Usurpation is a common theme in Shakespeare’s plays, for example in Hamlet or in Macbeth, where the king gets maliciously killed. However, what makes The Tempest stand out is the fact that it is not a tragedy but a comedy – and Shakespeare included usurpation as an important theme in a humorous play. From the very beginning, the theme is shown through the story of Prospero’s past, where Antonio seizes the dukedom from Prospero. The reason for this is that Prospero’s ‘art were all [his] study’ and as he was not performing his job, his brother used the opportunity to ‘hurry [them] aboard a bark’ in a ‘rotten carcass of a butt’. Although Prospero calls Antonio ‘false’ a number of times, there is a number of oxymorons used in Act 1 Scene 2 where …show more content…
Prospero talks about this even, implying that he might have conflicted feelings towards what his brother did. For example, Miranda states ‘good wombs have borne bad sons’ which is a nature/nurture idea and could suggest that there is still a chance for Antonio to be good. However, later in the play, Antonio attempts to encourage Sebastian to kill his brother, the duke of Naples. The theme of usurpation comes back with slightly different characters. As Antonio begins to talk about the king’s murder right after he has fallen asleep, it means that he has already thought of the opportunity and he might think it is something that could be done naturally. As he has done it before, it is possible it is on his mind because of the achievements it has given him, but it might also be because of the guilt that is still warm in him because of the attempted murder of Prospero. When Prospero finds himself on the new island, he meets Caliban, who was left there by his mother Sycorax, a witch who passed away.
‘This island’s mine, by Sycorax, my mother’ raises issues about authority and colonialism (Goold, 2007). The play suggests that Prospero has taken Caliban as his slave after the dispute. Caliban does not think Prospero is in charge of him, which could even be seen by the way he addresses Prospero. One of the simplest signs of respect in Shakespeare’s times was shown by addressing a single superior with the plural form of the second-person pronoun; ‘ye’ or ‘you’. Superiors were entitled to address their inferiors as ‘thou’ or ‘thee’, although ‘thou’ could also be used as a form of intimacy (Norbrook, 1998). When Caliban speaks to Prospero, he addresses him with ‘thou’ – “When thou cam'st first, / Thou strok'st me and madest much of me,” – therefore Caliban thinks of himself as equal as or more powerful than Prospero. However, it could also be seen that he uses ‘thou’ in the informal way, and therefore could be seeing Prospero as a fatherly figure, and this would mean he does see Prospero as one above him and in possession of power. Caliban also challenges Prospero’s authority, even after Prospero treats him like dirt, saying that because Prospero taught him the language, he can now curse him. It could be said that because of the way Prospero has been treated in the past, he now feels like someone else must suffer through what he has suffered. He …show more content…
now has no sympathy for Caliban and he tortures him regularly which shows that for Prospero, torturing those who don’t obey his commands can be a pleasure as well as a duty (Times, 2012). This means that usurpation can be seen not only as duty but also as a pleasure. Caliban’s cry This could be further supported by the fact Alonso suggests to Sebastian to kill the King of Naples.
Sebastian almost sees it as his duty, and the only thing which worries him is his conscience afterwards. The effect of usurpation on conscience can be seen very clearly in Macbeth, where he suffers from illusions, as does his wife. Therefore, it would be clear that Shakespeare has already revised the effects of usurpation on conscience in his earlier plays. Yet here, Antonio proclaims he has no conscience, in a jokingly way. As conscience was seen as almost a Godly thing, Antonio’s atheistic statement shows him as almost devilish and in the absence of God. Sebastian says ‘As thou got’st Milan, I’ll come by Naples’ – so murder in order to obtain power is seen again as a thing of duty, on which Sebastian and Antonio
agree. Because of the vengeful feeling throughout the play, it could be expected that Prospero ends up killing Antonio at the end, however, even though Prospero may have intended to revenge his usurpation, by punishing his brother Antonio and Alonso, in the end he refrains. He learns, instead, the value of mercy and the virtue of reconciliation (Goold, 2007). So in the end, Shakespeare might be showing that the customs of usurpation in the world may be broken, and as Prospero is shown as the wisest character in the play, it is shown also the wisest to forgive and forget the mistakes of the past. – ‘The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance’.
