(THE TEMPEST) - ''The Tempest" as a pastoral tragi-comedy.

As a pastoral tragi-comedy, Shakespeare's "The Tempest" stands supreme. Simply put, the play includes aspects of both tragedy and comedy. Of course it would not be incorrect and inappropriate to call 'The Tempest' as a tragi-comedy because it contains comic elements in the otherwise serious play. On reading the play we find that tragic situations are followed by comic situations and the seriousness of something tragic melts into air and when comic situations dominate the action of the play.

In the very opening scene we find the perils at sea along with the boisterous cries of the sailors. It appears that the ship will sink and all the passengers on board will die. This scene is at once frightening and saddening. But in the midst of this impending disaster we see Gonzalo making witty remarks that amuse us immeasurably. His sarcastic remark about the Boatswain provokes laughter and fun. Again when he sees that the ship is about to sink he says in an air of light-hearted humour that he would like to die a dry death. It is interesting to see that when passengers on board the ship are facing the disaster letting out a wailing cry, he keeps his cool and makes humorous remarks.

Gonzalo's ideal vision of commonwealth excites a sense of humour and shows clearly Shakespeare's comedy view of life and things. When Sebastian asks Antonio if there would be no marriages in Gonzalo's ideal commonwealth Antonio wittily says that there will be little or no need for marriages because all the women are prostitutes and all the men would be free to have sex with them.

In addition to humorous situations in the play, there a quite a good number of farcical elements which are amusing. When Caliban falls flat on the ground, Trinculo thinks him to be a strange fish. He creates a humorous situation by saying that this creature is not a fish but an islander who has been struck by a thunderbolt. More farcical is the situation where Trinculo takes cover under Caliban's cloak in order to escape the fury of the impending storm.

The song sung by the drunken Stephano has a comic air. When the three drunken rogues move towards Prospero's cell with an end in view of taking his life, Ariel deceives them through his music and leads them into a stinking pond. The situation is evidently humorous as well as hilarious.

So the play as a whole partakes of the nature of a pastoral comedy. The play is not a tragedy in the true sense of the term. It has happy ending and addresses entirely to the imaginative faculty. The play however, can't be called a comedy because it has its constituent elements of sadness, melancholy, anxiety and sufferings which can be interpreted as serious things pertaining the inner would of men and women. The play can be termed a tragi-comedy at its best.

(THE TEMPEST) - Importance of masque in the 'The Tempest.'

Importance of 'Masque'

The masque in the tempest has been critically interpreted in many ways. Initially it is supposed to represent the betrothal of Ferdinand and Miranda; but it ends up adding a lot of allegorical aspects of the play as a whole.

In Shakespeare's time court masks were much in vogue for the celebration of  feast days, betrothals and marriages. Within the play itself it is evident that the masque is especially written in celebration of the betrothal and future marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda and it gives to their happy wedding an allegorical setting.

In fact the subject as we see in the masque is purely allegorical and mythological in tone and temper. It may be reiterated that the masque in the play has been performed in honour of Ferdinand and Miranda. The characters are taken from classical mythology. Iris, the goddess of rainbow, Ceresis, the the goddess of agriculture, Juno, the patronex of the female sex, Venus, the goddess of beauty and Cupid, the god of love are all conspicuous by their presence in the masque. Both Ceres and Juno shower their blessings on the young lovers. There is music everywhere.

The masque gives a momentary vision of a world surcharged with the atmosphere of freedom and forgiveness. Prospero is "touch'd with anger" when he makes a transition from magic to reality. In fact the masque provides a bridge for the action of the play to move from the enchanted island back to the civilized Milan- visibly a sudden shift from the supernatural to the natural.

When critically considered, the masque certainly stands apart from the main action leading upto the union of the two houses- Milan and Naples as well as the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda, which is the central theme of the play. To sum up, the masque seems to emphasize again the dominance of the supernatural machinery of the play.

(SHORT STORIES) Chapter- 4 - To Build A Fire (Theme of the Story)

Theme of the story "To Build A Fire".

Experience vs. Reality

One of the main themes of the story 'To Build a Fire' is experience versus reality. A man decides to travel alone through the hostile environment of the Yukon territory in temperatures 75 degree below zero though initially estimated a fifty degrees below zero and falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature. The man is a newcomer to the region. He has no idea how cold it really is in the Klondike wilderness. He is unprepared for the harsh cold that he is encountering. Even his dog knows it is too cold to be travelling. The theme revolves around the newcomer's first experiences in the extremely cold wilderness.

