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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Tempest is a rich and complex play that encourages us to think deeply about human nature. It has themes of power, justice, and forgiveness that are still relevant today, sparking important conversations about morality, identity, and society. Shakespeare’s use of magic in the play serves as a way to explore control and freedom. The play also tackles the negative effects of colonisation, the dangers of unchecked imagination, and the internal struggles people face when making moral decisions. This makes The Tempest a vital piece of literature that still speaks to us, no matter the time period. The plot may be simple, but it allows the characters and ideas to shine through, showing Shakespeare’s ability to push storytelling boundaries and solidifying The Tempest as one of his most thought-provoking and layered works.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4/5 stars, full review to come!
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
2.5 stars.
After reading this, I've concluded that a) I'll never be able to understand what's going on in a Shakespeare play unless I have some sort of study guide with me and b) I like the plays that I read for academic purposes more than the ones I read for fun. Perhaps this is because I have to analyze it more and get more out of it than just reading with no purpose in mind?
I did enjoy this more than the 2 stars suggests, but the entire point of the play seemed a bit anticlimactic, even pointless. While I do understand that the whole charade was essentially Prospero's revenge for being booted out as duke, it all ended so happily and seemingly without any overhanging questions, that it all seemed like a slow build up to nothing. The additional side plots with the starry eyed insta-love with Miranda and Ferdinand (ughhhhhhhh) (not to mention Prospero playing matchmaker, bleh) and the exploits of Caliban and gang also seemed useless and, based on the summaries I read, really only were to prove points, rather than be vital to the revenge plot. The message of "if you're a good slave, I'll let you go" was also very questionable. Not just because of the whole religious colonization thing (savages can never be reformed, but good Christians can), but just because it made true loyalty seem like something that shouldn't exist. One can only serve another if they're under employ, and doing something simply because one is loyal and wants to doesn't happen at all in this play. I was also never convinced of the "Prospero=Shakespeare: Trials of a Playwright" theme... while, yes, they do both create worlds and have "magical" powers over their characters/pawns, there never seemed any reason to read into it. It's a coincidence, that's it.
I know I would enjoy this much more if I saw a production of it, as it relies heavily on the scenery and the character descriptions. I've watched "Forbidden Planet" a few times and I was able to draw on that for much of the play, which was helpful, but that wasn't the mysterious dark forested island this is set on. I did love the spirit aspect of it all; Ariel was my favorite character (I want to compare and contrast him and the Ariel in Rape of the Lock...) and the darker spirits that Prospero evokes a few times vividly reminded me a pre-code Fleischer cartoon.
This would definitely be a play I would consider rereading in the future, and I know I would love the opportunity to analyze it academically... I'm sure I'd come away with a more analytically appreciative view of the whole thing.
After reading this, I've concluded that a) I'll never be able to understand what's going on in a Shakespeare play unless I have some sort of study guide with me and b) I like the plays that I read for academic purposes more than the ones I read for fun. Perhaps this is because I have to analyze it more and get more out of it than just reading with no purpose in mind?
I did enjoy this more than the 2 stars suggests, but the entire point of the play seemed a bit anticlimactic, even pointless. While I do understand that the whole charade was essentially Prospero's revenge for being booted out as duke, it all ended so happily and seemingly without any overhanging questions, that it all seemed like a slow build up to nothing. The additional side plots with the starry eyed insta-love with Miranda and Ferdinand (ughhhhhhhh) (not to mention Prospero playing matchmaker, bleh) and the exploits of Caliban and gang also seemed useless and, based on the summaries I read, really only were to prove points, rather than be vital to the revenge plot. The message of "if you're a good slave, I'll let you go" was also very questionable. Not just because of the whole religious colonization thing (savages can never be reformed, but good Christians can), but just because it made true loyalty seem like something that shouldn't exist. One can only serve another if they're under employ, and doing something simply because one is loyal and wants to doesn't happen at all in this play. I was also never convinced of the "Prospero=Shakespeare: Trials of a Playwright" theme... while, yes, they do both create worlds and have "magical" powers over their characters/pawns, there never seemed any reason to read into it. It's a coincidence, that's it.
I know I would enjoy this much more if I saw a production of it, as it relies heavily on the scenery and the character descriptions. I've watched "Forbidden Planet" a few times and I was able to draw on that for much of the play, which was helpful, but that wasn't the mysterious dark forested island this is set on. I did love the spirit aspect of it all; Ariel was my favorite character (I want to compare and contrast him and the Ariel in Rape of the Lock...) and the darker spirits that Prospero evokes a few times vividly reminded me a pre-code Fleischer cartoon.
This would definitely be a play I would consider rereading in the future, and I know I would love the opportunity to analyze it academically... I'm sure I'd come away with a more analytically appreciative view of the whole thing.
Sadly I'm reduced to guessing when I attempted this. It's really excellent and I look forward to getting back to it - in fact it's so excellent that that's the reason I put it down. The introduction is downright inspiring and sent me to order the whole Arden Shakespeare series just to be able to indulge in more scholarly squabbling (although I have a feeling these Oxford editions are better for that).
