莎劇賞析之十二：《暴風雨》 The Tempest

莎劇賞析之十二：《暴風雨》The Tempest 董崇選中山醫大應用外語系教授懂更懂學習英文網站負責人網址：http://dgdel.nchu.edu.tw

I. The Plot: • Type: Romantic Comedy 或 Romantic Fantasy • Time: 15th Century • Locale: An island in the sea (the Mediterranean Sea) • First presented: 1611

II. Principal Characters: • Prospero: the former & rightful Duke of Milan • Miranda: Prospero’s daughter • Alonso: King of Naples • Ferdinand: Alonso’s son • Antonio: Prospero’s treacherous brother • Sebastian: Alonso’s brother • Gonzalo: a courtier faithful to Prospero • Ariel: a spirit faithful to Prospero • Caliban: the monstrous son of Sycorax • Stephano: a drunken butler • Trinculo: a clownish companion of Stephano

III. The Story: • 第一幕: Alonso,Sebastian, Antonio, and their retainers are coming back from Tunis. Their ships are endangered by a wild storm caused by Prospero’s “art.” Miranda fears that the ships might sink. Prospero assures her that no harm is done. Then he tells her how Antonio usurped his dukedom and how he and Miranda came to live on the island. And then he questions Ariel, making sure that everything has happened as planned. Ariel lures Ferdinand to the spot where he and Miranda may fall in love at first sight.

III. The Story: • 第二幕:Gonzalo attempts to console Alonso, who regrets having married his daughter to Tunis. Ariel lulls all to sleep except Sebastian and Antonio. Antonio urges Sebastian to kill Alonso in sleep and usurp his kingdom. But Ariel awakens Gonzalo in time and the King is saved. Meanwhile, Caliban lies down to escapethe notice of Trinculo, who then crawls under Caliban’s cloak for fear of the impending storm. Stephano enters singing tipsily. He mistakes Trinculo and Caliban for a rare monster. Finally, Caliban swears to serve Stephano for the sake of his divine alcohol.

III. The Story: • 第三幕: Prospero sets Firdinand to carrying wood to test his love for Miranda. Miranda offers to do the work for Ferdinand. They confess their love for each other. Caliban urges Stephano to free him by murdering Propero, and to usurp the island and marry Miranda. Ariel overhears the plot. Alonzo and his party are shown a series ofillusory spectacles and are lectured on their sins. Alonso repents and resolves to find his son.

III. The Story: • 第四幕: Prospero is satisfied with Ferdinandand promises Miranda to him. He then orders Ariel to arrange a spectacle for the two lovers. Spirits in the forms of Iris, Ceres, and Juno promise them blessings. Prospero remembers Caliban’s conspiracy. The three plotters are made to dance in s stinking pond. StephanoandTrinculoforget their aim whenthey seesome fine garmentsplaced on a tree.Finally, Prospero and Ariel set spirits in theshape of hounds to hunt the three.

III. The Story: • 第五幕: Ariel reports to Prospero about their enemies’ plight and says he himself is moved by pity. Prospero is contented with the penitence of his victims. He renounces his magic and explains everything to Alonso and the others. The missing Ferdinand is restored to his father, who then meets Miranda,his future daughter-in-law. The spellbound sailorsare released. Prospero sends all aboardthe vessel and promises a calm voyageback to Naples. Ariel gains his freedom at last.

IV. Famous Lines: • “Be collected; No more amazement: tell your piteous heart There’s no harm done.”--Prospero to Miranda • “... now he was The ivy which had hid my princely trunk, And sucked my verdure out on it.”--Prospero to Miranda • “... it was mine Art, When I arrived and heard thee, that made gape The pine, and let thee out.”--Prospero to Ariel

IV. Famous Lines: • “This island is mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou take from me. ... ... All the charms of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you! For I am all the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own King: and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest of the island.” --Caliban to Prospero • “You taught me language; and my profit on it Is, I know how to curse.” --Caliban to Prospero

IV. Famous Lines: • “Full fadom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.” --Ariel’s song • “... but this swift business I must uneasy make, lest too light winning Make the prize light.” --Prospero to himself

IV. Famous Lines: • “In the commonwealth I would by contraries Execute all things; for no kind of traffic Would I admit; no name of magistrate; ... no sovereignty.” --Gonzalo to Antonio & Sebastian • “The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning.” --Antonio to Sebastian • “Ay, Sir: where lies that? If it were a kibe It would put me to my slipper: but I feel not This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences, That stand betwixt me and Milan, candied be they, And melt, ere they molest.” --Antonio to Sebastian

IV. Famous Lines: • “I’ll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy true subject; For the liquor is not earthly.” --Caliban to Stephano • “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air. And, .... Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.” --Prospero to Ferdinand & Miranda

IV. Famous Lines: • “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost; And as with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers.” --Prospero to himself about Caliban • “... the rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance.” --Prospero to Ariel • “O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in it!” --Miranda to Prospero et al.

V. Discussion: • What does the play suggest about usurpation? • What does the play suggest about slavery? • What colonial and postcolonial ideas are embedded in the play? • What does the tempest stand for in the play? • Does the play suggest that life is really like a vision or dream?

莎劇賞析之十二：《暴風雨》 The Tempest