous character… her relative autonomy is both admirable and unusual”
-“Miranda’s apparent freedom is entirely illusionary. Although she exhibits a degree of rebelliousness in her courtship of Ferdinand, all her actions are secretly approved of and manipulated by Prospero. He choreographs every aspect of her life, going as far as to imprison Ferdinand as a form of love to test his devotion of Miranda”
-“Claribel provides an interesting foil to Miranda…[her] predicament serves to highlight the difficulty of being an obedient woman… [she] is unable to quell her repulsion from Tunis, but likewise unwilling to disobey her father”
-“By didn’t of its sacristy [Miranda’s] femininity becomes a valuable commodity”

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