A Romance describes a play that encompasses both the elements of a tragedy and a comedy (Schwartz). Like a comedy, The Tempest ends happily with Prospero and the shipwrecked sailors deciding to leave the island. At the end of act V, Prospero says, "in the morn I'll bring you to your ship and so to Naples, Where I have hope to see the nuptial Of these our dear-beloved solemnized; And thence retire me to my Milan..." (Shakespeare 164-165). Not only is Prospero leaving the island and returning to his dukedom in Milan, but his daughter will be happily married to Ferdinand, the son of Alonso. Also, Prospero tells Ariel that he is free from servitude after treating him poorly in act I, in which Prospero calls Ariel a "malignant thing" amongst other blatant insults (Shakespeare 32).
In tandem with comic elements, the play contains some similar elements to those of a tragedy; however, it is important to note that in a tragedy there is evil, while in a Romance evil is only acknowledged and does not necessarily act (Schwartz). In act II, Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill their own brothers, but the plan is not executed. The act of killing one's brother is acknowledged as evil, but the evil never actually acts like it does in a tragedy. However, similar to tragedy, one of the characters exacts revenge on another. In this play, Prospero sends Ariel to wreck the ship that Alonso and Antonio were on so he can confront them after they took away his dukedom: "Hast thou, spirit, Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee?" (Shakespeare 27). Prospero does not actually get the revenge he intended though; instead, like in a Romance, he forgives them for their actions, and he returns with them to Milan.
The Tempest, although it was originally classified as a comedy, should be classified as a Romance. The play acknowledges evil, while evil never truly acts, and it is comical, yet the plot is too serious to be classified as a comedy; therefore, The Tempest is a Romance.
Works Cited
Schwartz, Debora B. "Shakespeare's Four Final Plays: The Romances." 2005.Web. 13 January 2015.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. BookByte Digital. iBooks.
I thought your post was really good, Cade. Your text evidence was very relevant and enhanced your post greatly. Before reading your post, I had not realized that the play acknowledges evil but never really goes through with it. Prospero is a great example of this because at the start of the plot we think he is going to get revenge, but by the end he doesn't end up doing anything too harsh. You supported your thesis very well and I completely agree with you that "The Tempest" is a romance.
ReplyDeleteWell done Cade, I too believe The Tempest should be considered a Romance. When we look at the play as a whole, there are aspects from both tragedy and comedy present as the plot progresses. Not only are there moments in the play where certain characters provide comic relief, like Trinculo and Stephano, but there puns made during dialogue as well. For tragedy, Prospero's character is a perfect example as he experienced many hardships before the play begins. Not only that, but the fact that no one dies in this play means that despite having tragic elements, it cannot be considered a full tragedy. Therefore, I think your reasoning behind The Tempest's classification as a Romance is spot on!
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