Similarities Between The Tempest And The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Discovery can encompass the many experiences of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed. These discoveries can change an individual’s perspective of human nature and the wider world. The theme of discovery is projected throughout the play, ‘The Tempest’ (1610), by William Shakespeare and the novel, ‘The Perks of being a Wallflower’ (1999), by Stephen Chbosky. The Tempest, written in the Jacobean era and reflecting aspects and values of the Elizabethan era, follows Prospero and his daughter Miranda, as a ship washes up on the shore of the small island where they live. “The Perks of being a Wallflower” reflects aspects of the late nineties through letters written by a teenage

Love is explored through the characters of Charlie and Miranda within the texts. Charlie and Miranda both identify new aspects of their identities through the discovery of a new world. By learning from their discoveries, Charlie and Prospero each face a hard decision and forgive their families for their wrongdoings.

Love can be discovered when least expected or one can search to find it. The recurring theme of Love plays important roles in the development of characters and their discoveries about life. Love may be hard to find or it could happen instantly, as it does for Miranda in ‘The Tempest’, when she lays eyes on Ferdinand for the first time,. She assumes that he must be a spirit of some type, but Prospero assures her that he is human.. She and Ferdinand fall in love within minutes and the use of third person “At first sight / They have changed eyes”, illustrates Prospero’s concerned, authoritarian voice. Although Prospero was willing for them to fall in love, it happened so quickly that he is unable to fathom what happened. Prospero is concerned as Miranda is young and naïve, however Miranda assures him it will be okay. She trusts Ferdinand and she knows he is the

Forgiveness might feel impossible at the time, but learning to let go can bring enormous relief and reconciliation. In ‘The Tempest’, Prospero’s brother, Antonio, usurped his estate and wealth as Prospero became caught of with his magic and secret studies. Antonio was envious of Properso’s title, that he arranged Prospero and Miranda to be killed, fortunately Prospero was known to be a good man so instead was set adrift on the open sea, landing on the island they now live. Although Antonio removed Prospero from the island, Prospero still forgives him as they are brothers. Shakespeare displays this with iambic pentameter, “For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother / Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive / Thy rankest fault, -- all of them; and require.”, stressing the fact that Prospero is deciding to forgive his brother, Antonio, even after what he did. This now allows Prospero not to hold onto that grudge and the brothers to maybe reconcile, or at least not hate each other. Throughout “The Perks of being a Wallflower”, Charlie has nothing but good memories from his time spent with his Aunt Helen. Although as the novel unravels, and Charlie becomes more dependent on Sam and Patrick, when they leave for college, it takes its toll on Charlie. He ends up in hospital, remembering the traumatic events involving his Aunt Helen. How devastated he was when she