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It is possible for one to examine the numerous similarities present between William Shakespeare’s character, Prospero, from his play, The Tempest, and Christopher Columbus, the Genoese explorer. In Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, Prospero is the ousted Duke of Milan who finds himself stranded on an unfamiliar island inhabited by unfamiliar people, some of which he considers to be nonhuman. Christopher Columbus and Prospero can be viewed as extremely similar men, because both Prospero and Columbus leave the comfort of their own country and eventually find themselves on a new, peculiar island in which they encounter unfamiliar people who seem to have inhabited the land before they arrived. Prospero and Columbus both treat the native inhabitants …show more content…
One extremely apparent similarity between Shakespeare’s Prospero and Christopher Columbus is their treatment of the natives, or current inhabitants, of the lands they arrive on. Columbus is famously known throughout history for his cruel treatment of the Native Americans who inhabited the islands he claimed to discover during his voyage to the “New World” long before his arrival, and when Columbus arrived in the “New World”, he completely took over all aspects of life on the land, ruthlessly exiling the natives from their homes without any negotiations. Columbus and his crew of European colonists rationalized with their intrusion of previously inhabited land by depicting themselves as much more intelligent and knowledgeable than the natives, although that idea is not historically proven true at all. In The Tempest, Prospero is forcefully shipped out of his home country and stranded on an unfamiliar island where he receives help from Caliban, a previous inhabitant and the rightful owner of the island. Both Columbus and Prospero were aware of the venerability of the natives because they were not exposed to the advanced weapons/tool and knowledge the Europeans were, and they both used that venerability to …show more content…
Acclaimed as the founder of the amazing New World, Columbus’s for lack of better words, discovery, led to a greedy European land conquest of numerous other undiscovered lands expanding from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The outbreak of colonization of Europe often included lands that already been populated but native inhabitant, and much like Columbus, European settlers would commonly outstep their boundaries and force themselves on the native people. The unfair take over of native’s land by the Europeans was commonly justified by the ideas of Western civilization being superior to all other cultures and all other, “uncivilized” cultures need for westernization in order to become civilized. The events being depicted through The Tempest can be seen as a kind of metaphor for this outbreak of colonization of new lands throughout European cultures. Christopher Columbus and the European colonizers unashamedly took over lands that were currently occupied by natives who had previously occupied the land for numerous generations’ prior and claimed cultural superiority over the inhabitants. The metaphor for this historical event in The Tempest is extremely apparent through Prospero’s decision to proclaim himself ruler of the island and treat Caliban and Ariel, the only known natives to
Thus began the story of the European invasion and conquest of the Indian settlements in the Americas. A story of conquest, slavery, and adventure. The search for wealth, fame and power is not modern; it is rather traditional. The story begins when Christopher Columbus asked for financial backing for an expedition to the Atlantic. Already, rivalry existed between Portugal and Spain concerning who had more power in Europe. Playing on this rivalry, Columbus met with the king of Portugal seeking sponsorship but was refused and therefore had to convince the rulers of Spain in order to carry out this expedition he much wanted. Luckily for him, King Ferdi...
The Tempest by William Shakespeare is one of the most relevant and studied plays of the Elizabethan period among scholars, from both, ancient and actual times. One of the many readings that have prevailed suggests that the play’s protagonist, Prospero, and his two su-pernatural servants, Ariel and Caliban, can work as a single psychological unit is constantly discussed by the academics. This reading is not new; it has been considered for longer than the idea of The Tempest as an autobiographical allegory, being first proposed by Thomas Campbell in 1838 (Yachnin).
The study of Shakespeare’s The Tempest raises many questions as to its interpretation. Many believe that this play shows Shakespeare’s views on the colonization of the new world whereas others believe that this is a play about the ever elusive “Utopian Society”. I believe that this is a play about the European views of society and savagery at that time. I also believe that, if this is true, the play doesn’t portray a “conventional” view of native peoples. Shakespeare shows this by having Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan and Usurping ruler of the island, call Caliban,
Shakespeare's play, The Tempest tells the story of a father, Prospero, who must let go of his daughter; who brings his enemies under his power only to release them; and who in turn finally relinquishes his sway over his world - including his power over nature itself. The Tempest contains elements ripe for tragedy: Prospero is a controlling figure bent on taking revenge for the wrongs done to him, and in his fury he has the potential to destroy not only his enemies, but his own humanity and his daughter's future.
In the comedic, yet thrilling play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare uses characters such as Caliban, Alonso, and Ariel to show Prospero’s immense cruelness and pure monstrosity. Moreover, these Shakespearean characters are also used to highlight Prospero’s change in character into a kinder and more forgiving person. Prospero starts the play out as a vengeful monster, after an illuminating moment however, his persona transforms into his true identity of a compassionate man.
In the play, The Tempest, there are characters that are that represent the colonization of the new world. Ariel and Caliban are characters that depict how Native Americans were viewed and treated during colonization. Europeans thought of them as savages that would not be able to adopt their culture. However, this was not true, and Europeans were able to introduce their culture to them. The Native Americans were a great help to them. They taught the Europeans how to survive on the land and build a colony. The characters Ariel and Caliban are similar because they represent the Native American people as they both have their uses, and this causes Prospero to treat them differently.
