Prospero, Ariel, Miranda and Ferdinand
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Illustrator: Unknown
Original Illustration Size: 200 x 140mm / 7″30 x 5″14
Illustration Number: 1/18
Source Text: The complete works of Shakspeare : including the whole of his plays, sonnets and other poems : with explanatory and critical notes ; and a carefully compiled biography of Shakespeare. Illustrated with beautiful chromo-engravings, designed expressly for this edition.
Published: London : John G. Murdoch, 1880.
Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ is among my favorite of The Bard’s plays. It evokes a wide spectrum of images, from the grotesque and violent to Miranda’s innocent perspectives and her ability to find beauty even in the people and events that disrupt her ideal, Eden-like life on the island with Prospero (whose abusive treatment of Caliban is in stark contrast to Miranda’s ideals). The disruption of Prospero’s “Island Kingdom” arguably is untenable and should not be sustained, if only because Miranda deserves and needs a full life, and Caliban should have the opportunity to be free of his oppression. The fact that Shakespeare’s works inspire visual artistic works is, of course, no surprise — because they always have, and obviously will continue to inspire visual art and other artistic forms of expression, such as major musical compositions, or merely ongoing efforts to write melodies for the many songs in Shakespeare’s plays, whether the goal is “historical authenticity” or not.
Correction: I meant to say that Miranda’s isolated existence, regardless of Prospero’s good intentions to protect Miranda, “arguably is untenable and should not be sustained.”
I apologize for my stilted, unintentional, and confusing statement about the disruption of that isolated life.
At least I act as a reminder that one should always proofread any comment before posting it (although I’m not sanguine about make an embarrassing reminder out of myself! 😳