Moisoiu Adelina, 3

rd
Year, Chinese Major
Course on Early Modern Intellectual History: The Imagination .
Pro. !orana Corneanu
DAT ROSA MEL APIBUS
Spiritual knowledge gives solae to souls!"
"The Tem#est$ %y &illiam !ha'es#eare and the tools used in Magic &or'
(ne o the most %rilliant #lays e)er *ritten %y !ha'es#eare is used to
relect the mysterious *ays o the %rain in *or'ing the imagination. +eing
*ritten in ,-,., *e can reali/e that it0s a solid undament on *hich the %elies
are %ased. In the analysis o magic in !ha'es#eare0s master#iece *e must irst
analyse the su%consciousness o his *ell dra*n characters.
The genious o the *riter relects in the success in de#icting magic in almost
all it0s re#resentations and *ays o #ro#agating on the human %odies, aecting
the s#irits, touching the soul and ma'ing things mo)e, ha##en. Indeed,
imagination is a )ery #o*erul tool, it can also %e a magic *and or a shar#
s*ord, it can create or it can destroy, its #o*er %eing #ractically ininite. The
#ro%lem *hich arises here is the control. &e must educate oursel)es in order to
control this #o*er *hich lie has charged us on *ith. I, #ersonally, ta'e it as a
git, a most #recious git.
"The Tem#est$ is the meta#hor under *hich the imagination ta'es the
control o the action. &e can sim#ly admit that !ha'es#eare *anted to #oint out
the act that the human condition is tossed around %y a "tem#est$, *hich is
#recisely the "name$ o the imagination. The characters *hich the author
chooses are not random, %ut they clearly re#resent the aection o this magic
#o*ers, and their close tied %ond *ith the nature. This %ond can %e also related
to the s#irit aection on the natural #henomena. At the )ery irst %eginning o
the #lay *e can ind Pros#ero0s tur%ulence o the s#irits ha)ing clear eect on
the nature. 1sing the #o*er o his mind he #ractically is a%le to create a
tem#est, thus aecting the #eo#le %eing #resent on the %oard o the shi#. This
intense #o*er *hich he ta'es hold o is not accidental, %ut it has a )ery logical
undament. Ho*e)er, in order to achie)e such a #o*er, the #atient must irst %e
aected %y some stirring element, charged *ith an intense negati)e energy 2 *e
call them emotions3. This is also the case o Pros#ero, *hich dri)en %y the
negati)e eelings to*ards his %rother Antonio, gets in)ol)ed into occult studies
and losing his s#irit into reading %oo's. It is unny %ut also true ho* Miranda,
his daughter says that I# $% %our art& '% dearest #at(er& %ou (ave
,
Moisoiu Adelina, 3
rd
Year, Chinese Major
Course on Early Modern Intellectual History: The Imagination .
Pro. !orana Corneanu
Put t(e wild waters in t(is roar& alla% t(e'!" . It is only through an acute
sensiti)eness to*ards art that such intese #o*er o aecting the sel and the
others can %e achie)ed. Art, in such case can %e considered the "teacher$ o the
imagination, #olishing the mind, charging it energetically in such a *ay that
can aect the imagination and arouse this "magic #o*ers$. 4einitely, or such
aect to occur,a )ery sensiti)e and a%sor%ing #atient is re5uired. It is in
Pros#ero *here *e can ind this ty#ology. Moreo)er, *e can also airm that he
is the centre o the #lay, %eing the master o all the #o*er and he ta'es control
o all the actions, the other characters %eing only sim#le su%jects, the #u##ets
he #lays in his o*n hand using mind6control and sometimes auto6suggestion.
I, #ersonally, ind this character )ery interesting and *ise, he is a*are o all
this energy he ta'es hold o and uses it *ith a lot o consciousness. In the same
time, he is also an o%ser)er, *atching rom distance ho* the magic he had cast
u#on the other characters *or's eiciently. &hat is more, e)ery action he
chooses to ta'e has a )ery undamental reason, dee#ly rooted into his mind.
&hat is also remar'a%le is that he ne)er has any dou%t a%out the eecti)eness
o his s#ells, *hich ma'e them actually ha##en.
(ne the one hand, *hat is magic in this #lay is e7actly the ART. I, mysel,
consider any orm o art a tool o magic %ecause it0s a channel o releasing
"emotion$ in its )ariety and multitude o orms. Here, the #assion is the 'ey
and, %y ma'ing use o it in a natural *ay, one can strengthen the eects o the
*or' o art, thus ha)ing a greater im#act on the mind o the reci)er. As
Pros#ero says, Art "ignorant o *hat thou art, nought 'no*ing
( *hence I am, nor that I am more %etter$. I consider art %eing the ultimate
#olisher o the soul. Ma'ing use o the ")irtue o com#assion$ Pros#ero ma'es
the things "mo)e$ around him and creates action. &e can go as ar as to airm
that he is a 'ind o a 8od.
