Episode 350: The Tempest
/Music, storms, marriages and murders. Also… Shrek? We’re talking about the magic of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. We talk about the gender feelings we have about Ariel, the cinnamon roll of Miranda, and letting Caliban say the f-word.
Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of murder, violence, enslavement, and power imbalance.
Housekeeping
- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin!
- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books
- Call to Action: Check out Exolore, where Dr. Moiya McTier explores fictional worlds by building them with a panel of expert guests, interviewing professional worldbuilders, or reviewing the merits of worlds that have already been built.
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Cast & Crew
- Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin
- Editor: Brandon Grugle
- Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod
- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman
- Multitude: multitude.productions
About Us
Spirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.
Transcript
[theme]
AMANDA: Welcome to Spirits Podcast, a boozy dive into mythology, legends, and folklore. Every week we pour a drink and learn about a new story from around the world. I'm Amanda.
JULIA: And I'm Julia.
AMANDA: And this is an episode all about a play that, Julia, we didn't do or study in high school, for me at least until late college. But one I really love and one that's perhaps the most mythological, may I say, of all of Shakespeare's work.
JULIA: I would certainly say the most magical. We talked about the Midsummer Night's Dream episode and that, I think, is probably his most mythological in the sense that he's literally drawing from mythology for a lot of those characters. But The Tempest is so incredible in terms of the imagery and the use of magic as a way of driving the plot forward, that when I was thinking about, "Hey, what Shakespeare can we do that talks about magic?" The Tempest was pretty much the first one that came to my mind. But I was more familiar with Midsummer, so we decided to start with Midsummer.
AMANDA: Yes, I am so stoked. Also, I mean, as a tall and a small best friend duo, I mean, we're required to talk about Helena and Hermia, you know what I mean?
JULIA: Of course, naturally. Like that is just who we are as people, we are Helena and Hermia core.
AMANDA: Exactly. Oh, God, that's good. But yeah, we have to now turn our attention to a play that is all about the ocean, that's all about magic, that's all about language, things that we love, and themes that I'm so excited to see your take on.
JULIA: Yeah. Now, Amanda, you've studied this play. I was not a Shakespearean scholar or took any Shakespearean classes in college. So I'm gonna rely on you to kind of give me some themes that I might be missing or some interesting facts because it's been a really long time since I've seen this play performed live. So I am relying on you to be my— my inside source, my Shakespearean expertise.
AMANDA: Always. I mean, the fact is I studied abroad in London and took three classes that involves seeing live theatre. So I simply overdosed on theater for several months, which I highly recommend to all students. But yeah, I'm delighted to talk about this. I was able to see it live a couple of times, and read it, and have watched some film adaptations. It's something that I just really enjoy. And like if there was ever a production in the city or near me, I'll just go see it, because I think it's really interesting how different directors and actors take on the parts.
JULIA: Yeah, fantastic. And we're talking about The Tempest today because between Prospero, Ariel, and Caliban, the, like, supernatural elements are extremely prominent in the play. And while it might not feature like A Midsummer Night's Dream, the king and queen of the fairies, The Tempest does offer a really interesting lore that seems less pulled directly from mythology and more the general view of magic during Shakespeare's time. So let's get right into it because I love talking about Shakespeare and the plot lines. They're wild.
AMANDA: Yes, they are.
JULIA: So the show starts on a ship as a storm hits it hard. The ship is carrying the Duke of Milan, Antonio, the King of Naples, Alonso, and a bunch of their, like, royal party because they're on their way back to Italy after the marriage of Alonso's daughter, I think somewhere in Africa, if I'm remembering correctly.
AMANDA: Yeah. Shakespeare kinda, like, tossed a dart at a map and was like, "Man, over there seems far."
JULIA: Yeah. It kind of felt like he was like, "What's across from Italy? Oh, the Northern Africa. Great, fine. We'll just do that."
AMANDA: Yeah. Whatever. Yeah, fine. Yeah, yeah.
JULIA: So this storm that these people are facing is real bad. And all of the landlubbers and even some of the more experienced sailors kind of fear that they are going to sink as lightning strikes and the storm is real, real bad. Like, I cannot stress how bad the storm is right now.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So in a very dramatic in medias res opening, we then cut to a much quieter scene which introduces Miranda and Prospero standing on the shore of their island, looking out at the shipwreck that is about to happen.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Now, Miranda, who is a cinnamon roll, too pure for the world. Because she is. She is.
AMANDA: She is. I don't know why that hit me so hard, but you're exactly right, she is.
JULIA: She's a cinnamon roll. So she asked her father Prospero if there's anything that he can do to help those on the ship from drowning. And Prospero was like, "Don't worry, kiddo. It'll turn out alright. By the way, this seems like a great time for me to tell you about my past, how we ended up on this island, et cetera."
AMANDA: Yep, yep.
JULIA: "So you see that trip out there, I caused this big storm to happen." And we get this reveal that Prospero is like a magician. He has sort of magical powers. And we're not told exactly how he gained these powers, we find out later in the plot, but you just know that, like, he has some sort of magical ability. And so Prospero tells Miranda how he actually used to be the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, who we just met, conspired with the King of Naples, Alonso, who we also just met, to have Prospero kidnapped, so that he could take the title from him.
AMANDA: Classic.
JULIA: It's a real kind of classic Shakespeare, but also a little bit Game of Thrones-sy situation going on here. And it also feels kind of inspired by a little bit of Greek mythology in terms of the story of Perseus and how he and his mother were kind of set adrift in a casket and, like, left to die, but they did not die because he was a demigod, so he didn't die. But it does feel kind of inspired.
AMANDA: It always makes me laugh when Shakespeare is kind of, like, digging out or just sort of using the sort of machinations of other country's political systems. Because, like, England has nothing to brag about in terms of, like, you know, killing siblings and wives, and unseating reigns and everything like that. And reading about, like, the contemporary political context of other nations that Shakespeare was aware of, at the time, is really fascinating, because I know I say he, like throws a dart at the map, and it does feel that way a lot of the time. But it's, to me, the equivalent of an American being like, "Hmm, yeah, Canada, I love their political problems." And I was like, "O— okay, bitch. Like I— I don't think that's exactly— you shouldn't be throwing stones too hard here."
