Compare Tempest To The Movie Essay, Research Paper

In William Shakespeare s The Tempest, there are both similarities and differences between the play and the movie we are viewing. I believe that these occur within the characters, the setting, and with the dialogue. Though the similarities are noticeable, I believe the differences have a greater effect on the aspect the story that William Shakespeare tried to create centuries ago.

The first of numerous and most substantial differences deal with the setting of the movie. The play is based in the sixteenth or seventeenth century where the movie is based in the nineteenth century during the civil war. This created a completely different atmosphere than the play that Shakespeare wrote. His setting was much more magical where the creator of the movie decided to use more realistic/historic situations. There was much turmoil and the story s characters revolved around what was going on in the war, where none of those situations occurred in the play.

I believe the second major difference occurs when Prospero in the movie is shot and nearly killed, where in the play he had control of the island at all times. I feel this was a very poor portrayal of the play because it makes Prospero s character seem weaker and less powerful than he is in the play. Also, Ariel heals his wounds using magic of his own, even though he is a spirit in the play with powers, he never needs to heal a deadly wound or even a bruised toe within the play.

The main point of both the play and the movie that I find similar is the basic outline of the storylines. Though there are many differences throughout both, Miranda still falls in love, Prospero still returns home and gives up his magic, and the betrayal of his own brother still occurs in the play and the movie. These are general similarities because the circumstances under which they occur are different in the stories.

In closing to comparing/contrasting the stories, I find many more differences that occur in the play and the movie. I did not like this movie because I found Shakespeare s play much more creative and influential on society at the time it was written. I believe that this movie was a cheap knock-off of one of Shakespeare s masterpieces. If the creator of the movie kept more to the original script of the play, then it would have been much more successful and informative to people who have trouble understanding Shakespeare.