William Shakespeare: Reflections on the Four Sublime States of Mind in The Tempest
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1302.26Keywords:
four sublime states of mind, Brahma-vihara, The TempestAbstract
The Tempest is one of William Shakespeare's late romances, and it is widely regarded as a play about forgiveness and reconciliation. The Tempest is worth considering from a Buddhist point of view. This study aims to examine the four sublime states of mind or Brahma-viharas described by the characters in The Tempest from a Buddhist perspective: Metta (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic joy), and Upekkha (equanimity). The investigation is carried out by examining the characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest. It found that the four sublime states of mind were depicted in six characters. Prospero is the only character who possesses all four sublime states of mind. The other five characters share some of the characteristics of the four sublime states of mind. They are, however, portrayed as good characters in the play, and they all have happy lives at the end of the play.
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