Justice in "The Tempest"

In the play The Tempest we find out that Prospero had an unjust act placed upon him, that he was removed from his throne by his brother.  It then becomes clear that any justice that is placed on the characters on the island will be as a result of this wrongful deed.  However, it becomes clear that all the justice will be carried out by one character, Prospero.  Everything within the play is his decision as a result of him having more power over other characters through the use of magic.  He controls the fate of all the other characters.

However, when we look closely at Prospero's character, it becomes clear that Prospero's idea of justice and injustice is to some extent hypocritical.  For instance, while Prospero sees his brothers actions of removing him from power as immoral, he seems to see nothing wrong with keeping both Ariel and Caliban enslaved and ordering them what to do to fit his will.  Throughout the play, it becomes clear to me that Prospero's view of justice is very one-sided.  Everything in determining what is just or unjust comes down to what is good for himself and his daughter.  He hardly ever considers other characters in the play and the wrongs his actions could cause them.  Furthermore, because Prospero doesn't refer to a higher power in giving out justice, all morality in the play becomes somewhat abiguous.  This is because, while Prospero says he is doing a moral thing in seeking justice for what was done for him, just thinking oneself moral does not make you moral.  Everything becomes subjective, however much of this is hidden by the fact that Shakespeare doesn't let us hear other characters thoughts on the issues at hand.

Thus it is clear that while we as readers are tempted to side with Prospero in thinking that he is in the morally right to seek justice, we must remember that we are only seeing one characters view of events.  Had we for instance been able to hear Caliban's thoughts or some other characters thoughts, we may view at least some of the issues at hand differently.  Thus, while it may appear that justice was achieved in The Tempest this may just be an illusion as everything within the play is one-sided and one man's thoughts.

Magic in "xThe Tempest"

Throughout The Tempest, magic is a central subject that drastically effects the plot of the play.  This is unusual that Shakespeare would choose magic as such a central theme because magic in his time was very taboo.  Thus, in order to see the reason for while he decided to have a mere mortal place judgement on characters in The Tempest instead of having it all divine will (which would be much more accepted in his time) we must look at Prospero's magic in more detail.

Prospero uses magic by simply stating his intentions and stating its desired effects.  For instance when Prospero finishes telling Miranda about her history, he tells her "Thou art inclined to sleep," (line 220) and as a result Miranda is overcome with tiredness and falls asleep.  He also does the same thing when he paralyzes Ferdinand when Ferdinand challenges Prospero by drawing his sword.  Ariel, Prospero's servant, also states clearly his intentions whenever he casts magic on the people.  For instance, he wakes up Gonzalo in Act 2, Scene I by simply stating "If of life you keep a care...Shake off slumber and beware... Awake!" Thus, it is clear that the words Prospero and Ariel speak to do magic is not as important as the meaning behind the words they state.  We also are told in Act III that Prospero's source of magic comes from his books, which once again stresses the importance and power of language.

Now, it is important to realize that throughout The Tempest characters are subjected to Prospero's will as a result of magic and the words he speaks.    It doesn't matter how strong or how high of ranking in noble status the characters are, they are all still equally effected by Prospero's magic.  Thus, I think it is clear that Shakespeare decided to use magic in The Tempest because he wanted to leave a message to his audience.  He wanted to show that language and being able to yield it well is stronger than the strongest warrior or the most high ranking individual.  Also, perhaps he was also telling his audience that if they truly want to understand his plays well, they can't just simply read or listen to the words but must also deeply consider the meaning behind the words because that is where the magic of his plays truly come to life.

Demons and Monsters in "Othello"

Throughout Othello, there is lots of imagery of hell, demons, and monsters.   Even the names of Othello and Desdemona contain the names hell and demon respectively.  However, in less serious situations animals instead of demons / monsters are used.  For instance in Act I scene Iago calls Othello a "Barbary horse" and an "old black ram.  Iago later on in scene III of Act I tells Roderigo "Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, I would charge my humanity with a baboon" (lines 330 -331).  There are many, many example of animal themes throughout the play Othello.  However, it is when the imagery of animals will not suffice, that imagery of demons and monsters are used.  This is because, not only do demons and monsters portray the characters as brutish and beast like, but also portrays them as grotesque, deformed, manipulative, and demonic.

Shakespeare's use monsters lead his audience into seeing the horror of what is unfolding in the play.  It also helps emphasize the main parts of the play that will lead to the downfall of that particular character.  For instance, Iago uses monster imagery when telling Othello about how he should beware jealousy as it is the "green-eyed monster which doth mock..The meat it feeds on" (Act III.iii lines 170-171).  Emilia also uses monster imagery to describe jealousy by stating "monster...Begot upon itself, born on itself" (III.iv. lines 156-157).  Both of these comparisons of jealousy and monsters help not only show that someone who is jealous becomes a grotesque, evil creature, but it also shows that just as monsters are not always born monsters, someone who isn't jealous can become jealous. 