(n the other hand, ta'ing into account that Pros#ero has %een undergoing
some "secret studies$ justiies his good mastering and control o)er the other
#eo#le. +eing a*are o the a%ility to gain the control o this #o*ers one can use
them or his o*n interest. At the )ery %eginning o his occult studies, Pros#ero
did lose control o his energies, thus a*a'ing in his %rother an "e)il nature$
*hich lead to the chaotic #oint o dis%alance, resulting into their conlict.
Moreo)er, *e can disco)er a gathering o dierent cultural %elies regarding
magic and its inter#retations: astrology, the de)ils, s#irits, gree' gods, the idea
o ortune and so on. This mi7ture o elements to *hich the author ma'es
reerence, clearly indicates #eo#le0s undamental %elies in the #o*er o the
imagination.
Ariel
A )ery interesting s#irit, *ith #aranormal #o*ers, he re#resents the
unctionality o Pros#ero0s thought. He is the sym%ol o the "motion$ o his
9
Moisoiu Adelina, 3
rd
Year, Chinese Major
Course on Early Modern Intellectual History: The Imagination .
Pro. !orana Corneanu
thoughts, accom#lishing his duties *ithout any ailure. :ormerly %eing loc'ed
inside the trun' o a tree, his s#irit undergoes a #o*erul tra# o energies, %eing
#ractically %loc'ed. Thus, his des#erate moans and groans #roduce a great
auditi)e im#act on the animals in the orest ma'ing them ho*l, releasing his
#ain. Here *e can ma'e reerence to the im#act o the Musi on the human soul
and nature also, ma'ing them sym#athi/e *ith each other, creating order and
disorder. I strongly %elie)e that music is made o the same su%stance as the
human s#irit, thus resulting in its eect and the stir o emotions #roduced. It
can also ha)e the #o*er o thoughts control, conse5uently action control. A
good and sim#le e7am#le *ould %e that one in *hich the %a%y rela7es his mind
and alls much easier aslee# at the sound o mother0s gentle )oice *hile
singing. Music thera#y is also something )ery common no*adays. Moreo)er,
Ariel uses this "magic #o*er$ o music to hy#noti/e and ta'e control on the
minds o the others, ma'ing them all aslee# in certain circumstances. He uses
this #o*er *hile %eing in the same time in)isi%le, thus contri%uting to ma'ing
the others %elie)e that the music is in their su%conscious. Ariel0s song also
calmed the *aters and the ury o the sea , in the same time ha)ing a sedati)e
eect on :erdinand0s mental des#air.
Miranda
4aughter o Pros#ero, Miranda is at a certain degree ignorant o the #o*er
o the imagination and its magic #ro#rieties. The only moment *hen she uses
this #o*er is someho* unconsciously or this is just ho* it seems to %e. That is
e7actly the moment *hen she meets :erdinand or the irst time. !he has a
charming, enchanting eect on him, li'e casting a s#ell on his mind and
loc'ing his thoughts. &e can go as ar as saying that she has hy#noti/ed him %y
concentrating all her seducti)e #o*ers in her eyes )t(e evil e%e"3. Thus, the
"lo)e at irst sight$ is e7#lained.
Caliban
He is an a%normal, grotes5ue monster, the son o *itch !ycora7. !he is the
%earer o a huge amount o negati)e energy, hatred and malice, in this *ay
ha)ing a %ig eect on Cali%an %ecoming a monster. Here *e can tal' a%out the
em#athy, the aection that the mother transmits to the child %y means o her
imagination. !tudies ha)e sho*n that during the etus stage, the %a%y *hich the
mother carries in her uterus does not ha)e the #o*er o imagination that *ell
de)elo#ed. As a result he "%orro*s$ and uses the imagination o the mother
during this #eriod, *hich has a great im#act on the uture de)elo#ment o the
%a%y. As a result *e ha)e in this #lay Cali%an, a ailed result o the rotten
imagination o !ycora7. This situation em#hasi/es ho* utterly im#ortant is a
good control o the mother0s thoughts and o%sessions *hile %eing #regnant.
Autosuggestion
3
Moisoiu Adelina, 3
rd
Year, Chinese Major
Course on Early Modern Intellectual History: The Imagination .
