Forgiveness

In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, forgiveness is an important theme. Prospero turns out to be a very forgiving man who has the power to hurt or even kill the people who have betrayed him in the past, but instead he rises above and forgives them.

                Prospero was wronged twelve years ago by his brother and the king and was forced to live on the island with his daughter. After he causes the tempest that brings the betrayers to his island, he casts spells on them during their stay.  After he casts spells on them and punishes them for a short time he forgives all of them, even those who plotted to kill him while on the island. He calls everyone to his home and forgives each of them individually. He forgives his brother for his ambition by saying, “You, brother mine, that entertained ambition,/ Expelled remorse and nature, who, with Sebastian/ Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong/ Would here have killed your king, I do forgive thee”(5.1.75-79). When he forgives all the people who have done him wrong, Prospero shows that he is a bigger person. It takes a lot to forgive someone for ruining not only your life but the life of your daughter. They were taken from their respectful situations and have been secluded from the world for twelve years. Prospero is even big enough to forgive Stephano and Trinculo who plotted with Caliban to murder him in his sleep. He simply says that they are stupid drunks and lets them go. This doesn’t seem realistic. What kind of man would be able to shrug off and forgive someone who wanted to kill them?   

It would be very easy for anyone to remain angry and hold a grudge for something like this but Prospero instead is able to rise above for the good of his daughter and forgive everyone. He wants the best for his daughter and by making amends he will restore her place in royalty in Naples. 

The Tempest, Neither Comedy or Tragedy

After reading a few of Shakespeare’s plays, The Tempest turned out to be very different from the previous plays I have read this semester. After reading seven other plays this semester it was easy to categorize them as either a tragedy or a comedy. The Tempest however, does not fit into either category. 

If I had to choose I would say that it fits into the comedy category simply because it ends in marriage. This being said there were not a lot of funny lines or funny characters in this play. I never found myself laughing out loud like I did in his other comedies. The majority of this play was neither funny nor tragic. No one died and no one was severely punished in the end. It was almost difficult to stay with this play simply because after I read a few of his plays, I got into the rhythm of either a tragedy or a comedy. Throughout the play I was trying to determine whether or not different aspects told me if this play was funny or tragic. Without being able to determine this play, certain scenes made me nervous. For example, when Prospero gives Ferdinand his permission to take Miranda, I didn’t believe that Prospero was simply looking to regain his position as Duke of Milan and to further Miranda’s standing. I thought that his bigger motive was to get revenge and hurt his evil brother and the King of Naples. I don’t know why I had such doubt in Prospero but I was nervous the entire time. Perhaps after reading Othello, I was used to a villain like Iago, and was expecting Prospero to be him.

Since The Tempest does not fit into the tragedy category or the comedy category, it made it difficult to follow for me.  I kept expecting funnier events or awful tragic events. Looking back at the play now, it is very interesting but during I was super confused and uneasy.

Miranda and Ferdinand’s Relationship

In the play by William Shakespeare, The Tempest, the love story between Miranda and Ferdinand happens very fast. The moment they see each other they fall in love. This love cannot be true because Miranda only remembers one other man in her life, her father.

 Miranda has been so sheltered and secluded that she doesn’t know what men are like. Miranda hasn’t had the experience or exposure to the opposite sex to form her opinions of what she likes or what she is looking for in a husband. “I do not know/ One of my sex; no woman’s face remember,/ Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen/ More that I may call men than you, good friend,/ And my dear father”(3.2.49-52). She explains that she has no memory of another female or male other than her father. Miranda’s seclusion from the rest of mankind has inhibited her ability to figure out what she wants in a husband and therefore her love for Ferdinand is not true.  

Ferdinand on the other hand has been out in the world and knows what he is looking for in a wife. He explains that he has met many women in his life time. “Full many a lady/ I have ey’d with best regard” (3.2.39-40). Even though he has this idea of a future wife, he does not know Miranda at all. Although he knows is that she is beautiful and therefore what he feels for her is not love, but in fact lust.

It is hard to know if one has found true love. It takes a lot of time and looking. One must meet people to decide if they have the traits they find attractive or important in a spouse. Miranda has not had the time or exposure to determine her wants or needs from a future spouse. Ferdinand has had the exposure but has not had the time to get to know Miranda, therefore this relationship is not based on true love.  

                 

Emilia’s Role

Throughout the play of Othello, the character of Emilia goes through an important change. At the beginning of the play her character is very weak but as the plot thickens, her character shows herself to be strong.

Emilia starts out as an insignificant character. She is very simple and does not ask questions when he husband asks her to do things. At one point Iago, her husband, asks her to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief. Emilia knows that this handkerchief is important to Desdemona because Othello gave it to her as a gift. “I am glad I have found this napkin, / my wayward husband hath a hundred times/ Wooed me to steal it, but she so loves the token/ and give it to Iago. What will he do with it/ Heaven knows, not I. / I nothing but to please his fantasy” (3.3.297-306). Emilia admits that this is a strange task but does it anyways without questioning.  Stealing from her lady without having a reason does not paint Emilia out to be strong or caring.

