Date of Award

8-2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Legacy Department

English

Committee Chair/Advisor

Rivlin, Elizabeth

Committee Member

Bennett , Alma

Committee Member

Paul , Catherine

Abstract

Critical scholarship of William Shakespeare's The Tempest and AimŽ CŽsaire's adaptation Une Tempte frequently neglects to examine Ariel's place within colonialist discourse. Ariel's ambiguity in both texts undoubtedly contributes to this unjust marginalization. An understanding of the function of Ariel within the texts is critical in understanding the placement of both plays in colonialist discourse. This thesis proposes a reading of the Ariels that reestablishes their place within the dialogue.
Shakespeare's Ariel problematizes views of the colonized as content to live under the domination of the colonizer. Using subversive tactics--principally his invisibility--Ariel disguises himself as unimportant and attains his freedom. Caliban, on the other hand, spends much of the text resisting Prospero's authority, but ultimately convinces himself of the wisdom of his own servitude.
In moving from Shakespeare to CŽsaire, it is necessary to examine the place of other discourses in the creation of CŽsaire's adaptation. Just as his mulatto Ariel represents the physical interconnectedness of races, CŽsaire's negritude represents the intermingling of black liberation discourses. CŽsaire's Ariel complicates the idea of an embracement of negritude as the best method by which to gain freedom. Although CŽsaire's portrayal of Caliban illustrates his dissatisfaction with Shakespeare's portrayal of the colonized, CŽsaire's portrayal of Ariel highlights the implications inherent in the original text. My reading of Ariel ultimately suggests that he, by virtue of his ambiguity, is similar to The Tempest--open to any number of readings.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.