The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-03-23
From the Home Journal #
SHAKSPEARE, TEMPEST.
BY FRANCES ANNA KEMBLE.

A. HE TEMPEST is my faVorlte OF all
Shakspear : dramas The remoteness
of the scene from all familiar localities
/, allows range to the imagination, such
as no other of his plays affords; not oven
i the midsummer Nights Dream" in
which, though some Of the dramatis per-
some are superhuman, the scene is laid in
wood near Athens, and Theseus and
Hyppolita, though NEUROLOGICAL rather
han historical pcrsonagcs, are yet among
the earliest acquaintance of our school
days. aI a oa
But on that inhabited island, lost in
unknown seas, the wandering fancy fods
unfettered scope; and while the scene is
remote from all places with which we
hold acquaintance, the action-slmple IN
the extreme, and having more reference
to past events that to the development OF
any dramatic plot, though tue agency Of
violent or complicated manifestations
the imagination to float undis,ui bed on
the smooth and profound stream of poet
ical inspiration, which characterzes this
above all other plays. eea
| But chiefly | delight in the Tempest
because Of the image which 1t presents to
my mind OF the supremacy OF the righte-
Gus human soul over all things 10y which
It's surrounded. Prospero is to me the
embodiment of human wisdom aud viz
tue, in their true relation to the various
elements of existence, the external world
in which they are placed, and the mortal
fellowship by which they are affected and
/ influenced. @2G. = a.#'8 ~"
! OF the wonderful chain Of being, of
which Canban is the lowest and ARIEL the
most ethereal limit, Prospero is the main
i and middle link. aG 1866. 3 10 51e4
|" And first we have the gross, ungainly
powerful savage, who represents the low
er and more ponderous natural elements
! the earth and the waters under the
earth-and, as the science of the great
magician compels these to his service, so
the lower part OF mans nature, its coarse
and free propensities, (of which Cahban
/ is also the Representatives, are held in
stern subsection by him whois the type
of tbot natures noblcst development.
Next in the scale, but one grade higher
come the drunken, ribald, stupid follow
ers of the King Of Naples, whose ignor-
ance c,,wa dice, cruelty, and knaYery re-
present the worse aspect OF that great
portion of all communities that can only
be raised to civilization under the whole
some restrain of a wise authority, and
| which is always found in natural alliance
with the rebellion of bruit force and saw
age feroclty againstthe powers by which
they are controlled. aEa sev aa:;at. .s89
These figures are succeeded by the
cunning, treacherous, selfish worldlir gs,
| the prlnces-Prospero's peers in station
! and their countries, whose viEanous
and cruel conspiracy (aided, indeed, by
lis own dereiction of right in negiect!ng
the duties of bis state for the delights of
his study overthrows his fortune, and
triumphs, for a while, over truth and
justice in his person. 9
i From these, who represent the baser
intellectual, as the former characters do
the baser sensual properties of humanity
how gentle and graceful is the transition
though the skilfully intcrposed figure of
the kind, old eourtly Lord Gons"lo, to
those charming types Of youth and beau
tv, Ferdinand and Miranda, in whose
! ferecnt devotion and yielding sweetness,
we have the impersonation of those SEN
timents and passions which watched and
guided by the paternal prudencs of Prs.
pero, receive the sanction of his tender
wisdom, and are .pruned of their luxuri-
ance, and supported in their weakness,
by the temperate restraint that teaches
! forbearance and self-control as the price
at which these exquisite flowers of exist
ence unfold their blossoms prosperously.
anil bear their appointed harvest of hap
piness and g 'odness as well as pleasure.
! Next in this wonderful scale of beng,
! governed By the sovereign soul Of Pros
] pero, we have the Shirts, Of the Masqe-
| beautiful, bright ASPIRATIONS, fitly repre-
senting the air. th fire, the fowery and
| fruitful seasons, and all the more graceful
and smiling aspects Of nature, which min
lister with prompt obedience to the be-
bests of science; and, when not toiling in
appointed labor for the gree task mas
ter, man, refresh and recreate his senses
and his mind with the eyer-yarying pa
geant Of this beautiful universe.3diuA bsi
+ Last of all-crowning like flame OF
J lambcp. Brightness this poetic pyramid OF