The Tempest - Shakespeare's Greatest Hits

 

Watching The Tempest yesterday, I could not help but wonder how much of this probably last play from William Shakespeare, was actually the playwright revisiting some of his most interesting characters. There are many who think that Prospero is a version of Shakespeare himself, as the magician controls the actions of the players on stage. 

Then there are the three spirits: Juno, Ceres and Iris. It just struck me that here are the opposites of the three witches in Macbeth.

There are, of course the traditional comedians, none more so here than Stephano, drunk and bossy as Falstaff any day. His mate Trinculo is a perfect Bardolf.

Maybe, like me, Shakespeare thought his royalty were always boring even if their actions were adequately dramatic. Here he casts them under Prospero's spell. Some pompous, some devious and one (Gonzalo "an honest old counsellor") puts them to shame.

The Tempest also includes the spirits who inhabited many of the romances. Here is the one that Shakespeare made the greatest of all, Ariel.

Finally the love struck youngsters in Miranda and Ferdinand. Does the photo below not remind us of  Romeo and Juliet, and those from many of the comedies. Shakespeare goes out with a happy ending as it should be.