Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies
"Tempest-Tost" is the debut novel by Canadian author Robertson Davies, which explores themes of ambition, love, and the complexities of community life through the lens of a local theater production. The story follows Hector Mackilwraith, a shy mathematics teacher who, seeking to break free from his mundane routine, auditions for a role in the Salterton Little Theatre's performance of Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Despite a lackluster audition, Hector's determination to participate stems from his desire for connection and a budding infatuation with Griselda, the daughter of the theater's owner.
Set against the backdrop of a small Canadian town reminiscent of Kingston, Ontario, the narrative weaves together various characters, including Griselda's suitors Solly and Roger, who represent competing interests in both love and ambition within the theater group. The novel satirizes elements of small-town life and highlights the artistic tensions that arise in community theater settings. As the story unfolds, Hector grapples with his feelings of inadequacy and rivalry, culminating in a dramatic climax during the play's performance that forces him to confront his inner turmoil. Ultimately, "Tempest-Tost" captures the transformative power of theater while reflecting on personal growth and the quest for belonging.
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Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1951
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Davies’ first novel, Tempest-Tost, draws heavily on his own involvement in community theatrical productions. While the novel uses multiple points of view, its protagonist is clearly Hector Mackilwraith, a lonely mathematics teacher who bravely chooses to vary the routine of his day-to-day existence by auditioning for a part in the Salterton Little Theatre production of The Tempest. Though he admonishes himself to “do nothing foolish,” the thought that he may soon be leaving Salterton for a different job encourages him to take the chance. His audition for the part of Gonzalo is not excellent, but he suggests that if he is not given a part, he will no longer serve in his essential role as treasurer of the Salterton Little Theatre. This production will be the company’s first outdoor production, to be performed at St. Agnes’s, an estate owned by George Alexander Webster.
Other important characters include Freddy (Fredegonde) Webster, the fourteen-year-old daughter of George Alexander Webster, and Griselda, her eighteen-year-old sister, with whom Hector becomes infatuated. As in a Shakespearean comedy, there are several other characters and relationships that provide a perspective on the story’s main action. Some characters involved with the Salterton Little Theatre seem designed to allow Davies to highlight, satirically, certain aspects of small-town life, and the conflicts, artistic and otherwise, that arise in local theater groups. Indeed, Salterton bears considerable resemblance to Kingston, Ontario, where the author spent much of his younger life, and several of the novel’s characters can be traced to individuals that Davies encountered there and in his earlier theatrical endeavors.
The fuller characters are the ones whom Hector perceives as threats to his future with Griselda. Solly Bridgetower is the wise-cracking young assistant director who is dominated by his mother, and he is the man in whom Griselda is actually interested. Roger Tasset is the play’s leading man, a womanizer who eventually fights with Solly. The play’s director is thirty-six-year-old Valentine Rich, a professional director who has taken on the Salterton Little Theatre production as a favor. She is also in town to settle the estate of her grandfather, Dr. Adam Savage.
Conflict arises as Hector, a very shy man but one who nonetheless has set his mind and heart on Griselda, begins to perceive Solly and Roger as romantic rivals. Griselda is moderately interested in Solly, who is sincerely attracted to her; Roger is only interested in her money and in winning her away from Solly, and declares his intention of taking her to the June Ball.
Hearing this, Hector decides to attend the ball as well, obtaining a ticket through shady means. Solly attends as the escort of Pearl Vambrace, the professor’s shy and sheltered daughter, who is smitten by Roger. At the ball, Griselda rejects Roger after he kisses her passionately. Hector witnesses only the kiss and assumes that a seduction is inevitable.
The novel’s climax comes with the performance of The Tempest. Before it opens, Solly declares his love for Valentine, who is flattered and accepts his statements as a compliment. Midway through the play, a despondent Hector attempts to hang himself in the shed that serves as the backstage area. Valentine berates him for endangering the performance and plays his role through the remainder of the play. At the end of the novel, order is restored when Hector comes to his senses and seems prepared to move past this episode.
Bibliography
Grant, Judith Skelton. Robertson Davies: Man of Myth. Toronto: Viking, 1994.
La Bossière, Camille R., and Linda M. Morra, eds. Robertson Davies: A Mingling of Contrarieties. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2001.
Lawrence, Robert G., and Samuel L. Macey. Studies in Robertson Davies’ Deptford Trilogy. Victoria, British Columbia: University of Victoria, 1980.
Little, Dave. Catching the Wind in a Net: The Religious Vision of Robertson Davies. Toronto: ECW, 1996.
Stone-Blackburn, Susan. Robertson Davies, Playwright: A Search for the Self on the Canadian Stage. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1985.