Early in the story, it becomes clear that the odds are against the man's chances of surviving in the Klondike wilderness. He is a chechaquo to the region and has never experienced its extreme winters.

Man vs. Nature

Another theme in the story is 'man vs. nature'. During his trek, the man was confronted again and again by his weakness as a lone individual against the formidable power of nature in the form of brutal cold. Each time he removed his gloves, the man was surprised at how quickly his fingers were numbed. When the man stopped for lunch, his feet went numb almost as soon as he sat still, a fact that finally began to frighten him. The man had been warned by experienced expeditioners never to travel "after fifty below" without a partner, who could help him in emergencies, but the man did not pay attention to such advice. When he was apparently successful in building the fire for the second time he felt too proud of his abilities. His pride in his abilities resulted in his death. He underestimated the power of nature. He didn't knew that nature is much more powerful that man can ever think.

Character Sketch of Prospero in Shakespeare's "The Tempest".

Character Sketch of 'Prospero'

Prospero is the central character of the play "The tempest". From first to last he dominates the action and brings about a happy ending. Other characters in the play seem rather shadowy figures before him. He dominates and dominates over others and brooks no opposition to his stubborn self-will. He is a tyrant in his relation with Caliban who rises in revolt against him. He is not even humane to his "dainty Ariel".

When viewed from another angle, he compels our admiration in many ways. In the first place he is a most affectionate father. His life is wholly wrapped up in his daughter Miranda. His love for Miranda is unbounded. He can truthfully say,
    "If I have done nothing in care of thee
     Of thee, my dear one, thee my daughter".
She is to him, 'a loved darling','dear heart', 'a rich gift', 'a thread of his own life'. His tenderness and lovableness in his relation to Miranda, Ariel, the repentant sinners give a glowing human touch to his character. He forgives his brother Antonio who conspire against him. He sheds tears of joy when he meets Gonzalo, the good old courtier, in the island. Ariel is always to him "my brave spirit". When he grants Ariel freedom he blurts out saying with a surge of real emotion "I shall miss thee".

Prospero is a man of exceptional wisdom and serenity. He knows "when to exercise strength and when tenderness,when to be stern and when to forgive". As he has reached an advanced manhood he is capable of viewing life from an altitude of wisdom and serenity. He has a philosophic cast of mind which makes him look upon life and the world "as a baseless fabric of vision and man as being basically " made of such stuffs dreams are made on". Besides it is because of his philosophic calm born of his vast wisdom that he at times feels a sense of alienation from the common joys and sorrows of the world. This especial trait of Prospero has lead many a critic to identify him with Shakespeare.

Prospero's phenomenal power as a necromancer establishes his identity in the spirit world. He holds his sway over the forces of nature, over the mind of man at one and same time. Of course he uses his supernatural powers only to bring about the happiest results. He causes the tempest and the shipwreck only to overpower his enemies and not to destroy them. He frustrates and foils the sinister plots of the conspirators. He forgives Sebastian and Alonso and sets Ariel free. Thus the wrongs are righted, the lovers are made happy. The powerful magician retires into the solitude of Milan. An air of forgiveness and freedom hangs over the play.  Prof. Dowden pertinently observes: ' Prospero's forgiveness is an embodiment of impartial wisdom and loving justice'. He is a lover of reconciliation and abhors vengeance. Prospero says, "The rarer action is virtue than in vengeance".
In fine we can say echoing the words of Gervinus that Prospero is a man whose moral excellence is more powerful than his magic, whose virtue conquers revenge.  

(POEMS) Chapter-7 Desiderata - By Max Ehrmann(Summary)

                Summary of the poem "Desiderata".

    The poem Desiderata can be analysed as a poem full of practical lessons, morals and ethics of the life. The poem advises the leaders to be calm and silent to cope up with the everyday struggle of life. The poet ask to be on good terms with the people and to be in good relationship with each other. Since every individual has equal rights to speak and get heard by others, no one should be ignored. One should not consider anyone dull or ignorant and should not ignore them. One need to avoid people who are aggressive and loud in nature. Such people decrease the morale and productivity. Comparison with others should not be practiced in the day-to-day life, as these things increase bitterness and negativity in the person's life.The poet suggest the readers to be employed with any work rather than be idle and be unemployed. One should always respect one's job. Helping hand should be raised for the people who are in need. One should never underestimate the power of love because these enables one to cope up with any difficulty. The poet does not want his readers to be self critic of themselves. The ending lines of the emphasize the almighty God. He wants his readers to believe in the reality of God who is always there to help him. One should always be cheerful and put his best to make the life the best one.