Rhetoric in Act 5 of The Tempest And The Play As a Whole

This week was an extension of spring break due to the increase in confirmed Coronavirus cases. Although we weren’t in school, we were assigned to read act 5 of The Tempest. In act 5 Shakespeare uses rhetoric in this act through the use of many rhetorical devices. One example of this is when Prospero frees Ariel and states, “Thou shalt be free as mountain winds” (Shakespeare, The Tempest, V.i.505). Shakespeare uses this simile to finally reveal Ariel’s freedom at the end of the play, after he has led them back to Naples. Overall, Shakespeare uses many rhetorical devices throughout the play to add depth and value to the script. New developments and the increase of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus has caused Dallas county, as well as the city of Sachse, to shut down all “non-essential” businesses. This includes businesses like dentists, plastic surgeons, etc. I have also noticed that people on Twitter are writing tweets using ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade people to stay indoors and wash their hands so that we can return to “normal life” as soon as possible. The quarantine reminds me of The Tempest because we are trapped inside of our houses just like how the characters in the play were trapped on the island.

This week I noticed rhetoric in my life when I persuaded my dad to let me leave the house to get my sister and I Chick-Fil-A. I used persuasive phrases like “I won’t be exposed if I don’t leave my car.” He concurred, but told me that I was only allowed to leave if I washed my hands both before and after I left my house, and if I went through the drive thru. I agreed, washed my hands, placed my mobile-pick-up order, waited in the drive thru for 30 minutes, washed my hands again, and happily ate my chicken nuggets.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. The Tempest. Cambridge :Harvard University Press, 1958.

KinglisH. “TFW You Can’t Eat Your Nuggies through Your Coronavirus Mask: /r/BabyYoda: Baby Yoda.” Know Your Meme, 4 Mar. 2020, knowyourmeme.com/photos/1771740-baby-yoda.