1.2 Dramatic Reading of Shakespeare's The TempestBy Dr. Greg MartinGenre: SpeechTags: Shakespeare Tempest Prospero Education ReadingDownload : MP3 AudioApologies for the long delay in posting the second scene of the play. I've added a few extra features to the series, and this particular scene required writing music, recruiting two�students to read and sing, and needed lots of editing. Special thanks to Kelsey for reading for the role of Miranda, and to Mary Margaret for singing Ariel's songs. They offered their valuable extra time at very busy points in their lives, and I am extremely grateful. Thanks, ladies! So, without any further ado, welcome back. I've always thought of this as one of my favorite plays, and this scene reminds me why. The first part of the scene is a perfect example of exposition. In the first scene, we meet what is commonly refferred to as the wedding party. They have left Alonso's daughter's wedding and are returning to Naples via ship, but a storm shipwrecks them. In this scene (1.2), Prospero explains to his daughter Miranda why he used his magical powers to begin a process of (merciful) revenge. He explains to his daughter, too, how they themselves ended up on the island, and how it resulted from his own failure to attend to the matters of state becuase he was so involved with private study. This is one of the major themes in the play, at least in my mind--the relationship between book knowledge (a priori) and experience (a posteriori). It also introduces another major theme--art vs. reality. Prospero calls his magical abilities his arts, a term with various meanings in the Renaissance. He uses his powers in the middle of the exposition to put Miranda to sleep and call on his fairy servant Ariel to get a report on how his revenge plan is working. We learn here the background of the relationship between Ariel and Prospero. Ariel tells Prospero how the plans are going. The audience learns via Ariel about Prospero's control over the elemental forces of the air. Is it coincidental that Ariel is the musical character in the play? Think about how Ariel may be a descendant of Puck (MND). [NB: Please see a not below about the music in the play] After this section of the scene, we meet Caliban, Prospero's earthy servant, possibly inspired by accounts of Native Americans in travel literature from the period. Caliban's story is related to the audience, and much like other "villains" in Shakespeare's comedies�(Shylock, for example) he is indeed antagonistic but has been granted sympathetic features. In this case, we learn that Caliban once had the island to himself, was treated well by Prospero at first, but has since been subjected to servitude and physical abuse. Prospero explains that it was because Caliban tried to violate his daughters honor (rape her), that he eventually had to use corporal punishment to "motivate" him. The play also explores this major theme--how do leaders get their subjects to act. Prospero says that Caliban does not respond to kindness, only stripes (whippings). Ariel, however, needs only to be threatened. Pay attention to how Prospero leads other characters to certain actions throughout the play. After the Caliban episode, we meet Ferdinand, Alonso's son, and therefore the heir to the throne of Naples. Ferdinand is led in by Ariel's musical rendition of "Come Unto these Yellow Sands," a song which hints at the desire Prospero and Ariel have to unite Ferdinand and Miranda. Ask yourself what other evidence in the scene supports the fact that Prospero wants Ferdinand to fall in love with Miranda. Not long after, Arield then sings "Full fathom Five," a song that reminds Ferdinand that his father is probaly dead (we learn in 2.1 that he is not). So Prospero uses Ariel/music to plant a seed of romance in Ferdinand's mind, and almost immediately after reminds him that he is alone in a strange world. Pay close attention to the lyrics of "Full Fathom Five." Ask yourself how Alonso (and other characters) undergo sea-changes (and continue to do so throughout the play). This is the other major theme of the play introduced in this�scene--change. Change is at the heart of all great comedies. Hegel defined the difference between comedy and tragedy as such: in tragedies, a character is single-minded and persists in his single-mindedness, failing to change and therefore heaping on himself and others great suffering. In comedies, a single-minded character learns to change, and because s/he is flexible is able to live in the world (and is usually able then to get married). The other critic I'd like everyone to think about is Northrop Frye. His simple point that comedies are about confusion/chaos morphing into a reorganized social order is an important point to consider in this play. He also explores how�Shakespeare's plays themselves evolve. I suggested above that Ariel�is related to Puck.�Think about Prospero being in the long line of blocking fathers. He�brings Miranda and Ferdinand together, but�then he artificially pretends to block the relationship. Why does he do this? Finally, and related to this last point, we should all ask ourselves about the�role Prospero plays in the play itself (artist?�father?�deposed�duke? brother? slave-holder??? imperialist? merciful friend? magician? playwright?) and the larger spectra of Shakespeare's ouevre and the history of drama. The scene ends with Prospero leading Miranda and Ferdinand off-stage, Ariel invisibly following. Please�use your imagination to think about how�the three separate groups of characters are isolated in different locations on the island. Ferdinand is�in one place, Stephano and Trinculo, another, and Alonso, Gonzalo, Sebastian, and Antonio (and the minor characters Adrian and Francisco) in yet another. In review, in this scene�we get the exposition about Prospero and Miranda, the context of their current situation, and the reason for the shipwreck; we are introduced to Ariel, then to Caliban, and finally to Ferdinand. This is a very important scene in the play, for it is the initial situation (think Aristotle). Pay close attention to how things change. Above all else, enjoy the show!! Dr. Martin [NB: I wrote the music for the play using guitar becuase, well, it's the only instrument� Ican play with any reasonable abilities. The script calls for Ariel to have a tabor (drum) and piep, however. I plan to do a separate episode on the importance of music in the play, and I am making plans to work with our Fine Arts department to put together a more traditional arrangement based on music of a 17th century musician who may have worked with members of Shakespeare's company. For now, please accept my apologies for the inauthentic nature of the music. What guided me was practicality, but I did indeed try to make the light songs light, and the solemn songs sad and heavy. Let me know what you think!] "Sound effects provided by www.a1freesoundeffects.com."

[ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:03:35 GMT ]

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