Today I am going to talk about the role of forgiveness in Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. Each of these productions highlight this theme, and I would like to think that they have helped make me a better person.
*****If you haven't read and/or seen The Tempest, or Jesus Christ Superstar what I am writing about will spoil them*****
The Tempest
The first time I saw The Tempest, I just didn't get it. I couldn't fathom that Prospero had spent 12 years plotting revenge against those who had wronged him, and after finally being given the opportunity for vengeance, turned it down in favour of forgiveness. For the entire production, I couldn't wait to see Prospero vindicated and empowered. Then, instead of taking his well deserved vengeance, he simply forgave the men who stole his Dukedom from him. I was shocked! I thought it was a weak and abrupt ending to the play, and didn't understand how The Tempest could be considered Shakespeare's masterpiece
What an idiot I was! Luckily, I was able to see it performed again. And the second time around it all began to make sense. I realized empowerment and vindication doesn't come from revenge, or from bringing pain to someone else. Bad things happen to everyone, and in these situations all we have is the power forgive those who wrong us and move on with our lives. By becoming obsessed with revenge, or retribution we become blind to the good things (and good people) in life and only hurt ourselves. But really, no one can sum it up better than Shakespeare himself, so here it is The Tempest, Act 5 scene 1, in which Prospero and Ariel speak on the power and importance of forgiveness:
"Ariel
Him that you term'd, sir, 'The good old lord Gonzalo;'
His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops
From eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works 'em
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.
Prospero
Does thou think so, spirit?
Ariel
Mine would, sir, were I human.
Prospero
And mine shall.
Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply,
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick,
Yet with my nobler reason 'gaitist my fury
Do I take part: the rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent,
The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further."
Jesus Christ Superstar
Moving on to Jesus Christ Superstar, in what is turning into a very long blog post!
Forgiveness is not something explicitly discussed in Superstar. But, the forgiveness of Judas by the audience, was one of the most important things that I took from the musical. Judas has been condemned by millions for his betrayal of Christ, and is really the ultimate scapegoat. But what Jesus Christ Superstar does, which I find amazing, and so powerful, is present Judas in a sympathetic manner, in which we can all understand his actions, sympathize, and even empathize with him. We see Judas, as a man, no more and no less. Judas tells Jesus: "believe me my admiration for you hasn't died/ but every word you say today/ gets twisted 'round some other way/ and they'll hurt you if they think you've lied...I am frightened by the crowd/ for we are getting much too loud/ and they'll crush us if we go too far" (Rice and Webber, 1970). And time and again we see how much Judas cares for and loves Jesus. In the end Judas pays the ultimate price for betraying Christ. In Superstar, Judas becomes more than a two-diemensional villain, we see him as man of great emotional depth, conflicted and grief ridden. When Judas sings "I don't know how to love him", before taking his life, I think everyone in the audience grieves with and feels love for Judas. And this is a beautiful thing, In a perfect world, I think the ultimate message religion should present is one of forgiveness and acceptance. In the Bible, we learn that Jesus died in order to allow for the sins of all humans to be forgiven. Should we as humans not be able to find it in ourselves to forgive Judas for his actions? Especially, when you consider that Jesus was asked to die by God, and his betrayal was something that had to take place in order for events to transpire as they did. As Judas states:
"Christ!
I know you can't hear me
But I only did what you wanted me to
Christ!
I'd sell out the nation
For I have been saddled
With the murder of you
I have been spattered
With innocent blood
I should be dragged
Through the slime and the mud
...
God I'll never ever know
Why you chose me for your crime"
I could go on, but I think I will leave it at that.
*****If you haven't read and/or seen The Tempest, or Jesus Christ Superstar what I am writing about will spoil them*****
The Tempest
The first time I saw The Tempest, I just didn't get it. I couldn't fathom that Prospero had spent 12 years plotting revenge against those who had wronged him, and after finally being given the opportunity for vengeance, turned it down in favour of forgiveness. For the entire production, I couldn't wait to see Prospero vindicated and empowered. Then, instead of taking his well deserved vengeance, he simply forgave the men who stole his Dukedom from him. I was shocked! I thought it was a weak and abrupt ending to the play, and didn't understand how The Tempest could be considered Shakespeare's masterpiece
What an idiot I was! Luckily, I was able to see it performed again. And the second time around it all began to make sense. I realized empowerment and vindication doesn't come from revenge, or from bringing pain to someone else. Bad things happen to everyone, and in these situations all we have is the power forgive those who wrong us and move on with our lives. By becoming obsessed with revenge, or retribution we become blind to the good things (and good people) in life and only hurt ourselves. But really, no one can sum it up better than Shakespeare himself, so here it is The Tempest, Act 5 scene 1, in which Prospero and Ariel speak on the power and importance of forgiveness:
"Ariel
Him that you term'd, sir, 'The good old lord Gonzalo;'
His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops
From eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works 'em
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.
Prospero
Does thou think so, spirit?
Ariel
Mine would, sir, were I human.
Prospero
And mine shall.
Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply,
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick,
Yet with my nobler reason 'gaitist my fury
Do I take part: the rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent,
The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further."
Jesus Christ Superstar
Moving on to Jesus Christ Superstar, in what is turning into a very long blog post!
Forgiveness is not something explicitly discussed in Superstar. But, the forgiveness of Judas by the audience, was one of the most important things that I took from the musical. Judas has been condemned by millions for his betrayal of Christ, and is really the ultimate scapegoat. But what Jesus Christ Superstar does, which I find amazing, and so powerful, is present Judas in a sympathetic manner, in which we can all understand his actions, sympathize, and even empathize with him. We see Judas, as a man, no more and no less. Judas tells Jesus: "believe me my admiration for you hasn't died/ but every word you say today/ gets twisted 'round some other way/ and they'll hurt you if they think you've lied...I am frightened by the crowd/ for we are getting much too loud/ and they'll crush us if we go too far" (Rice and Webber, 1970). And time and again we see how much Judas cares for and loves Jesus. In the end Judas pays the ultimate price for betraying Christ. In Superstar, Judas becomes more than a two-diemensional villain, we see him as man of great emotional depth, conflicted and grief ridden. When Judas sings "I don't know how to love him", before taking his life, I think everyone in the audience grieves with and feels love for Judas. And this is a beautiful thing, In a perfect world, I think the ultimate message religion should present is one of forgiveness and acceptance. In the Bible, we learn that Jesus died in order to allow for the sins of all humans to be forgiven. Should we as humans not be able to find it in ourselves to forgive Judas for his actions? Especially, when you consider that Jesus was asked to die by God, and his betrayal was something that had to take place in order for events to transpire as they did. As Judas states:
"Christ!
I know you can't hear me
But I only did what you wanted me to
Christ!
I'd sell out the nation
For I have been saddled
With the murder of you
I have been spattered
With innocent blood
I should be dragged
Through the slime and the mud
...
God I'll never ever know
Why you chose me for your crime"
I could go on, but I think I will leave it at that.
References
Rice, T., & Webber, A.L. (1970). Jesus Christ Superstar (Original London Concept Recording). Decca U.S.
Shakespeare, W. (1623). The Tempest.