Shakespeare uses demons, hell imagery, and damnation whenever a character is considering the morality of something or placing judgment on another.  For instance, when Othello realizes he was wrong about Desdemona and decides to kill himself he states, "Whip me, ye devils ... roast me in sulphur...wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!" (V.ii. lines 284-287).  This is showing that Othello wants eternal and physical torture in hell.  This helps show that while Othello became a monster, he didn't become a fully evil as a devil or demon would be because he regrets what he has done and sees the horror and horribleness of his actions.  However, the true devil in the play is Iago which is made clear when Othello calls him a devil and demon many times throughout Act V scene ii when Othello discovers it was all Iago's manipulation that lead him to do the deeds he had done.

Thus, it is clear that in Othello there was a progression from being human to being truly evil that Shakespeare used to portray how horrible or evil something or someone was.  This progression goes from being human to being an animal, to being a monster, and finally to being a devil.

Desdemona Character Progression Throughout the Play

Desdemona's character is clearly not the same throughout the play.  At the start of the play she appears to be a strong, independently minded who is willing to stand up for what she believes in even if it is something that is hard to do.  For instance, in the first Act she defies her father, saying that she truly loves Othello, despite him threatening that he will disown her, which he does.  This is shown in the quote "My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty" (I.iii. lines 179-180).  Even by the fourth act she still shows some resolve and diligence when Othello strikes her when she states "I have not deserved this" (IV.i. line 236).

However, by the end of the play when she finds out that Othello believes her to be unfaithful she becomes a submissive character.  For instance when Emilia asks her "O, who hath done this deed?" Desdemona replies just before she dies "Nobody, I myself.  Farewell.  Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell" (V.ii. 133-134).  Even when Othello tells Desdemona that he is going to kill her, she remains submissive and doesn't try to defend herself or get angry with him to convince him that she is faithful.

So why this sudden, and fairly drastic transition?  I believe it is because throughout the rest of the play, before she becomes really submissive, she believes everything is good.  Sure, her relationship with her father is ruined at this point but she has already made it clear that Othello is what she wants in life.  She was willing to give up everything (including her father) for him because she believed so strongly in him.  However, it is when she realizes that Othello believes her unfaithful and won't forgive her, that she falls apart as a character and becomes submissive.  This, to me is because she no longer can have faith in their mutual love.  Sure, she is still deeply in love with Othello despite what he believes, but it is clear to her that he may feel that love for her again.  I see the final submission as a way of her doing a final test.  If there was still some love in Othello for her, than when the moment came to pass to kill her he would realize his mistake and ask for forgiveness.  If he won't ever forgive her and is even willing to kill her than in a way she accepts death because she no longer has anything to live for.  She has given everything away to have Othello and when Othello abandons her, she is left with nothing, not even her dignity and honor because she had put them on the line with her trust in Othello which clearly was a mistake.  Thus, death is a welcoming thing for her because then she wouldn't have to feel the pain of her abandoned love.

"Twelfth Night": Are the Characters happy?

While Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy and everything does end well for all the characters with everyone falling in love with each other, throughout the play everyone seems to suffer as a result of their love sick condition.  In this play, Shakespeare seems to be showing that love causes pain.  Many of the characters commonly express love as a kind of curse, and express how painful it is to be trapped in a love like state.  For instance Olivia describes love as a "plague" from which she suffers terribly (I.v line 265).  Another example is that Orsino sees love as doleful and compares it to an "appetite" that he wants to satisfy and cannot (I.i. line 21).  In these examples it is clear that the characters in twelfth night are left in a state of love-sickness and they percieve it as if they are being punished by some cosmic force in the universe.  Being in this state, and wanting to satisfy their love appetite leads to desperation in many characters.  Viola, who is one of the less melodramatic characters in the play even suffers from this desperation which is shown in the quote "My state is desperate for my master's love" (II.ii line 35). Being in this suffering state causes the character to loose control of their emotions, and even causes some to become violent even thou they didn't show any signs of being violent even thou there was no signs of violence being one of their characteristics at the start of the play.  For example, Orsino in Act V.i threatens to kill Cesario because he beilieves he has forsaken him by thinking he has become Olivia's lover.

