PSA: Paradise Has Been Found!!!

       Milton’s portrayal of Satan is not what someone who knows nothing about Paradise Lost may expect. Although his evil is acknowledged, the author focuses, possibly unintentionally, on Satan’s feelings and character as a whole. In book one of Paradise Lost, Satan reveals his feelings about his broken ties with his father and shows much grieving over the fact, “Be it so, since He Who now is sovran can dispose and bid what shall be right fardest from Him is best, whom reason hath equaled, force hath made supreme above his equals,” (Milton 242-270). Preceding this quote made by Satan, he continues to grieve over all that he has lost by leaving Heaven. The melancholy tone draws the reader in and makes those who read it sympathetic towards Satan. However, the tone shifts from grieve to one of vengeance.  Although Milton may do this accidentally, the tone shift is what truly lures the reader in. This unique technique is still used in popular TV shows and movies today. Often times, people find themselves rooting for a character that may be doing something harmful to others. Dexter, the popular TV show, is just one example. The protagonist’s goal each episode is to murder a serial killer but leave absolutely no traces or clues for the police to find. Although Dexter is committing a crime himself, the viewers support his wrong doings because they put themselves in the same shoes as the protagonist and feel his longing for justice to be served. Similarly, the readers root for Satan because from the very beginning of Paradise Lost, the protagonist is developed in a way that makes us feel sorry for him. Satan’s sadness about the broken ties with his father draw sympathy from the reader and thus make us support his want to seek out revenge.

Shakespeare and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Storm

“The Tempest” is Shakespeare’s last play and can be argued to fit into the comedy or the tragedy genre in literature. However, unlike some of Shakespeare’s other plays, none of the main characters die, which makes it hard to label it as a tragedy. It also cannot be considered a comedy since the plot is very serious.  “The Tempest” was written towards the end of his career, which is why it seems like to be a mix of multiple genres. A good mix of comedic and tragic elements come into play throughout the plot, which is why “The Tempest” fits best under the romance category.

The play entails magical elements that help shape the play to best be considered a romance. The clearest example of magic is in the beginning when Prospero sends the storm and his airy spirits to the island. Throughout the play, the spirits play a key role in plot and character development. So, they whole play has a supernatural feel to it. Ariel, for example, puts a spell on Ferdinand, “Come unto these yellow sands, and then take hands: courtsied when you have and kiss’d the wild waves whist, foot it featly here and there” (Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 2). Another characteristic of a romance that is portrayed in the play is the theme of loss and recovery, which comes up in many of Shakespeare’s plays. Some of the characters in “The Tempest” think that they have lost something or have actually lost something in the past. However most of the characters find what they thought that they lost, or they gain something better. Prospero wanted vengeance at the beginning because he lost his kingdom, but after everything plays out he winds up as a father in law. After he finds outs that Miranda is going to get married, he chooses peace over revenge. Overall, the play ends with most characters happy, which contributes to the comedic side of the romance genre. The sailors and Prospero decide to leave the island after the ship wreck and decided it was time to go back home. 

                  “The Tempest” was first classified as a comedy, yet it deals with serious matters such as vengeance and a natural disaster. The play should be classified as a romance because it has elements of comedy and tragedy.