Rediscovery In The Tempest

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Shifts in perceptions within an individual are consequences of rediscovering what has been lost or concealed, sparking a reconsideration of values. Shakespeare’s canonical play, The Tempest (1611), and Michael Hazanavicius’s black-and-white silent film, The Artist (2011) explore the concept of rediscovery. In The Tempest, the protagonist Prospero’s rediscovers compassion and concern which had been lost due to his brother’s betrayal. Also, discovery is induced in Prospero’s daughter Miranda who is exposed to her concealed history and hence develops a greater understanding of her identity. Rediscovery is present in The Artist as the protagonist, George Valentin rediscovers his passion and willingness to perform as a result of his lost fame. Shakespeare …show more content…

In The Tempest, the protagonist, Prospero acquires insight into the negative repercussions of his lost sense of compassion and recognizes his mistake of indulging in his selfish motivation. The matrimony of his daughter Miranda and Alonso’s son Ferdinand is a pivotal moment in Prospero’s rediscovery of compassion. The masque that he organizes displays his recognition of the power of love rather than hate. Values of selflessness and forgiveness are displayed in the masque which served as a device of peace and unity as he summons Gods to bless his daughter and Ferdinand on their incoming marriage. Shakespeare uses classical allusion as Prospero summons Ceres the goddess of …show more content…

The protagonist, George Valentin undergoes the rediscovery of his passion and willingness to perform. The film’s unique adoption of the black-and-white silent film cinematography explores the significant impact of the introduction of the ‘talkies’ for silent films. Hazanavicius’s revival of the silent film form allows him to convey the impact of developments in film as actors lost jobs and fame in the process. The film opens with the premiere of Valentin’s film where he takes the stage to accept praise for his performance. Hazanavicius utilizes spotlight and tracking shot to follow Valentin’s movements, displaying a sense of dominance and confidence within the character as he asserts himself joyously with the audience. Valentin’s stylized caricature is traditional to silent film in order to exaggerate the character’s joyous attitude in life for comic effect. The introduction of ‘talkies’ however, catalyzed the demise of Valentin’s career and attitude. Al Zimmer, Valentin’s producer says, “don’t laugh George! That’s the future” after Valentin mocks new technology – intertitles in black-and-white are used ironically as traditional silent-film style is used to convey the futuristic developments made. Valentin’s happy disposition and passion to perform is lost after his outdated acting style and failed silent film is rejected by society. This is

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