Setting in The Tempest

The setting of a play, book, or movie greatly influences the tone and mood of the story. In The Tempest, Shakespeare creates a haunting mood by writing the opening scene as taking place during a storm on a ship at sea. An uncommon setting for the opening of a story, the stormy sea forms a haunting mood for the story, causing the reader to be wary of what is to come. The reader is haunted by the chaos that is occurring, despite the fact that he or she does not know any of the characters yet. A chaotic storm while on a ship at sea normally serves as the climax of a story, which makes an unsettling mood--how much worse can the story get if the introduction is one of destruction and chaos? A tone of warning is also formed by Shakespeare's introduction. Similar to the formation of the mood, the tone is formed by the ominous nature of the introduction. Shakespeare seems to warn the reader of the story to come by making the beginning of the play a dangerous situation, warning the reader that the rising action and climax will be even more destructive. The storm also serves as a hook for the play. Unlike many stories that start off slowly and slowly progress to one main conflict, Shakespeare deviates from the norm and grabs the reader's attention by starting with a chaotic storm that immediately causes stress.

Comments

  1. Mellin AP LitSeptember 21, 2019 at 9:11 AM

    Very insightful Hannah! I agree with you that the introductory setting of a chaotic storm makes the reader or audience (as it is a play) question what the climax is and how much more dramatic and stressful the plot could possibly become. However, I am going to disagree with you on your point that the tone is one of warning. I believe that the storm is simply a point of foreshadowing and, although the tone is ominous, it does not have to represent danger to come. For example, Shakespeare could have been starting out with a storm only to have the skies clear (though that does not sound very Shakespeare-like). Storms, as they are primarily characterized by the rain that accompanies them, can also represent a rebirth of sorts - perhaps a character understanding their mistakes or coming to accept their long-rejected responsibilities. Overall Hannah, I agree with your blog post but I do think that you were a bit too premature to assume that the storm represented a warning.

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