JULIA: Yes. And I think that part of it, too, is just like, "I don't want to talk about the actual political things that are going on in London—"
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: "—because I don't want the Queen mad at me, maybe."
AMANDA: Yes.
JULIA: "Like, that would be bad. But, like, what if it was Italy?"
AMANDA: "That'll be not convenient pour moi."
JULIA: Yes. And I mean, like, there's also readings of the play, where The Tempest itself represents the, like, political turmoil that was happening in England at the time. But, like, I'm not a political British scholar, so I can't say whether or not that's true, but I like it.
AMANDA: We're here for the myths in the magic, you know?
JULIA: Exactly, exactly. So Prospero gets kidnapped so that his brother can take the title from him. And then Prospero and Miranda who, I think, at this point was probably, like, 4 or 3. Because they say she's 15 now, and they've been on the island for 12 years, and it's a whole thing. But she was probably about, like, 3 when all this was going down, and probably because little kid memories are not that good, doesn't remember a lot.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So Prospero and Miranda were left to die on a raft at sea, but they managed to survive because one of Prospero's men, who was still loyal to him, whose name was Gonzalo, had left Prospero some supplies and his books, which we find out where the source of Prospero's magical ability. It's like basically, he went the Faustus route—
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: —and he managed to gain magic by doing just a lot of reading. Just a lot of research. A real wizard situation, if you will.
AMANDA: Again, what a dream. What a dream.
JULIA: I would love to be able to read enough books that I become magic, that would be honestly, yeah, the dream.
AMANDA: Yeah. So we just moved, Julia, as you have heard way too much about.
JULIA: Uh-hmm.
AMANDA: And after carrying— probably, I carried, like, a third of our books, Eric really did two-thirds of it. But after carrying, you know, several hundred pounds of books up two flights of stairs to our new apartment, I'm like, "Alright, like, where's my reward? Do I get to then, like, learn magic? Do I get to just know a bunch of languages? Like, can you just, like, inject Hebrew into my brain? Can U just, like, know that now?"
JULIA: Yeah, it would be nice if after reading enough books, you gained the power of levitation so that you could then levitate the very heavy books that you've learned levitation from.
AMANDA: Exactly.
JULIA: That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. So, eventually, Prospero, Miranda arrived on the island that we find them on now, and they have remained there for 12 years. And now, Prospero tells Miranda, fortune has put his enemies back in his path, and so he's raised the namesake Tempest in order to get justice for what has been done to him. And then he basically uses his magic to go, "Shh. Go to sleep, Miranda." And she falls asleep. Shh, shh, shh. So with Miranda asleep, he calls forth his familiar spirit, Ariel. Now, we find out through the conversation between Prospero and Ariel that Ariel was a captive servant of Prospero, who was freed by Prospero from his imprisonment in a tree from a witch that used to live on the island named Sycorax, which is the coolest fuck name. Shakespeare, that's a tight name. I love it.
AMANDA: It's amazing. I love any name with an X in it. And if I had a cat, I probably named them Sycorax.
JULIA: Yeah, that's a good one. So Sycorax had died before she could release Ariel, and so he remained trapped in this tree until Prospero freed him from his woody prison. Which I love the phrase, woody prison.
AMANDA: Yes.
JULIA: As payment for his freedom, Ariel was indebted to Prospero for a year serving without complaint. It's also interesting because the plot doesn't specify whether this was like when Prospero first got on the island, and the year is up, and now, like, Ariel is still working for him, or this is still within the year of freeing Ariel from the tree. It's a really kind of non-specified relationship, and so you're left kind of being like, "So, are you here still just 'cause, or are you still, like, the servant to Prospero?" It's a really interesting kind of dynamic that they have.
AMANDA: It is.
JULIA: So Ariel tells Prospero that he, as asked, brought The Tempest upon the ship and has set fire to the masque, but had to make sure that everyone got safely to the island. Even though in getting to the island, they were separated from each other kind of into these smaller groups, which is important to the plot.
AMANDA: A real loss situation, Julia. One's the Tailies and one's the main fuselage.
JULIA: Great. I— I think I watched one episode of Lost with you—
AMANDA: Yup.
JULIA: —in the middle of a season, and then had weird dreams the following night. And I was like, "Amanda, I don't think I can watch the show anymore." And you're like—
AMANDA: It's too much.
JULIA: "—That's fair."
AMANDA: It's too much.
JULIA: And also, Shakespeare just loves having, like, separate groups lost in a forest.
AMANDA: Clearly. I mean, like, this is not just in his mythological plays. This happens all the time.
JULIA: All the time.
AMANDA: There's a whole sequence in Macbeth that essentially cross-cuts between a intense one-on-one situation in the castle and, like, an army of soldiers advancing, which I will never forget, in our high school production was a bunch of teen boys holding branches from a Christmas tree in front of their faces.
JULIA: Yep, that's true. That did happen.
AMANDA: It was great. It was incredible.
JULIA: So Ariel is telling Prospero all of this, and Prospero just does that kind of parent thing where it's like, "I don't like your tone," which is highly relatable.
AMANDA: Yep.
JULIA: Highly relatable. We've all been there. And so Prospero reminds Ariel, both for Ariel's sake and for the audience's sake, about his debt. And Ariel assures him like, "I know my place. It's all good. Like, sorry about that. My bad."
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So Prospero then orders Ariel to take the shape of a sea nymph and turn it invisible to everyone except for Prospero. Which doesn't make sense to me, because why take the shape of a sea nymph and then also turn it invisible to everyone except for Prospero? Unless Prospero is just like really into the scene in Fluke. Which, like, "Get your kinks out with someone who, like, agrees to them, sir."
AMANDA: Yeah. Who is not your captive would be my suggestion. But yeah, I mean, in my recollection and my guess, I think it's so that the probably hot like messenger god, actor playing Ariel could just wear glitter makeup, which is what I have seen in most of the productions of The Tempest that I've been at.
JULIA: That is true. And we also— I wasn't going to talk about this, but we can talk about, like, the gender of Ariel.
AMANDA: Yes.
