Contrasting Illusion with Reality in Shakespeare's The Tempest

Abstract

In The Tempest, his final play, William Shakespeare is able to depict one of the significant ideas shared by many creative writers in a convincing manner. Contrasting illusion with reality throughout the play, he resorts to a number of literary devices and techniques that help entertain the audience while, at the same time, providing viewers and readers with multiple interpretations. One such device is his capacity to render familiar ideas in unfamiliar ways greatly similar to what is presented in modern day fantasy books and movies that are blended with magic realism. Based on Victor Shklovsky’s concept of defamiliarization (Ostranenie), this article will attempt to shed light on some of these possible interpretations which are basically related to humans and the world they live in. A world where human life was, is, and will remain an arena of conflicting values such as peace and conflict, love and hatred, justice and injustice, morality and immorality, tranquility and tempests, etc. Accordingly, the bard’s work demonstrates that achieving paradise or utopia on earth is an illusion to which we constantly resort to avoid dealing with the harshness of reality; on the other hand sinking in an abyss of unresolvable misery is similarly an illusion which can be overcome if people are ready to face reality. It will also purport to show that reality and illusion are just as intertwined as human happiness and despair.