Performance History-Shakespeare

Andrew Stutts

The 2010 screen adaptation of “The Tempest”, written and directed by Julie Taymor, offers an interesting version of Shakespeare’s famous play.  Although the time period was not distinct in the setting of this movie (the costumes in the movie look Shakespearian but have many modern accoutrements) there are social elements in Taymor’s version that are very much in tune with the 17^th century mindset and attitude.  However, in this rendition, there are social components that provide additional creditability to the motivation of the characters in this story.  The cinematic portrayal of two character’s gender, Prospero (in the original version) and Ariel, add a thought-provoking dynamic to this Shakespearian drama that shall be explored in this paper.

In the original play, “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, the story’s main protagonist is a Duke and a Magician named Prospero. Comparatively, in the 2010 movie version 'The Tempest,” the main character is now a female duke and sorceress named Prospera. This adds a dimension not presented in the original due to the fact that in the 17th century, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were in greater danger of being convicted of witchcraft than their male counterparts.  Similar to Shakespeare’s version, Prospera’s kingdom is seized by her brother and she is sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship.  Providence brings her to an isolated island that has no form of society; consequently the mother also becomes a father figure to Miranda.  Initially, the only other inhabitants of the island are the slave Caliban and the spirit Ariel.  While Caliban defiantly served Prospera, Ariel carried out the tasks assigned in an unreservedly loyal manner.  Ariel was Prospera’s spirit helper and virtually carried out every task needed by Prospera to accomplish her means and carry out her plans and this was due, in part, to his eagerness to be free.  Although he wanted his freedom in exchange, Ariel approached his tasks with enthusiasm, which was a stark contrast to Caliban’s defiant nature.

The character Ariel in the movie version was a male actor and is also referred to in the masculine sense in Shakespeare’s original play: “Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and with a quint device, the banquet vanishes” (Shakespeare, The Tempest III.  III.  54).  However, in the movie there was a very androgynous quality to Ariel where he seemed to have masculine qualities at times and feminine one at others.  These female characteristics were more noticeable when extreme acts of magical revenge were enacted.  Note the words of Ariel before driving Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian, and even Gonzalo mad with the mocking attack of the shapes:

            You fools!  I and my fellows

Are ministers of Fate: the elements,

Of whom your swords are temper’d, may as well

Wound the loud winds, or with bemock’d-at stabs

Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle that’s in my plume: my fellow-ministers

Are like invulnerabel.

-Spakespeare, The Tempest III. III. 63-68

   Throughout the movie Ariel was naked and despite the fact that his genitalia could not be observed his physique was decidedly masculine.  However, during this monologue Ariel’s physical traits, although fierce looking, took on more feminine attributes including breast like a woman’s.  One could reason that this speaks of the mysteries of feminine powers in humanity and nature.

Prospera’s thirst for revenge mellowed when she first began to realize the depths of Miranda and Ferdinand’s love.  Prospera’s daughter’s happiness had the effect of pacifying and satisfying much of Prospera’s need for revenge.  Moreover, recasting the character of Prospero into the feminine version Prospera made for an interesting adaptation in this regard.  For one, the concern displayed for her daughter, Miranda, finding true love in Ferdinand was more believable coming from a mother instead of a father.  A father in Shakespeare time would be more concerned about his daughter having a prosperous marriage.  A prosperous marriage could be seen as improving one social status or improving alliances and connections as was the case with Alonzo’s daughter.  A mother would be more concerned with her daughter’s happiness and would first and foremost desire for her a marriage based on love.  The female character Prospera would be fair better equipped than the male Prospero to empathize with a daughter’s emotions, thus, making the following lines more authentic in nature:

            PROSPERO [aside].

Poor worm, thou art infected!

This visitation shows it.

Fair encounter

Of the two most rare affections! 

Heavens rain grace

 On that which breeds between ‘em!

 (Spakespeare, The Tempest III. I. 36)

This is not to say a father did not equally love his daughter in Shakespeare’s time.  It just that a father was required to be more concerned with practicality and necessity.   Accordingly, often tempered were the concerns that a daughter’s marriage possessed love as the dominate circumstance behind the union. 

  In summary, Julie Taymor’s 2010 film version of “The Tempest” presents an intriguing take on Shakespeare’s famous play.  Taymor proves that this is a timeless classic but offers a new twist without detracting from the societal norms of Shakespeare’s era or the classical quality of this production.    In fact, the slight differences in the movie manage to highlight the societal paradigms of this period for modern audience, while still maintaining its entertainment value.  The depictions of two character’s gender in this cinematic version, Prospera and her spirit helper Ariel provide the audience much to meditate upon concerning power and gender roles.

 

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Complete Works Of William Shakespeare. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc, 2004. Print.

Taymor, Julie, dir. The Tempest. Writ. Julie Taymore, Willam Shakespeare, Perf. Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, and Djimon Hounsou. Miramax, 2010. Film. 14 Apr 2013.