In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, magic plays a big part. Magic is portrayed in different ways in both plays, with it heavily effecting knowledge, morality and the way we see things as readers. Magic This essay will concentrate heavily on these points, as well as the idea of spectacle in William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.
Introduction
• Magic is typically seen as either ‘good’ or ‘evil’
• In Doctor Faustus, magic is used to enhance power and to gain knowledge.
• In The Tempest, magic is used in a way to get revenge, you could say that Prospero’s use of magic is used for selfish reasons.
• All the plays I am looking at are morality plays in some way shape or form. They show you different elements of magic, however there is …show more content…
Morality in The Tempest
• Prospero uses magic for his own personal reasons. He uses it to get revenge on Antonio and Alonso for banishing him and stealing his throne, so to ultimately gain his original place back in society.
“a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning” (Act 1, Scene 1)
• This symbolises the social and political unrest in Milan during this period, and Prospero uses this to his own advantage which shows his darker side, as he is willing to do whatever it takes to get revenge. He is using his magic for the wrong reasons, like Dr. Faustus.
“So safely ordered that there is no soul—
No, not so much perdition as an hair,
Betid to any creature in the vessel” (Act 1, Scene 2)
• However, we do see a glimpse of Prospero showing good intentions. Even though he created the storm which is evil, he makes sure that everyone on the ship is safe. So, he isn’t necessarily using black magic.
• Prospero has a chance to repent once his magic
Introduction
• Magic is typically seen as either ‘good’ or ‘evil’
• In Doctor Faustus, magic is used to enhance power and to gain knowledge.
• In The Tempest, magic is used in a way to get revenge, you could say that Prospero’s use of magic is used for selfish reasons.
• All the plays I am looking at are morality plays in some way shape or form. They show you different elements of magic, however there is …show more content…
Morality in The Tempest
• Prospero uses magic for his own personal reasons. He uses it to get revenge on Antonio and Alonso for banishing him and stealing his throne, so to ultimately gain his original place back in society.
“a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning” (Act 1, Scene 1)
• This symbolises the social and political unrest in Milan during this period, and Prospero uses this to his own advantage which shows his darker side, as he is willing to do whatever it takes to get revenge. He is using his magic for the wrong reasons, like Dr. Faustus.
“So safely ordered that there is no soul—
No, not so much perdition as an hair,
Betid to any creature in the vessel” (Act 1, Scene 2)
• However, we do see a glimpse of Prospero showing good intentions. Even though he created the storm which is evil, he makes sure that everyone on the ship is safe. So, he isn’t necessarily using black magic.
• Prospero has a chance to repent once his magic