Shakespeare’s play The Tempest grasps our attention through the dramatic illusion of justice. It tells a rather straightforward story involving an unfair act (the theft of Prospero’s throne by his brother), and Prospero’s mission to reinstate himself. However, the proposal of integrity that the play works toward seems highly biased, since this idea is represented through the view of one character that reins the fate of all the other characters. Prospero presents himself as a victim of injustice working to right the wrongs that have been done to him. His ideas are somewhat hypocritical; he is furious with his brother for taking his power, yet he has no misgivings for enslaving Ariel and Caliban in order to achieve his plans. Many moments throughout the play Prospero’s sense of justice seems to be only what is good for him. On the other hand the play is confusing due to the fact that we only have Prospero’s point of view of the events taking place. In the end he forgives his enemies and releases his slaves, appearing to be an old man whose work has been responsible for the audience’s pleasure. It is as if Shakespeare was saying happy endings are possible even if they only originate from the imagination of the artist. On another note, he shows us that family is important and holding a grudge will get you no where. Prospero and Alonso were brought back together because Prospero forgave him of his treachery. His daughter got married to a prince and will get to live a normal life.
Mazursky gives us the same storyline, but we get to see it through the eyes of several characters. He gets our attention through a lover’s scandal that leads to a mid-life crisis of Phillip (Prospero). Phillip quits his job and leaves his wife, who is having an affair with his boss. He runs away to Greece and brings his daughter Miranda along with him, and they meet an American singer Aretha. They escape to a deserted island for peace and serenity. Mazursky’s interpretation shows us that you cannot run from your problems, because they will find you. Phillip ran to the island for comfort, only to be found a year later by his wife. They end up realizing their love for each other and go home. His interpretation is successful because anyone can relate to it, excluding the private island ordeal. People can understand the feelings of the characters and show empathy. I felt as if he did make a compelling story for the audience. He did not exactly get the same point across as Shakespeare did, but he still managed to make it work. After all, who can compete with Shakespeare?
No comments:
Post a Comment