The Tempest
In 1609 a fleet of nine ships left England carrying five hundred colonists with the goal of settling in Virginia but encountered trouble, and one ship - the Sea Venture - was driven onto the rocks of Bermuda the 'Devil's Islands' and London mourned this loss for a year. However, in 1610 it was discovered that this ship had survived and eventually reached Virginia, after finding that Bermuda was plentiful and that they were able to survive there, but mutiny broke out and some survivors began to steal resources and it was after this that the group left for Virginia. It is argued that this event inspired Shakespeare to create a similar tale of 'loss and rediscovery, of the benevolence of nature, and of mutinies against an island's leader'. (Gibson, R. (2004) The Tempest 'Commentary and Notes' Cambridge University Press: New Edition)
The Attitudes and Values of the Time
The time that Shakespeare was writing in was full of attitudes and values which directed and influenced the themes of literature. Some common attitudes and values were: romance, prosperity, peace, conspiracies, colonisation, a decline in the significance of religion, science, technology and exploration, virginity, theatre, music, fine arts and entertainment such as Masques. These attitudes and values may have inspired or affected Shakespeare's work. For example, The Tempest uses several themes taken from the attitudes and values of this time such as: romance, peace and colonisation.Shakespeare's Theatre
Shakespeare is the author of around thirty-seven plays and one hundred and fifty four sonnets and he became the most popular writer in England at the time, and his legacy is still immense today. Shakespeare was part-owner of an acting company called Lord Chamberlain's Men, which after their success and popularity with King James the First was renamed The King's Men, and with this company he performed many of his plays at The Globe Theatre in London - a theatre which the group built. This theatre and its productions were extremely popular during Shakespeare's time, but the Globe burnt down in 1613, during a production. As I have already mentioned, The Tempest is viewed by some as a farewell from Shakespeare to theatre. This is primarily due to the fact that this was Shakespeare's last play and this goodbye to theatre is paralleled by the character of Prospero who gives up his magic and art at the end of the play. This character even makes references to 'the great globe', which can be interpreted as either the world itself, or Shakespeare's Globe theatre.
There are many other references to the theatre with The Tempest, such as its spectacular dramatic events - the shipwreck, the banquet and the Masque which appear like stage productions - produced by Prospero, the director and writer of the play. The language used within the play also suggests that The Tempest can be viewed as Shakespeare's theatre: Ariel 'performs' tasks, such as setting up the Masque, Antonio uses a semantic field of acting - 'cast... perform... act... prologue...' (Act 2, Scene 1) and Prospero refers to life as 'the great globe itself (Act 4, Scene 1).
Religion
At the time of the play's creation religion was still a major influence in everyday life. Religion was an intense and a powerful influence which dictated how society should conduct itself. It can be suggested that Prospero is a tool used by Shakespeare to criticise the controlling nature of religion. For example, Prospero dominates the island in which the play is set and its inhabitants, from the native Caliban to his daughter Miranda, and as the self-imposed 'God' of the island his initial shallow and revengeful portrayal may be a critique by Shakespeare to suggest that religion should not restrict society.Colonisation
The Tempest is concerned with the issue of colonisation. Shakespeare makes many comments about this subject throughout the play, the most obvious of which being the idea that western colonisation is foolish and irrational. For example, Prospero as the leader of the island takes control of the natives for his own purposes, such as Caliban and Ariel, but this is presented negatively through Shakespeare's negative portrayal of Prospero as arrogant and manipulative.Magic
The play is full of magic. The storm which disrupts the opening of the play is merely an enchantment and many of the characters are magical or illusions, for example Ariel and the spirits Juno, Ceres and Iris. Elizabethan England's relationship with magic was complex; the distinction between magic and science was not always clear and many people believed in superstition, witches and magicians. Both the good and bad sides of magic are used within the play - it is presented as an effective way to express feelings and create positive events, and contrastingly, as a devious and shrewd technique to achieve selfish desires. Prospero's magic is benign as he uses it to achieve success and solve his problems and the darker side of magic is shown through Sycorax, Caliban and the evil God Sebetos who use magic to cause pain. However, these magical powers, especially Prospero's, are limited. For example, Prospero cannot force Miranda and Ferdinand to fall in love and he depends upon luck to assist him in his endeavors.The Tempest as a Masque
Some critics believe that The Tempest is symbolic of the tradition Masque's of the 16th century and that the play was performed to celebrate the marriage of King James the First's daughter's - Princess Elizabeth - marriage in 1612-1613, as the play was first performed around this time and contains similarities to these social events such as the wedding and the preceding Masque. Masque's were elaborate events which were designed to appeal to an audience's senses and to glorify the monarch and they symbolised a desire to return to the past through their its disregard of agrarian life.
The Tempest as a Romance
The Tempest can be viewed as a romance through its ending which involves a wedding and a reconciliation between two families. Romance is most obviously portrayed through Miranda and Ferdinand who experience love at first sight and are representative of the innocence of true love. It is argued that some of Shakespeare's plays with the potential to become tragedies become romances because their tragic elements are resolved at the end of the play. Other elements of love are also explored by Shakespeare, for example Prospero's fatherly love for Miranda, Alonso's fatherly concern for Ferdinand, and the relationship between Ariel and Prospero.
