MAGIC IN THE TEMPEST

Prof. Sitter

ENL-200

July 11, 2021

Application Essay

The are many analytical lenses through which we can view the representation of magic in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. For this assignment, I have chosen the theory put forth by Alan Moore in 2017 in a video excerpt from his documentary describing his views on the topic of magic. Moore's idea of magic is interesting, as it works on several different levels when applied to The Tempest. Our protagonist, Prospero, wields his art (magic) as a weapon throughout most of the play, only to (apparently) walk away from magic once situations become resolved in his favor. There is a parallel thread at work though, the author, Shakespeare, seems to equate himself with Prospero by the end of the play, hinting that he may be pondering laying aside his magical pursuits.

Alan Moore, a celebrated author of graphic novels and fiction (as well as a self-professed magician), believes magic (initially referred to as "the art") to be the process by which the magician employs their artistic skills to reshape the perceptions of their audience. Moore states, "I believe that magic IS art, and that art, whether it be writing, music, sculpture, or any other form, IS literally magic. Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words, or images, to achieve changes in consciousness (Moore)." It is a point of view on magic that gains heft when we consider that literacy was a commodity reserved for a privileged and powerful few for much of human history. A treasured illuminated text would seem a powerful magical artifact to someone with no hope of understanding or interpreting the words within for themselves. A masterfully constructed tale or song could invoke images and ideas in the audiences' minds that may seem like sorcery to those who lack the essential tools to grasp the process. These highly skilled practitioners of the art were to be feared by others in positions of power who sought to maintain their places. The elites of Ancient Rome could be stripped of their public sway and respect if they found themselves in the crosshairs of a skilled satirical poet with a following (or, say, a famous Elizabethan playwright with his own theatre and a solid following). In considering a well-crafted criticism penned by a bard, Moore muses, "If it were a clever satire, it might not just destroy you in the eyes of your associates, it would destroy you in the eyes of your family. It would destroy you in your own eyes. (Moore)." As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword.

Moore’s theory of magic is wholly applicable to The Tempest. Prospero does not appear to possess any practical magic abilities, per se. He cannot create the storm himself, or make himself invisible, or confuse the sailors on his own. Instead, in Shakespeare's creation, physical magic abilities are reserved for the spirits. The magic that Prospero (a human) possesses is the magic of words and persuasion (and a fair number of shrewd instincts). Prospero uses his powers in a few different ways, the first being to enslave others or bend them to his will.

We first encounter Prospero's manipulation of other's consciousness in Act 1. Prospero convinces his daughter, Miranda, to sleep so he may speak with Ariel privately; "Here cease more questions. Thou art inclined to sleep. 'Tis a good dullness, And give it way. I know thou canst not choose. (Tempest 1.2.219-221)”. Prospero uses manipulations to shape Miranda’s thinking throughout the play.

We next meet Ariel, who is the spirit gifted with powerful physical magic skills. Ariel does just about all of Prospero’s heavy lifting in the play. Even though Ariel is arguably the most potent being we meet in the story, he is convinced that he is subjugated to Prospero. A captive of sorts, compelled to do Prospero's bidding. Prospero had freed Ariel from a wooden imprisonment, and since then, Ariel has been forced to be Prospero's "magical muscle." At the same time, Prospero dangles the prospect of freedom in front of Ariel. Although Ariel seems to be strong enough the incapacitate Prospero or not return to him, Ariel continues to toil in hopes of being magically freed: "Ariel- master. I will be correspondent to command And do my spiriting gently; Prospero – Do so, and after two days, I will discharge thee. (Tempest 1.2.352-356).”

Prospero takes another magical tract with his other slave, Caliban (the non-magical, unsophisticated son of the island's previous mistress). Caliban's term on the island predated Prospero and Miranda's, and as such, provided Prospero with the essential information for surviving on the island. In turn, Prospero enslaves Caliban and relegates him to doing physical labor. It is worth noting that Prospero first tried to initiate Caliban into his magic, according to Moore; "…with magic, being in many respects a science of language…." Prospero attempted to give Caliban his language; "(I) took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other. When thou didst not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but would gabble like a thing most brutish, I endowed thy purposes With words that made them known. (Tempest 1.2.425-430)." Essentially, Prospero attempts to "civilize" Caliban to make him like himself. When this does not work, and Caliban tries to attack Miranda, Caliban is relegated to the role of a detested slave. Caliban seems to be somehow predisposed to being dominated and attempts to find a new master to kill Prospero. Caliban never tries to overthrow Prospero himself physically, only attempts to find others to act on his behalf.

Yet another example of Prospero using his art to reshape the perception of others towards the ends of attaining his goals appears in the overriding story arc of the Play. Prospero employs Ariel to strand all of his enemies on the island; he misrepresents the truth to weaken them emotionally, manipulates Miranda and Ferdinand (the son of the Duke of Naples) into an engagement, and asks the spirits to stage a play. All of these, combined with Prospero's machinations, secure his return as Duke of Milan AND his heir to rule Naples. In the epilogue, Prospero announces his intent to turn his back on his magic (conveniently once he has attained what he wanted), acknowledges this wrong, and asks the audience for absolution. Prospero's speech is essentially conveying the role of the magician to the audience. He asks; "Let me not, Since I have my dukedom got And pardoned the deceiver, dwell In this bare island by your spell, But release me from my bands With the help of your good hands…" he continues, "As you from crimes would pardoned be, Let your indulgence set me free." (Tempest 5.epilogue.5-10, 19-20).” Of all Prospero's "magical manipulations" of the consciousness' of others throughout the play, this is by far the grandest. Prospero admits to it all that he did it all to get what he wanted, and now he compels us, the audience, to take up the mantel of the magical manipulator to allow him to move on, essentially unrepentant. Moore's theory of magic explains this lack of personal responsibility; "that every human soul is in fact One human soul. It is the soul of the Universe itself, and as long as you are doing the will of the Universe, then it is impossible to do anything wrong (Moore)."

In an interesting parallel, the epilog of The Tempest (Shakespeare's last solo written play) can be read as veiled retirement speech. If we accept Moore's theory as artists (especially authors) are, in fact, magicians due to their sway over the hearts and minds of others, then we would be hard-pressed to name a more powerful magician than William Shakespeare. This supplemental speech would be read as a pronouncement that the literary magician is setting aside his magic, not an apology, as Shakespeare would have seen it as the will of the Universe.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest, edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. Simon & Schuster, 2015.

Moore, Alan. “Alan Moore – On Magic (Transcript).” Gbowdenivsite, 12 Mar. 2017, gbowdenivsite.wordpress.com/2017/03/12/alan-moore-on-magic-transcript/. Accessed 6 July 2021.