The Tempest', written by Shakespeare, around 1610, tells the story of a usurped duke, and the shipwreck he arranges in order to to exact retribution.
As in all Shakespeare plays, there is conflict and resolution; there is also romance.
Shakespeare includes certain themes: colonisation, ‘otherness‘, power, nature and nurture, love, illusion and repentance.
I interpret the play as a metaphor on colonisation. This is unsurprising, since Shakespeare wrote 'The Tempest' within 120 years of Columbus’s discovery of 'America' and only four years after Jamestown was founded.
This was history influencing art. And this 'art' can lead us to understand more about history.
I find it interesting to study the presentation of this theme and to discover clues to sources, which criticised Europe‘s treatment of native peoples.
Shakespeare presents travellers' tales, philosophical responses, moral dilemmas and his own opinions, within the framework of a magical adventure.
