Shakespeare's The Tempest

Textual Criticism of Shakespeare’s The Tempest The word brave has several different meanings throughout the history of the English language according to the Oxford English Dictionary. For William Shakespeare, the word has even more meaning. In his final play written, The Tempest, Shakespeare uses the word brave fourteen different times with several connotational differences. A play is usually developed by its characters, but in The Tempest, the language develops character, and the play is …

…In this case brave is defined in the footnote as fine or gallant. The Shakespearean lexicon helps reiterate this definition of brave meaning something fine, splendid, or beautiful (137). Miranda herself is a character possessing these qualities, as she is secluded from the outside world, her character becomes splendid in nature. She possesses an intrinsic beauty far different than the other characters, which are familiar with the horrors in the reality of the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**