The Tempest and Shakespearean Comedy

           The Tempest by William Shakespeare is a play that follows the structure of a Shakespearean comedy. Prospero is the comic individual who has his power taken from him. At first, the reader is lead to believe that this power was taken by his brother Alonso without reason, but this is not the case. Prospero tells Miranda “[Gonzalo] furnished me / From mine own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom” (I.ii.198-200). These books give Prospero his magical powers, and he obsesses over these books and this power. It can be implied that he neglects his duties as the king on order to learn new powers from these books. This allows Alonso to swoop in and usurp Prospero’s power. Thus through this self-destruction and obsession, Prospero fits the structure of the comic individual.

            Prospero is also a key contributor to the comic solution, which is another element in the structure of a Shakespearean comedy. In this solution, Prospero claims that he will “drown my book” (V.i.66), and in this action he gives up his magical powers. This is a very symbolic moment because all of Prospero’s troubles have stemmed from his obsession with magic. By giving up this power, he becomes a rational character who realizes he cannot spend his time planning to seek revenge on those who usurped his power. In the ultimate act of rationality, Prospero frees Ariel from his bondage. Prospero’s deception is destroyed when he gives up his power and his servants, displaying The Tempest’s comic solution.