"The Tempest" and the Power of Illusion

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes images, metaphors and symbolism of illusion in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and explains how he attempts to send messages and morals across to his audience through the use of illusion. It shows, too, how Shakespeare uses Prospero, the magician, to create these illusions.

From the Paper:

"In The Tempest, Shakespeare creates the magician Prospero to explore and exploit the power of illusion. Prospero calls his spirits "actors," and thus conveys a sense that everything about a drama, including the appearance and the speeches of the characters, is an illusion. Simultaneously, Shakespeare tries to engage the audience in the fantasy of this drama in order to entertain them and to be able to send them various messages regarding morals, truth, and illusion. He achieves these goals by using Prospero to influence the minds of the audience, in the same manner that the magician uses his spirits to delude the minds of the characters in the play."

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