Symbolism plays a large role in creating the Imaginative Journey in “The Tempest”. The tempest that begins the play, and which puts all of Prospero’s enemies “Close by, my master” and at his disposal, symbolizes the suffering Prospero endured, and which he desires to inflict on others. All of those shipwrecked are positioned at the mercy of the sea, just as Prospero and Miranda were twelve years ago. Prospero must make his enemies suffer as he has suffered so that they will learn from their suffering, as he has from his. The tempest is also a symbol of Prospero’s magic, and of the frightening, potentially malevolent side of his power.
Like the tempest, are a symbol of his power. “Remember First to possess his books,” Caliban says to Stefano and Trinculo, “for without them He’s but a sot” The books are also, however, a symbol of Prospero’s dangerous desire to withdraw entirely from the world. It was his devotion to study that placed him at the mercy of his ambitious brother, and it is this equal devotion to study that has made him content to raise Miranda in isolation. Yet, Miranda’s seclusion has made her ignorant of where she came from.
Prospero’s own isolation provides him with modest company. In order to return to the world where his knowledge means something more than power, Prospero must learn to let go of his magic.
Music is a realism of time on the island, but also provides the audience with poetic images on occasions. The most notable of these is Prospero's description of his brother as having the (musical) "key of officer and office" so he was able to "set all hearts i' the state To what tune pleased his ear". In scene one, it is the music which allays the waters' "fury" and Ferdinand's "passion With its sweet air", while the same suggestion recurs in scene 5, where Prospero invokes a "solemn air…the best comforter to an unsettled fancy" to "cure" the "useless" brains of his former enemies. Of course, the ambiguous "air" connects the music, usually executed by Ariel, with the element he inhabits and of which he, being "but air", is formed.
Love is a theme demonstrated in the play between Miranda and Ferdinand. The “love at first sight” they experience in the play is representative of the integrity in individuals and the restoration of harmony. They represent youth, wholesomeness and virtue. Prospero is merciless on Ferdinand in the beginning to reinforce that the path to liberty and fulfilment is through toil, regulation and servitude. Ferdinand accepts this and wishes to still “but through my prison but once a day Behold this maid”. Ferdinand learns that he must “bear the logs” and that it is only “for your sake Am I this patient log man”. He loves Miranda and learns a lesson from Prospero and he is rewarded. Ferdinand experiences a journey of learning and growth in the play and this was due to obedience and respect. These lessons learned by Ferdinand are passed on to Shakespeare’s audience, as they too are taught the lessons of compliance and admiration. The audience can relate to Ferdinand’s hard work and labour, and can associate these lessons to the lessons learnt in every day life.
Conflict, forgiveness and reconciliation form the basis for the plot in “The Tempest”. Shakespeare creates an imaginative world where evil exists and cannot be ignored. Antonio represents the dangers of the civilised man. He plans, along with Sebastian, to kill Prospero. Prospero is initially plotting his revenge, yet by the end of the play, we have reconciliation and Prospero has forgiven his enemies- “For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive Thy rankest fault – all of them;” The result is compellingly ethical and it appears in contrast to the truly imaginative and magic world the audience is in.
Michael Leunig, in his calendar of 2003, represents the journeys that most people experience in every day life. He explores the ups and downs of life, and depicts how ordinary people can perform extraordinary tasks through the utilization of their imagination, and a willingness to believe that each and every day has the potential to open up new possibilities and opportunities. Leunig’s audience learn about the experiences of every day life and the fact that all people experience these feelings, yet must overcome them in order to grow and proceed forward in life.
The journey in the cartoon is represented through a series of vignettes. Five of the vignettes begin with “The journey”, while the sixth begins with “And so the various journeys continue -“. This allows for the narrative structure, which includes relatively long and highly descriptive sentences to develop and therefore clearly define the journey being undertaken.
Leunig creates the idea of the journey through a day in the life of his signature character “Mr Curly”. In the first vignette, the bed in the visual is symbolic of the safety and security of his home. Once this security has been removed, Mr Curly must embark on the journey of life. He goes on the “serious” and “erratic” journey “from the dog to the desk”. The desk is representative of the real world and issues such as responsibility and employment.
It is in vignette four, where Mr Curly chooses to opt out of the confines of real life, and escape to a world that is limited only by his capacity to imagine. His “daydream is pleasant, winding and mysterious” and can potentially take him to any place he desires. The “finale” vignette is the “triumphant” coda of the journey and is representative of all imaginative journeys. Mr Curly can return home to the security of his bed, and can dream of better places and better times.
Leunig uses visual techniques such as facial expressions, colour and unsophisticated font to represent the journey in the cartoon.
The facial expressions allow the responder to imagine how Mr Curly is feeling as he moves through his day. He looks concerned and unsure in the beginning, and goes through feelings of “hope and pleasure”, worry and frustration, delight, puzzlement and finally contentment. These feelings are clearly represented by Leunig through the detailed facial expressions and gestures of his character. For example, Mr Curly displays a deeply worried and concerned look, and his face is a much darker colour, when he is faced with the task of a day at his desk in the office. This look changes when he escapes to the magic of his daydream, where he looks content and in high spirits. The “bleak, uncomfortable and dispiriting” return he experiences back to the real world brings about the return of the “precarious and immensely sad” facial expression.