With the semester coming to an end, many students are excited. This especially includes those who will be graduating soon. However, graduation can be seen as a bittersweet moment. On one hand, the graduates enter into a new chapter in their lives. On the other hand, they may lose communication with some of their friends. Unfortunately, this is a natural aspect of each person’s life. Everyone will experience some kind of loss in their life, whether it is person or an object. In The Tempest, Shakespeare discusses the topic of loss. While this theme is not talked about much compared to other themes in the play, it is very important since it is a theme that is included in the 1956 movie adaptation Forbidden Planet. While both works illustrate the ways people deals a loss, the later work demonstrates how the advancement in the world have affected the way modern society
Shakespeare’s The Tempest is similar to the colonization of the Americas because they both involve foreigners coming to natives land and enslave them: but they differed in that The Tempest, they enslave a native for a crime, whereas they just enslave the natives for work in the Americas, and Caliban was created as an allegory to the natives that Europeans were enslaving.
In summary, Shakespeare’s The Tempest play explores the theme of opposition to the colonial-style authority of Prospero based on various characters’ covert and overt reactions to the master’s antics. For instance, Ariel opposes Prospero’s continuous detention of the former regardless of an earlier agreement to the contrary. Moreover, Caliban expresses his dissatisfaction with the forced labor that her does for Prospero. To prove his opposition to Prospero’s authority, Caliban plans the master’s death. Miranda also makes a statement that indicates her displeasure with the way Prospero executes his authority especially with regard to Ferdinand. The imprisoned Ferdinand also indicates his opposition to Prospero’s power through a disproving statement made before Miranda.
Caliban is treated in a highly demeaning manner since Prospero is a man of magic and has infinite power to control Caliban in every aspect. It is seen early on in the play the amount of control that has been placed over Caliban, to the extent that memories make him cringe and satisfy all of Prospero’s needs. Prospero is obviously the Duke of that island similar to how he was Duke of Milan before being usurped and banished to the island, which is Caliban’s home. In general, the relationship of Prospero and Caliban is a model of early colonization into the New World considering Caliban is it’s only inhabitant. In reality, colonization is the chief reason slavery was implemented which was to maintain laborers in order to prosper in the New World.
Often times, it is difficult to decipher if an act is morally just, or completely wrong. In The Tempest, Prospero’s actions are disputed whether they are justified with good reason, or if they are adding on to the list of wrongdoings by the characters in the play. While some people may argue that Prospero had strong reasons for his actions, in reality Prospero’s act of creating the tempest, enslaving Ariel and Caliban, and testing Ferdinand are unjust.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1611) is a play about the manipulation of people who have a lack of knowledge of the current situation. Throughout the play Shakespeare uses Prospero a wizard as a master manipulator. The manipulation by Prospero, Ariel and Stephano are used to show that if you keep knowledge from others it is easy to take advantage of them. This was the case during the colonization of the New World by the English, Spanish and French. When first coming to the New World people from the old world uses manipulation and the lack of knowledge of the native people in order to overtake the land. By using manipulation Prospero is able to put into affect his plan to regain his dukedom.
Like Russ Mc Donald I also believe that Shakespeare devoted his last comedy largely to the exploration of the shapes and effects that possession and the search for power can have on persons. The Tempest's central character, Prospero, is also crucial to this interpretation. His unique magical gifts give him undefeatable power to wreak vengeance on his enemies. It is a position fraught with dangers both for him and for others. But he is not the only veichel. Entwined with this wizard's inventive qualities are questions over what can only be called, by a modern reader as the theme of colonialism in the play which pervades the minds of all the 'civilised' Italians; Caliban and Miranda are the two primary victims of this patriarchal society. One must also make a note of the motif of usurpation in the play and recognise its interesting implications.
