Author

Erika Folk

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Myhill, Nova

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

The first portion of this thesis is an exploration of magical coding, or the labeling of magical identity, through costume in the production history of the character Ariel from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Particular attention is given to the historical patterns of gendered casting which color the way Ariel’s magical identity has been expressed within the play, as well as the trends in portrayal of the relationship between Ariel and Prospero, the protagonist of the work. The second part of this thesis is a detailed costume design and construction project which establishes, through costume, a characterization of Ariel which has not often been portrayed on the stage – that of an empowered and dangerous female Ariel.

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