Magic, Conversion, and Prayer in Shakespeare’s The Tempest

Abstract

This paper deals with the concepts of magic, conversion to Christianity, and prayer in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Employing New Historicism and using Christian writings, it analyses Prospero’s prayer and conversion, which have so far been neglected by scholars in favor of magic, and juxtaposes them to magic. This reading supports the underrepresented view of Prospero’s magic as heretical and punishable, suggests that Prospero’s abjuration of magic is comparable to the deliverance from the occult and conversion to Christianity, and reveals the first interpretation of Prospero’s prayer. Namely, prayer, following Prospero’s conversion, is represented by Shakespeare as the true and ultimate value of human life and the antithesis to magic.

Keywords

• Shakespeare
• The Tempest
• magic
• conversion
• prayer
• Christianity