The Power Of Discovery In Shakespeare's The Tempest

The process of discovery encompasses the experiences of realising something new, lost or concealed. This can invoke a range of emotions for those involved and for broader society in the process, often challenging long standing beliefs and ideas possessed by the individual, thus prompting a renewed world view. The power of discovery to transform lives in a variety of ways, is evident in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest (1611), which explores how the discovery of the hardships of others can influence individuals to alter and transform the way they perceive others and the world around them. The concept of discovery is further explored through Steven Spielberg’s Amistad (1997) and the novel The Lieutenant (2008) by Kate Grenville, which similarly

The personal and historical ramifications of Caliban’s emotional and psychological disclosure of life’s fragility are illuminated throughout the 1611 political play. The play portrays Caliban’s servitude, and as such, the audience interprets him as a symbol of oppression by European colonialism. Caliban’s visceral language is depicted paradoxically as both a gift from Prospero but also a curse, because Prospero manipulates Caliban to maintain power. This is evident in the rejoinder "You taught me language, and my profit on't / Is, I know how to curse". From this the audience gains a deeper insight into Prospero’s intention of usurping Caliban and the island. Further, Prospero insults Caliban, reminding him of his inferiority through animal imagery such as “hag-seed” and “monster”, analogous to the European belief of the inferiority of ‘natives’, which fuelled the transatlantic slave trade. Shakespeare’s use of anthropomorphism in Ariel’s emotive declaration, “your affections would become tender,” inspires compassion form his responders as he exemplifies the new-found humanity of the characters, and thus, how individuals can prompt evolution of the self through discoveries. Thus, Shakespeare encompasses the idea that the discovery of Prospero’s language by the outcast and enslaved Caliban challenges the ramifications of particular discoveries, differing the perspectives for individuals and their