When delving
into classic, Western literature, it is often comforting to group the works we
read under broad labels. Doing so ensures a sense of distinction between works
of different cultural movements and stylistic elements. Of course, the
scholarly community has the most influence when it comes to categorizing such
precious literature. In the case of classifying William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, critics are entangled in a
four-rope tug-of-war pulling in the directions of classical tragedy, medieval
tragedy, renaissance tragedy, and romance. While most of the evidence would point
to The Tempest as being a romantic
work, to cast aside the presence of classical tragedy in this play for a single,
clear label is to ignore the driving force that initiated the plot.
Perhaps the most striking element
that Shakespeare borrows from classical tragedy in this play is the tragic
flaw. The one error that ultimately causes a character’s collapse, the tragic
flaw in The Tempest takes the form of
selfishness. Prospero, the protagonist of the story, is guilty of this flaw. When recounting his past to Miranda, Prospero recollects, “The
government I cast upon my brother / And to my state grew
stranger, being transported / And rapt in secret studies”
(Act I, Scene II). When he was the Duke of Milan, he lost interest in his
responsibilities as the duke in favor of practicing his magical powers, his
“secret studies.” During this time, his brother Antonio, in concert with Alonso,
overtake the dukedom. Prospero exhibits selfishness by neglecting his role as a
leader and instead indulging in his own passion for magic. Eventually, this
self-indulgence catches up to him and he loses his position of power entirely.
Although the romantic tragedy might
serve as the dominant organizing principle, the story’s plot ultimately derives
from the fact that Prospero had a tragic flaw that resulted in his exile.
Observing this play through just a romantic lens blinds us to this truth
because typically “In tragedies, characters are destroyed as a result of their
own actions and choices; in Romance, characters respond to situations and events
rather than provoking them” (Schwartz). Conventionally speaking, the tragic
flaw is an element that does not pertain to Romance. Therefore, we can accept
that Prospero’s tragic flaw exists only when we recognize the coexistence of
romantic tragedy and classic tragedy within this play.
Works Cited
Schwartz, Debora B. "Romance (Tragi-comedy)."
California Polytechnic State University, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
Shakespeare, William. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The Tempest. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Web. 12 Jan.
2015.
(This is Casey)
ReplyDeleteGreat post Marcus. I also thought that "The Tempest" should be considered a classic tragedy because the tragic flaw of Prospero starts the initial conflict of the plot. For instance, we would identify cars based on fundamentals like having engines, wheels, and being grounded, but not based on where the car goes or if the car has a spoiler or not. Since "The Tempest" is based on the fundamental fatal flaw of Prospero, the fact that the plot contains a romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda is irrelevent to determining the genre because the tragic flaw of Prospero is the fundamental basis of that same plot. I think that your explanation of the point about the tragic flaw is very good. Great job!