How does Shakespeare present the falling in love of Ferdinand and Miranda in a typically romantic way and what is their relationship to the play as a whole?

Shakespeare’s presentation of the flowering relationship of the pair is rather typically romantic. When Ferdinand first sees her, he thinks she is a goddess; both astounded by her beauty and helped by the music playing in the background. While it is Ariel who is orchestrating the meeting and ‘setting the scene’, this would create a rather romantic and warm atmosphere for the audience. It is the actual circumstances, which surround the couple that help add to the mood and tone. Miranda is presented as young, inexperienced and as a virgin. Her lack of contact with the harsh realities of the ‘real world’, as it were, helps her appear almost totally pure in nature. In contrast Ferdinand seems to be well experienced as well as rather glamorous and flattering and possibly overly direct, and the appeal of the character is the way in which he seems to be reformed through meeting and falling for Miranda. In addition, although the audience knows better, he comes across as a sad figure through his obvious distress at the apparent death of his father; ‘…are all bound up, my father’s loss, the weakness which I feel, the wreck of all my friends…’. There is a playful dramatic irony in that Prospero knows what is truly going on and talks aside to the audience. There is the idea that all is happening too easily for Prospero, with the pair clearly falling in love immediately and so he decides to test Ferdinand.

There seems to be some reference to the idea of ‘courtly love’ in the presentation of the relationship. Although not all the aspects of the medieval literary tradition are fulfilled in the play, although certain points are. The idea that Ferdinand views her as a goddess from the island when she approaches represents the typical idealisation by the lover. In addition that the woman is unobtainable due to certain prohibiting factors such as rank or being married to someone else resulting in the lover prising away and suffering is reflected in the task set by Prospero, - to make the job of gaining Miranda difficult. It is normally however the woman who sets the lover difficult tasks to prove his ardour, however Miranda’s immediate willingness contradicts this. This presents Miranda as a humble character, and therefore more admirable in a sense. The romantic atmosphere is emphasised through the emotions of the couple at the time of Ferdinand’s tasks and arduous labour. He says that through Miranda’s presence she ‘makes my labours pleasures’, furthermore he takes comfort in Miranda’s distressed reaction, and ‘my sweet mistress weeps’. The conversation between the two is reminiscent of “Romeo and Juliet” in that it is behind the back of the parents; this however also creates a dramatic irony in that Prospero is actually watching and indeed orchestrating all. There is also the image of Ferdinand carrying large logs, doing hard and stereotypically ‘manly’ labour, which induces a reaction from Miranda of captivation and also she is impressed sexually. There is the image of Miranda being related and connected to life, reflected by ‘quickens what’s dead’; this suggests Miranda has the power to fill Ferdinand with energy. She also appears to be innocent in a very straight-forward way, where there is no bashful cunning or ‘playing hard to get’; when she proposes to him, this is meant to be a comic and somewhat sweet scene, specifically evoking warm feelings from the audience. There is the comic visual imagery of Miranda offering to carry the logs for Ferdinand, creating a greater compassion for her in the audience. Ferdinand’s reply that he could not bear the thought of her working ‘while he sat idly by’, is typical of idealistic romance through the self-sacrificial sense and the nobility tenderness of his addresses.

Another factor that is relevant in the positive portrayal of Ferdinand and the idealistic nature, in which Shakespeare presents their love, is the stark contrast between him and Caliban. The similarity in that both have some kind of relationship and craving for Miranda, with Caliban’s attempted rape previously. His desires are primitive sexual urges over which he has little control and no desire to do so. Ferdinand, however while feeling the same sexual desire represses it and the audience feels that it is through Caliban’s betrayal – as Prospero views it - that he is so excessive in testing and creating hardship for Ferdinand. This creates affection for Ferdinand, evoking the sympathies of the audience. In addition hi aristocratic background, the image of him as ‘king of Naples’, suggests nobility that is idealistic in nature.

Shakespeare brings themes of chastity and purity into the play. This is not only reflected by Ferdinand’s direct questioning to Miranda, but also in the masque Prospero puts on as a sort of wedding gift for the pair. Prospero, prior to the masque seems to ruin the romantic set mood by being very straight to Ferdinand, warning him to not to ‘break her virgin-knot’; this is echoed by the nymphs talking of ‘chaste crowns’ and no ‘bachelor’ loves; all designed to ensure the success of the love affair. Prospero refers to the marriage using rather formal language such as ‘ratify’ and the masque helps to make it a formal occasion, almost a pre-nuptial ritual, and he uses legal terms such as ‘ratify’ to refer to the marriage; this suggests a contrasting seriousness to the entire theme of marriage – it is an important issue, almost a legal bond which should not be broken.

Overall, the relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand is the main positive occurrence in the play, it signifies a new generation, but also leads to Prospero’s realisation that after his plan – the one he had spent so many years conceiving – he will no longer be the main character of Miranda’s life, and will return to everyday life a normal man. This is reflected by his moment of reflection and the long pause where he delves into the mysteries of life and questions humanity and ‘the grand scheme of things’. The relationship is typical of a romantic idealised love affair, and so seems to provide the audience with moments of warmth and comic, rather sweet imagery.