JULIA: Because as a kind of spirit character, a lot of times in Shakespeare's days, they would cast a young boy in a similar fashion to how they would cast young boys to play the women in Shakespeare's plays.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And since, like, I want to say, the late 1800s, early 1900s, the part has been, like, actively portrayed both by men and women. And there's only two instances in which the gender of Ariel is specified in the plot. It's like they use his twice and only one of them is, like, in text canon.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So, like, it's very kind of up in the air, like the gender of Ariel is supposed to be kind of fluid and interesting. And a lot of times when Ariel is making transformations, both as a sea nymph and then later on as a harpy, those are very, like, feminine-coded creatures and spirits that he is transforming into, which I think is really interesting and cool.
AMANDA: It is really interesting and really cool. And I've seen a lot of non-binary and agender and gender-fluid actors have a ton of fun with that part, either on stage or in cosplay, or just in reading it and seeing some aspect of themselves. And I think it's tight as fuck.
JULIA: It is tight as fuck. Speaking of tight as fuck, we're going to move on to the fact that Ariel now disappeared and turned invisible. Miranda wakes up, and she and Prospero go to visit Caliban, who has been acting as Prospero's servant and is the son of the dead witch, Sycorax, who imprisoned Ariel in the first place. Fun facts about Caliban, he is not a fan of Prospero.
AMANDA: True.
JULIA: True, very true.
AMANDA: It's like, "Hey, what the fuck? You landed here. This was mine."
JULIA: He very much thinks that Prospero kind of stole the island from him. He compares his situation of Prospero's where he was usurped from his quote-unquote "kingdom" which was the island. And Prospero also, like, brings up the fact, he's like, "When I first got here, you were, like, thrilled that I was here. You were, like, giving me tours of the island. You basically, like, told me how to take over. Like, come on, you're being, like, super ungrateful. We've made your life better since we've been here." And Caliban is like, "A curse upon you, a curse upon your house." Like that got the whole thing.
AMANDA: No, it's really true. And, like, Caliban has been played and talked about a lot. There's a lot of really interesting scholarly work on, like, the coding of Caliban, why he's represented the way he is. But I've seen a lot of people bring a ton of, like, really wonderful humanity to that part, where Caliban— like one of the first things he says is like, "Stupid me. I showed you all around this island," and quote, "cursed be that I did so," a little bit later. "For I am all the subjects that you have, which was first mine own king." Like, "This was my dominion and now like an idiot, I, you know, welcomed you, showed you hospitality, and, like, look what you did to me?"
JULIA: Yeah. This is also a really interesting thing, and I was gonna talk about this more at the end, but let's talk about it now a little bit. Caliban uses curses a lot.
AMANDA: Yes.
JULIA: Like, literally, he says, "Curse you. Curse me. Curse this." And while we're supposed to understand it as being kind of like a language thing like, yeah— like people in Shakespeare's time would say stuff like that, like "A curse upon your house." That kind of thing.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: In a play where magic is so important, I think that Caliban's curses, while we don't see the kind of, like, outcome of them, I think they carry more weight than if, like, someone in like Anthony and Cleopatra—
AMANDA: Right.
JULIA: —said, "A curse upon your house." You know what I mean?
AMANDA: No, it's really interesting, and I— I am really curious if any listeners have either, like, seen in person, or a film version, or participated in any productions that, like, give a lot of weight to those moments because I think you can make a lot of, like, stylistic choices with, you know, lights and other effects to give some sense of foreboding or just power to those moments.
JULIA: Yeah. As a sound designer, I'd use a low Bass Riser anytime Caliban said something about curse upon your house.
AMANDA: And, Julia, one of my favorite parts of this whole initial exchange with Caliban is this line of his, which is, "You taught me language, and my profit on it is I know how to curse." Which is like a thing I see quoted out of context a lot.
JULIA: Uh-hmm.
AMANDA: But also even within the play, I think is even more powerful, which is Prospero thinks like, "Oh, because this uncultured, you know, et cetera, et cetera person didn't have the same language I do. I know more than him." And Caliban's like, "Hmm, no. Like I mastered your language and, like, I can curse in that really well, and, like, you know, go fuck yourself."
JULIA: And I think that's also really interesting because as we established earlier on, like the magic that Prospero utilizes is from magical texts, is from learning in books. It's almost like when we talked about in Faustus, the idea that, like, Faustus' servants also knew magic because they served Faustus, and it was, like, kind of like a— a trickle-down economics but of magic is really, really interesting. And I think that, like, once again that weight to Caliban's curses, that they're not just language so he can like say fuck at Prospero, but rather like they have magical weight to them.
AMANDA: Totally.
JULIA: So Caliban is literally saying fuck at Prospero, and Prospero was like, "Alright, just get me some firewood. I don't want to deal with you right now. I have other things on my mind. My—my plan is coming to fruition." And so Caliban leaves, and Ariel then enters again, invisible, playing music that has magically led Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples, and one of the characters traveling with Antonio and Alonso onto the stage. Ferdinand and Miranda have a real love at first sight moment, mostly because as Miranda puts it, he's the third man she's ever seen in her life, the other two being Caliban and her father.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And that cinnamon roll too pure for this world, she is like, "Wow. A man that isn't Caliban or my father, and a handsome one at that. Pretty nice."
AMANDA: Pretty good, better.
JULIA: So it turns out bringing Ferdinand here was actually part of Prospero's plan the whole time, because he wants to wed his daughter to the Prince of Naples. And this is turning out great because, again, Miranda and Ferdinand have a really instantaneous connection. But he also as an aside, decides that he is going to make it seem like he's not totally into this, because he doesn't want Miranda to be suspicious. So he accuses Ferdinand of not actually being the Prince of Naples, being a poser and threatens to imprison him for posing as royalty.
AMANDA: Ridiculous.
JULIA: And then Ferdinand, being a Shakespearean love interest, draws his sword at this, like, claim against his honor, and Prospero uses his magic to enchant and charm him, and then leads him away to prison despite Miranda's begging and pleading for mercy. Because, again, like he's not going to do anything because he wants his daughter to marry him. It's fine, don't worry about it, Miranda. I know you're so innocent and pure for this world, but it's all gonna work out.
AMANDA: Yeah, Prospero has real vibes of like, "I've read the most books in the room and therefore, I am in charge. And nobody around me could possibly outsmart me."
JULIA: Me, Prospero.