However, even my conclusion above that the characters at least end up happy in the end of the play is not completely correct.  Some character do not in fact achieve romantic happiness.  For example, Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from fulfilling their romantic desires.  Throughout the play Malvolio tried pursue Olivia is disappointed that he had been tricked into thinking Olivia had liked him and is left feeling like a fool and even unworthy.  More controversially, Antonio (who had shown some signs of attraction to Sebastian in the play) can not fulfill his desires due to social norms.

So why did Shakespeare not make a happy ending for everyone and why did he cause so much suffering in his characters up till the end?  I think it is because he is trying to show that love cannot conquer all obstacles and is not guaranteed to happen.  In a way he was taking a more realistic approach to show that not everything works out as you had hoped and in fact you may be left feeling like a fool.  He also shows the harsh reality that those who do not have their romantic desires fulfilled still remain in love and are left in a worse case of suffering because they then know that it can never be fulfilled.   Thus, Shakespeare is showing that falling in love is not always a good thing and can lead to much suffering.  This is clearly one of Shakespeare's more cynical plays concerning love.

Hamlet's Obssession with Death

From the start of the play, we find out that Hamlet is depressed over the death of his father.  He keeps contemplating death throughout all of Act I, and in many ways begins to become obsessed with death.  It isn't until Act I, scene v that Hamlet discovers his father was actually murdered by Claudius and is asked to seek revenge. 

So, why is Hamlet obsessed with death?  While, it may seem that his obsession is a direct result of Hamlet's fathers death, I don't think it is that simple.  Hamlet is clearly well educated, more so then most other characters in the play.  Thus, it would be reasonable to assume that Hamlet likes discovering truths about the world.  When Hamlet's father died, it could be possible that it brought the issue of what happens after die to the forefront of Hamlet's mind.  As a result, it has caused him to question to purpose of the living world as shown in the quote:

How wear, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! o fie! "tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
(Act I. sc ii.)

To me, this quote shows that Hamlet sees the world as an inevitably decaying world, that everything is going from good and beauty to bad and gross.  Thus, I don't think it was his father's death that put him into a depressed mood, but instead the realization that everything alive is decaying into death that makes him depressed.  Because there is no longer any purpose to living in Hamlet's eyes, Hamlet actually wishes he wasn't born as shown in the quote

O that this too too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!
(Act I. sc ii.)

It is clear that Hamlet, seeing no purpose to life, sees life as nothing more than suffering, and as a result wishes he didn't have to go through life anymore because he tired of seeing everything and everyone suffer. 

However, Hamlet soon gets a purpose to live once his father asks him to seek revenge on his murderer Claudius.  As a result, Hamlet begins to move his intellectual thoughts toward the morality of seeking revenge and redemption.  He is still obsessed with death, but it becomes more focused upon the actual events concerning death rather than death itself.  He questions the morality of killing Claudius to seek redemption for Claudius killing his father. 

Thus, it is clear to me that Hamlet's obsession's are as a result of his continuous searching for answers of issues such as death and morality, and not from his sadness over his father's death.

The Importance of Magic and Myth in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

While reading "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as the play progressed (especially by Act II) it became clear that magic and myth would be used widely throughout the play.  However, when looking at the love triangle between the characters and their conflicts, it is clear that the magical elements were not absolutely necessary in order to develop the plot.  Thus, one must ask themselves why Shakespeare would introduce magic into his play when he could have easily wrote the play without such elements.

To me, the magic is absolutely necessary because it helps create a dream like atmosphere where everything is possible.  In a way, he uses words and images that will make the audience feel as if the magic is effecting them as well, making the play more real.  The fairies in the play help add a fate like element to events that are happening in the play and contribute to this dream like mood.  For instance Oberon  helps conjure us images of magic when he says:
"
"A mermaid on a dolphin's back
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath
That the rude sea grew civil at her song
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres
To hear the sea-maid's music
(Act II.i. lines150-154)

This quote, along with many others make the stage bigger and takes the imaginations of the audience to celestial levels.  It helps them realize that powerful forces are at work, but powerful though they be, they are what brings beauty and purpose to everything else.

So why is it so important for Shakespeare to utilize this dream like mood where magic is everywhere?  To me, it is because he wants to show that love is a grand form of magic that had purpose and beauty woven from greater forces.  He is using magic as a way to attack the notion that love is nothing more than chemical shooting through the brain.  In a way, he is making love more real and have greater value.  The fairies are put into place because they are the tool to help bring that magic into the love triangle that develops in the play.  While Puck does mess up and delivers the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, this is only done by Shakespeare to add a comedic element to the play.  In the end, the most important thing is that love as portrayed by Shakespeare in the play, is a powerful force in the universe that goes beyond natural chemicals firing from the brain.  Thus, he makes love more authentic and vital to the play.