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- The Tempest: context
The Tempest: context
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The Tempest was written at a time of sea voyages, new colonies and fascination with magic.
When and why
The Tempest was written around 1610 to 1611, one of Shakespeare's last plays.
Reports of a real shipwreck on Bermuda in 1609, when the ship *Sea Venture* was driven ashore, are widely thought to have influenced it.
Reports of a real shipwreck on Bermuda in 1609, when the ship *Sea Venture* was driven ashore, are widely thought to have influenced it.
Colonialism
Europeans were exploring and settling the Americas. Prospero arrives on an island, takes control and enslaves its inhabitant, Caliban.
Modern audiences often read the play as a study of colonialism, asking whose island it really is.
Modern audiences often read the play as a study of colonialism, asking whose island it really is.
Magic and kingship
Jacobean audiences feared witchcraft. Prospero's learned magic is set against the evil magic of the witch Sycorax.
King James I wrote about witchcraft. The play also shows the dangers of usurping a rightful ruler, as Antonio did.
King James I wrote about witchcraft. The play also shows the dangers of usurping a rightful ruler, as Antonio did.
How might a modern audience respond differently to Caliban than a Jacobean audience?
- A Jacobean audience may have seen him as a savage monster.
- Modern audiences, aware of the harm done by colonialism, may see him as a native whose land was taken.
- So he becomes a more sympathetic figure.
Answer: Modern audiences are more likely to see him as a victim of colonisation.
Written about 1610 to 1611; influenced by the 1609 Bermuda shipwreck; links to colonial exploration, fears of witchcraft, and ideas about rightful rule.
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