SHAKESPEARE AND PSYCHOGNOSIS 243 



the love-story as the beginning, middle, and end of the whole action. Prospero's 

 greatness must be seen by the wise and learned, not as less than they had supposed, but 

 as being far inferior in importance to the love of Ferdinand and Miranda; Prospero, 

 with all his magic and dignity, is merely the heroine's father, and a rather interfering 

 old gentleman at that. One may peer through learned spectacles for the appearance 

 of the scientific Prospero upon the stage, but the true "understander" must look 

 more eagerly still for the lovers. This or nothing is the poetical philosophy. Hence 

 Prospero says: 



"So glad of this as they, I cannot be, 

 • Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing 



At nothing can be more." 

 In this we see that Prospero is not merely a duke, magician, scholar, but a man — one 

 who carries all the interests of life in their full weight, but regards them all as sub- 

 ordinate to true love of the pure romantic type. It is this more than anything else 

 that identifies Pros>pero's point of view with that of the mature Shakespeare. And 

 it is this that should make one reflect when Prospero says: 



"My rejoicing 

 At nothing can be more." 

 All his hopes center in this alliance which will give Naples to Miranda and Miranda 

 to Naples. Every incident narrated in the play is directly associated with this love- 

 story. Learning, morality, philosophy, may interpret the incidents profoundly; but 

 romance alone interprets without distortion or disproportion, and a pair of lovers 

 cast contempt upon the pride of learning and magic. The quiet humor of Prospero 

 in this scene is full of sympathy and pure affection. 



Moralists liave found a solemn warning for lovers in the fate of Romeo and Juliet. 

 "Violent delights have violent ends," is the favorite text, chosen from the speech of 

 the moralist of the tragedy, Friar Laurence. Prospero seems to tell us in this scene 

 that Romeo and Juliet are perfectly ideal, but they need wisdom to guide them and 

 watch over them, not the nurse and the Capulets. Shakespeare may quarrel with 

 the environment, but never with love; the moralist blames the lovers, and quotes the 

 good Friar Laurence. 



In the seventh scene Prospero is present, but invisible to the king and his fol- 

 lowers. In an aside he declares that some of the lords, meaning chiefly Antonio 

 and Sebastian, presumably, are worse than devils. "Devil" is the term applicable 

 to the father of Caliban, whence Caliban is called a "demi-devil." At the end of 

 the banquet scene Prospero praises the spirits, declares his plans are progressing 

 favorably, and returns to visit "Young Ferdinand" "and his and mine loved darhng " 



Prospero's relation to his enemies is not one of weak and effusive forgiveness, 

 but of strong subjugation, judgment, and forgiveness equal to their capacity for 

 appreciating forgiveness. 



In scene viii Prospero begins to throw off his harshness because he is perfectly 



