“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.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree that due to it's hybrid nature that it should be classified as a romance. I also agree with you that while it has a jovial tone overall the fact that no one dies in the end lends The Tempest a romantic feel to it overall. Also I hadn't thought about how the supernatural elements add to the classification of the play as a Romance. Overall great job Ashlyn and I really like your title!
ReplyDeleteYes! The Tempest really does combine the Tragedy and the Comedy to form a Romance. The play does has some funny scenes, such as the scene in which Trinculo gets under the cover of Caliban's blanket; however, it has some rather dark and serious scenes, such as when Antonio and Sebastian almost murder Gonzalo and Alonso. It is important to note like you did that although Gonzalo and Alonso are targets for murder, the two conspirators never follow through. In a tragedy, it would not be a surprise if they are killed, but this play is a Romance, so the evil never follows through with the action. Finally, I like how you note that Prospero thinks he lost something (his dukedom), yet he actually he gains it back at the end of the play. I never thought of that when I wrote my post! I agree with your thesis and I think you backed it up well, well done.
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