Lying or Belying: Dreams in The Tempest

This article investigates the relationship between dreams and lies in William Shakespeare\u27s The Tempest. Building on the contradictory definitions of the word dream as it was understood in Shakespeare\u27s time, the article highlights several instances in the play where Shakespeare draws attention to the artifice of his theatrical dreams, making the argument that these meta-theater tricks ultimately serve to celebrate audiences\u27 imaginative processes. Consequently, this argument hinges on the historical reality of Jacobean theatrical productions, such as Gwilym Jones\u27s description of the Blackfriars Theater\u27s special effects in Shakespeare\u27s Storms and Plato\u27s critique of false poets in Book X of The Republic. Throughout, the article asserts that—due to the combination of the play\u27s inherent artificiality and its celebratory nature—Shakespeare champions and applauds his own audience\u27s imagination