This play takes six names from Magellan’s circumnavigation
to honor Shakespeare’s achievement in the drama world, a reason to place it at the
beginning of the 1623 folio. Its two protagonists, Prospero and Miranda, bless
Shakespeare by combining perfect anagrams of their names: “O!
Prosper in drama.”
Prospero’s magic in the play needs his “garment”
to perform, and garment can spell anagram.
Shakespeare’s magic of anagram is a tempest in the drama world.
Magellan’s Circumnavigation
Names of five roles travelling with Alonso
the King of Naples, match five persons in the Magellan’s expedition.
|
Magellan’s Circumnavigation |
The Tempest |
|
1. Ferdinand Magellan, captain |
Ferdinand,
Alonso’s son |
|
2. Sebastian Elcano, captain |
Sebastian,
Alonso’s brother |
|
3. Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler |
Anthonio,
Duke of Milan |
|
4. Francisco Albo, mariner |
Francisco,
a lord |
|
5. Gonzalo de Espinosa, mariner |
Gonzalo, a
lord |
|
6. Setebos, Patagonians’ god |
Setebos,
Sycorax’s god |
(1) Ferdinand Magellan
(1480–1521) started the first circumnavigation in September 1519
with five ships. He died in April 1521. (2) Juan Sebastian Elcano
(1476–1526) completed the expedition in September 1522. His
assistant and chronicler (3) Antonio Pigafetta (1491–1531)
recorded and published the journey in 1524. (4) Francisco Albo
kept a logbook; (5) Gonzalo de Espinosa gave a deposition
in 1527. Historians and researchers published several books about their
expedition since 1523.
In The Tempest, Alonso sails toward
home accompanied by his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian,
Duke of Milan Anthonio, and two lords Francisco
and Gonzalo. A tempest puts them in an unnamed island, where
Prospero and Miranda his daughter live there for twelve years served by a malformed
slave Caliban.
Setebos
Matching five names can be a rare coincidence,
but the name Setebos cannot be. In the play Caliban invokes his god Setebos
twice: “It would control my Dam’s god Setebos,” and “Setebos, these
be brave Spirits indeed.”
Setebos is recorded as the god of Patagonians
in The Voyage of Magellan (1525) by Antonio Pigafetta, and The
History of Trauayle in the West and East Indies (1577) by Peter
Martyr of Angleria (1457-1526).
In fine, when they sawe howe they were
deceiued, they roared lyke bulles, & cryed vppon theyr great deuill Setebos,
to helpe them.—The History of Trauayle
On a tyme, as one made a crosse before
him, and kyssed it, shewyng it vnto him, he sodaynely cryed Setebos,
and declared by signes, that if they made any more crosses, Setebos
would enter into his bodie, and make him brust.—The History of Trauayle
Prospero and Miranda
The Tempest being the first play of
the 1623 folio is to compare Shakespeare’s achievement in the drama world with the
first circumnavigation. Miranda’s exclamation, “O, brave new world” simulates the
experience of Magellan’s expedition.
Miranda.
O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here?
How beauteous mankind is? O,
brave new world
That has such people in it.
These lines compare Alonso and his lords seen
by Miranda the first time, with natives in Magellan’s expedition seen by his
crews the first time.
Sorcerer Prospero’s name is printed as Prosper without
ending -o three times in the 1623 folio. This can be seen as a hint to rebuild
the name to O Prosper.
Caliban.
All the infections that the Sun sucks up From
Bogs, Fens, Flats, on Prosper fall, . . . Now Prosper works upon
thee. . . .
Alonso.
(That deep and dreadful Organ-Pipe)
pronounced The name of Prosper:
Organ-Pipe “pronounced
the name of Prosper” can be treated as a hint to move the ending O
in Prospero to the beginning to make the anagram “O!
Prosper
in drama.”
Prospero can be a perfect anagram of proposer. The word appears only once in the 1623 folio in Hamlet,
“a better proposer could charge you withal.” Naming of Miranda and
Prospero follows the rules of Sidney anagram, which
can be used to solve the identity of the proposer
of Shakespeare’s work.
Caliban
Caliban is the witch Sycorax’s son. His name
is often considered an anagram of canibal or cannibal, a fierce man-eater. However, Caliban doesn’t act
like a cannibal in the play at all.
Caliban is a coward, “a freckled whelp,
hagborn, not honored with a human shape.” Caliban can be a perfect anagram of clay-ban, an earthly body that should be banned, hinted by
Caliban’s song “ban ban Cacaliban” that separates -ban from his name.
Caliban.
No more dams I’ll make for fish,
Nor fetch in firing, at requiring,
Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish,
Ban ban Cacaliban.
Caliban’s anagram clay-ban
mocks at Roman Catholic, for his master Prospero
and Miranda reflect Mary Sidney Herbert of Wilton House. Both Sidney and
Herbert family supported the Protestant. Caliban’s mother Sycorax
is a hybrid of phoenix and Sphinx. Caliban and Sycorax are names coined by
Shakespeare.
Alonso
Alonso is a common Spanish name, like the
protagonist Alonso Quijano in the 1605 novel Don Quixote by Miguel de
Cervantes (1547–1616). The name can be a perfect anagram of as-loon; loon has the usage of an idler. In The
Tempest, Alonso acts idly to fit his anagram. Shakespeare may set features
and name of a character first, then composed lines to suit features of that
character.
Stephano and Trinculo
Stephano is a butler, drunk all the time
that gives him courage. Trinculo is a courageless jester following Stephano.
The drunken butler and courageless jester meet Caliban, and the three plan a
sudden attack against Prospero to take over the island, which causes a turmoil
in the play.
Stephano can be a perfect anagram of hap-onset; Trinculo of turn-coil.
Onset has the usage of a military attack; coil of turmoil. Their
names reflect their features in the play.
Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo approach
Prospero’s cave to attack him, but are attracted by fancy clothes. Prospero and
Ariel drive spirits in shape of dogs and hounds to hunt them. These spirits of
dogs and hounds are named.
[A noise of Hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits in shape of Dogs and
Hounds, hunting them about: Prospero and Ariel setting them on.]
Prospero.
Hey Mountain, hey.
Ariel.
Silver: there it
goes, Silver.
Prospero.
Fury, Fury: there Tyrant,
there: hark, hark.
Go, charge, my Goblins, that they grind
their joints
With dry Convulsions, shorten up their
sinews
With aged Cramps, and more pinch-spotted
make them,
Than Pard, or Cat on Mountain.
Mountain can be a perfect anagram of mount-any; Silver of sliver.
Mount has the usage of to ride or get control; sliver of to cut or
tear into small pieces. Each of the two anagrams exchanges just two letters.
Unlike Mountain and Silver. Fury and Tyrant are not italicized in the script. They can be names, or commands to drive the hounds to be furious or tyrannous. The Mountain that would mount any is a Tyrant, who would sliver any betrayer into pieces in a Fury. Caliban is considered a betrayer by Wilton Circle.