Comparing The Tempest And Greek Mythology

My main association I have made between the Tempest and Greek Mythology was the banquet in act three, scene three, and the story of King Phineas who abused a wonderful gift and was punished for it. While Shakespeare is highly published, the story of Phineas took me several different texts to get a full story because there seemed to be only fragments of the story.

For example, in William Shakespeare’s, The Tempest after being shipwrecked and being magically separated to various parts of the island by Prospero. King Alonso of Naples, Sebastian, Alonso’s brother who schemes constantly to kill Alonso, and Antonio; Prospero’s younger brother and Duke of Milan. They search for his son Ferdinand on the island; they become weary from searching and primarily the King soon loses hope in his search all the while his party is plotting against the King to overthrow and kill him as they had done to Prospero twelve years before. Strange music begins to play as Prospero senses that the party is tired and was losing focus in searching for Ferdinand. Prospero appeared invisible to the eyes of the party with

several visible spirits that set a meal before their eyes, or “banquet” as it’s stated in the play inviting the party in to take part in the meal. As the party approaches the table Ariel, a sound of thunder and Prospero’s servant and magical sprite appears as a harpy and “claps” her wings on the table and the banquet disappears, cursing the men and saying this: “You are three men of sin, whom Destiny, that hath to instrument this lower world
And what is in't, the never-surfeited sea; Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island.

Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men; Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;

And even with such-like valour men hang and drown; Their proper selves.” (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 3 pg164). Ariel calling himself a device of “Fate and Destiny”. Cursing them for driving Prospero and his daughter out of Milan and left at the mercy of the sea those many years ago. For this immorality, Ariel informs King Alonso that his son has perished at sea rather than the truth that Ferdinand was fine and well on the other side of the island.

Which led me to the story of Phineas. It brought back a memory of when my father and I used to go to the movies or watch afternoon TV and Jason the Argonauts, an old cheesy movie shows this story of how the harpies were conquered in the “Hollywood

version”.
King Phineas of Salmydessus in Thrace had been graced with a gift of prophecy by Apollo. However, Zeus became angry as Phineas revealed too much of the plans of the Gods to mortals. Zeus punished him by putting him on an island with a buffet of food. He could eat none of it, however, because three harpies, vicious, fat, bird-like creatures with women’s heads either “defiled” the food to a stinking pile so that it could not be eaten or they took it out of his hands right before he could eat it. “Phineas looked like a lifeless dream, bowing over his staff and feeling the walls. His limbs trembled for weakness and age as he crept on his withered feet, and his skin was caked with dirt. The Harpies starved him to such an extent that nothing but the skin held his bones together. “(D’Aulaire P165) No one in his kingdom could keep the harpies away. He was visited by the Argonauts, explorers on a quest; they set a trap and got rid of the harpies so Phineas could eat in peace and regain his strength.