AMANDA: Exactly, yes. Which is very amusing when it comes to seeing plans not go as planned.
JULIA: Exactly. And then so while he's leading Ferdinand away, he sends Ariel away as well for a yet-to-be-revealed task.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Exciting. So we then cut to it another part of the island where Alonso, Antonio, Gonzalo, another man named Sebastian, and some other like NPC lords are all talking about, "Oh, wow. It's so lucky that we all survived, but it's weird that Ferdinand is missing. I hope he's okay." And Alonso is convinced that Ferdinand, his son, has died and he's like lamenting. He's like, "Oh, why did I let my daughter get married if it meant that my son would be lost on this trip?" Which I'm like, "Alright, yeah, I guess." And Gonzalo was like, "Uh, okay. Well, bright side, everyone," because everyone needs an optimist in their group, "This island is beautiful, at least." And then Antonio and Sebastian are very quickly to be like, "Shut the fuck up, Gonzalo."
AMANDA: Yeah, it's really the vibe of, like, after a big blowup or, like, if your friends are, like, sniping at each other and somebody's like, "This Guacamole is really good." And everyone is like, "Shut the fuck up."
JULIA: Uh-hmm. Uh-hmm. Sometimes someone needs to break the tension, and the only thing at the table is guacamole.
AMANDA: I know. "Hey, good chairs, huh?"
JULIA: Yeah. "Ooh, this couch is super comfortable, where did you get it from?" At this point, Ariel appears to the audience, invisible to the characters, and plays some music which puts everyone but Antonio and Sebastian to sleep. And they pretty much, as soon as everyone is— is asleep, immediately start planning to kill everyone who has fallen asleep, because if Sebastian killed Alonso, then he would become ruler of Naples if Ferdinand is in fact dead.
AMANDA: Convenient, not bad.
JULIA: Convenient. And Sebastian is like, "Damn, Antonio. That's actually a pretty good idea." And then they straight up are about to do a murder when Ariel wakes up Gonzalo, who shouts and wakes everyone else up as well. So Sebastian and Antonio are then like, "Uh, there were lions, that's why our swords are out. Lions. We were protecting all of you from the lions who are conveniently no longer here."
AMANDA: "You're welcome. We're so brave."
JULIA: "They were gonna attack Alonso, we totally saved him. Anyway, we should keep looking to see if we can find Ferdinand."
AMANDA: Put your wallets away. I don't need a tip, I promise.
JULIA: And then off they go while Ariel returns to Prospero. At this point, we cut over to Caliban who is out gathering firewood as he was sent out to do. And he sees one of the men on the island whose name is Trinculo, and assumes that he is a spirit that has been sent by Prospero to torment him. So he does what I do when I'm pretty much done at parties, like all of my energy is kind of done for the day, which is he lays down and he hides under his cloak.
AMANDA: Relatable.
JULIA: However, there is another storm that's coming, and Trinculo is like, "Okay. You're weird, my guy, but I also don't want to get wet." So he crawls under the cloak with Caliban.
AMANDA: Incredible.
JULIA: And then another man, Stephano, who managed to escape the shipwreck, shout-out to him, with some booze, shows up drunk and singing, and comes across the two men. And Caliban is, like, totally freaked out by the saying, and again assumes that these men are just, like, strange spirits send to torment him by Prospero. And he begs them to leave him alone, and promises that he'll, like, work harder, so Prospero we'll send them away. And Stephano is like, "My guy, you gotta chill. You know what you need? Booze!"
AMANDA: Yay.
JULIA: And at this point, the two men, who are joined with Caliban here, are like, "Oh, hey, Stefano, is that you? Oh, let's party." And the three of them ended up sitting together, and getting drunk, and Caliban is a very enamored with drinking, and he even starts singing. Which, you know, at this point, he is very much tormented by, like, sound and music, but he ends up adding to the music himself.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Now, I'm not about to start singing myself, but talking about Caliban having a drink with his new buddies, why don't we take a break and get a refill?
AMANDA: Let's do it.
[theme]
JULIA: Hey, it's Julia, and welcome to the refill. First of all, of course, we have to thank our newest patrons. Thank you so much to Jonathan, Cheyenne, Emma, and Ellen for joining the ranks of our patrons. You are the people who allow us to keep doing this as a job each and every week, and get you new episodes each and every week. So thank you so, so much. And thank you, of course, to our supporting producer-level patrons, Uhleeseeuh, Anne, Brittany, Froody Chick, Hannah, Jack Marie, Jane, Kneazlekins, Lily, Matthew, Megan Moon, Nathan, Phil Fresh, Rikoelike, Captain Jonathan MAL-uh-kye Cosmos, Sarah, and Scott. And, of course, our legend-level patrons, Arianna, Audra, Bex, Chibi Yokai, Morgan, Morgan H., Sarah, and Bea Me Up Scotty. And you too can join our Patreon by going to patreon.com/spiritspodcast right now to get cool stuff like, hey, recipe cards for every episode, bonus Urban Legends episodes each and every month and so much more. That is at patreon.com/spiritspodcast. I always like to leave you with a little recommendation and I have been still really enjoying my beach reads lately. So this week, I have been really enjoying A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin. It's a fun Regency novel about a new widow who is caught between two love interests while trying to avoid scandal so that she can inherit the money that is owed to her. And I like it, it's really nice. It's a good time. I love a beach read, and this is very much a beach read for me. So check that out, that's A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin. And, of course, hey, have you checked out our new merch for sale yet? If you go to spiritspodcast.com/merch, you can see our new Tarot design T-shirts, plus an updated logo T-shirt. It's time to get that new logo art on your body. Go to spiritspodcast.com/merch to check all of that and so much more out. And, hey, it's a great way of supporting the show and letting people know that you like it by wearing it on your bod. That's pretty nice. There's always something going on here at Multitude, and I have a question for you. Have you checked out Exolore yet? Have you ever wondered what life would be like on a planet different from our own or how writers create your favorite fictional worlds? Well, wonder no more, because we have the facts for you. Every week astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier explores fictional worlds by building them with a panel of expert guests, interviewing professional world-builders, or reviewing the merits of worlds that have already been built. You will learn, you will laugh, and you will gain an appreciation for just how special our planet really is. Subscribe today by searching Exolore in your podcast app or going to exolorepod.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. A lot of times I think about my life and the choices that I'm making like a path through the woods. I like going on hikes. I like exploring nature. And sometimes it can be a little scary when you look in front of you and you're like, "I don't know where the path went." And making difficult choices in life and figuring out where the path forward is, sometimes you need a little help with that. And whether you're dealing with decisions around career, relationships, or anything else, therapy helps you stay connected to what you really want while you navigate life. And I know having someone like my therapist to bounce ideas off of, to ask questions that I feel like I can't ask people who might be, like, too biased by the situation, it's really useful to have someone who can be this kind of sounding board, to let me know if I'm overthinking something, or if I'm forgetting to think about something else. Therapy is really great in that way. And if you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. 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JULIA: So we're back. And for this cocktail, I wanted to do something that was a twist on a dark and stormy because, obviously, Tempest in my mind is all about, like, both magic and the storm itself.
