The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 25.114  Wednesday, 5 March 2014

 

[1] From:        S. L Kasten <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

     Date:         March 3, 2014 at 5:46:05 PM EST

     Subject:    Re: Meaning of Ariel 

 

[2] From:        David Basch <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

     Date:         March 3, 2014 at 7:30:22 PM EST

     Subject:    Re: SHAKSPER:  Ariel 

 

 

[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------

From:        S. L Kasten <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Date:         March 3, 2014 at 5:46:05 PM EST

Subject:    Re: Meaning of Ariel

 

>Agrippa (Occult Philosophy Book III) says that Ariel is a name for 

>the spirit presiding over the astrological sign Aries.  Like many 

>others, including John Dee, he loved to make up angel names 

>by adding “el” to words. He created angels of all the signs (Ariel, 

>Tauriel, Geminiel, Cancriel, Leoniel, Virginiel, Libriel, Scorpiel, 

>Sagittariel, Capriel, Aquariel, Pisciel) and all the planets too. I 

>think Agrippa would be a far more likely to be known to 

>Shakespeare—even by hearsay—than anything rabbinical. 

>Heywood (Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels, 1635) names 

>Ariel as one of the seven princes who rule the waters. A little 

>late but MSS or word of mouth could have circulated, and 

>Heywood was likely known to WS.

 

Ariel is mentioned  in the opening verses of Isaiah chapter 29 clearly referring to Jerusalem (in English):

 

Verse 1:  Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycles of Festivals go on.

 

Verse 2: Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament: she will be to me like an altar hearth.

 

(“Altar hearth” is a metaphorical device that loses in translation, as “ariel” is also the Hebrew of “altar hearth”.)

 

None of this seems to have any thematic connection Prospero’s Ariel. But I find it intriguing that the previous chapter’s opning verse makes reference to the “drunkards of Ephraim”, and the second verse warns of a “a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction”.  

 

Verse 18 of chapter 29 has the deaf hearing the words of a book and the eyes of the blind seeing out of obscurity and darkness.

 

Now the literate Englishman of the XVIth century might not have the Hebrew to allow him to enjoy the “altar hearth” pun, but he would almost certainly be able to connect Ariel with Jerusalem. After all, the English translations of the Bible were meant to be read.  And this being before the advent of Fielding, Austen, Thackery, Dickens, Trollope etc. there wasn’t much else to read in English.  What he would make of the name other than recognising it I have no idea.  Almost certainly his associations would not be congruent with mine.  Nevertheless, my impression of Shakespeare is that he chose, handled and arranged words as if they were pearls, subtle but not arbitrary.

 

Best wishes

Syd Kasten

 

 [2]-------------------------------------------------------------

From:        David Basch <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Date:         March 3, 2014 at 7:30:22 PM EST

Subject:    Re: SHAKSPER:  Ariel

 

John Crowley in his posting adds to information on the name “Ariel” in the Tempest, a spirit-servant to Prospero. As John’s posting notes, the name has quite a pedigree as a name for a spirit or angel. It also has a literal meaning in Hebrew as “lion of God,” which has nothing to do with Rabbinics. As John noted, even John Dee knew enough to form angelic names by adding “el” to words.  By doing so, Shakespeare adds the insinuation of the identity of Prospero in his allegorical play.

 

On this name in the Tempest, I would note the following lines of dialogue in the play, in which shipwrecked Sebastian and Antonio on Prospero’s island report that they have heard the roar of lions, something which Ariel had contrived to rattle their nerves:

 

    GONZALO What's the matter?

 

    SEBASTIAN       Whiles we stood here securing your repose,

            Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing

            Like bulls, or rather LIONS: did't not wake you?

            It struck mine ear most terribly.

 

    ALONSO  I heard nothing.

 

    ANTONIO O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear,

            To make an earthquake! sure, IT WAS THE ROAR

            OF A WHOLE HERD OF LIONS.

 

It seems to me that Shakespeare did know this meaning of “Ariel” and alluded to it in an event in the play, something not unusual for him as he often uses word meanings across languages as part of his word play.

 

David Basch

 

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