Shakespeare's Presentation of the Relationship between Prospero and Caliban in The Tempest Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ is set on a small island between Tunis and Naples. The play is initially based around Prospero; once Duke of Milan, a loving father to Miranda and inhabitant of the island for the past twelve years, after being usurped by his scheming brother Antonio. When exploring the relationship between Prospero and Caliban, a ‘whelp hag-born’ living on the island when Prospero and Miranda first arrive, we must consider a number of aspects of Prospero and Caliban’s relationship. It is important to look at the following points; Prospero’s treatment of Caliban when first arriving on the island and his treatment during the play, Caliban’s constant struggle for acknowledgement from both Prospero and Miranda, Caliban’s plan to overthrow Prospero with Trinculo and Stephano and finally, Ariel; another creature living on the island who is also enslaved to Prospero-but in an entirely different way to Caliban. When Caliban first enters during Act 1 Scene 2, Prospero instantly uses much abusive language towards Caliban and describes him as a ‘poisonous slave, got by the devil himself’.
The play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare is a very cleverly thought out piece of work. Shakespeare very deliberately inter-relates several different forms of power during the course of the play. There is political power, shown through the plethora of political characters and their schemes, while at the same time parodied by the comic characters. The power of magic and love, and its ability to reunite and absolve also plays a major role in the play. Throughout the play, Prospero, the main character, takes great advantage of his power and authority, both properly and improperly. The epiphany of this however, is realized at the end of the play.
If there were no king the country would be in chaos for there would be
without even mentioning it as wrong. Sebastian displays weakness of character in succumbing to Antonio’s plan and therefore represents. this as a flaw leading to outrageous consequences in an otherwise respectable man. Here we may compare him with Macbeth who was also persuaded by another, allowing his hidden evil to surface. With these characters, I believe Shakespeare is aiming to prove that money and birth alone cannot make a man who is essentially evil.
Shakespeare's "The Tempest" forms a world within itself. Within this world, many topics regarding government, power and colonization are addressed. Shakespeare tackles the discovery of new places and races, the relationship between the colonized and the colonist, old world ideologies on new soil, as well as theories on civilization and government. These aspects at the core reveal a very clear struggle for political power. Prospero's first major monologue creates the foundation of such a theme. In 1.2 lines 30-175 Prospero tell his story recounting the usurpation of the power he had as Duke of Milan, then quickly renews his power on the island. Prospero beings his story with an authoritative tone stating: "Obey and be attentive" (1.2 48). Desiring political power and authority becomes the core from which other themes derive.
In The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, Prospero takes revenge upon his betrayers and is able to overcome the part of himself that tries to consume him. The epiphany that Prospero has changes him form an almost inhuman being, who ironically takes the time to be a father, to a person capable of showing forgiveness and letting go of false empowerment. From the beginning of the play, Prospero starts off as a father figure to Miranda. This can be seen when he says, “My dear one, thee, my daughter” (I, ii).
The Tempest was Shakespeare’s final play and as a result has been read many different ways. One character that has sparked discussion among scholars is the original inhabitant of the mystical island, Caliban. I hesitate to describe Caliban because he has been called many things, but Shakespeare certainly intended him to be a savage and a servant of Prospero. Since Caliban was the original inhabitant, many view the interactions between Prospero and him as a representation of conquest and colonization. Aime Cesaire wrote a critique of the The Tempest titled A Tempest, which portrayed Prospero as a slave-owner on a Caribbean island .
The Tempest was written in 1611 as Shakespeare’s last romantic comedy. This play is focused mainly on the theme of power. Shakespeare portrays an aging magician who has been living in exile with his young daughter on a remote island for the past 12 years. Shakespeare presents forms of power in different ways, but mainly through the characters of Prospero. In The Tempest Shakespeare shows 3 different types of power, which are through love, power over his slave Caliban, and power of magic.