AMANDA: Oh, yeah.
JULIA: However, because of like how nice the island is, this kind of like paradise that Prospero has found himself on, I found a cocktail that combines lime juice, ginger beer, spiced rum, and a little bit of peach juice to kind of brighten it all up as a sort of like magical twist on a real classic.
AMANDA: Especially this time of year, I'm just— I'm not going to say no to stone fruit in any application, in any dish or drink.
JULIA: What I would also recommend if you really want to get like fancy with it, is if you have a grill or if you have, like, a cast iron skillet would also be fantastic, cut your pitch in half, take out the pit, lay it down either on your grill or your cast iron skillet, or like whatever, like, iron top you have. Let it get nice and caramelized. And then when you make this cocktail put in the slices of this, like caramelized grilled peach and mabolo at the bottom, and it's going to add that kind of like caramelly flavor that pairs really well with the spice rum.
AMANDA: And, Julia, you know what I tell myself when I'm like grilling something and trying to carmelize it and I'm just like getting antsy and I want to flip it a lot, but I really—
JULIA: Uh-hmm.
AMANDA: —have to leave it to make the mired reaction really, like, go for it?
JULIA: Yeah.
AMANDA: I say, "Don't flip that, bitch."
JULIA: "Don't flip that, bitch."
AMANDA: And then I don't.
JULIA: Don't do it.
AMANDA: And then I don't.
JULIA: A lot of times when I'm using a, like, cookbook and stuff, it'll tell me like, "Okay. So you want to leave that on the grill, like, on each side for about 5 minutes.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And I know that I am also, like, really, really antsy so I just, like, put a timer on my phone and then walk away from it for 5 minutes and just be like—
AMANDA: That's the move.
JULIA: "—Whatever is happening is happening. Just let it happen, Julia. Otherwise, it's gonna be undercooked and you don't want that."
AMANDA: Exactly, you don't want that.
JULIA: So while Caliban is out partying, Prospero is out there putting Ferdinand to work. Ironically, also having him just basically hauling wood much like Caliban is supposed to be doing.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And Fernando, unlike Caliban, is like, "Oh, this is pretty cool, actually. Plus this wood will keep my sweet Miranda, who I just met, very warm, and that's why I'm doing it for her. My love, my lady love." So while she thinks that Prospero is sleeping, Miranda approaches Ferdinand while he's working, telling him like, "Sweetheart, you can take a break." And then the two kind of, like, flirt to the point where Miranda is like, "Hey, you're great. Let's get married." And Ferdinand was like, "Damn, yeah. Let's do that. That would be awesome. We should totally get married."
AMANDA: This never occurred to me, but hell yeah, dude.
JULIA: Meanwhile, we see Prospero has been, like, observing the whole interaction, and it's like, you know, steepled fingers, "Ah, yes, all according to plan."
AMANDA: Hilarious.
JULIA: Cutting back to the trio getting drunk, Ariel comes across them and begins to kind of mess with them, using the classic Shakespeare invisible character uses voice of another to lure them away and or provoke them.
AMANDA: Classic D&D.
JULIA: We talked about it in Midsummer. It's like so good, it's so classic. I love the kind of, like, mimicking a voice in order to, like, push people over the edge or make them wander a certain way. It's so mischievous and classic European trickster.
AMANDA: Exactly.
JULIA: So Caliban begins to claim that he knows how to kill Prospero, and tells Stefano that he could take them to where Prospero sleeps, kill the man, take his daughter, and then make Stefano king of the island.
AMANDA: Exactly, why not?
JULIA: And Stephano, who is still drunk, is like, "Well, I would like to be a king." And so the three of them are about to go off and do just that, but Ariel once again begins to play his music, which distracts them and lures them kind of in the opposite direction of where they're going.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Or rather where they want to go. Meanwhile, we check in with the rest of the lords who have been traveling across the island in search of Ferdinand, and they're all exhausted, but Antonio and Sebastian, once again, are like, "Hey, what if we just like, killed all the others since they're so tired? Like they're so exhausted from all this walking, like they'd be so easy to kill, right?"
AMANDA: These guys really woke up from a shipwreck, and they're like, "I feel like murder today."
JULIA: I mean, this is the perfect excuse. Like, if we come back from a shipwreck, and then like, "We're just like, oh, yes, everyone else was lost at sea." No one would, like, doubt that. That's actually, like, not bad planning if you have murder on your mind already.
AMANDA: You're totally right, Julia. I just— I think it's hilarious that they're not like, "Thank God, we survived that, like, terrible experience. Let's, you know, figure out how we're gonna get the fuck off this island."
JULIA: Work together. Yeah.
AMANDA: Yeah. And— and instead, they're like, "You know what? This is a great time to do the mass murdering that I had been thinking about."
JULIA: It would be nice to do a little bit of murder, you know? You come off and you're like, "Oh, thank God, I have my life. What if my life were better? What if everyone else had not survived?"
AMANDA: It's like when your return flight gets canceled or delayed and you're like, "Okay, I could spend a night in Atlanta. That's fine.
JULIA: I like that vibe. That's a good a vibe.
AMANDA: Yeah.
