A Comparison of Ignorance in The Tempest and Sonnet 93 Essay

Ignorance in The Tempest and Sonnet 93 Ignorance has been said to be bliss. To equate appearance with reality is a facet of ignorance, and leads to a part of the bliss. Many of Shakespeares characters find the bliss of ignorance and revel in it, and some end up coming to terms with their gullibility. Some few are unwilling to abandon their ignorance even when they can see real truth. All are experiencing different stages of the human cycle. Coming into the world, we are equipped with nothing more than recognition of appearance. We must learn to the distinguish what is real from what is seen. Those who have the opportunity to learn this difference will often deny the truth to live in bliss a moment longer, those who†¦show more content†¦Finally in the ending of the book, we see Miranda is coming around slowly: Miranda: Sweet lord, you play me false. Ferdinand: No, my dearest love, I would not for the world. Miranda: Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it fair play. Miranda can abandon her total ignorance because doing so does not destroy her happiness. In slowly discovering the deception that characterizes the world around her, Miranda seems to proudly proclaim her love as her new source of happiness and safety from the tragic portion of truth. Because Mirandas happiness is safe in her love, she can move a little closer to the truth. Ferdinand is attempting to rediscover his ignorance through wonder and trust. He has been in court up until the boarding of the ship that crashed to start the play and could not have been ignorant in such surrounds. As his happiness is jeopardized by the apparent death of his father, Ferdinand attempts to rediscover bliss in ignorance. When he first sees Miranda, his ideal portrayal of her is an attempt to find his ability to wonder:Most sure, the goddess/ on which these airs attend! Vouchsafe my prayer/ May know if you remain upon this island, How I may bear me here. My prime request,/ Which I do last pronounce, is ( O you wonder! )/ If you be maid or no?.