Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Forgiveness in the tempest
Lets talk about Prospero as a Metaphor for Shakespeare and also forgiveness!
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I was reminded of an older use of the word “genius” seeing it used in it’s older meaning in the text. The word genius is now ascribed to artists who perform their craft well. A genius in Shakespeare’s times would have meant a spirit that visits someone. If the Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s last works, and Prospero is a metaphor for Shakespeare, then Arial could be seen as his spirit of inspiration. Arial has long served Prospero and executes most of his work for him. Arial asks to be let go and Prospero has trouble getting ready to let him go and asks that Arial stay for a few more days, a few more moments, and to complete a few last tasks. Shakespeare needed his spirit of inspiration with him to finish writing his plays. The inspiration wants to flee or Shakespeare realizes that his oeuvre is concluding and he has trouble letting inspiration go, but finally relinquishes. (I learned about the meaning of genius a long time ago from a ted talk by the author of eat, pray, love).
ReplyDeleteAs far as forgiveness, in this context it seems very similar to an older person letting go of their grudges to finish out their life happily. I am thinking about retirement from the craft, retirement from being a working person, settling into comfort in old age.
-Chloe Friedman
This is a fantastic analysis! I love it! Also fun fact: the ancient romans used to have an annual celebration of your genius (the little spirit) so they would make a cake and put a candle on it cause fire (like the modern lightbulb) is symbolic of ideas and that’s where the modern birthday cake comes from!
DeleteThat's cool! I like how ancient concepts morph into things we are familiar with. - CF
DeleteMe too!
DeleteAfter magic show Prospero acts like an addict whose trying to quit. His angry with himself that again he drifted away from real world. I think his forgiveness helped him sober up.
ReplyDeleteKrzysztof Szczepanik
That is a GREAT observation!
DeleteYou said that Prospero's forgiveness frees him from his enemies, and metaphorically from the island; but how come ? I mean, he could have been free from the island anyway if he had take revenge on them.
ReplyDeleteThis is maybe a bigger philosophical idea than I can cover in comments to a post during finals week but getting revenge on your enemies might not be freedom — it might be a kind of bondage to them, because it connects you to them forever (think about Iago telling Othello I am yours forever). A lot of my students imagine revenge as being like you execute people you hate and walk away and never think about them again but I am not so sure that image, generated by Hollywood movies, is the way it would work psychologically.
DeleteI understand that forgiveness will free him from his enemies, but how will his forgiveness free him from the island.
ReplyDeleteOh that’s just a metaphor I think — forgiveness will free him from his isolation because being focused on revenge is lonely business
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