JULIA: So, while they're kind of planning all of this additional murder that they want to do, Prospero, again observing all of this treachery invisibly, summons a magical banquet for the men set out by strange spirits.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And the men who apparently have never read anything about fairy lore are all about to eat. But then Ariel appears in the shape of a harpy, making the banquet vanish, and he accuses the men of treachery, specifically the treachery of usurping Prospero. And as payment for their crime, that is why Ferdinand has been taken.
AMANDA: You know it.
JULIA: You know it. And I mean, like harpy makes a lot of sense because again, in classic Greek Mythology, they were kind of the ones that, like, doled out punishment to those who committed, like, crimes against the gods or crimes against humanity.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: At that point, Ariel in harpy form, vanishes, and Alonso kind of vents his frustration and guilt to the rest of the men, being like, "Ah, fuck! I fucked up. Now, my son's been taken by this heartbeat thing. What's up with that?"
AMANDA: That's on me.
JULIA: Meanwhile, Prospero has started being, ah, nicer to Ferdinand and it's like, "Hey, you're gonna be my son-in-law soon. You're gonna marry my daughter. I like you now."
AMANDA: Yep.
JULIA: However, he tells Ferdinand, "Listen, you gotta be married before you try anything with her. Just want to stress that to you." It's like basically like a— like a very conservative sex-ed class, you can't have sex before you married or else you'll die.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: He then tells Ariel to bring other spirits to perform a masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. Now, a masque, for our listeners at home, is not the thing that you put on your face, but rather for Renaissance England, it was basically like courtly entertainment, right? It's music, dancing sets, costumes, drama. It was like a whole thing that was performed for the elite of society.
AMANDA: Yeah, it's spelled like the beginning of masquerade.
JULIA: Correct. Yes. And so this is in classic Shakespeare, kind of another play within a play here, right?
AMANDA: Always. God, I love him.
JULIA: Ariel and his spirits kind of perform this little skit about Ceres, Juno, Iris, and they're celebrating marriage and the fertility of the Earth, with a dance performed by nymphs and by reapers, and Prospero is just, like, loving this whole performance. But then he's like, "Ah, wait, fuck! Caliban and those two guys still are going to try to kill me. Damn, that's so annoying! Okay, spirits, get out of here. I've got to ask Ariel what's going on."
AMANDA: Shit.
JULIA: And so Ariel tells him what he knows, and he says that he lured the men through a bunch of briers and prickly grass, and then into a filthy pond that's near Prospero's rooms. And so they decide that they're going to set a trap for the men. And when they arrive in Prospero's rooms, the three men are immediately chased by a pack of spirits in the form of dogs, which chases them away.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So Prospero, then at this point, gets to deal with his other problem, which is Alonso, Antonio, and the rest of the lords that betrayed him. He sends Ariel to bring them to him, and he finally confronts Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian for what they did to him. However, he also tells them he's like, "I have forgiven you."
AMANDA: No you haven't.
JULIA: "But I am going to take my former title back. "
AMANDA: You will. But it's not because you have kindness in your heart.
JULIA: No, no. So Alonso is like, "Oh, okay, that's good. But, you know, I did lose my son in The Tempest that hit our ship." And Prospero is like, "Oh, I also lost my daughter, to marriage. psych." And then he, like, pulls a curtain and it reveals Ferdinand and Miranda who are playing chess, and then Ferdinand is like, "Oh, hey, dad, check it out. I met my future wife. I'm engaged."
AMANDA: This whole play, Julia, is like a set designer pissed off Shakespeare, and so he's like, "Hmm, how do I make a play that I can say is all set on one island, because it is, but require the most ridiculous effects of dogs, and curtains, and chess boards, and firewood, and storms?" Like, it is honestly too much.
JULIA: Uh-hmm. It was real mean of Shakespeare to do this to this poor set designer who apparently wronged him in some way. Or, Amanda, it might be that the set designer wronged Shakespeare in some way. It also might be that Shakespeare was a diva and was like, "No! Just fucking make it work!"
AMANDA: "Fucking make it work."
JULIA: Oh, we all remember Project Runway, make it work.
AMANDA: I would love to see Tim Gunn collaborate with Shakespeare, that'd be so good
JULIA: Imagine the costumes.
AMANDA: Incredible.
JULIA: Imagine the costumes.
AMANDA: Incredible.
JULIA: Imagine how good that Harpy/scene nymph look—
AMANDA: I know.
JULIA: —for Ariel would be, it would be amazing.
AMANDA: The proportions, amazing.
JULIA: So at this point, Ariel returns with the sailors from the ship who have just been kind of sleeping on the wreck this whole time. Bless their hearts. They've been magically sleeping, it wasn't that— just like they, like, went through a storm and they're like, "Alright, so we're all going to take a quick nap. We're super tired. Please, I'm so sleepy."
AMANDA: I'm so sleepy.
JULIA: So then Ariel finally retrieves Caliban and his two stooges, I will say.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Whereas Caliban, the stooge in the situation, who can say? And they are sent to clean up the mess that they made in Prospero's rooms, and Caliban kind of expresses remorse for trying to kill Prospero. And Prospero was like, "Okay, fine."
AMANDA: Whatever.
JULIA: Prospero then invites the lords to stay the night, so he can catch them up on what he's been doing on this island for the past 12 years, and then says that they will return back to Italy with Prospero once again being the duke. But also going into retirement like, you're like, "Okay, guy. Sure. whatever."
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Prospero then gives Ariel one final task, which is to make sure that the seas are calm for their return home. And then he sets the spirit free before turning to the audience and saying, "Hey, I did a lot of bad stuff in order to get my revenge. Sorry about that. Please forgive me and set me free by, hey, applauding."
AMANDA: Exactly. Much like Midsummer, there's a little turn and a little wink.
JULIA: Wink. He's like, "Hey, what if you put your hands together to set me free so that I might finally leave this island after 12 years?" And you're like, "My guy, you did a lot of shit."
AMANDA: To be honest, this is a powerful moment. I love reading it, I love seeing it. People have really, like, eaten up this soliloquy, performance-wise, and it is beautiful. It's just extremely funny to analyze them back-to-back, you know?
JULIA: Yes. You're like, "Oh, okay. Hmm, I mean, yeah, I mean it's a beautiful monologue. It sure is. It's like a really good one." And then you're like, "But again, do— do you know what we all just saw here in this play?"
