Comparing The Tempest And The Myths And Legends

In Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by Bernes, both physically and figuratively have storms that signify the separation of people and Gods for specific reasons. The Tempest most easily recognizes the storm by physically separating the crew members and royalty onto the island which is like the Myths and Legends where the Gods are separated into Heaven, the Ocean, and Hell. In The Tempest, Prospero has Ariel cause a storm that sinks the King of Naples ship but allows all passengers on board to survive. The survivors are split into groups along Prospero and his daughter, Miranda’s, island. Similarly, in the Myths and Legends, after the storm that allows Zeus (supreme leader), Poseidon (lord of the

They are both narcissistic and arrogant. Ferdinand knows where he comes from and can recognize when someone else is from the same social class as him. As mentioned in The Tempest, Ferdinand says, “My language! Heavens, I am the best of them that speak this speech, were I but where ‘tis spoken” (Act 1 Scene 2) The confrontation between Prospero and Ferdinand, Ferdinand gets snappy and quickly retracts his sword without hesitation. In Poseidon’s perspective, he is a well-known womanizer and quick to anger. Poseidon is one to not “hesitate to send storms, floods, and earthquakes out to get you” and although “he is married to the sea goddess, Amphitrite, it does not stop him from sleeping from everyone in sight” (shmoop.com). Ferdinand is punished by Prospero for retracting his sword in such fashion, just as Poseidon was sent to the sea for all eternity. These two characters can relate to a large population of humans, who because of their wealth or power, most of which was handed to them on a silver platter, become overly confident in themselves and feel as if the world is below them. Poseidon and Ferdinand are both great examples of two characters who deal with being arrogant and narcissistic and lash out because of