i am, in my condition,
“I am, in my condition, a prince…for your sake I am this patient log-man” – honorable and formal, understated structure. He is willing to reject his masculine status and pride for her sake.
“do love,
- “do love, prize, honor you” – caesura highlights the impact of these statements. Contrast to Caliban “she will become thy bed”
Religious sematic field.
Religious semantic field: “O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound” the rhetoric use of apostrophe gives the dramatic effect of Ferdinand seemingly calling forth the embodiments of virtue and innocence (heaven and earth) to witness the purity of his love.
- The language is formal and restrained rather than passionate and wild.
- Romeo: “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” Shakespeare juxtaposes the religious language with the physical love. Romeo errors in aiding these conflicting fields of religion and passion. Unlike the R+J passionate tragedy, this love is more secure and safe)
“but by my modesty
- “but by my modesty, the jewel in my dower” - objectifying her virginity as a “jewel” suggests Miranda is fully aware of the standard Renaissance prescriptions for feminine virtue. She is formal.
“i am your wife
“I am your wife, if you will marry me” – Miranda reveals her innocence and ignorance to society. Effect of blunt statement for a contemporary audience would suggest her swaying from conventional female ‘modesty’, suggesting the dangers to her innocence. (“brave new world”)
I prattle something
- “i prattle something too wildly, and my father’s precepts i therein do forget” Prospero has clearly taught Miranda of the conventional view that women should be sparing in their speech. Thomas Becon wrote in early 1600’s “ there is nothing that doth so much commend, advance… garnish a maid as silence”. Due to P teachings, she embodies a virtuous woman.
Widow Dido
- “widow dido’s time” Dido of carthage: tension established between the view of the queen as an icon of idealist chastity, and of forbidden sexuality on the other. Parallel with the lovers of Ferdinand and Miranda.
the murkish…
“the murkish den…shall never melt mine honor into lust” – Aneais and Dido consumed their false love in a cave. Shakespeare has thus used the parallel of the Virgilian lovers to reassure the audience of the purity of F and M’s love.
Venus present at the union of D and A, but banished in the masque by Juno, Aneais’ enemy
CRITIC miranda as catalyst
Nancy Meckler: “Miranda is the catalyst of the story. Had it been possible for her to have remained a child in a child’s body the tempest would have been unnecessary”.
CRITIC child nature
- William J. Rolfe calls Miranda “the child of nature”
I dare not offer
“I dare not offer what I desire to give”
- the dramatic effect of this line would shock a jacobean audience due to the sexual undertones of the language. Yet they may take comfort in the fact that Prospero is watching his “worm”, and approves of his daughters actions. The tone of this lines delivery is also crucial as to whether we should view Miranda as being rebellious or wholly ignorant and innocent
‘tis fresh
- “tis fresh morning with me when you are by at night” – hyperbolic language
Prospero affectionate labels
“cherubim” “worm”
P about Caliban “violate” miranda
- “thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child” - Caliban threats Prospero’s heritage through the attempted violation of Miranda. Threat to her chastity.
