Essay Three: The Tempest

INTRODUCTION

Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest casts its characters upon a remote tropical island to study in isolation their complex power dynamics and varying individual natures.`¹ The play was composed in an historical period in which the power of the ‘civilised’ man was enforcing itself upon previously uncolonised lands.² Shakespeare emulates this colonisation through an eponymous tempest, which flings a group of Italian courtiers upon an island, reuniting them with their exiled rival Prospero and his adolescent daughter Miranda. By comedically juxtaposing the rigid courtly manner of the new arrivals with the wilderness and absolute indifference of the island, Shakespeare comments on the uselessness and absurdity of the politics of ‘civilised’ men when removed from their context – thus criticising the invasion of the Americas and other lands by the various colonial powers of his day.³ Shakespeare begins by highlighting the fragility of these power structures when removed from their context. He then uses the collapse of these political hierarchies to launch an in-depth investigation into the lasting corruption instilled in men by political power. Finally, he affirms that freedom from corruption may only be attained if an individual can shun hubris and admit to weakness.

1. This first sentence efficiently covers the background context, the author, the title, the setting, and the major themes being explored. Though it hasn’t yet referenced the prompt, it is still a highly effective opening that would work for virtually any essay topic, and immediately proves that we understand the core of the text.

2. Here, we’re starting to introduce ideas that stem from the prompt and will form the basis for our body paragraphs.

3. This is a fairly long introduction, but that’s because it takes its time in explaining our interpretation and sub-arguments. Normally, you can afford to keep your introductions short and sweet, but if you feel it’s more useful for you to lay out your ideas (for you and your assessor) early, keep doing that!

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Political power structures, when removed from their cultural contexts, are absurd and prone to collapse. By placing a group of Milanese courtiers on a tropical island, Shakespeare hyperbolises and ridicules the act of colonisation. The Tempest opens in media res, in the midst of a raging storm, which Shakespeare uses to highlight the futility of political power in a natural landscape.⁴ This futility is encapsulated⁵ in the Boatswain’s⁶ rhetorical question “what cares these roarers for the name of king?” Sarcastically, he beseeches the courtiers “if you can command these elements to silence... use your authority,” belittling the political power of the courtiers in comparison to the majesty of the storm. His use of such imperatives and sarcasm, directed towards men of much higher standing than himself, illustrates the breakdown of the social hierarchy.⁷ The staging of this scene adds an element of ridicule – a group of Italian noblemen, their luxurious clothing soaking wet, staggering about aboard a sinking ship and getting in everyone’s way. Furthermore, the verse that usually identifies nobility in Shakespeare’s plays is notably absent from this scene – all characters speak common prose. This further emphasises the collapse of power structures. The absurdity of political power out of context is carried throughout the play: separated from the other noblemen, Ferdinand rather pathetically asserts “I am the best of them that speak this speech, were I but where ‘tis spoken.” Thus, Shakespeare makes clear the fragility and uselessness of political power structures when taken out of their specific context.⁸

4. Already, within the first two sentences of this body paragraph, we’ve outlined the core thematic focus of our discussion, and then introduced and analysed a point of evidence. This makes a highly positive impression on the marker, and sets the stage for a strong paragraph overall.

5. This is also a small but effective way to link evidence (i.e. explain that the in meda res opening contributes to a sense of political futility, and then say that political futility is encapsulated by another piece of evidence – this time a quote from a minor character).

6. Don’t neglect the minor characters in Shakespeare’s plays. Yes, you’ll never have to write a whole paragraph on the character development and motivations of the boatswain, but you may just find that the quotes and moments featuring these ‘minor’ figures can be very important, profound points for you to analyse.

7. Perhaps the best strength of this essay is the clarity of its explanations. Each time we bring up an example, our assessor is left with no doubt as to its significance.

8. Strong concluding sentence.

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The breakdown of these fragile power structures reveals the corruption they cause in the men who form them. Shakespeare criticises the hubris of the colonial powers of his day, elucidating the corruption of the act of colonisation through a number of characters in the play. The courtiers Antonio and Sebastian are established as corrupt very early on. They are unable to appreciate the beauty of the island; when one of their fellows optimistically comments that “the air breathes upon us here most sweetly,” Antonio responds with “as if it had lungs, and rotten ones,” using carnal olfactory imagery to subvert the former positive comment. Sebastian affirms this subversion,⁹ comparing the scent of the air to that of a swamp. Their corruption is revealed shortly after this, in their attempt to secure Sebastian as King by committing regicide. Whilst unable to appreciate the beauty of nature, they are tantalised by the prospect of wealth and status. Antonio taunts Sebastian with the benefits he received by usurping Prospero; “look how well my garments sit upon me / Much feater than before.” Clothing, a symbol of wealth and status, is far more appetising a prospect than the natural beauty of the island, and thus Antonio and Sebastian’s desire for such trifles reveals how they have been corrupted by courtly power.¹⁰

9. There is more excellent linking here as we transition from one example to its analysis and then back in to another example. Again, this is a small detail, but it makes the essay extremely fluent and easy to read, as each point flows on to the next, which assessors always appreciate!

