『태풍』(The Tempest)에 나타난 여성성의 전유

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the representation of female sexuality in The Tempest by focusing on the absence of women and appropriation of female sexuality. While women in Shakespeare's Romances are commonly presented as daughters and mothers in a patriarchal family, the women in The Tempest are notably absent. Miranda is the only female character who appears on stage, but there are three invisible voiceless women: Claribel, Sycorax and Miranda's mother. Claribel, Alonso's daughter, gives a significant motive of the play because her marriage to the King of Tunis enables Alonso's group, Prospero's enemy, to arrive on this Enchanted Island. She is remembered as an Alonso's heir when Ferdinand seems lost in the tempest, but is soon forgotten, as soon as Ferdinand is found safe. The other two females are Miranda's nameless mother and Caliban's mother, Sycorax. Sycorax, labeled as a witch, embodies early modern England women's negative images, expecially to Prospero. Miranda's nameless mother is alluded at once to prove Miranda's legitimacy. These invisible females, not making their own histories, are represented by the discourses of other male characters with others' interests, not their own voice and value. The only visible female, Miranda is internalized by Propero's value owing to his devotional education. Prospero has been fashioning Miranda's femininity, acting both roles, father and mother, since they left Milan. Not having her true voice, Miranda serves as an ideal patriarchal figure who can not be an independent subject. Prospero, providential figure, like ‘providential tempest’ in the play becomes ‘great master(1.2.189)’, using his art, ‘magic’. Prospero gives metaphoric birth to Miranda instead of her absent mother. In addition, he becomes the midwife whose art enables him to defeat vindictive mother, Sycorax and to give Ariel rebirth. Prospero is both strong father and life-giving mother or maternal father by appropriating the woman's own productivity.