Theme: Forgiveness and Freedom
Introduction:
“The Tempest” is a romance. It is a separate category of plays in which the dramatist shows the rare greatness of forgiveness. The hero suffers but does not take revenge in a traditional way that believes in “tit for tat”. In such plays the nobility of virtue is observed and the wrong doer is forgiven when he is penitent of his past wrong doings. It makes the play a morality play.
Theme of Revenge:
Shakespeare's “The Tempest” begins in the style of a revenge play. Prospero is the avenger. Prospero is the right Duke of Milan who was banished unlawfully. Now he lives on this unnamed island. Being a great magician, he has potent spirits to serve him. He is the master of this island. Antonio is his brother and the usurping Duke of Milan. In fact, it is because of Antonio that the tempest is raised for Prospero wants to teach a lesson to his wicked brother who, just to get the crown, betrayed his godlike elder brother and attempted at killing him along with his daughter Miranda. Miranda too lives on the island with her father. Shakespeare has depicted the supremacy of human will in Prospero. In him he presents a man who is devoted to studies and does not run after worldly gains. Unfortunately, he falls a victim to the treachery of his own brother. He decides to take revenge by teaching a lesson to him and succeeds in it by the end of the play. But he teaches him a lesson by making him penitent of his past sins.
Theme of Forgiveness:
Ariel reports how Antonio and other victims of the tempest have been suffering bitterly. But chiefly he is sorry whom Prospero called “the good old lord, Gonzalo”. His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops from thatch of reeds. His charm so strongly works on them that if he now beholds them his affections would become soft. Prospero asks if Ariel thinks so. Ariel claims that his heart would melt if he were human. Prospero admits that his heart shall. Ariel is but air yet feels a touch, a feeling of their sorrow. Their sorrow shall move him also for he is one of their kinds. He feels all as strongly the passion as they. Though with their high wrongs he is struck greatly, yet with his nobler reason against his fury he takes part; for the greater action is in virtue than in revenge. Those who did wrong with him are repentant; he will not extend the sole action of his purpose any more. He asks Ariel to go and release them. He will break his charms, he will give back their senses and they shall be as they were. Ariel promises to bring them.
The theme of forgiveness is applied to Caliban also. When he with Stephano and Trinculo is presented before Prospero and Alonso, he fears severe punishment. Alonso remarks pointing to Caliban that this is as strange a thing as ever he looked on. Prospero replies he is as misbalanced in his manners as in his shape. He asks him to go to his cell and take with him his companions as he wants to have his pardon, they should clean the cell handsomely. Caliban says that he will do it and promises to be wise hereafter. He prays for pardon. He was a thrice - double ass to take that drunkard for a god, and worship this dull fool.
“Ay, that I will; and I'll be wise hereafter,
And seek for grace. What a thrice - double ass
Was I to take this drunkard for a god,
And worship this dull fool!”
Prospero commands him to go away. Alonso asks about their luggage where they found it. Thus, Caliban is forgiven.
Theme of Freedom:
In this play Prospero awards freedom to his two slaves: Ariel and Caliban. Ariel gets freedom through sincere service while Caliban is too foolish to understand the meaning of freedom. For him change in master is freedom. Caliban wishes to kiss Stephano's foot; and swears himself his subject. Stephano asks him to come on, and swear. Caliban promises to show them the best springs. He will pluck berries for him, bring fish for thee, and get him wood enough. He curses Prospero, his former master. He will bear him no more sticks, but follow Stephano who is a wondrous man. Caliban asks him to let him take to places where berries grow, he with his long nails will dig ground - nuts for him. Stephano asks him to lead the way without any more talking. He says to Trinculo that the King and all the company else being drowned, they will live there. He asks him to bear his bottle. He suggests Trinculo that they will fill Caliban's mouth with wine by and by again. Caliban sings that he will no more bring fire nor make trenches, nor wash dish.
“Ban ‘Ban, Ca - Caliban,
has a new master - got a new man.
Freedom, high - day! high - day, freedom! freedom, high
day, freedom!”
Prospero thinks about Caliban that he is a devil, a born devil, whose nature can never be changed on whom his pains taken on account of human ground are all lost, quite lost, and as with age his body grows uglier, so his mind grows corrupt. Prospero will punish them all, even to roaring.
“A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So, his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.”
Prospero makes Ariel and Caliban free when he leaves the island with his people of Milan. Caliban gets not only liberty but dukedom of the island also. The theme of liberty is associated with the travellers of the ship in the sense that they are liberated from the effect of magic. Prospero decides to make them free.
“The rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance; they being penitent,
The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel;
My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore,
And they shall be themselves.”
Accordingly, all are made free from the effect of magic. If Prospero had still been interested in taking revenge, he would have got all these people killed. But in that condition, nobody would have regarded Prospero as a noble man. Prospero forgives these evil doers working on the universal moral that ' to forgive is divine.
Thus, forgiveness and freedom are the theme of “The Tempest”. It fills the play with the element of morality and establishes higher values as well as faith in virtue. It is the keynote of the play and Shakespeare establishes it in his last play.
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