10. Furthermore, we are also unpacking these secondary characters in detail here – not every essay has to jump into the lead characters like Romeo, Othello, or King Richard from the outset. Sometimes it’s better to use not only a wide range of characters to make your point, but also to spend more time on the less obvious ones.

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Such corruption runs deep;¹¹ even Prospero, who had long been exiled from Milan, hubristically maintains himself as ruler of the island. His corruption is revealed in his cruel domination of Caliban, the rightful owner of the island, whom he viciously calls “poisonous slave” and curses with “cramps... that shall pen thy breath up.” Even Ariel, whom Prospero affectionately refers to as “my ... chick,” is not pardoned from his harsh rule – he threatens to “rend an oak and peg thee in his knotty entrails” until Ariel “has howled away twelve winters” if Ariel does not do his bidding.¹² Prospero, however, is the protagonist of the story, and the audience is positioned to empathise with his situation. Thus, in order to make clear that he is criticising the hubris of colonisation, Shakespeare includes the farcical subplot, in which the riotously drunk butler Stephano and jester Trinculo enlist Caliban as their slave and endeavour to claim the island as their own. An echo of Prospero’s situation, this humorous storyline highlights the sad injustice of colonisation¹³ – whilst an inebriated Stephano claims to be “the man i’th’moon” and forces Caliban to kiss his foot, poor Caliban innocently offers to “show thee the best springs... fish for thee, and get thee wood,” hence forming part of Shakespeare’s depiction of the inextricable links between corruption and subjucation.

11. More great linking to create cohesion between body paragraphs here.

12. This consistent use of quotes, and the smooth integration of these quotes into our sentences is a testament to our textual knowledge.

13. As always, the evidence is tied back to authorial intent and the notions Shakespeare is attempting to convey through his work.

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The enslavement of the natives of the isle is Shakespeare’s direct criticism of the hubris of man in colonising lands that are not rightfully theirs. Prospero affirms that the spirits are “not honoured with a human shape,” reflecting the common belief that native peoples were not human, as well as the hubris of the ‘civilised’ man in believing himself to be ‘honoured.’ While the play is quite disillusioning and critical of mankind, the ending is not necessarily so.¹⁴ During his manipulation of the courtiers, Prospero’s excessive self-confidence is abruptly replaced by troubled introspection. In a monologue to Ferdinand, he builds up grand images of the greatness of civilised man; “the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces / the solemn temples,” and then suddenly tears these down with the lament that these all “shall dissolve.” He shuns his own hubris, and finally comes to realise that the power of men will melt “into air, into thin air.” Here, the repetition of “air” disrupts the pentameter,¹⁵ echoing his turbulent mental state. In the play’s epilogue, Prospero speaks directly to the audience, earnestly begging them to forgive him his sins and set him free with their applause; “release me from my bands / by the help of your good hands.” Here, Shakespeare leaves the play open-ended, leaving it to the audience to decide the fate of Prospero, and thus, to some extent, their own fate. Thus, he poses the question: can the horrors of colonisation be forgiven?

14. This challenges our main point somewhat, but in reality, we’re just showing that we understand the complexity of the text, and the nuances of Shakespeare’s portrayals.

15. When including a long quote, or lots of related quotes that contribute to the same overall sense, it can be useful to follow this up by picking out one specific word or phrase and then doing a ‘deep dive’ analysis of it. This lets you show off both the breadth and depth of your analytical skills!

CONCLUSION

Shakespeare’s The Tempest is an in-depth analysis of the power of man, brought about by the hubristic acts of colonisation occurring in the time period in which it was composed. Shakespeare uses the play to illustrate that¹⁶ political power is useless and absurd outside its usual context. He elucidates and ridicules the corruption of man, and highlights the cruelty and injustice of colonisation. Finally, he makes clear the need to admit one’s weakness and to be repentant, yet leaves it to his audience to decide if this is sufficient.

16. This is a great example of how even ‘simple’ language can be used to great effect. Saying that Shakespeare ‘uses the play to illustrate’ something reveals an awareness about authorial intent and the fact that the text is a construct, which is a powerful point that’s fundamental to any essay you write!