Unexpected Discovery In William Ernest Henley's 'Invictus'

The challenging nature of a sudden or unexpected discovery can alter an individual’s perspective in various ways, resulting in the re-evaluation of a persona’s belief, values and behaviour. In the stanzaic poem ‘Invictus,’ William Ernest Henley examines the notion of ‘discovery affecting an individual’. The notion itself successfully interrelates with William Shakespeare’s tragicomedy play ‘The Tempest’, and is portrayed through various language forms and features. At the beginning of the first stanza, Henley describes his journey of self-discovery after contracting tuberculosis during his early life. The hardships faced within this stanza, clearly shows the author’s rejection of the discovery in a negative manner. The quote “Out of the night

that covers me” evidently shows the troubles the individual has faced after the encounter. The quote metaphorically enhances the imagery and emotions described by the persona as well as comparing the night to suffering. The comparison of ‘darkness’ to ‘agony’ effectively shows how the individuals encounter has negatively affected his mentality, as he believes that the darkness is only susceptible to danger in a pessimistic way. Through the use of characterisation, Henley communicates the idea of how a discovery can affect an individual’s train of thought as well as alter their psychological thinking. Furthermore, the character Caliban within Shakespeare’s Tempest interrelate with the idea of a discovery, forcing an individual to change their understanding of self- awareness, from new knowledge or experiences hidden to the mind. The quote “which first was mine own king//and here you sty me in this hard rock//whiles you do keep from me//the rest o' th' island”, effectively portrays the negative ramifications the character has faced, due to the interaction of other discoveries.

The use of metaphor within the quotes alludes to the heavenly imagery of how the negative consequence has affected the individual’s train of thought, whilst also comparing ‘the treatment of Caliban’ to the ‘treatment of a pig’. The quote itself also portrays the rejection of the discovery of the island, by the character who essentially feels betrayed by the encounter. Through the use of characterisation, Shakespeare’s successfully portrays the idea of how the interaction of others can act as a catalyst towards an individual's personal discovery, which can negatively affect psychological thought. The interaction of the ‘medical condition’, portrayed in Invictus and the ‘people’ within the Tempest have both affected the individual’s train of thought in a negative manner. Correspondingly, the sudden discovery portrayed in ‘Invictus’ and ‘The tempest’, evidently show how external factors within an individual’s life can potentially guide them towards further discoveries, without a conscious

awareness.