The Tempest

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Independently Published, 04.09.2018 - 137 Seiten
The Tempest first appeared in print as the first play in the 1623 Folio of Shakespeare. Throughout the play's history, the play has been variously regarded as a highlight of Shakespeare's dramatic output, as a representation of the essence of human life, and as containing Shakespeare's most autobiographical character, in the form of Prospero the magician-ruler. The 1623 text appears to have few omissions or corruptions in the text, though the play does include stage directions that are unusually detailed when compared to Shakespeare's other plays. Some strange spellings and idiosyncrasies in format do appear in the text, with prose sometimes appearing as verse, and vice versa; for these reasons, the text of the play is believed to be a transcription of a later performance at court. However, this is indeterminate, and other critics believe that the Folio text was copied from either Shakespeare's original text, or a close replica of it.The first known performances of the play were at the court of James I, in 1611 and 1613; and the presence of the Jacobean-era masque further cements the play into this time frame. However, the first performances of the play may not have been at court at all; and, there is some remaining evidence that the play received some revision and perhaps some London performances between 1611 and 1613. The betrothal masque which appears in Act IV might have been added for the 1613 performance, since the play was staged as part of a celebration of the wedding of Elizabeth, the daughter of James I. The masque could have been added in order to make the play more occasion-appropriate, as some critics have theorized.Although a few of Shakespeare's plays were relatively well-known before 1650, The Tempest was not among these, as seen by the few allusions to it that have survived or been discovered. Actually, a Restoration retread of The Tempest, done by Davenant and Dryden, was actually more popular than Shakespeare's original for a time, despite its reduction of the original material to a near parody. A character named Hippolito was added, who was basically a male parallel to Miranda; and Miranda and Caliban were given sisters, Dorinda and Sycorax respectively. The work was a lighthearted comedy, unlike Shakespeare's text; and, until the nineteenth century, the characters Hippolito and Dorinda were often incorporated into Shakespeare's own version. The Davenant and Dryden version was even more successful when made into an opera in the late 17th century, and overshadowed Shakespeare's version for another hundred years or so. In 1838, the original version was finally performed, minus the added characters and musical spectacle.After the 17th century and until the 1930's, Ariel was also portrayed as a female character, despite evidence to the contrary within the text. Caliban was also changed, and beginning with Victorian productions, he became less diabolical, and more tragic and human in character. Wrapped up with Caliban was a great deal of anti-slavery sentiment, and then the part was marked with Darwinistic thought starting in the late part of the century.

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Autoren-Profil (2018)

William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616 Although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding William Shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and Mary Arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to Stratford Grammar School. At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 27-year-old daughter of a local farmer, and they had their first daughter six months later. He probably developed an interest in theatre by watching plays performed by traveling players in Stratford while still in his youth. Some time before 1592, he left his family to take up residence in London, where he began acting and writing plays and poetry. By 1594 Shakespeare had become a member and part owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he soon became the company's principal playwright. His plays enjoyed great popularity and high critical acclaim in the newly built Globe Theatre. It was through his popularity that the troupe gained the attention of the new king, James I, who appointed them the King's Players in 1603. Before retiring to Stratford in 1613, after the Globe burned down, he wrote more than three dozen plays (that we are sure of) and more than 150 sonnets. He was celebrated by Ben Jonson, one of the leading playwrights of the day, as a writer who would be "not for an age, but for all time," a prediction that has proved to be true. Today, Shakespeare towers over all other English writers and has few rivals in any language. His genius and creativity continue to astound scholars, and his plays continue to delight audiences. Many have served as the basis for operas, ballets, musical compositions, and films. While Jonson and other writers labored over their plays, Shakespeare seems to have had the ability to turn out work of exceptionally high caliber at an amazing speed. At the height of his career, he wrote an average of two plays a year as well as dozens of poems, songs, and possibly even verses for tombstones and heraldic shields, all while he continued to act in the plays performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This staggering output is even more impressive when one considers its variety. Except for the English history plays, he never wrote the same kind of play twice. He seems to have had a good deal of fun in trying his hand at every kind of play. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, all published on 1609, most of which were dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothsley, The Earl of Southhampton. He also wrote 13 comedies, 13 histories, 6 tragedies, and 4 tragecomedies. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. His cause of death was unknown, but it is surmised that he knew he was dying.

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