Context

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Context of The Tempest

Here is some context for The Tempest:

Tragedy

In 1603, King James was Shakespeare's patron.
He had to strike a balance between entertaining the masses and satisfying his greatest patron.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the popularity of the revenge tragedy in Jacobean England. Revenge is a central theme in The Tempest, but Shakespeare avoids the ultimate tragedy that his contemporaries, such as Webster, embrace.

Monarchy

The monarch in The Tempest is good and we greatly dislike Antonio, who not only usurps (takes his power by force) his brother, but also threatens the King’s life.
The idea of regicide (killing the king) was a hot topic when The Tempest was first performed because Guy Fawkes and other Catholics had tried to assassinate King James I in 1605.
- But Shakespeare makes these characters Italian and places them on an ambiguous island so as to not draw too close a link with the infamous night.

Discovery and colonies

During this period of discovery, there were many explorers who "found" New Worlds, much like Sycorax and Caliban’s island.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Caliban describes how he welcomed the newcomers onto his island 'And showed thee all the qualities o’th’isle' but was ultimately exploited. This may reflect the attitudes of the colonisers of the era and how they treated the inhabitants of the areas they colonised.

Colonisation 2

Shakespeare is able to bring a taste of foreign lands to the masses.
Miranda calls 'O brave new world!' at the denouement (final part of the conclusion) of the play and could be referencing the expansion of the Europeans’ Empires as they colonised New Worlds during the period.

Masques

The play was first performed at the end of 1612 in celebration of the marriage of the King’s daughter.
This means there is a parallel between the King and Prospero as ‘masters of ceremonies’.
The masque developed and grew in popularity under the Stuart reign. The masque was a form of dramatic entertainment that involved dance performances by masked performers.
Shakespeare takes this to the stage so that it is open for all to enjoy, not just those invited to court.

Context for The Tempest

Here is some contextual information for the play:

Witchcraft and science

Jacobean England was advancing, but scientific discovery was still new.
Witchcraft was still viewed as a legitimate explanation for unknown things - King James I hated witchcraft and blamed many of the tragedies of his life on it.
In 1604, King James I passed a stature against witches which made the punishments more severe for those found guilty.
- So it is interesting that Shakespeare not only decides to make Prospero act alone, but that his character is not wholly the evil either.

Alchemy

Famous alchemists such as Paracelsus and John Dee were known for having some of the largest private libraries in the world.
This is reflective of Prospero, who states that his 'library was dukedom enough.'
This education is where they learnt their “sorcery” and is reflective of Prospero’s thirst for greater knowledge.

Renaissance drama and order

Prospero's quest for knowledge and perfection defines this play as a Renaissance (16th and 17th century of discovery and intellectual advances) drama.
Prospero uses his knowledge and education to enforce order and control in an otherwise uncivilised habitat, whether it is wanted or not.
Caliban refers to this knowledge as a 'curse' and does not value the tool which has allowed Prospero to become a God-like figure on the island.

Shakespeare's final play

The Tempest is remembered as one Shakespeare’s final plays.
The Epilogue is sometimes read as Shakespeare's farewell to his pen and the stage: 'Let your indulgence set me free,' before he retired back to Stratford.

1Key Words

1.1Key Words

1.1.1Key Words 1

1.1.2Key Words 2

1.1.3Key Words 3

1.1.4Key Words 4

2Context & Overview

2.1Context & Overview

2.1.1Overview

2.1.2Context

3Act 1

3.1Act 1 Analysis

3.1.1Overview

3.1.2Scene 1

3.1.3Scene 2

4Act 2

4.1Act 2 Analysis

4.1.1Overview

4.1.2Scene 1

4.1.3Scene 2

5Act 3

5.1Act 3 Analysis

5.1.1Overview

5.1.2Scene 1

5.1.3Scene 2

5.1.4Scene 3

6Act 4

6.1Act 4 Analysis

6.1.1Overview

6.1.2Scene 1

7Act 5

7.1Act 5 Analysis

7.1.1Overview

7.1.2Scene 1

7.1.3The Epilogue

8Key Characters

8.1Major Characters

8.1.1Prospero

8.1.2Miranda

8.1.3Caliban

8.1.4Ariel

8.1.5Ferdinand

8.1.6Alonso

8.2Minor Characters

8.2.1Antonio

8.2.2Stephano

8.2.3Sebastian

8.2.4Gonzalo

8.2.5Trinculo

9Themes

9.1Major Themes

9.1.1Power

9.1.2Magic

9.1.3Status, Race & Pronouns

9.1.4Comedy

9.1.5Freedom vs Servitude

9.1.6Revenge

10Authorial Method

10.1Authorial Method

10.1.1Genre & Time

10.1.2Music & Illusion

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