One aspect of interpretation that was in stark contrast to that of Helen's interpretation of Prospero was that Prospero was very ... a bully, jerk, in a rage, don't cross him... In some ways this provided a very stark contrast for the great change that happens in him through out the play and in an other, one almost just goes wowow--not a nice guy!
One major example of this stark difference is when Ariel reminds Prospero of his promise to free him. In the play Prospero recounts the horrible experiance of Sycorax. Here the play, Prospero forces Ariel to relive the horrible experience, in essence beating Ariel back into submission. Here we see a very strong, manipulative Prospero. He is set on revenge and has it in his heart.
This same scene with Ariel is completely different in the Helen production. Watch. She is still very firm and persuasive but the inflicting of pain is not at all present. This clip also leaves out some of the encounter. But in the Helen production we see a much more noble and persuasive Prospero than that of the Pioneer company. We see a truer change to compassion and virtue and a more pure forgiveness in the Helen production. There is more of a theme of love in Prospero as well as forgiveness.
I'm so glad you have put up the contrasts between the two characters. Just seeing the Helen version really gives me a difference sense of the character of Prospero. I definitely got more of a vengeful character out of the play than I did just out of the text.
ReplyDeleteSo what do y'all make of the fact that Ariel (who is portrayed as fairly androgynous in the text) is portrayed as being distinctly female? The Pioneer Theater version is a brutal depiction of Prospero irregardless of Ariel's sex, but do you think that we find his mistreatment even more repugnant because Ariel is played by a female actress? Had it been Ben Whishaw (who played Ariel in the 2010 version) who was getting manipulated would we have felt quite so strongly?
ReplyDeleteAlso, is it a fairly common occurrence for Ariel to be portrayed as the gender opposite of Prospero? Or even more basic, how does a reading as Ariel as either male or female affect the play?
I really do find myself more angry at Prospero because I was raised not hit girls. As a 7 year old, if you get hit by a girl, you just take it. So to see Prospero breaking that inherent rule evokes a stronger negative reaction from me than if Ariel was a man...Either way it's brutal, but one creates a stronger emotional reaction than the other
Wow! Great point! I totally feel the fact that the fact of Ariel being a girl affected my feelings on the matter.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason is that from what we see as a read or audience it is completely unwarranted! There is no reason to treat Ariel that way, it's very illogical.
However, i do think this idea of Ariel being of opposite sex to prosper could very powerfully change the way it is viewed. I haven't yet watch a version in which they are the same...
I really agree with you guys. In a way, I think it would be strange to see them the same sex. It think it's a purposeful contrast that would be lost if they were the same. Because, well, they aren't the same. If they were both human, then I could see it. It's more effective to me, though, to see them so different, end up sharing a sense of kinship and spirituality in end. While in the text Ariel is a rather static character, the performance we saw made her more dynamic as she became closer to Prospero.
ReplyDelete