The conflicting point of views can be seen as confusing to the reader but I think that is why Shakespeare chooses to do so. The uncertainty of the setting adds to the wonder of the island and the overall feeling and tone of the play. The Tempest revolves around magic and mystery and both are heightened through Shakespeare's use of ambiguity. The island can be seen as some sort of majestic realm and as a reader, we are also given the opportunity to use our imaginations as to what the island looks like. Just like the characters of the play, I'm sure that we all have our own ideas and images of what it looks like in our heads, and I think that Shakespeare intended to do so.
New Paltz Students Blogging about Shakespeare
Monday, November 29, 2010
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Within the first two acts of the play we are given conflicting views of the island. Because of this, one can't help but to wonder if there is a reason for this or if Shakespeare is just trying to confuse us? While the men are all shipwrecked on the same island, you wouldn't know that by their descriptions of it because they all see it differently. So much to so that they actually argue with each other over what it actually looks like, even though they are all there together. For example, although Adrian perceives the island to be "uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible" (2.1.38), he continues to point out that the air breathes upon them "most sweetly" (2.1.46). However, Sebastian is quick to differ when he replies, "As if it had lungs, and rotten ones" (2.1.48). Antonio seems to side more with Sebastian than Adrian because he comments that the island is "perfumed by a fen" (2.1.49), meaning a bog. However, Gonzalo's positive outlook leads him to see the island as "advantageous to life"(2.1.50). And the difference in opinions continues when Gonzalo comments, "How lush and lusty the grass looks! How green!" yet Antonio sees the grass as "tawny" (2.1.43-45), meaning brown in color.
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7 comments:
That's an interesting idea that you've brought up. I honestly did not really pay that much attention to the setting descriptions so i didn't catch all the different views of it.
But had i been more observant it definitely would have confused me a bit. I agree with you in that it definitely plays a role in "The Tempests" whole concept of magic and mystery.
This was a good entry, i'm glad you pointed that stuff out.
Great post, I really enjoyed reading it and also learned quite a bit. I thought it was interesting how you included all the different views of the island through the different characters. Of course Shakespeare is trying to confuse us, that's his job. haha. I think he also does this so we not only see the island how we see it in our imagination but also from a variety of different perspectives. I can see how the island can be relatd to magic because i feel like it can be a place in the middle of nowhere, we dont exactly know what may or can happen and it is full of surprises! I think the island brings the play more excitement.
I really liked your post and found it interesting to read. Your post gave me a different perspective while reading The Tempest now. I have to agree that Shakespeare liked throwing in all sorts of confusing ways that we can interpret something especially what the island looks like. Now that we know the Island is what we call today Bermuda maybe we can use those imaages while reading the play to help us get more of sense what the island looked like. All of Shakespeare's characters describe the island differenly which can cause the reader to be confused, like myself. It will be interesting to see as the play goes on what other kind of magical and mysterical things will happen on this island.
I really liked your post. I didn't give much thought to exactly how many different views there were to the island, and I agree that Shakespeare probably did this to confuse us. I also think he might have done it, though, because no one at the time would have known what the island looked like, and maybe some people (even those shipwrecked there) would consider it beautiful because of all the possibilities it holds, and others would find it so unlike their homeland that they find everything about it to be absolutely dreadful. I wonder if that's something Shakespeare had in mind as well?
I noticed that when I was reading too. It's hard to believe they're all talking about the same island when one person says it's beautiful and smells good and another says it looks and smells like a bog. (Then again, some people like bogs, and if that's the case with Gonzalo then there's no contradiction.) I think that the way each character perceives the island tells us a lot about their personality—whether they're optimistic and want to make the best of things or only see the bad. Antonio and Sebastian (in this play anyway) don't strike me as particularly nice or optimistic characters, while Gonzalo seems just the opposite. I guess the island functions a bit like one of those optical illusions where you see whatever you want to see. :)
an interesting note to add to that is that one of the meanings of the name Adrian is "dark" so if Adrian sees this island as being sweet perhaps its because the island is perhaps dark and sinister and is a connection to his name?
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