Comedy

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Disruption of the Natural Order

The natural order is overturned in The Tempest. Every class is shipwrecked together, and comedic chaos follows.

Not quite a comedy

According to Aristotle, the quality that provokes laughter is a certain ‘ugliness,’ a ‘defect’ or ‘deformity’.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest is not categorically a comedy because there are a number of serious events that are actually dangerous and could be perilous to the characters on stage.
For this reason, The Tempest fits more into a tragicomedy status. This genre of play was new to the Jacobean era.

Shipwrecked together

It is interesting that the King and noblemen were washed up on the shore of this island alongside butler and jester. This implies that the natural order has been disturbed.
It is the similarities between the classes that cause the greatest comedy in this play.
Straight after the scene in which Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill the King (Act 2, Scene 1), we see something similar happen in Act 2, Scene 2. Caliban entertains a plot to kill Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo.

Effect of alcohol

Act 3, Scene 2 opens with alcohol. Stephano and Trinculo repeatedly encourage the native, Caliban, to 'drink.'
This results in Caliban begging to 'lick thy [Stephano’s] shoe' as he tries to serve somebody who will overthrow the tyrannical Prospero.
Trinculo’s mocking of Caliban, calling him a 'deboshed fish' and 'half a fish and half a monster', results in Caliban becoming a victim. He whines to Stephano: 'Lo, how he mocks me!'

Upper Classes

While most of the comedy in The Tempest come from the lower class characters, there are some moments of comedy from the more refined characters - such as Miranda and Prospero.

Miranda's wit

The lower classes aren't the only ones who create humour.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Miranda shows wit: 'Your tale sir, would cure deafness.'
This is funny because her father is lecturing her and asks her if she's listening - her response if witty because she's essentially saying, of course, I can hear you, even a deaf person could hear you.

Miranda's confusion

When Miranda is told that 'Thy father was the Duke of Milan and/ A prince of power,' she replies, 'Sir, are you not my father?'
Miranda is clearly not following the story, even though she's been told repeatedly to listen carefully. Perhaps she is confused by her father's tale.
Either way, this reply is a painful reminder to Prospero of his fall from grace. Miranda has no recollection of him being such a 'Prince of Power.'

Comedy and class distinctions

Class distinctions are highlighted through comedy.
Miranda and Prospero are witty, but it is a different kind of comedy to that of Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano.
- Their comedy is more intelligent, rather than physical and silly.

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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