NEW PERSPECTIVES ON SHAKESPEAR'S "THE TEMPEST"

Abstract

This paper is mainly concerned with the study of the moral aspects that prompts William Shakespeare to attempt a romance in which he has embedded the epitome of his thought, experience, and philosophy concerning certain significant aspects of human life whose absence or negligence may threaten human existence, peace, and stability. From the beginning of history man realizes the importance of prosperity on the many and various levels that touch and address his needs and desires—natural, material, and spiritual. The Tempest, due to the dramatist's awareness of the aforementioned values, reflects the dramatist's duty as to projecting and unfolding these important aspects, reconciliation and forgiveness, that promote prosperity which is the most significant factor that is to preserve human life in this universe.
The Tempest is considered one of William Shakespeare's successful plays. This is an attempt to analyze in details the background of the play with a view to relating it to the times during which it was written and to the main motives that prompted Shakespeare to write it. It has been pointed out that the play was written as a masque whose main aim was to present in an honourable way the concept of marriage in a celebration to a refined society. The Tempest is a short play written for a court performance to be acted before King James II on Hollowness night,1st November 1611and it was presented once more in the late 1612 or the early 1613, in connection of the marriage of Princess Elizabeth with the Prince Palatine Elector. The significance of the performance of this play in particular on such an occasion as the marriage lies in the fact that that marriage is symbolic of the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda, two major characters in the play, which is regarded as a sound and very important social institution which does not only contribute to the construction of society, but also results in all signs of prosperity and happiness.
Before going deep into the moral implications contained in the play it must be noted that