Jasmine Sanchez

Mrs. Anderson
Interpretation of the Tempest
October 24, 2016
After reading the Davidson article, I believe my understanding of the play has
changed because when I first read it I did not see the the play as a fairytale. William
Shakespeares imagery is perfectly described and eloquent as well as the characters,
something I was not able to take note of the first reading it. The plays protagonist,
Prospero, is the most interesting character in that when he is on the island he has spent
his time refining his magic in order to have the power to punish and forgive his enemies.
After reading the article, my view on Prospero has improved because I do agree that the
play encompasses moral ideas depending on age, experience, and self discipline. Fryes
idea of a new society is very evident in the text especially through Prosperos
compassion at times, as mentioned by Davidson.
I was originally confused by the illusion of justice presented in the play. Prospero
is done an injustice by his brother and Prospero is trying to re-establish justice and
regain his throne. Prospero is seen as a victim of an injustice act by his brother and
works to right the wrongs that were done to him. By creating justice, he is portraying
himself as a character who controls the fate of all others. To some certain extent, he is
hypocritical because he is furious at his brother for taking his power, he will stop at no
end to get what he wants even if it means enslaving Ariel and Caliban. In the article, it

mentions how the text ends up seeming contradictory at times. Some people would
even interpret The Tempest as morally ambiguous because the events are mainly told

from Prosperos point of view. Also it is evident that Prospero is only doing what is good
for him. I was also confused with the ending and why William Shakespeare chose a
happy ending. Many of Davidsons interpretations were new and were interesting
because he was able to find textual evidence for each of his claims.