AMANDA: With the help of your good hands, like, "Okay, we get it."
JULIA: And that is the end of The Tempest. As you can kind of see from the plot, magic obviously plays a big role in the show, especially with, like, parallels to power both political, metaphorical, and socially. And the first and biggest example of magic that we see in the story is obviously, like, Prospero, who we immediately see is this kind of powerful figure. Not only is he the leader of the island, but he also wields his power over its citizens who are magical in their own way, right? Like Caliban and Ariel have their own magic to them.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And it's his spells, and schemes, and desire for revenge that is kind of what drives the entire plot forward. However, interestingly, this kind of pursuit of magical power Shakespeare lays out for the audience is part of the reason that Prospero was usurped in the first place. Like, his obsession with knowledge and gaining magic through knowledge is what gives Antonio the opportunity to kind of take him out of the picture. And vice versa, Prospero at the end of the play gives up his magic when he's finally able to gain his kind of royal title back, right? He trades one form of power for another. And he tells Ariel that once he reaches his goals, quote, "I'll break my staff, bury it certain fathoms in the earth. And deeper than did ever plummet sound, I'll drown my book." Which again, like, shows that the books that were given to him by Gonzalo were the source of his power that allowed him to take his place here on the island, and the staff being kind of the way that he channels the magic that he knows.
AMANDA: Exactly. And it really, like, makes clear the source of magical power. This is not like the witches in Macbeth where they're just kind of like subtle in changing things, and the sort of like transformations happen off-screen. It's not even like A Midsummer Night's Dream where Puck can, you know, pluck a flower, and make a little potion, and like doo, doo, like there it is. It's really like— like you said, like some wizards shit. Like somebody who got access to power through words, and you see exactly what it is that gives him that connection, and how easily can be taken away.
JULIA: It's also interesting because this also portrays magic, and I feel like we've talked about this in past episodes, as a thing that is already for the elite. Because, obviously, like the average person in Shakespeare's time would not have access to the kind of knowledge that Prospero gains through the books that he reads and stuff like that. Like—
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: —a lot of the people weren't capable of reading, and a lot of the people wouldn't have access to books even if they could read. Not the type of books that Prospero is reading in order to gain magic. So it really is showing that, like, not only is the power that Prospero is using a, like, legit magical power, but it's also a kind of flex on his political and social power being like a rich, elite person.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: So he really trades kind of one power for another when he arrives at the island and gains these magical abilities, because no longer is he the Duke of Milan, but he is now the king of the island, the magician of the island.
AMANDA: Exactly. And there's just— there's so much in this play about words, about literacy, about being able to access that knowledge as you're saying, Julia. I just did a quick search and, like, the word word comes up 12 times in the play, the word speak, 27, the word book, 8 or 9. And there is just so much I imagine resonance for, you know, Shakespeare as somebody who probably felt lucky to have access to this stuff. The audience who are watching his plays are largely not able to read or write, and so there is just so much there. And I think for, you know, nerdy, young folks who are reading or seeing Shakespeare, or feel very connected to words, and what reading and kind of being transported means to us. This is a play that really stands out. Like, how often have you sunk into a book and it felt like you've been, you know, cast by a huge wave on some, like, distant shore? And you're, you know, figuring things out, and meeting friends, and sort of, you know, feeling danger along the way, because, like, that book takes you somewhere. And, like, yes, this is a play written to be performed, but for so many of us that is now how we access them. And it's something that always— whenever there is a book or reading represented in books and in plays, it always strikes me. And it's one of the reasons I love Whitman as well, because he too talks about like, "Hey, like you now in the future, like holding my little book in your hands, what is your life like?" And I'm like, "Dude, time travel. It's amazing."
JULIA: No, I— I love that. And like— like you said, words and language are so important in this play, and what's also important in this play is music.
AMANDA: Ooh.
JULIA: We have to talk about music if we're gonna talk about The Tempest, because the play features so much music and noise, and it's so important to kind of the magic that is being portrayed. Like, we literally open the first scene with thunder and lightning, which is showing off the magical power of Prospero, the fact that he's able to summon such a storm.
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: Caliban claims that the island is quote "full of noises" and the fact that, like, the drunken singing of Stefano is what he thinks is like, "Oh, this is sent to torment me, this music that Prospero has sent here." You know?
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: And then, of course, Ariel throughout the play is using music as a tool to manipulate the, like, unaware mortal men that have been brought to the island. He's able to seduce them with sound, he enchants them with music. He leads them away as they follow this kind of invisible source of charming music, which brings us to our game for this episode, Amanda.
AMANDA: Oh!
JULIA: Which I've titled, Play That Funky Music, Ariel.
AMANDA: Wow, I'm so excited!
JULIA: So Shakespeare adaptations love melding modern aesthetics with Shakespeare's work, obviously. For example, in our high school production of Romeo and Juliet, which we set in the '80s, the characters dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller at the ball where the lovers meet, right?
AMANDA: Yes. Wearing my mother's leather jacket from her high school days.
JULIA: So we're going to do something similar with The Tempest. I have picked three instances in which Ariel uses music to charm and enchant characters in The Tempest. I'm going to tell you the scene, and, Amanda, I'm going to ask you to tell me what song that, we definitely don't have the rights to play, you would have Ariel performed if you were putting on a production of The Tempest.
AMANDA: Oh, hell yeah.
JULIA: It's only three, and, Amanda, I know that like you and I don't have musical taste that is really, like, top 40s or anything like that. So I really just want you to, like, first thought, best thought for this one.
AMANDA: Excellent.
JULIA: Alright. So number one, this is when Ariel leads the drunk trio away from trying to kill Prospero into those briers and the swamp and all that.
AMANDA: Oh, man. Why is my first thought Shrek? I think because you said the word swamp.
JULIA: Is this from the soundtrack too?
AMANDA: Okay. Let's go with this. What is the Shrek movie soundtrack? Oh, it's Bad Reputation, Julia. Of course, it is.
JULIA: Uh-hmm. Uh-hmm. Joan Jett, shout-out. We love Joan Jett.
AMANDA: We love you, Joan Jett.
JULIA: I think she's a Long Island native, too.
AMANDA: Yeah. She lives on the same apartment building as my mom.