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“With the help of your good hands. / Gentle breath of yours my sails / Must fill, or else my project fails, / which was to please… Let your indulgence set me free” - Prosper
Voici une pièce qui, parmi les quelques oeuvres de Shakespeare que j'ai lues, me semble assez différente. Tout d'abord parce que bien que tragicomique, elle n'est pas aussi tragique, ni aussi comique que ses autres tragédies et comédies. Elle me paraît cependant bien plus sérieuse dans le fond. Et elle se déroule dans un seul lieu et linéairement. Même le langage est d'une apparente simplicité.
La raison de ma relecture influence sans doute cette impression : dans le cadre d'un séminaire sur l'écocritique et Shakespeare, me voilà lancée dans la recherche d'un thème à exploiter dans un extrait d'oeuvre de Shakespeare afin de le mettre en parallèle avec un autre extrait autour du même thème, d'un point de vue écocritique. J'ai choisi The Tempest pour sa quasi absence de critique de la société élizabethaine et parce que c'est ma préférée.
Elle me paraît cette fois comme une réflexion sur les effets de la colonisation, les interactions humaines et entre l'homme et la nature.
Outre les interventions comiques des quelques personnages et la vengeance de Prospero envers ceux qui l'ont trahis, mon intérêt s'est focalisé sur les relations de Prospero et Ariel d'une part et Prospero et Caliban de l'autre. Bien que Prospero soit toujours qualifié positivement, tant bien dans son caractère que dans son utilisation de la magie, Shakespeare laisser percer l'oppression que Prospero fait subir aux habitants de l'île sur laquelle il s'est échoué, qu'ils soient animaux, végétaux, esprits ou humains. Il exploite les connaissances de l'île et de ses ressources offertes par Caliban, et en fait son esclave. Ariel aussi. Sous prétexte de l'avoir délivré d'un sortilège jeté par la mère de Caliban, Prospero l'utilise afin de mener à bien sa vengeance, faisant miroiter sa libération à plusieurs reprises. Sans jamais remettre en question son attitude dominante basée sur ses livres et sa magie.
L'île est aussi décrite selon differentes perceptions et conceptions. Pour Prospero, sans l'aide de Caliban et Ariel pour l'exploiter, est déserte et peu propice à l'homme. Pour Caliban et Ariel, elle est verte et abondante, riche en vie, selon le goût et l'esthétique de l'homme européen ou pas, elle est pleine de beauté subtile.
On voit en cette pièce Shakespeare tirant sa révérence, à travers l'épilogue de Prospero. On pourrait peut-être aussi voir dans son depart de l'île et l'abandon de sa magie, comme dans sa libération d'Ariel, une prémonition sur les effets de la colonisation qui, à l'époque de l'écriture de The Tempest, se propage en Amérique.
La raison de ma relecture influence sans doute cette impression : dans le cadre d'un séminaire sur l'écocritique et Shakespeare, me voilà lancée dans la recherche d'un thème à exploiter dans un extrait d'oeuvre de Shakespeare afin de le mettre en parallèle avec un autre extrait autour du même thème, d'un point de vue écocritique. J'ai choisi The Tempest pour sa quasi absence de critique de la société élizabethaine et parce que c'est ma préférée.
Elle me paraît cette fois comme une réflexion sur les effets de la colonisation, les interactions humaines et entre l'homme et la nature.
Outre les interventions comiques des quelques personnages et la vengeance de Prospero envers ceux qui l'ont trahis, mon intérêt s'est focalisé sur les relations de Prospero et Ariel d'une part et Prospero et Caliban de l'autre. Bien que Prospero soit toujours qualifié positivement, tant bien dans son caractère que dans son utilisation de la magie, Shakespeare laisser percer l'oppression que Prospero fait subir aux habitants de l'île sur laquelle il s'est échoué, qu'ils soient animaux, végétaux, esprits ou humains. Il exploite les connaissances de l'île et de ses ressources offertes par Caliban, et en fait son esclave. Ariel aussi. Sous prétexte de l'avoir délivré d'un sortilège jeté par la mère de Caliban, Prospero l'utilise afin de mener à bien sa vengeance, faisant miroiter sa libération à plusieurs reprises. Sans jamais remettre en question son attitude dominante basée sur ses livres et sa magie.
L'île est aussi décrite selon differentes perceptions et conceptions. Pour Prospero, sans l'aide de Caliban et Ariel pour l'exploiter, est déserte et peu propice à l'homme. Pour Caliban et Ariel, elle est verte et abondante, riche en vie, selon le goût et l'esthétique de l'homme européen ou pas, elle est pleine de beauté subtile.
On voit en cette pièce Shakespeare tirant sa révérence, à travers l'épilogue de Prospero. On pourrait peut-être aussi voir dans son depart de l'île et l'abandon de sa magie, comme dans sa libération d'Ariel, une prémonition sur les effets de la colonisation qui, à l'époque de l'écriture de The Tempest, se propage en Amérique.