As the play progresses, Emilia starts standing up for herself and standing up to Iago. Her feelings toward her husband change and she is no longer willing to do everything to please him. She even talks about cheating on her husband because she says that husbands cheat on their wives and why should the standards be different. She does not openly disclose whether or not she has cheated on Iago but she hints that she would. In the last act of Othello, Emilia shows herself to be strong and caring for Desdemona. She tells everyone what her evil husband did, even though Iago is screaming for her to shut up. “No, I will speak as liberal as the north. / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,/ All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak” (5.2.233-235). Emilia defies him and tells everyone that is was he who poisoned Othello’s mind and caused Desdemona’s death.  

                The development of Emilia’s character from weak to strong is significant. She is the one who opens everyone’s eyes to the truth. If she was not able to grow and stand up to herself and also for Desdemona, Desdemona would have died with people thinking she was unfaithful. This makes her growth as a character very significant.

Excessive Behaviors in Twelfth Night

                In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are certain characters who display excessive behaviors. Count Orsino demonstrates excessive love, Olivia displays excessive grief and Sir Toby shows excessive drinking. All of these characters act in a way that is more than normal for the average being, and it makes their characters very annoying.

                Count Orsino claims to be madly in love with Olivia. Instead of simply stating his love for her and trying to gain her love in return, he sulks in his home listening to music and day dreaming. “If music be the food of love, play on;/ Give me excess of it, that surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken and so die. / That strain again!”(1.1.1-4). He is acting like a fool by spending all his time thinking about Olivia when she does not feel the same way for him. His surplus of love is annoying to witness.

                Another character who demonstrates excessive behavior is Olivia. Her brother has recently died and understandably she is in mourning. Any normal person would be upset and may spend time mourning. Olivia takes this to the next level. She decides to cover her face and not show it to anyone for seven years. “The element itself, till seven years’ heat, / shall not behold her face at ample view” (1.2.25-26). Seven years for the death of her brother. It is admirable that she is willing to do this for her brother but it is extreme. She is overreacting and it is annoying to witness her unnecessary behavior.

                Sir Toby also demonstrates excessive behavior. He enjoys drinking to an excess. This makes him an annoying character that has no respect for others. These characters all display excessive behaviors that are entertaining in the play, but in reality they would be very annoying people to spend time with. Their behaviors show that they are very self interested and car about themselves over anyone else.   

Shallow Love in Twelfth Night

In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are many different characters who claim to be madly in love with another character. The love displayed in this play is very manipulated by shallow physical attractions. There are three people who change their affections quickly due to physical motives; Olivia, Orsino and Sebastian. This fast change of love proves that love in this play is shallow.

Olivia’s love is superficial because she claims to love Cesario, but when she finds Sebastian, her feelings change.  She shifts her love from Cesario to Sebastian within a matter of minutes. Even though she believes that Sebastian is Cesario, someone who is truly in love should be able to tell who they love.     

Orsino’s love for Olivia is also shallow. His love switches quickly to Viola when he figures out that she is a woman. This is comical and hypocritical of him because at the beginning of the play he claims that his love comes from within and women are incapable of loving that way.  His switch of love is awkward because he thought that she was a boy for so long and now he is going to marry her. This proves that Orsino’s love for Olivia is shallow because he goes back on his word to love her and switches to Viola. Sebastian’s love for Olivia is also shallow. He marries her simply because she is wealthy and beautiful.

                The love displayed in Twelfth Night, is not true love but rather shallow love. Olivia, Orsino and Sebastian all exhibit this superficial theme by either falling in love quickly or changing their affections quickly. This shallow love makes one question the realistic quality of this play. If love is so quickly shifted, how can it be true?

Malvolio: The Butt of Everyone's Joke

The character Malvolio is an annoying square in Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. He is the steward of Lady Olivia’s house and the other members of the household do not like him. Sir Toby, who is Olivia’s uncle, is a drunk and loves to laugh and party. Maria works in the house as well and likes Sir Toby. The two of them together decide to torment Malvolio and his party pooping ways. This household dynamic is like elementary school children who pick on the one who is a rule follower and tattle tale.

                At one point, a few people in the house are up very late drinking and carrying on and Malvolio comes in to break up the party. He threatens to tell Lady Olivia on Maria if she gives them any more to drink. “Mistress Mary, if you prized my lady’s favor/ at anything more than contempt, you would not give/ means for this uncivil rule. She shall know of it, by/ this hand” (2.3.120-23). This is the classic example of a tattletale threatening other children. He is such as square that it makes him extremely nervous to be around or witness people drinking and disobeying house rules.

                Because Malvoio threatens to ruin their fun, Maria, Sir Toby and Sir Andrews decide to pick on him and play a practical joke. They know that Malvolio loves Lady Olivia, so they decide to fake a note from her to him to make him believe that she loves him as well. When Malvolio receives the letter he is extremely excited and makes a fool of himself in order to receive Lady Olivia’s love. This makes one feel sorry for Malvolio. He is the little rule follower who no one likes and who is making a fool out of himself for nothing but his enemies’ enjoyment. He is the butt of everyone’s’ joke but he is not aware.