Time and the Tempest
'The Tempest', penned by playwright William Shakespeare, as one of his last works circa 1612 is a story about many things: love, revenge, greed, politics, magic, and mystery. Even the notion of time plays a major role, and it is this aspect we shall be discussing in the following pages. Time plays a fairly large role in many of the ideas put forward in this rather wistful tale of one man's (Prospero) betrayal at the hands of his brother and his initial attempts at revenge. Essentially 'The Tempest' ends with the age-old moral that 'time heals all wounds' as he finally finds it in his heart to forgive his brother and bring the tale to a peaceful resolution. It is not just here however, that we find time to be a useful plot device. One should also pay attention to the various goings on within the play - such as Pospero's comments on the brevity of life - as well as the title of the play itself. To begin with we shall look at the title 'The Tempest' which serves to hold a double meaning. Whilst the word 'Tempest' of course can be seen to refer to the great storm that is used by Prospero to imprison his captives on the isle, as well as the 'tempest' of emotion invoked in the characters an the imbalance of power amongst the
" Here we see Ferdinand's spirits roused by the sound of Ariel's music, reminding him the futility of lamenting what is past and to look towards the beauty of the present. Such distortion helps further lend a sense of mysticism and mystery to 'The Tempest'. It is here also in the closing scene that we see Prospero/Shakespeare lamenting that he hopes "to see the nuptial Of these our dear-beloved solemniz'd; And thence retire me to my Milan, where Every third thought shall be of my grave. be cheerful, sir: our revels are now ended: these actors. Music, which also seems to play a rather major role in 'The Tempest', seems to serve as a reminder of this also. Yet with my nobler reason, 'gainst my fury Do I take part: the rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent, The sole drift of my purpose doth extend Not a frown further. Sitting on a bank Weeping again the king my father's wreck, This music crept by me upon the waters; Allaying both their fury and my passion. As Prospero's plan are finally coming into fruition, he finally realises after a conversation with Ariel that ".
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