Tempest After Prospero Gives His Blessing to Term Paper

Tempest

After Prospero gives his blessing to the marriage between Ferdinand and Miranda, he summons Ariel and instructs him to call the spirits to perform a masque. The spirits appear in the shapes of Iris, Juno and Ceres. The masque is a performance of allegorical and mythical stories and it serves to emphasize various symbolic aspects that are important to the marriage between Ferdinand and Miranda, as well as to the thematic structure of The Tempest as a whole. "The betrothal masque in Act IV may be considered a play-within- the play, giving a timeless and general representation of the Ferdinand and Miranda narrative and illustrating the elaborate power of Prospero's art." ( Brown, J. 1969, 32)

The masque performed in the play has all the elements of growth, prosperity and happiness in society. What the masque achieves is a focus on the regenerative functions of marriage. In essence it is a celebration of hope and unity through love and marriage. This part of the play confirms Prospero's vision and hope for the future, both for Miranda and for society as a whole. It is part of his plot to heal the wrongs and hurtful experiences in the play and to promote a relationship that is pure and untainted by worldly evil. Bringing together Ferdinand and Miranda is a symbolic healing of the rifts, treachery and unhappiness of the past.

In essence The Tempest is a comment on society.The play is, to a large extent, a vision of the deceit and cruelty that exists within the society. These aspects are still existent in the character of Caliban. The marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand is a symbolic marriage of unification and regeneration in opposition to the decadence of the world. Prospero wants a marriage for Miranda that will transcend or go beyond the ills and evils of the world.

The masque scene is in effect,

... A lyric symphony of the seasons of growth, of fruit and of harvest. The joys of earth's blessings are to be showered upon the lovers. A Golden Age of riches will come to them, with children who will honor their parents. Ceres calls for "Earth's increase, foison plenty, barns and garners never empty."

(Neilson, 1956, p. 177)

The type of marriage that Prospero envisages for Miranda is one in which the power struggles and the greed of the past will have no place. "The strivings for power, the quarrels of royal aspirants, the….....