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All DCM (Discovering a Christian Mind) classes at Calvin read Cornelius Plantinga Jr.’s Engaging God’s World, which discusses why it is valuable to aim to live Christ-like in today’s world. In his book Plantinga explains basic Christian beliefs and Reformed doctrines by highlighting God’s creation, the fall, and human redemption by Jesus’ death on a cross. The ideas of creation, fall, and redemption are displayed by the actions of male protagonists in three major plays: The Tempest by William Shakespeare, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
The Tempest begins with a raging storm (a tempest, as the play is so adequately named) that causes a boatload of royals to end up on a seemingly deserted island. But this is not just any storm: it is one orchestrated by Prospero, the ruler of the island. This island that Prospero rules has few inhabitants; his beloved daughter, Miranda, his slave, Caliban, and his spirit-slave, Ariel. This island is Prospero’s creation, after he was forced to it from Milan, where he once was a duke. From the backstory the audience learns that Prospero possesses considerable magic power, and upon his arrival to the island freed Ariel from a witch’s curse and took her son Caliban as his slave. Twelve years later “by accident most strange, bountiful Fortune” the King of Naples, his son, the usurping duke Antonio, and other men sailed near the island (I.II.178). Prospero used Ariel to create a tempest causing the royals to enter the island, which leads to Miranda falling in love with the prince as the play unfolds.
The relation between Creation as described by Plantinga and Prospero has to do with the power and motives of why make creation. Unlike Prospero...

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... himself (130). And while it difficult to find redemptive aspects for Willy, his death can be viewed as a sacrifice for his sons. Linda ends the play by repeating “We’re free… we’re free” which can be interpreted to mean that by Willy’s death the family is freed from Willy’s suffocating dreams (139). Willy has been likened to Jesus in various criticisms of the play because of this sacrifice for those he loved. Jesus’ death was the atonement that demonstrated God’s grace for us, and Willy’s death demonstrated his love for his sons, no matter how disillusioned Willy may have been.
Creation, Fall, and Redemption are heavily discussed in Plantinga’s book, but their presence can be found in a variety of other works. The Tempest, The Glass Menagerie, and Death of a Salesman are three plays in which these themes can be found, and can also be found elsewhere in life.

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