Introduction
Shakespeare’s play The Tempest features a noteworthy figure called the spirit of Ariel. They serve as Prospero’s assistants and attend to his needs, significantly impacting the plot. Ariel is typically portrayed as kind-hearted, yet showing some rebellion when expected to be freed from Prospero’s grip in play adaptations. The play’s gender is a challenging component of Ariel’s pivotal position.
Shakespeare’s play has been adapted many times, and Ariel has been portrayed as both a man and a woman. Because it makes people consider gender issues and raises concerns about how Prospero, in particular, gains power in the play, Ariel’s gender matters. Because the dynamics of the relationships depend on these characteristics, the representation of masculine and feminine authority impacts other characters.
Shakespeare’s Disregard of Traditional Gender Roles
Shakespeare appears to disregard gender roles, as well as the traits and qualities associated with either the male or female gender, in his drama The Tempest. Shakespeare’s version of the play, in which Ariel is a male character, differs from other theatrical productions in which a female actor plays Ariel. The actor’s different sexes enable comparisons and the introduction of gender performativity that compares and contrasts the various sexes (James 452).
Ariel as an Androgynous Figure
It is crucial to examine the language in Shakespeare’s The Tempest to understand how Prospero communicates with Ariel: “Your royal fleet far off. My Ariel, chick, That is thy charge: then to the elements Be free, and fare thou well! Please you, draw near” (Shakespeare Act 5.1.319–321). Gender performativity can be used to examine this particular conversation. The play ends with this moment, and it appears that Prospero does not recognize or define gender (James 460). Ariel is treated almost exactly the way a woman in society would be treated.
Masculinity, Power, and the Prospero–Ariel Relationship
Another instance might be when Ariel sings to Prospero in the play, and Prospero replies, “Why, that is my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee; But yet thou shalt have freedom” (Shakespeare Act 5.1.95-27). Once again, gender performativity appears to be absent or misplaced. An adjective such as dainty is typically used to describe females (James 449). Society assigns a quality to women based on how society views gender. Women are more delicate, petite, and diminutive, whereas men are physically and internally strong. Shakespeare, however, refers to Ariel, a male, using a phrase usually reserved for women.
Additionally, Ariel’s singing to another man in the form of a serenade goes against what the culture at the time considered to be proper for men and what was associated with them. Ariel exhibits little gender performativity throughout the entire performance. Despite being a man, Ariel does not always indicate the traits society associates with men. Ariel appears to be androgynous; the character possesses attributes and qualities representing both the masculine and female genders.
In addition to the characters playing the roles of men and women, there are no markers that indicate whether Ariel is male or female; instead, based on interactions and traits, Ariel appears to switch between a male and a female gender as needed (Hogue 1483). The use of a female in the theatrical production of The Tempest enlightens the audience about the fluidity of gender. Shakespeare appears to have been among the first to attempt to stop gender performativity and the conventional roles and attributes that are assigned to people based only on their sex, whether they be male or female.
This version of Ariel exhibits a particular kind of power strongly influenced by masculinity. A masculine character is associated with concepts of power and strength. One can infer the nature of the couple’s connection by combining the use of the male pronouns with Ariel’s assurance and accomplishment of the duties set before her by Prospero. Ariel exudes self-assurance and prosperity, which reveals a dependent relationship with Prospero (Hogue 1490). To fulfill his obligations, Prospero needs Ariel, and Ariel needs Prospero to be free. The reader can comprehend the partnership based on this implied masculinity.
Studies indicate that Ariel’s gender is uncertain, and the director’s views of them ultimately do not matter much. The choices of gender, however, plainly and directly affect the relationships between the characters and impact how the play and its adaptations are viewed as a whole. Through the job it accomplishes, the casting aids the audience in recognizing a new manifestation of patriarchal dominance and the consequences of structure (Hogue 1502). Depending on how the genders are arranged, there are several different ways to interpret Prospero and Ariel’s relationship. There are numerous ways to understand Ariel’s character as a whole. The fact that gender shift is acknowledged raises concerns, demonstrating its significance.
Gender cannot be viewed as a role that reveals or conceals an inner self, whether or not that self is considered sexed. Gender is an act broadly constituted as a performative performance that creates the social myth of its psychological interiority (Auga 3). Someone’s internal feelings and behaviors do not always reflect their sex. Sex and gender continue to be two distinct, incompatible concepts. Due to how unusual Ariel was from what this civilization would have expected at the time The Tempest was written, Ariel would be seen as a “other” or “othering” in that society (Auga 5). The idea of being “othered” refers to the notion that a person is unique from everyone else, they are alone, and the broader group finds it difficult to understand them (Auga 6).
Audience members who see Ariel may wonder if the character is male or female. It is essential to view the theory of Gender Performativity to comprehend Ariel’s intricacy fully. This hypothesis seemed to have been employed by Shakespeare before it was ever formally accepted. It was crucial to demonstrate that people differ and that it is normal to present themselves in diverse ways, regardless of gender or sex.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if The Tempest has given any lesson, it is that gender need not correspond with sex and that, in the larger scheme of things, gender is simply irrelevant. Prospero would not have engaged or handled the sprite differently, whether Ariel was a man or a woman. There is nothing wrong with a heterosexual male declaring his love to his servant or sprite. There would be no difference whether the situation involved a male or a female, notwithstanding how society could perceive it differently.
Shakespeare attempted to dispel the myth that one’s sex does not dictate one’s gender and vice versa in his play The Tempest. The reaction from society would undoubtedly be less harsh if it were a female. A necessary tool for comprehending part of the play’s content and acquiring a larger perspective on life, in general, is gender performativity. Regarding an individual’s behavior preferences and distinctive personality features, their sexual orientation is unimportant.
Works Cited
Auga, Ulrike E. An Epistemology of Religion and Gender: Biopolitics, Performativity, and Agency. Routledge, 2020.
Hogue, Jason C. “Ariel’s Anguish: Doing (Arboreal) Time in The Tempest.” ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment 28.4, 2021, 1481–1506. Web.
James, Henry. “Introduction to The Tempest.” Americans on Shakespeare 1776–1914. Routledge, 2019. 449–462.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tempest – Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library.” Folger, 2023. Web.