Pro. !orana Corneanu
Autosuggestion also #lays an im#ortant role in !ha'es#eare0s #lay . &e can
clearly see ho* Pros#ero ma'es use o this magic tool in order to control the
others, es#ecially :erdinand. +y stirring in the other0s mind some emotion, *e
are a%le to control his thoughts, thereu#on his actions. Ma'ing the other %elie)e
something that actually does not e7ist in his %rain %y suggesting him some
ideas and touching his sensiti)e chords can ha)e a great resonance. +y ha)ing a
good mastery o this #o*er one can hy#noti/e in this *ay the other, ma'ing
him %eli)e that he really is in control *hen he, on the contrary is not. This
results in mind6ensla)ing the other #erson, *ho #ractically loses control o)er
his actions and o%eys the other0s thoughts through his o*n thoughts, *hich
ha)e %een unconsciously modeled.
It is )ery interesting to o%ser)e ho* !ha'es#eare, in this #lay, creates the
illusion o chaos *hen in act e)erything is under control. &e can dra* a
#aralell *ith the actual situation o the *orld, o lie generally. At irst glance,
e)erything seems chaotic, lac'ing o meaning or reason, a %unch o agitated
#eo#le going no*here. +ut in act, e)erything is under control, %ecause o this
magic orce, *hich is al*ays #resent in humans since %irth. ;ust %y using it in a
#ro#er *ay, one can create or can destroy. There is al*ays a certain thing, a
mission *hich has to %e accom#lished, and this is the reason on *hich lay all
the "ha##enings$ and "coincidences$ in one0s lie. It0s the la* o attraction
*hich "mo)es$ #eo#le %y the control or discontrol o thoughts.
&e can also remar' this chaotic atmos#here on the island. The strange
e)ents, the a##arently not logical dialogues, the act that some characters are
al*ays in a di//y , drun' state is not at random. It all ma'es sense *hen *e are
a*are o the act that Pros#ero is under control o all the e)ents and it0s his
unsol)ed conlict *ith his %rother Antonio *hich stir all this energies and
e)ents.
+asically "the tem#est$ created is the tem#est o Pros#ero0s mind, distur%ed
%y the unjust treatment o his %rother. This im%alance and unsettled situation is
the one *hich causes the restlessness o his mind, %eing hold inside o his soul
or such a long time. This long time in *hich he has interiori/ed all this
thoughts o re)enge, all the negati)ity, enhanced the #o*er o his magic
ca#acity, thus the thoughts ha)ing a greater im#act and %eing more eecti)e.
His re)enge is a release, an energetic discharge released through all this
"#aranormal$ loo'ing #henomena. Pros#ero has access to all the natural
#henomena, and ta'es control o them %y using his imagination, channeling all
the en)ents to the inal settlement o the #rimarly messed u# situation. Through
"chaos$ he %rings #eace to his mind and #uts things in order, inally
reconciliating *ith Antonio. In such case, *hen the "magic *or'$ is done,
things can go %ac' to "normal$.
<
Moisoiu Adelina, 3
rd
Year, Chinese Major
Course on Early Modern Intellectual History: The Imagination .
Pro. !orana Corneanu
To dra* a conclusion, the to#ic o "magic$ is rather contro)ersial in &illiam
!ha'es#eare0s #lay , and a certain a##roach in the study o the su#ernatural and
the *or'ings o the unusual #henomena is re5uired in order to understand the
dee# roots o the te7t. The author #ro)ided his readers *ith t*o o##osed
)isions o the *or's o magic : the "dar'er$ side and the "innocent$ side. &e
can see this deinite contrast %et*een Pros#ero and !ycora7. !ycora7=s magic is
re5uently descri%ed as destructi)e and terri%le, *here Pros#ero=s is said to %e
*ondrous and %eautiul. Pros#ero see's to set things right in his *orld through
his magic, and once that is done, he renounces it, setting Ariel ree.
:inally one must remem%er, e)en the magic can %e considered a ta%oo in
"The Tem#est$, not all >magic>, ho*e)er, is considered e)il. The Author
comes here just to lend us the secret in a su%tle *ay, %eing our duty to control
its #o*er in our o*n interest and or the sa'e o good and creation.
Bi$liograp(%*
,. ?atherine !. Par'.6"The Imagination In @enaissance Psychology$
9. Ioan P. Couliano A"Eros and Magic in the @enaissance$
3. :rancis +acon6 " !yl)a !yl)arum B$
<. :rancis +acon6"4e augmentis scientiarum "
C. Thomas &right6" Passions o the Mind$6 Imagination and music
C