Characters in "The Tempest"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews Shakespeare's "The Tempest," depicting a world that seems to confirm the idea that there are 'no small parts', namely, that it is not the size or even the plot significance of a character that matters in terms of that character's impact upon the audience. The paper contends that what really matters is how significant that minor character is in terms of underlining the themes of the play and what that character represents in the world of the play. The paper explains that, by making all of his minor characters three-dimensional and multifaceted in their complex psychologies, Shakespeare creates an island world that is fully populated with beings who have a sense of psychological verisimilitude, even if they are airy sprites and earthly devils.

From the Paper:

"At first, "The Tempest" depicts a world that is entirely dominated by the figure of Prospero. All of the other characters are dwarfed to his prominence as a figure of manipulation. He causes the tempest that propels the plot of the action on stage. But the emotional effect of the resolution of the play, that of Prospero's reinstatement to his former place in society that takes place after Act 5, is less intense that might be expected, given that Prospero only meets his usurper in front of the audience face-to-face at the end of the play, after his daughter Miranda has become betrothed. "The Tempest's" onstage conflicts are really more compelling in the way that minor characters are actively paired against one another as dual forces, more strikingly than the main plot of the play."

More papers on Characters in "The Tempest":

• Analytical Essay # 111828 : "Prospero in 'The Tempest'"
• Comparison Essay # 97336 : "Father-Daughter Bonds in "The Tempest" and "Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 16680 : "Illusion Versus Reality in "The Tempest"

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