Critical Essay on Shakespeares The Tempest

The Tempest – the Crown of Shakespeare’s Genius No doubt, the Genius from the Foggy Albion has left rich literary heritage for his descendants both in romantic genre and in dramaturgy. The Tempest – the last play written by the great master, which is considered to be his most mature and outstanding masterpiece. The Tempest is a kind of quintessence of his gift combined with a personal spiritual experience he gained during the life, which resulted in a unique piece that still can’t but fascinate the admirers of dramatic art. The Tempest is written in the genre of a tragicomedy that started to gain popularity in this period. In the play the reader will not find those great humanistic problems and heroic struggle for better ideals. Instead, the attention is drawn to mild humanity and the spirit of forgiveness. The central character of the play is the one of Wiseman Prospero. The name speaks for itself since â€Å"prospero† is the Italian for â€Å"happy†, â€Å"blessed†, â€Å"calm†. With the help of his will and deep knowledge of white magic, aimed at extracting all the good and all the healing from the nature, Prospero is able to put an end to the egoistic motivation in himself and other people and finally directs the destinies of all the people around to their own and public good. All these events are going on without the struggles and conflicts, as it was in previous Shakespeare’s tragedies or the most problematic comedies. It is all performed with clock-work precisio n by Prospero’s magic wand. The Tempest is maestro’s farewell to the theatre. It gives a suspicion of sadness to the entire play, concentrated in the character of Prospero. Prospero’s leaving the island is a symbol of Shakespeare’s leaving the passionate world of theatre.