The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 10.1303  Friday, 23 July 1999.

From:           Stuart Manger <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Thursday, 22 Jul 1999 18:25:27 +0100
Subject:        Caliban and Ariel

A bundle of questions about The Tempest:

[a] What are current views on how to interpret Caliband and Ariel on
stage? Colonised Caliban? Ethnic Caliban? Superhuman ? Sub-human
Caliban? Young? Old?

[b] Is there any evidence that Ariel was ever played by a boy in
Jacobean times, given that he has a lot of songs, and is presumably
expected to leap about gymnastically - Iknow that doesn't necessarily
mean anything!? What striking performances of Ariel can correspondents
recall?

[c] And the Act 4 Spirits? What kinds of voices would be expected for
the music?

[d] I cannot find a cast list for the 1612-13 performance before James l
- does it exist?

[e] is there anything beyond theatrical tradition that Ben Jonson was
involved in that celebratory production?

[f] can I have advice about what Jacobeans meant by a 'banquet'?
Presumably a small selection of goodies at the side of a hall on a small
'banc' / bench or similar?

[g] And that nightmare SD for any stage manager today - Ariel makes a
banquet disappear with 'a quaint device'. What kind of 'device'?

Stuart Manger