You have been given the job of producing a modern BBC TV adaptation of The Tempest.
I would choose to set my own adaptation of The Tempest in a dark coastal area, perhaps towards the North of England as it is generally windier and tends to have cold temperatures, as it echoes a sense of darkness and mystique. This setting in itself can be used to create an eerie and foreboding mise-en-scene. Shakespeare’s Tempest features a mystical island; this can be replicated well in such coastal areas as they can be easily recreated to appear desolate, identical to how it is in the play – on a magical island. To complement this, special effects such as rainy/foggy weather can be used to create pathetic fallacy, especially in scenes such as when the actual tempest occurs in Act One. The weather would be a replication of the great storm, which forces the characters onto the island. Unlike Julia Taymor’s 2010 film adaptation, I would remain faithful to Shakespeare’s script/dialogue and retain the final epilogue between Prospero and the audience. In doing so, there remains an air of the authentic, archaic language that Shakespeare intended. Inevitably there will be some modernising (visual and SFX) especially in scenes such as the ‘splitting of the ship’ at the beginning, but this will not be as intrusive as in Taymor’s adaptation; I would use these effects minimally – specifically to dramatise characters such as Ariel, Prospero and Caliban. I would also
The Tempest - Passage Analysis
October 9, 2002. The Tempest: Passage Analysis In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, one of the most intriguing characters that Shakespeare creates is that of Prospero. Prospero's character is significant as he adds a mysterious aspect to The Tempest because Prospero, himself, is also very hidden and secretive. The passage from Act 1, Scene 2, lines 271 to 286 provides the reader with an example of how Prospero can be very manipulative and deceitful. One of the first assumptions that the reader can make is that it is throughout this particular speech that Prospero is employing his manipulative skills in order to convince Ariel that it is only because of Prospero's powers that Ariel is now free from being trapped within the "cloven pine, within which rift/ Imprisoned [Ariel] didst painfully remain." (1:2:279-280) Through Prospero's speech, it becomes evident that Prospero is attempting to emphasize the emptiness and torturous isolation that Ariel had to endure and might have continued to endure was it not for the help of Prospero. It is interesting to point out, however, that Prospero seems to over-emphasize the issue which is obviously suggested through his language. For example, Prospero exclaims to Ariel such phrases as "left thee there, where thou didst vent thy groans,"(1:2:282) "Imprisoned thou didst painfully remain/ A dozen years; within which space she died,"
`The rarer action is in virtue rather than in vengeance` How far do these extracts show that forgiveness is a greater victory for Prospero than vengeance
`The rarer action is in Virtue rather than in Vengeance` How far do these extracts show that Forgiveness is a greater victory for Prospero then Vengeance? In Act I Scene II, Prospero is all set on getting revenge on his enemies; however in Act V Scene I, Ariel manages to make Prospero feel more sympathetic towards them and by the end of the play Prospero forgives them. In Act 1 Scene 2, just after Ariel described to Prospero how he created the tempest, Prospero asks him, `My brave spirit, / Who was so firm, so constant that this coil / Would not infect his reason? `. Prospero is basically asking `Was anyone on the ship he is so keen on getting his revenge against his enemies. In contrast in Act 5 Scene 1 Prospero shows affectionateness when Ariel tells him how much they are suffering and he manages to forgive them. Right at the beginning of Act 5 Scene 1, Prospero starts off by saying, ` Now does my project gather to a head. / My charms crack not, my spirits obey; and time / Goes upright with his carriage. How's the day? ` Prospero's `project` to get his revenge, is nearly complete and you realise that Prospero has been in control throughout the play. However Ariel changes Prospero's mind when he tells him, `...the good old Lord Gonzalo. / His tears run down his beard...Your charm so strongly works'em, / that if you now beheld, your affections / would become
