Context (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Context
Understanding the historical context of The Tempest helps you appreciate the deeper meanings within Shakespeare's play. Written around 1610-1611, The Tempest reflects the key concerns and beliefs of early 17th-century England, including political power, colonial expansion, and the relationship between magic and knowledge. This note explores the major contextual influences that shaped the play.
The Jacobean era
The reign of King James I (1603-1625)
The Tempest was composed during the reign of King James I, a period known as the Jacobean era. This was a time of relative political stability following the turbulent Tudor period, though it was also marked by significant changes in England's relationship with the wider world. King James I had a particular passion for the arts, which greatly benefited theatre in London. He established the King's Men as his official acting company, with Shakespeare as one of its leading playwrights.
This royal patronage meant that Shakespeare's company enjoyed prestige and protection, allowing them to explore complex and sometimes controversial themes in their work. The king's support created an environment where theatrical innovation could flourish.
The Tempest, likely one of Shakespeare's final plays, demonstrates the sophisticated dramatic techniques that developed under this patronage.
Colonisation and exploration
The early 17th century witnessed dramatic expansion of European colonisation, particularly in the Americas. English explorers such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake had become household names, and their expeditions captured the public imagination. Reports from the New World described exotic lands, strange peoples, and opportunities for wealth and power. These tales of exploration and discovery deeply influenced English culture and literature.
The Tempest directly engages with these colonial themes through its setting on a remote island. Prospero's arrival and subsequent control over the island mirrors the European colonial experience. He imposes his authority over the island's original inhabitant, Caliban, who becomes his unwilling servant. This relationship between coloniser and colonised runs throughout the play, raising questions about power, legitimacy, and exploitation that would have resonated with Shakespeare's contemporary audience.
The influence of colonialism
The 'noble savage' concept
The character of Caliban embodies a complex Renaissance idea known as the 'noble savage'. This concept suggested that people living in what Europeans considered 'primitive' or 'natural' states possessed an innate goodness that became corrupted through contact with 'civilised' society. However, this romanticised view coexisted with prejudiced beliefs about the supposed inferiority of non-European peoples.
Caliban's portrayal reflects these contradictory attitudes. On one hand, he speaks in poetic language and demonstrates deep knowledge of the island. On the other, Prospero treats him as inherently brutish and untrustworthy. Caliban's resistance to Prospero's control highlights the tension between the coloniser's claimed right to rule and the colonised person's desire for freedom.
Worked Example: Colonial Power Dynamics in Caliban's Speech
Caliban's famous declaration that Prospero taught him language, which he now uses to curse him, reveals the complex power dynamics inherent in colonialism:
"You taught me language, and my profit on't / Is I know how to curse."
This shows how:
- The coloniser imposes their culture and language on the colonised
- The colonised can subvert this imposed culture as a tool of resistance
- Education and language become instruments of both control and liberation
The impact of the New World
Shakespeare's audience would have been familiar with numerous accounts of New World exploration, often filled with descriptions of exotic landscapes and supposedly 'savage' inhabitants. These reports shaped English perceptions of distant lands and their peoples, mixing genuine curiosity with cultural superiority and fear.
The island in The Tempest functions as a microcosm of the colonial encounter. It becomes a space where questions of authority, governance, and moral responsibility play out. Prospero's rule raises critical questions:
- What gives him the right to control this land and its inhabitants?
- How does power affect both the ruler and the ruled?
These questions reflect the moral uncertainties surrounding England's colonial ambitions during this period.
The role of magic and alchemy
The Renaissance and the search for knowledge
The Renaissance period was characterised by an intense curiosity about the natural world and humanity's place within it. This era saw remarkable advances in science, exploration, and philosophy. However, the boundaries between what we now call science and what was considered magic or the occult were often blurred.
Alchemy, astrology, and natural magic were studied alongside mathematics and astronomy. The lines between scientific inquiry and supernatural investigation were not as clearly defined as they are today.
Prospero's magical abilities represent this Renaissance fascination with knowledge and power. His books contain the source of his supernatural abilities, suggesting that magic is learned rather than innate. This connects to the period's belief that through study and understanding, humans could gain mastery over nature. Prospero's magic allows him to control the elements, command spirits, and manipulate events – a metaphor for the power that knowledge can provide. However, the play also explores the dangers of such power and the ethical responsibilities that come with it.
