The Power Of Culture In Shakespeare's The Tempest

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Intro:
The Tempest, a famous play written by William Shakespeare shows the restricting powers of a dominant culture. The play is filled with drama between two characters Prospero, a leader of the island and Caliban, his slave. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s a postcolonial revision of Shakespeare’s play was made by Aime Cesaire named A Tempest. Both versions of of the play approached the New World culture and the power to rule over someone. Rob Nixon author of Caribbean and African Appropriations of The Tempest critiques the value of an unstable social society. Nixon states “What the colonial subjects sought was the paradoxical freedom of secure dependence rather than any autonomous, self-determining freedom” (563). Critics like Nixon see …show more content…

(Cesaire, 1.2)
PROSPERO: Enough! Careful, Caliban! If you keep grumbling you’ll be whipped. And if you don’t step lively, if you keep dragging your feet or try to strike or sabotage really understand. So much the worse for you: I’ll speak it, loud and clear. Get a move on!
CALIBAN: All right, I’m going…but this is the last time. It’s the last time, do you hear me? Oh…I forgot. I’ve got something important to tell you.
In A Tempest one of Cesaire’s focus points is about Caliban’s power for his freedom. Prospero shows his power through communication in his rule over the island. The quote shows Caliban’s power of survival. He is enduring Prospero to get what he wants most, freedom. Lemming states “It is in his relation to Caliban, as a physical fact of life that we are allowed to guess some of Prospero’s needs. He needs a slave” (152). As former Duke of Milan, Prospero strongly believes he has all the power to give orders Caliban and anyone else around. Prospero did mention he would honor his promise of freedom to Caliban if he helps him with one more task. Prospero will take any opportunity that comes his way so he can rule over …show more content…

Prospero took over the island and in that process made Caliban his slave. There is the constant dilemma Shakespeare keeps bringing up about ownership. Caliban declares that the land is his so when he is fighting for his freedom he is also demanding his property back. Prospero believes he has the rights to the island being his because he was sent their years ago. He used to rule and is used to having higher power. In many ways Caliban does fight for what he really wants. He has the emotions of a person and faces the pain and anger everyday. Caliban is a constant reminder of evil and

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