Wrongs Righted and the Restoration of Order by C. Blane

Shakespeare’s Tempest is much more than a romance; it is really a play about injuries being righted and actions taken to restore the “proper” order of things. Additionally, this play illustrates a largely political premise that the order of society is based upon right, personage, and priority. The Tempest boils down to the age old conflict of good vs. evil, and traces the path of Prospero, beginning with his first mistakes as duke of Milan and the consequences thereof. Prospero’s path becomes a journey of discovery as he learns to discover the “natural order of things”. The established order is challenged by the various characters in the play as people continually step out of line (including his own negligence while Duke of Milan). Part of Shakespeare’s theme is to show the progressive road which rebellion leads to.”

Prospero’s first mistake was to allow his brother to rule his dukedom, as he was “thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated to closeness and the bettering of [his] mind” (The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2, lines 89-90). This was neglecting the natural order of things by neglecting his rule. His later mistake, trying to raise the “fish-like” creature Caliban to an order above his natural state, also nearly proved disastrous when Caliban tried to rape Prospero’s daughter. Prospero orchestrates the storm to bring his false brother and company to his island to begin restoring the “natural order of things”. The play consummates with a restoration of order as Prospero receives his dukedom and Caliban receives back his island, and even Ariel is given her freedom as the airy spirit. As the other characters fall back into place, the reader sees that peace and harmony are dependent on each individual and character performing their duty and function. A bigger realization is that Prospero recognizes his errors and resolves to assume his own role in the “natural order” that of being the Duke of Milan.

In the film, Philip (the Prospero character) is on a quest to discover his “place in society”. He is unhappy where he is as a famous architect, but he does not know what he wants from life. While he lives on the island, he explores the natural forces of the universe and gains an amount of control over them. However, the fact that the storm became out of control and he had to rescue his ex-wife and former boss from the sea, seems to indicate that he was trying to become more than he was “supposed” to be. Perhaps, he was tampering with things of nature that were above his proper realm of influence in the “order of things,” and so he partially lost control of the elements. Aretha and his daughter Miranda are clearly unhappy being shut off from society, and the film’s director, Paul Mazursky, suggests there is an element of danger when living with a man who is living as a “rule unto himself”. The film ended with Philip recognizing his (and mankind’s) basic need for civilization and his return to New York. When he was separated from accountability, he rose up and tampered with the natural elements attempting to “play god”. This need for accountability is basic to mankind, and Philip coming to grips with that reality is what brings him back in touch with reality.