The Tempest OVERVIEW

When was the Tempest written? 1611
How old was Shakespeare when he wrote the The Tempest? 47
When did Shakespeare die? 1617
Who was monarch at the time? James I of England
What event possibly inspired the play? In 1609, the ship Sea Venture was ship wrecked in a savage storm near the Bermudas on its way to Jamestown. The passengers and crew were stranded for months on a deserted island in the Bermudas, during which time they were believed to be lost at sea.
What did feminist critic Melissa Sanchez say of Miranda? She is a representation of an “angelic—but passive—soul” caught in the conflict between enlightenment and base desire (represented by Prospero and Caliban).
Which critic argued that Miranda fits into the colonialist interpretation of The Tempest in that Prospero’s use of Miranda as an unwitting player in his political revenge is expressive of the play’s sexist attitude towards women? Lorie Leininger
Who said: “…what artists do…is hold the mirror up to nature”? And what did they mean by this? Pluto.He believed if the ‘art’ does not teach morality and ethics then it is damaging to the audience. Both The Tempest and Dr Faustus are morality plays, so this quotation is applicable.
Who was it who believed elements like “plot, character, thought, diction, song, and spectacle” influenced the audience’s catharsis (emotions)? Aristotle.
Who was it came up with the phrase ‘fatal flaw’ and what does it mean? Aristotle says that the tragic hero should have a flaw and/or make some mistake. This could be applied to both Prospero and Faustus, although Prospero ultimately redeems himself.
Who was the person who described The Tempest as “an example of how a great poet should write allegory, – not embodying metaphysical abstractions, but giving us ideals abstracted from life itself”? James Russell Lowell
What did Lytton Strachey say of Shakespeare and his final play? He held a much more cynical view of Shakespeare, suggesting The Tempest failed to satisfy as it was the work of a jaded genius. Strachey said Shakespeare was “bored with people, bored with real life, bored with drama”. It may have been possible as Shakespeare was drawing on his final years.
July 1, 2019