Tempest Discovery Essay

Discovery is significant because it leads to renewed perceptions and transformation. Do you agree?

Throughout ‘The Tempest’, Shakespeare denotes the concept of discovery as a catalyst for renewed perceptions and transformation of the characters, which rings true, especially in relation to the character of Prospero, who undergoes the most significant change in the play. As the protagonist and central figure, Prospero’s journey affects the journeys of each character. This means that the discoveries he makes impact their perceptions and transformations as well as his own. This concept is mainly evident in the epilogue, during Prospero’s revelation of his mistakes and his transformation leads to the renewed perceptions and changes of everyone else in the play.
Prospero’s transformation and renewed perceptions are seemingly interconnected, as when his awareness changes, so does he; therefore transforming. This is conveyed through the loss of his title as Duke of Milan. Initially, he perceived this loss to be the cause of his brother Alonso, however in the end, he realised that he was at fault instead. This is expressed through inclusive language of “my”, “I”, and “mine own”. This indicates that his experiences and burdens derive from his own actions and that he alone must take responsibility for them. This highlights his self-discovery, for example, he realises that his negligence to his dukedom led to the usurpation of his position in Milan, which illustrates how this new understanding has led to his transformation from vengeful to self-aware of his errors.
During the realisation of his mistakes, Prospero also realises that his quest for vengeance has become redundant and thus, his powers are of no use to him. This discovery causes him to relinquish his powers and gain a new understanding of what is important. This is explored in the synecdoche of “Mercy itself, and free all faults”, where Prospero realises that he is as imperfect as the world he has created with his god-like powers. This illustrates the contrast of his character in the beginning and the end of the play and highlights his transformation, as he gains a new perception of his duties to his kingdom rather than being fixated on revenge as he was initially. By renouncing his powers, Prospero restores order to his world and maintains harmony, which indicates his growth as an individual.
Prospero’s path of forgiveness is the most significant discovery, as it demonstrates his metamorphosis from implacable to forgiving, which was elicited by his renewed perceptions of himself and others. In the epilogue, Prospero relinquishes his powers and requests forgiveness from the audience, as it is linked directly to his freedom from the vengeful world he lives in. This is seen in the contrast of “Now my charms are all o’erthrown”, which highlights his transformed nature, as he realises that he requires retribution for his wrongdoings throughout the play. The audience also discovers that by casting away his magic, Prospero has furthered his understandings of the real world to himself, as well as to the audience. The dialogue of “I must be here confined by you, or sent to Naples, let me not…” illustrates how through the renouncing of his powers and newfound understandings of the world and himself, Prospero hands over to the audience what his art has ‘created’ – a vision of society permeated by values of tolerance and forgiveness. This contrasts with his initial virtues of vengeance and reprisal, which illuminates his transformation in nature. Through Prospero’s speech, the audience discovers that in order for him to enter the real world, he must be granted forgiveness by said audience and since he relinquished his powers, he seeks for a higher power to judge his retribution. Once again, this demonstrates his transformation from vengeance to forgiveness for not only the other characters, but also for himself.
The concept that discovery can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others is made apparent in the epilogue of ‘The Tempest’, where Prospero’s monologue showcases his transformation and how it stems from these understandings of the world and ourselves. His realisation of his mistakes leads to the renouncing of his powers and therefore, the relinquishment of his quest for revenge. This highlights his transformed nature, which includes his ideology and morals, as he casts away his primitive need for vengeance and therefore, he gains a developed understanding of the world. Prospero’s transformation is a representation of the universal message of the ‘restitution of all things’, which involves the concept of choosing the path of forgiveness over revenge. Through this monologue, Shakespeare attempts to identify with the audience by relaying the ideas of forgiveness and retribution for one’s actions. Thus, through the significant discovery of Prospero’s metamorphosis, we are able to find relation to the conveyed message and gain a better understanding of the purpose of the play.