Magic Realism in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine a comparative study between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children in the light of Magic Realism. It aims to examine Shakespeare’s and Rushdie’s treatment of Magic Realism during 16th century England and 20th century India, respectively. For this propose, it attempts to portray some important characters, like Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel in the play, The Tempest and the narrator, Saleem Sinai in the novel, Midnight Children. It aims to look at applying the theory of Magic Realism made by prominent critics and scholars. It also wants to focus on magic, supernatural, occult, imagination, reality, and mystery. Both Shakespeare’s and Rushdie’s literary texts are analyzed within the parameters of these issues. Finally, this paper presents the art of characterization, themes and situations, writing forms, similarities and differences in various phases of the two famous writers.