The colours used in the cartoon are inconclusive. The soft pastel beige of the background could be representative of the subtleties of ordinary life. The questionable nature of the colours in the cartoon represents the uncertainties of life. Mr Curly’s facial colour is obviously darker as he faces the “difficult, serious and erratic” task of his day at the office.
The unsophisticated and childlike font displayed in the text of the cartoon is typical of the Leunig cartoons. It is his signature font and reinforces that he is a normal person living in the same society as the responder. This allows the audience to relate to the messages in the cartoon. The font is also used as a contrast to the highly sophisticated language in the text. Leunig uses the words such as “erratic”, “dispiriting” and “triumphant” in order to distinguish between normal life experiences and places where dreams and imagination are captured and embraced.
The “heroic” journey that Mr Curly experiences in this cartoon was created by Leunig to demonstrate the need for daydreaming and the imagination. Leunig explores the prospect of daily life as the physical situation can be contrasted by the desire of the imagination. Leunig successfully demonstrates life’s experiences as we run the gamut of everyday existence. Through the various techniques employed in the text, his purpose of entertaining and encouraging our thinking is successfully achieved. Leunig explores the imaginative journey and exhibits the demands of new expectations and experiences as the journey of life is undertaken…
‘The Road Not Taken”, written by Robert Frost, explores the choices people have to make in their everyday lives, and also the potential outcomes of the decisions made. The traveller in the poem is embarking on life’s journey, and it at a metaphorical crossroads where a decision has to be made about the future direction.
The Imaginative journey takes place in “The Road Not Taken” where the persona imagines what it would be like to travel either road. Frost’s poem contains universal relevance about a journey that every person takes. It is a first person narrative tale of a monumental moment in the speaker’s life. They are faced between the choice of the moment and the choice of a lifetime. This idea in Frost’s poem is embodied in the “two roads diverged” and the speaker’s decision to take “The Road Not Taken”.
The techniques, which Frost employs in order to convey the journey in his poem, include simple yet powerful imagery, word choice, rhyme and rhythm. Also vital in the effectiveness of the poem is the use of symbolism, and the extended metaphor.
Literally, this man is a traveller standing at the divergence of two roads. Metaphorically, this man is in the “autumn” of his life, suggested by the “yellow wood”, and has come to the crossroads where decisions have to be made about the rest of his journey in life.
The imagery in this poem can be taken at face value or examined for a deeper meaning. “Yellow wood” has connotations with autumn, which could suggest the Golden Years of ones life. The simple word choice throughout the poem, interests the responder by not unnecessarily complicating the writing. This is similar for the rhyme and rhythm schemes, which are simple and effective. Throughout the poem, the rhyming scheme is ABAAB except for the final stanza where Frost has created emphasis on the last line, “And that has made all the difference”, by implementing a new scheme ABAAC. This enforces the last line, and makes it stand out alone. This line represents the satisfaction the persona experiences with the road that he decided to take. The rhythm in the poem is very personal and informal. The use of flowing and conversational rhythm establishes a personal connection between the reader and writer.
The tone of the poem also enables the poem to relate to the reader on a personal level. The use of first-person narration enables a direct insight into the subject’s thoughts and feelings. The majority of the poem is story-like, with Frost acting as the narrator. In the last stanza, the poem’s tone changes. It is more reminiscent and reflecting, which results in a strong positive feeling conveyed by Frost.
The persona goes on a journey of learning and growth. The man can opt to go the conventional path, which is more unswerving, and will result in a normal life, or he can undergo the less travelled route, which is unknown and often difficult, and have a unique life that will stand out above all others.
The choices a person makes in life are ultimately responsible for their future, yet at the same time, a person can never go back to the past and experience other possibilities.
It is unfeasible to predict the outcomes of capital decisions we make; often it is essential to make these decisions fixed on nothing but more than questioning which selection will provide fulfilment. In the end, we reflect over the decisions we have made, and, like Frost, sigh, discovering they have made “all the difference”.
In Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, the concept of the Imaginative Journey is clearly explored and demonstrated. The characters learn something about themselves and the society in which they live. An Imaginative Journey is certainly more than just moving from one place to another. It is about how people and characters see themselves and the places that they inhibit. In Leunig’s cartoon, Mr Curly’s day is a journey of learning and growth. He chooses to escape the realities of life by embarking on his own imaginative journey. Mr Curly can go wherever he chooses, yet learns that he must return “back to the desk” and embark on many more journeys, “hundreds of them”, in order to achieve fulfilment and continue on his journey through life. In Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, the composer effectively conveys the concept of the journey, and the notion of imagining the possibilities of where life’s journey can lead. Frost has used numerous techniques to convey the meaning of the poem to the reader. The journey described here is the universal journey every individual will experience in life. It is the journey of learning and growth, incorporated in the complex and exciting journey of life and existence.