Question

Alonso, the King of Naples and the father of Ferdinand (the eventual husband of Miranda), suffers a "sea-change" in Ariel's famous song of I.ii.397-405. "Of his bones are coral made: / Those are pearls that were his eyes: / Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change / Into something rich and strange." How is this sea-change brought about and how can one tie this event to alchemical or hermetic ideology?

Answer 1

Answer:

The figure of the Magus, a combination of Alchemist and Magician, is quite current at the time of the first performance of The Tempest. In fact, Ben Jonson's The Alchemist is being played at the same time, and by the same theater company as is The Tempest. Prospero can be seen as following in the tradition of such real-life figures as Paracelsus, John Dee, Jacob Boehme, as well as the legendary Faust. Paracelsus (1493-1541), the great reformer of alchemy, also wrote on religious and spiritual matters, and his influence on late 16th and early 17th century alchemy was profound. Alchemy was often associated with wizardry and witchcraft. The alchemist John Dee (1527-1608) was accused of conjuring Devils, and unsuccessfully appealed to the demon- and witchcraft-obsessed James I to be cleared of these charges. During the early 17th century Jacob Boehme (1575-1624) wrote a number of mystical works, some of which drew on Paracelsist alchemical ideas - the Signaturum Rerum, the Threefold life of Man, and the Four Complexions. These were published throughout the 17th century and developed a new thread of mysticism, with alchemical resonances.

Explanation:

What is alchemy?

"Alchemy is of a twofold nature, an outward or exoteric and a hidden or esoteric. Exoteric alchemy is concerned with attempts to prepare a substance, the philosopher's stone, or simply the Stone, endowed with the power of transmuting the base metals lead, tin, copper, iron, and mercury into the precious metals gold and silver. The Stone was also sometimes known as the Elixer or Tincture, and was credited not only with the power of transmutation but with that of prolonging human life indefinitely. The belief that it could be obtained only by divine grace and favor led to the development of esoteric or mystical alchemy, and this gradually developed into a devotional system where the mundane transmutation of metals became merely symbolic of the transformation of sinful man into a perfect being through prayer and submission to the will of God. The two kinds of alchemy were often inextricably mixed; however, in some of the mystical treatises it is clear that the authors are not concerned with material substances but are employing the language of exoteric alchemy for the sole purpose of expressing theological, philosopical, or mystical beliefs and aspirations" (E. J. Holmyard, Alchemy, London: Penguin, 1957, 15,16).

Answer 2

Answer:

Extract from THE HAMMER OF WITCHES [Malleus maleficarum], 1486

The method of beginning an examination by torture is as follows: First, the jailers prepare the implements of torture, then they strip the prisoner (if it be a woman, she has already been stripped by other women, upright and of good report). This stripping is lest some means of witchcraft may have been sewed into the clothing-such as often, taught by the Devil, they prepare from the bodies of unbaptized infants, [murdered] that they may forfeit salvation. And when the implements of torture have been prepared, the judge, both in person and through other good men zealous in the faith, tries to persuade the prisoner to confess the truth freely; but, if he will not confess, he bid attendants make the prisoner fast to the strappado or some other implement of torture. The attendants obey forthwith, yet with feigned agitation. Then, at the prayer of some of those present, the prisoner is loosed again and is taken aside and once more persuaded to confess, being led to believe that he will in that case not be put to death.