Influence of the occult
Contemporary beliefs about spirits, demons, and supernatural forces heavily influenced how audiences would have understood characters like Ariel. Ariel is a spirit bound to serve Prospero through magic, representing both the power and the potential danger of supernatural forces. The relationship between Prospero and Ariel explores themes of control, servitude, and freedom that parallel the human relationships in the play.
The presence of magic in The Tempest would have seemed more plausible to Jacobean audiences than to modern viewers. Many people genuinely believed in the existence of spirits and the possibility of magical intervention in worldly affairs. King James I himself wrote about witchcraft and demonology, lending royal authority to these beliefs.
Political context
The divine right of kings
The Jacobean era was deeply influenced by the doctrine of the divine right of kings. This political theory held that monarchs received their authority directly from God and were therefore accountable only to God, not to their subjects. This belief underpinned the absolute power that kings claimed and justified their resistance to parliamentary constraints.
Understanding Legitimate Authority:
The Tempest engages with these ideas through Prospero's character. As the rightful Duke of Milan who has been wrongfully deposed, Prospero represents legitimate authority in exile. His control over the island and his ultimate restoration to power in Milan can be read as a commentary on rightful rule and the legitimacy of authority. The play asks important questions:
- What makes a ruler legitimate?
- What responsibilities come with power?
- Can authority be maintained through force alone?
Exile and revenge
Political exile was a real and feared possibility in Jacobean England. Individuals could suddenly find themselves stripped of power, position, and property due to political intrigue or falling out of royal favour. Prospero's journey from Duke of Milan to exiled magician on a remote island would have resonated with contemporary anxieties about the precarious nature of power and status.
The play explores the psychological and moral dimensions of exile. Prospero's initial desire for revenge against those who wronged him represents a natural human response to injustice. However, his ultimate choice to forgive rather than punish reflects deeper questions about justice, mercy, and the proper use of power. This tension between revenge and forgiveness speaks to the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by those in positions of authority during this period.
Theatrical context
Performance and audience
The Tempest was likely performed at the Blackfriars Theatre, an indoor playhouse that catered to a wealthier, more educated audience than the open-air Globe Theatre. This venue allowed for more sophisticated staging techniques, including better lighting control and acoustic effects.
The indoor setting influenced how the play was written and performed, enabling Shakespeare to incorporate elaborate spectacle and music in ways that would have been difficult outdoors. The play makes extensive use of theatrical effects to create supernatural moments – storms, apparitions, and magical transformations achieved through innovative stage machinery and techniques.
These spectacular elements weren't merely decorative but served to enhance the play's themes about illusion, reality, and the power of art itself.
Gender and roles
In Shakespeare's time, all theatrical roles, including female characters, were performed by male actors. This convention adds interesting layers to the portrayal of Miranda, the only woman in the play. A male actor would have portrayed Miranda's innocence, her developing awareness of love, and her navigation of her father's patriarchal control.
Miranda's character raises important questions about power, agency, and gender within the play's world. She has been raised in isolation on the island, knowing only her father and Caliban. Her limited experience of the world makes her vulnerable to manipulation, yet she also demonstrates independence of thought and feeling. Her relationship with Ferdinand and her father explores how women navigate identity and autonomy within patriarchal structures, a theme that would have been particularly relevant to Jacobean audiences.
Key Points to Remember:
- The Tempest was written during the Jacobean era (1603-1625) when England was actively engaged in colonial expansion and exploration
- The play reflects contemporary anxieties about colonialism, particularly through the relationship between Prospero and Caliban
- Magic and the supernatural in the play mirror Renaissance fascination with alchemy, knowledge, and the occult
- Political themes include the divine right of kings, legitimate authority, exile, and the tension between revenge and mercy
- The play was performed at the Blackfriars Theatre for a wealthy audience, using elaborate staging effects to create spectacle
- Understanding these historical contexts helps reveal the deeper meanings and contemporary relevance of Shakespeare's final masterpiece