Comparing The Tempest And The Tell-Tale Heart

Discoveries can be either sought or unforeseen and can lead to good or bad consequences, but ultimately they are all concerned with the acquisition of greater knowledge and a new perspective.In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero comes to realise not only the limitations of his art, but also the importance of love and redemption in redefining one’s place in the world, as well as one’s view of it. ,Margaret Atwood 's Journeys to the Interior and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe all explore the challenges of discoveries and their impact on individuals.

The characterisation of Prospero’s daughter, Miranda in The Tempest, displays how revelations can come about due to careful planning revealing information about one’s self and leading

In The Tempest, confrontations with knowledge that has been buried deep within leads to renewed perceptions of ourselves and transformed attitudes towards those that have gone against us. Ariel, although under the order of Prospero, acts as a mechanism through which these confrontations occur. The changing tone within Ariel’s monologue, from a tone of vengeance to a tone of reconciliation, “You are three men of sin... incensed the seas and shores, yea. All the creatures, Against your peace...is nothing but your hearts sorrow and a clear life ensuing,” gives insight into Prospero’s changing mindset and his willingness to forgive his former acquaintances if they are prepared to apologise for their previous wrongdoings. Prospero’s anagnorisis further reveals his transforming views from revenge to forgiveness, “The rarer action is/ In virtue than in vengeance.” Ariel’s obedience is an important symbol of Prospero’s humanity as it ameliorates Prospero’s role on the island and humanises the actions he takes against his old adversaries. Alonso’s reaction to this monologue, “Oh, it is monstrous, monstrous/That deep and dreadful organ pipe, pronounced the name of Prosper,” the repetition of the word, “monstrous” reveals the extent to which Alonso is affected by the hidden truth. “It did bass my trespass/ Therefore my son I’ th’ ooze is bedded.” The regretful tone displays how Alonso now blames himself for Ferdinand’s death, as a result of his previous actions against Prospero.

Similarly, in The Tell-Tale Heart the uncovering of crucial evidence leads us to discovering the narrator’s debaucherous act. Unlike in The Tempest, the once hidden knowledge doesn’t lead to an individual’s self-discovery. The narrative is filtered through the eyes of a delusional narrator. The narrator fixates upon the old man 's eye and determines to commit a conscious act of murder. He prides himself on his careful planning and mastery at deceiving others, this confidence eventually leads to his downfall. The repetition of the rhetorical question, “but why will you say that I am mad?... How, then, am I mad?” at the beginning of the narrative is ironically contrasted with the man’s actions and allows the responders to question the narrators sanity through the course of the narrative. Poe utilises truncated sentences and word groups, creating a rhythm like that of a heartbeat throughout the narrative, “Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! – No, no? They heard! – They suspected! – they KNEW!” The heart beat heard by the narrator, although imagined, leads to the uncovering of his deed, “"Villains!" I shrieked, "Dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!"” The main difference between The Tempest is that Miranda is exposed to her past due to the deliberate actions of Prospero whereas in The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrators own conscience contributes to the uncovering of his previous acts.