the tempest act 1
Fanny Ngoussi
Curtis Hessel
ENGL 1500-003
08-04-2014
The Symbolism of Royalty in Act 1 of Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Royalty and the distinction of high social classes defines the character relationships of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In essence, the entire plot revolves around the disposition of the rightful Duke of Milan, Prospero, who is now confined to an island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero’s intent is to regain this royal status, above all demonstrated in his use of magic to make Miranda fall in love with the Duke of Naples, Ferdinand, as well as his tensions with his brother Alonso, who has usurped Prospero to become Duke of Milan. In this sense, the narrative is based around the plot device of attempting to retrieve this royal status. However, why are such obviously social statuses necessary to realizing justice in the play? Arguably, royalty and a strict delineation of rightful rulers symbolizes justice in Shakespeare’s play: the disruption of order, symbolized in rightful heirs and rulers, reflects a descent into injustice, such that the restoration of justice is entirely consistent with the restoration of order. This is explicit in the opening act, where Prospero informs Miranda of her past life. Hence, Prospero states, “Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and/She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father/Was Duke of Milan; and thou his only heir/And princess no worse issued.” To this Miranda replies “What foul play had we, that we came from thence?/Or blessed was’t we did?” The loss of political power is thus interpreted by Miranda as a loss of fortune, such that tragedy and suffering are directly related to the rupture from authoritative legal titles. In this sense, the right to rule is equated by Shakespeare with justice: the loss of this right, symbolized in the royal form, carries a tragic and unjust element. This clearly structured hierarchy is also reflected in the relationship between Prospero and the spirit Ariel, the latter doing the
Curtis Hessel
ENGL 1500-003
08-04-2014
The Symbolism of Royalty in Act 1 of Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Royalty and the distinction of high social classes defines the character relationships of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In essence, the entire plot revolves around the disposition of the rightful Duke of Milan, Prospero, who is now confined to an island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero’s intent is to regain this royal status, above all demonstrated in his use of magic to make Miranda fall in love with the Duke of Naples, Ferdinand, as well as his tensions with his brother Alonso, who has usurped Prospero to become Duke of Milan. In this sense, the narrative is based around the plot device of attempting to retrieve this royal status. However, why are such obviously social statuses necessary to realizing justice in the play? Arguably, royalty and a strict delineation of rightful rulers symbolizes justice in Shakespeare’s play: the disruption of order, symbolized in rightful heirs and rulers, reflects a descent into injustice, such that the restoration of justice is entirely consistent with the restoration of order. This is explicit in the opening act, where Prospero informs Miranda of her past life. Hence, Prospero states, “Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and/She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father/Was Duke of Milan; and thou his only heir/And princess no worse issued.” To this Miranda replies “What foul play had we, that we came from thence?/Or blessed was’t we did?” The loss of political power is thus interpreted by Miranda as a loss of fortune, such that tragedy and suffering are directly related to the rupture from authoritative legal titles. In this sense, the right to rule is equated by Shakespeare with justice: the loss of this right, symbolized in the royal form, carries a tragic and unjust element. This clearly structured hierarchy is also reflected in the relationship between Prospero and the spirit Ariel, the latter doing the