There is rigid difference between mimic techniques in theatrical performance and literary representation of the play. In particular, the former allows to demonstrate certain actions and convey feelings with the help of gestures, eye contact, silence, and other nonverbal patterns of behavior.
In contrast, literary presentation is narrowed to language resources, imagination, and cultural propriety, which are the only tools for understanding the boundaries between supernatural and human actions.
In this regard, Shakespeare makes use of specific narrative techniques while depicting certain actions and events in his play the Tempest. The playwright resorts to tricky narrative elements that make the play be reminiscent of palimpsest, a world of illusions and fictitious perception.
The protagonists of the play refer to different genres and stylistics decides within one discourse to underscore social subordination and concept of freedom.
A density of narrative elements used in the play creates dynamics between the character and the plot, motif and problem by including techniques implied by the sources. Those attractive variations ignite explanation and expansion.
Due to the fact that The Tempest is more typical of a “science fiction” genre, a reader expects to see a male protagonist of great intellectual gifts who appears to be isolated and who should exert all his intelligence and power to solve the problem of survival. His solitary existence, hence, is revealed in deficiency in intercourse and cooperation with other characters in the play.
Prospero is unlikely to be engage in dialogues with other characters; so, all his solutions seem to be mechanical and even robotic. While analyzing these aspects in general, it is possible to understand whether a character is a human or not, associative or reserved. More importantly, a reader can also understand the extra factors influencing characters’ actions, decisions, making contextual means a powerful literary device as well.
Protagonists of the play resort to different stylistic genres of communication revealing their social and class affiliation. This can be explicitly viewed in case of Calliban’s speaking in iambic pentameter comparing to Trinculo’s narrative in blank verse. While referring to more advanced and sophisticated verse forms, one can notice Caliban’s superiority and higher social position, which is seen in this poetical expression.
In contrast, Trinculo’s narrative is presented in mundane prose, which is typical of working class. Additionally, Caliban’s beauty of the language empowers him with greater advantage over Trinculo.
His narrative, therefore, provokes more sympathy and compassion as fight for freedom seems much more persuasive when conveyed by poetical means. In general, narrative means that both characters make use of define their social status and affiliation to a particular estate regardless of Calibain’s being enslaved by Prospero.
In conclusion, narrative techniques used in Shakespeare’s The Tempest are mostly directed at depicting character’s social affiliation, their intelligence level, and salient features.
In particular, through literary representation, it is possible to identify Prospero’s unsociability and reluctance to cooperate with other characters, Caliban’s desperate fight for freedom and rights, and Trinculo’s veritable origin and position in society.
Furthermore, using specific stylistic devices, such as allegory and metaphors, Shakespeare strives to endow the play with a shade of uncertainty, supernatural controlled by the reason. Using language resources and various densities of dialogues and discourses, the author also succeeds in providing fictitious perception of the play.