The Tempest is shaped by the allusions of Christian Humanism more specifically Montaigne’s views on ethics and empathy. In a metaphysical reading of The Tempest, Shakespeare offers a nuanced portrayal of the humanist elements that shape individuals, the soul. Atwood acknowledges the power of forgiveness electing to reimagine this trope through the foil characterization of ‘ghost’ Miranda in Hag-seed with that of Ariel.
Shakespeare utilizes the concepts of Plato’s three-part concept of the soul. Shakespeare suggests that Ariel is a singular aspect of Prospero’s nature. Ariel the higher spiritual self instils humanity within Prospero. The portrayal of Ariel in Act 1, Scene 2 anticipates the presentation of the spirit across the play. Here we learn of Ariel’s elemental nature, “but to fly, / To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride / On the curled clouds”.
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It is significant, too, that no gender is assigned to Ariel – we know it only as the ‘spirit’. Its magical capacity to “divide, / and burn in many places” to ‘flame distinctly’ and make “bold waves tremble”, is demonstrated again in Act 3, Scene 3 where Ariel appears ‘like a harpy’ amid ‘thunder and lightning’ to bring the usurpers to account. Despite being subject to Prospero’s control, Ariel is more than a mere instrument in the magician’s plan. However, their later dialogue recognizes this – “Your charm so strongly works 'em That if you now beheld them, your affections, Would become tender Dost thou think so, spirit? The dialogue reminds audiences that Ariel is of non-human nature discussions foreshadow Prospero’s redemption “Mine would, sir, were I human.” “And mine shall” The first-person language indicates the angelic nature and humanist values withheld in Ariel characterizing him as almost a ‘human’. Ariel’s compassionate spirit influences Prospero to feel “tenderness” to those who betrayed him learning that “the rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance”. Similarly, Atwood recognizes the imprisoned soul however illustrating Prospero’s lack of humanism in the delusions of Felix. “Miranda’s made a decision.”
The third-person narration initiates the growing power of Miranda revealing the intricacies of the immersion of literature, Felix believes in. This is declared in “Miranda doesn’t like it when he’s away so much” implying here that Miranda is an actual, autonomous human being thought and feelings. The intertextual link between the spirit of Ariel and Miranda shows this power and Felix’s solipsistic nature of grief. It reveals his desire to be needed by her “She remains simple, she remains innocent. She’s such a comfort”. He perceives an innocent version of Miranda because he can control it, much like how Prospero controls Ariel throughout the play. Perceiving a teenage girl with autonomy and agency that may not always agree with her father; she would therefore not be “perfect”. “She shouldn’t fritter herself away on a world of illusions—of vanishing rainbows, of bursting bubbles, of cloud-capped towers—the way he himself has done”
The moment of self-reference alludes to another delusion it implies that Felix remains somewhat self-aware of his attachment to the ghost ‘Miranda’ in his mind. While he recognizes the illusion of his own absorption in Shakespeare’s play by extension his obsession with revenge, he does not acknowledge his grief. Hence both Atwood and Shakespeare didactically explore the effect of the power of magic/literature both imprisoning and freeing the soul.
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