JULIA: Whoa! I did not know that.
AMANDA: In Long Beach. Yeah. Fucking Joan Jett.
JULIA: Shout-out, Joan Jett.
AMANDA: I know. My mom is like, "I saw Joan today." And I'm like, "Mom!"
JULIA: My best friend Joan Jett.
AMANDA: My best friend and queer icon, Joan Jett.
JULIA: Fantastic. Bad Reputation for that scene. We love to see it. Alright, incredible. How about the scene where Ariel puts the lords to sleep, which leads to the murderous plotting of Sebastian and Antonio?
AMANDA: Oh, okay. Shrek, what do you have for me? Alright, we have— I'm just drawing them all from the Shrek soundtrack at this point.
JULIA: That's fine, that's fine.
AMANDA: Um, alright. So what are— what's the mood do you want for here, Julia?
JULIA: So this is the song that Ariel plays to put the lords to sleep.
AMANDA: Oh.
JULIA: Which then leads to the murderous plotting between Sebastian and Antonio, where they're like, "We could just kill these guys and you could become king."
AMANDA: God. Um, I think I'm gonna go with Try a Little Tenderness, which apparently Donkey sings to Shrek to enter the wedding properly.
JULIA: Uh-hmm. Okay. Amanda—
AMANDA: Uh-hmm.
JULIA: —I fucking love that these are all Shrek songs.
AMANDA: You know, what am I going to tell you?
JULIA: Alright. And then the final one is the masque, which is the performance that teaches the lovers about, like, marriage, and fertility, and staying true to each other.
AMANDA: I'm a believer, Julia! It's got a to Neil Diamond's own. Perhaps the reprise, which is a very high energy. Julia's scrubbing her hands over her face.
JULIA: This is insane.
AMANDA: You know, it's just— it's good stuff, and this is a great soundtrack.
JULIA: Amanda, I fucking love it.
AMANDA: Thank you.
JULIA: This is great.
AMANDA: Thanks.
JULIA: No notes.
AMANDA: Good game.
JULIA: So that's— next time you see a production of The Tempest, and they don't perform a bunch of songs from the Shrek soundtrack, just know that they fucked up.
AMANDA: They fucked up. As did Julia— and I say this rarely, as did fandom, because I did just pull up an archive of our own real quick, wanting to just tell you how many fanfics there are shipping Ariel from The Tempest with Puck from Midsummer Night's Dream.
JULIA: Uh-hmm.
AMANDA: The answer is none. And there are actually only 76 fan works involving the character of Ariel, so—
JULIA: Guys.
AMANDA: —if these episode has inspired you at all, get on there. Match the number.
JULIA: Get on it. Well, Amanda, that brings me to the last thing that I want to talk about, which is talking about Ariel as a character.
AMANDA: Oh, good.
JULIA: And kind of just like how he compared to other spirits portrayed on stage during Shakespeare's time. So, like, most scholars seem to think that Shakespeare was likely inspired by the sort of Renaissance study of spirits and demons. And there is some debate between whether Ariel was inspired of kind of the demons of the air or more of the, like, neutral type of sprite that were studied during this time. And these types of spirits according to Renaissance demonology, which is not something I get to talk about very often, but something I fucking love.
AMANDA: Bring it.
JULIA: These were often the types of spirits that were called and controlled by a magician of sorts, which reminds me of— do you remember that YA series— I'm not going to remember the name of it, though. Bartimaeus?
AMANDA: Bartimaeus, yes!
JULIA: Yes! That's the vibe that I'm kind of going for.
AMANDA: Yes. I just had a sense memory of, like, seeing those books in your room.
JULIA: So this series, in case you haven't heard of it, was from, like, the early 2000s. It was called the Bartimaeus Sequence, and it was about kind of this djinn named Bartimaeus, who was summoned by a teenage magician.
AMANDA: Incredible.
JULIA: It's interesting because a lot of times in Shakespeare plays or in just, like, Renaissance Demonology, talking about magicians who summon these spirits, they're very like, will-less. They're very just, like, there to serve and then disappear again. And both Shakespeare and the Bartimaeus Sequence kind of have this humanity and almost sassiness that is instilled in the character of Ariel— or in the Bartimaeus Sequence, Bartimaeus. But I want to finish off with something that was perhaps my favorite bit of research that I came across in this episode.
AMANDA: Oh.
JULIA: Which is some scholars believe that Ariel might have been inspired by a character from the 1589 play called John a Kent and John a Cumber, which has an air demon that is controlled by a magician. And in the play, they basically do a lot of the tasks which Prospero has Ariel do in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
AMANDA: Sure.
JULIA: And the air demon's name is— Amanda, just take a wild guess what you think this demon's name is.
AMANDA: Oh, let's— let's stay with the theme. Let's say— let's say Fiona.
JULIA: Hmm. It's not Fiona. Amanda, the air demon's name of this play is Shrimp.
AMANDA: Shrimp?
JULIA: Shrimp!
AMANDA: Oh, my God. I love that.
JULIA: I just want a shout-out, you know, for DMs out there, GMS out there, fiction writers out there, just know that, like, when you're having trouble coming up with names for characters on the fly or while you're writing and stuff like that, it can't get better, but it also can't get worse than a 1589 play naming an air demon, Shrimp.
AMANDA: Casts eyes around the room wildly. Shrimp, sure.
JULIA: Shrimp.
AMANDA: Okay, chair. Yep, candle. Okay, great.
JULIA: Uh-hmm. Uh-hmm.
AMANDA: I love it.
JULIA: So on that note, that is what I have to say about The Tempest. I think maybe we can do maybe one or two more episodes of this series of, like, Shakespeare and magic. But, hey, conspirators, tell me if you're enjoying these and kind of what plays you'd like to see. I think we could definitely talk about Macbeth, for sure. Maybe the Ghost of Hamlet, but those are just the first ones that come to mind. I might be missing some because, again, I'm not a Shakespearean scholar.
AMANDA: But a Shakespearean enjoyer, Julia. And thank you so much for bringing us even more details and fun facts on this play and Shrimp.
JULIA: Shrimp! And remember, listeners, next time you see a production of The Tempest and they start playing Believer by Smash Mouth, stay creepy.
AMANDA: Stay cool.
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