Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616--Tempest

The characterizations in The Tempest resemble the archetypes of the
collective unconscious and appear to gather their momentum from
Shakespeare's understanding of the individuation process. In depicting
the unfolding dynamics of psychic change, the playwright anticipates
Jung's theory of individuation by showing the compensatory influence
these numinous figures have on the characters' conscious orientations
as they move from separation to subsequent union. The characters'
agitated and irrational responses to the archetypal manifestations
are a reflection of the psychic division characteristic of the individuating
mind. Harmony and reason are achieved as the characters
heal their division by integrating the conscious contents of their
projections. This enlarging of the personality and broadening of
collective relationships transform The Tempest into a variation on the
quest for individuation offering a psychic stage for the Jungian notions
of process and renewal.

Renaissance ideology positioned the witch as deviant and dangerous. Using common cultural perceptions, Shakespeare's and Middleton's dramas help both to define and to produce alternative notions of the witch. Analyzing the function of the witch as cultural icon reveals why the cultural community scapegoated certain women, particularly "wise women." These women were often older and unattached, uncanny in their powers of perception and unruly in their refusal to conform to societal norms. Such women challenged the discourse of power employed by patriarchy. The Tempest requires the reader to read through Prospero's propaganda to examine his motive for vilifying Sycorax. In The Witch, the witch is associated with the "masterless woman" who, in defying masculine authority, inverts the status quo, transgressing established boundaries of acceptable behavior. The witches in both these plays mirror Renaissance mores and belief structures, exposing the hypocrisy behind their civilized facades.