Shepherds sitting in nature, singing and making music together and overall enjoying the Golden Age. Those are typical attributes for the pastoral genre. When thinking of Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611) a betrayed sorcerer or maybe the enslaved native Caliban comes to mind, not relaxed shepherds. However, it is a pastoral play which this term paper will prove.
Theocritus and Virgil are considered the founding fathers of this literary genre. Therefore, it is no surprise that The Tempest shows many similarities to the works of these poets. I will compare The Tempest with Theocritus' first and seventh Idyll and Virgil's first, ninth and fifth Eclogue; other pastoral poems of that period will not be discussed. This term paper will present those similarities between the poems and the play and show that Shakespeare's The Tempest was strongly influenced by the pastoral Eclogues and Idylls and is itself a pastoral play. To achieve this, I will closely look at some of the themes of The Tempest and show their relation to the pastoral genre.
The first time the play was performed was in 1611 (Vaughan 1). The date of publications of the Eclogues and the Idylls cannot be determined with certainty, however, Virgil lived between 70 BC (Ziolkowski 356) and 19 BC (Ziolkowski 1), while Theocritus lived around the 3rd century BC (Beloch 582), even though that is only an assumption. Therefore, the poems must have been written around the respective periods. Since there is a gap of over 1500 years between the first performance of The Tempest and the publication of the works of Virgil and Theocritus, it is astounding that there still are many connections between these works and that Shakespeare stayed true to the genre of pastoral.
Firstly, I will closely look at the first and seventh Idyll of Theocritus. There, I will discuss the pastoral items in the poems, like Daphnis, his death and the gifts the shepherds give each other. Second, I will do the same with Virgil's Eclogues. Lastly, I will focus on the play’s themes. The Tempest is filled with pastoral themes
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Classic Pastoral
2.1. Theocritus' Idylls
2.2. Virgil's Eclogues
3. The Tempest and the Pastoral
3.1. The Question of Genre
3.1.1. The Genre of Pastoral
3.1.2. Tragicomedy
3.2. Pastoral Themes
3.3. The Tempest in a Classical Context
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
5.1. Primary Sources
5.2. Secondary Sources
Research Objectives & Core Themes
This paper examines the influence of classical pastoral traditions, specifically the works of Theocritus and Virgil, on William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, arguing that despite significant chronological and genre-based differences, the play functions as a sophisticated adaptation of pastoral conventions.
- Comparison of classical pastoral motifs in Idylls and Eclogues with The Tempest.
- Evaluation of genre hybridity, framing The Tempest as a tragicomedy.
- Analysis of essential pastoral themes: nature, retreat and return, politics, magic, and music.
- Assessment of the "pastoral" validity of the play through Edwin Greenlaw's plot criteria.
- The role of the island setting as a contrast to urban aristocratic environments.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1. The Genre of Pastoral
Contrary to Virgil's and Theocritus' works, The Tempest was written as a play and not a poem. This, however, does not influence the characteristics that are crucial to the genre of pastoral. The Tempest fulfils many pastoral criteria. It has elements of nature, magic and music, all which will be discussed in detail later on. Contrary to the original pastoral works, it lacks the name giving shepherds. It is, at least for the 17th century, a modern adaptation of the pastoral genre, also referred to as "[…] Renaissance pastoral dramas […]" (Gifford 1).
In his article "Shakespeare's Pastorals", Edwin Greenlaw names the seven essential plot points of "the only true Greek pastoral" (Greenlaw 123). The first point being: "A child of unknown parentage, usually a girl, is brought up by shepherds. As a variant, the heroine may merely be living in seclusion among shepherds" (Greenlaw 123). In this case, the child is clearly Miranda. As stated earlier, The Tempest lacks the typical pastoral shepherds. It is therefore not possible for Miranda to be brought up by them. Instead, Miranda was raised by her father, Prospero, with both of them living on an isolated, desolate island. She does know her parentage, even though the audience never meets her mother. Prospero tells Miranda about her, saying she "[…] was a piece of virtue […] (Vaughan 175) indicating both her virtue and her death.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the thesis that The Tempest, though superficially different from traditional pastoral works, incorporates significant pastoral elements that connect it to the traditions of Theocritus and Virgil.
2. Classic Pastoral: This chapter provides a foundational overview of Theocritus' Idylls and Virgil's Eclogues, highlighting the contrasting perspectives of urban versus rural life and the thematic importance of eviction and pastoral elegy.
3. The Tempest and the Pastoral: This central section analyzes the play through the lenses of genre definition, tragicomedy, and specific pastoral themes, concluding that the work serves as a modern evolution of the genre.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, reiterating how the integration of pastoral conventions—despite the play’s inherent tragedy and treachery—creates a sense of resolution and peace.
5. Works Cited: A comprehensive list of the primary and secondary literary sources used throughout the analysis.
Keywords
William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Pastoral, Theocritus, Virgil, Idylls, Eclogues, Tragicomedy, Prospero, Miranda, Caliban, Renaissance, Classical Tradition, Literary Analysis, Arcadia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the structural and thematic connections between Shakespeare's The Tempest and the classical pastoral poetry of Theocritus and Virgil.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the representation of nature, the political implications of eviction and exile, the use of magic and music, and the contrast between urban courtly life and the secluded environment of the island.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate that despite the 1500-year gap and a lack of traditional shepherds, The Tempest adheres to and evolves the pastoral genre.
What methodology is applied in this analysis?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing Edwin Greenlaw's seven pastoral plot points and David Hirst's definitions of tragicomedy to evaluate the play.
How is the main body of the work structured?
The body analyzes the origins of the pastoral genre, applies those definitions to the plot and characters of The Tempest, and explores specific recurring themes throughout the play.
What defines the keyword set for this paper?
The keywords reflect the intersection of Elizabethan drama and classical literature, focusing on the specific authors and genre categories discussed.
Why does the author argue that The Tempest is a tragicomedy?
The play is defined as a tragicomedy because it combines the "high standing being laid low" inherent in tragedy with a comedic structure that concludes with a happy, reconciliatory ending.
How does the author interpret the absence of traditional "shepherds" in the play?
The author notes that while The Tempest lacks traditional shepherds, it reinterprets the pastoral role through other characters like Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, making the play a modern adaptation for the 17th century.
- Quote paper
- Anne Sander (Author), 2016, Arden and Arcadia. Presence of Pastoral Tradition in Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/416283