Through The Tempest play, William Shakespeare weaves together a tale that is characterized by anti-colonialist sentiments. Prospero - the deposed Milan Duke - adopts a colonialist mentality by treating his colleagues as slaves who have no rights. Characters who suffer mistreatment under Prospero include: Ariel - the spirit creature; Ferdinand - the Naples Prince; and Caliban - Sycorax’s son. Prospero possesses much magical power which he uses to oppress his compatriots. Consequently, Prospero is portrayed as a colonial tyrant who abuses his immense power. Anti-colonialism feelings are especially evident through the actions, utterances and disposition and of Caliban, Miranda, Ferdinand and Ariel. To illustrate, Caliban berates Prospero for the former’s forced labor. Likewise, Ariel protests Prospero’s reluctance to release the former as earlier agreed. Miranda also expresses her dissatisfaction with Prospero’s unfair imprisonment of Ferdinand. Similarly, Ferdinand appears to challenge Prospero’s authority by briefly stopping dragging timber so as to flirt and chat with Miranda. The foregoing four characters exhibit conduct that highlights their displeasure with Prospero’s colonial-style authority over them. From the preceding expose, it can thus be concluded that Shakespeare’s The Tempest play is about anti-colonialism based on its depiction of Caliban, Miranda, Ferdinand and Ariel’s opposition to Prospero’s oppressive authority.
In literature as in life, characters are multi-dimensional beings. They possess a wide variety of character traits that make them who they are. In the Tempest written by William Shakespeare, Prospero traits resemble those of the Europeans that came during the exploration of the Americas. Thus, Prospero’s treatment of Caliban is similar to the way Europeans treated the Native Americans.
The Tempest, it is clear, features an experiment by Prospero. He has not brought the Europeans to the vicinity of the island, but when they do come close to it, he has, through the power of illusion, lured them into his very special realm. The experiment first of all breaks up their social solidarity, for they land in different groups: Ferdinand by himself, the court group, Stephano and Trinculo by themselves, and the sailors remain asleep. The magic leads them by separate paths until they all meet in the circle drawn by Prospero in front of his cave. There he removes the spell of the illusions; the human family recognizes each other, and together they resolve to return to Italy, leaving behind the powers of the magic associated with the island.
The Shakespearean play, The Tempest, is one of the most controversial in terms of relationships in the play. The play was written in 1611 soon after the English arrived in America in 1607, launching the colonial period. This was the beginning of colonization to America, which lead to the evolution of indentured servants into slaves. Many critics have stated that the relationship between Prospero and Caliban was that of a slave and master and a representation of how the English colonized foreign lands that belonged to the indigenous Americans. Each situation could be argued and validated according to the portion of the play being analyzed. Both roles are applicable and I will provide evidence of both to prove that they are synonymous in a sense.
The Tempest presents the appropriation of the island and it’s inhabitants by Prospero’s imperial patriarchal regime as entirely natural and inevitable, based upon the inherent inferiority of the original population. In doing so, the play is a precise repetition of imperialist rhetoric, which legitimizes European annexation of ‘other’ lands and peoples over which they have no legitimate claim.
It’s not the discovery one makes that shapes its worth, rather the way in which their perspective and values change as a result. Whilst Prospero is calling the storm that sinks his enemy’s ship in The Tempest, Miranda exclaims “If by your art…you have / Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them”. The imagery used and connotations of “allay” convey Miranda’s reaction to the discovery of her father’s power and the penned up anger within. With this discovery in mind, Miranda undergoes a change in values; specifically her undying loyalty to her father as the situation positions her to side against him. This highlights how new contexts and situations can stimulate discovery, as well as encourage one to engage and adapt their values. At the time Shakespeare’s plays were being written and performed, England was an emerging global superpower, focused on expanding its borders. Colonialism and the philosophy behind it are explored by Shakespeare through Prospero and Caliban’s relationship; that of a European colonizer and a native inhabitant. Prospero believes Caliban should be grateful towards him for assuming rulership of the island and educating him, raising Caliban above his ‘savagery’; “A thing most brutish, I endowed thy purpose”. The dramatic irony of this statement expresses the ignorance of Prospero’s attitude towards Caliban. The audiences knows that in reality, Caliban feels that his rulership has been stolen and soon realises Prospero views him as an inferior. Similar to Prospero on the island, in Life of Pi, Pi finds himself stranded on a small boat with only a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker as company. Bereft of any human companionship and facing the harsh reality around him, Pi discovers what he believes to be his lowest point in life. The morning after the storm and shipwreck, a wide shot depicts Pi drifting across the clear ocean, before fading into another, almost identical shot with
The illusions of justice and freedom, and what they truly are, has been a reoccurring theme throughout the works. The definitions of justice and freedom have become so construed throughout the times. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero tries to enthrall his audience in his narrative of social justice. The idea of justice the play portrays represents one individual who controls the fate of all others. Their freedom is controlled by the interference of those around them. Although he spends most of the play righting the wrongs done to him, he is misdirecting so to hide his true motive. Prospero misconstrues the definitions of justice and freedom by enslaving Ariel and Caliban, using magic for his own good, and creating a false happy
The Tempest, like any text, is a product of its context. It is constructed in relation to moral or ethical concerns of 17th century European Jacobean society. The resolution of conflict appears 'natural' or an inevitable consequence if regarded in relation to the concerns of its context. The resolution of conflict in this play incorporates Prospero being returned to his 'rightful' or natural position as Duke of Milan, his daughter Miranda getting married to Ferdinand, and the party returning to Milan leaving the island to the 'monster', Caliban. The resolution is a consequence of the concerns of the time, including the idea of the divine right of kings, courtly love, and colonisation.
The Tempest, by Shakespeare, offers the reader a variety of themes. The one theme that stands out the most is that of colonialism. During the time of Shakespeare, many European countries such as Spain, France, and England, were expanding their borders by taking over less developed countries, referred to as colonies. During this time of exploitation, there was skepticism concerning the possible success of the colonies. While some scholars believe that the play is about the Americas, I argue that the play reflects on colonialism in general and how it is destined for failure which is shown through the character’s relationships throughout the play.