William Shakespeare’s last, and highly revered, play The Tempest is seen as not only one of his greatest works but the Bard’s farewell to the stage all together. In his work not only does Shakespeare criticize the notion of a utopian society but parallels that with the repercussions of the latter dystopian society as well. It can be seen in the play that there is a constant theme of struggle between what is considered the “real world” and an ever-emerging “new world” as it is portrayed on the island. The two conflicting worlds create a sense of imbalance throughout the work as a distinct “ruler” is unclear to the viewer, who’s island is it? And what do they hope to gain? In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest not only is the notion of modern society questioned through situation, but also examined through form and the construction in the play that mirror the shortcomings that it embodies.
What is a perfect utopia? Or even a catalytic dystopia? All of which are pertinent questions to be addressed. Coined in 1516 by Thomas More in his book Utopia, written almost 1oo years before Shakespeare, he imagined a world outside of European society (XXX). Much like More the ideals in The Tempest don’t vary differently from this view of society outside of the controlling government. In contrast the idea of a dystopian society can be seen to originate around the growing tension as viewed in the aristocracy throughout the period and could be a precursor into the abolitionists movements that followed. As portrayed in The Tempest these two ideas merge and create a paradox within themselves as one’s “Utopia” causing another view that the same world becomes another’s “Dystopia” leaving the two to live in perfect suspension within reality.
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...ackles the personal involvement each individual has in society and how that affects the general consensus of what is deemed “perfect” and what is considered to be detrimental to the same civilization. In his play he exposes the “real world” as an imperfect interpretation of society as seen through the eyes of Prospero. While in contrast Gonzalo sees this “new world” as the perfect opportunity to right the wrongs of modern society, a new colony posed with the same problems, but unlike modern society, it solves them and therefore become a better world. The Tempest poses the ultimate question; can a perfect society ever exist? And if so what limits or implantations would that afflict on the individual citizens, could it be possible that one day everyone could potentially work together to assert themselves to be apart of a collective consciousness in which we all exist?
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
In Maryse Condé novel, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, Tituba is the victim of the spread of colonial ideology. Colonial ideology is established early in the novel and plays a role throughout. Colonial ideology is the reason Tituba is a slave to white men throughout the play. Colonial ideology is the reason why Tituba’s opinion is considered irrelevant by other characters in the play. Tituba’s life is filled with lost, misery, and disappointment because of the ideology shared by other characters in the novel. The spread of colonial ideology leads to Tituba’s low role in every society she lives in during her life.
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.
The definition of ‘monstrosity’ and what it means to be ‘monstrous’ can be understood to mean something that is visually unattractive, malformed and/or terrifying. However, monstrosity is not exclusively about something aesthetically ugly, it can also apply to what differs from what is considered ‘normality’. What is ‘normal’ versus what is ‘monstrous’ is closely linked when exploring ideas about the human condition. The representations of monstrosity in Frankenstein and in The Tempest reveal how what is monstrous and what is normal are often found side by side, challenging the idea that it is limited to outcasts who do not ‘fit-in’, and that deep down, a desire to be understood, accepted and included and to live life with meaning are central to the human condition and that monsters in society often reveal our deep seated fears and anxieties about our own existence.
During Shakespeare's time social classification was much more rigid than today and some members of society were considered superior to other members. Shakespeare provides an example of this rigid social structure through his play, The Tempest. Shakespeare illustrates how superior men differentiated themselves from lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Through the character of Prospero, Shakespeare provides and example of one, who had reason to feel superior, yet treated others equally and with the respect due to them.
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.
Theme of Utopianism in The Tempest One traditional theme of The Tempest is Utopianism. Whether it be of physical significance, as Walter Cohen suggests in his essay "Shakespeare and Calderon in an Age of Transition," or of literary significance, as Judith Boss suggests in her essay "The Golden Age, Cockaigne, and Utopia in the Faerie Queene and The Tempest," it is an important piece of literature in contribution to Utopianism. Judith Boss does an excellent job of breaking down Utopianism within The Tempest into three different categories, the Golden Age, Cockaigne, and Utopia. All three are implemented, or can be derived from The Tempest. In Walter Cohen’s essay, he suggests that Shakespeare wrote The Tempest by no coincidence near the end of his career and life because it was an argument, or representation, of what England’s foreign policy was.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a story that has many themes and motifs that parallel one another while helping the story overall to progress. The most interesting aspects about Shakespeare’s The Tempest is how the central concepts of ulterior motives and power, that are both in full effect throughout the story, are concepts inherent to mankind and our evolution for survival. Our entire civilization is built on the idea of ruling and being ruled and The Tempest is a story which explores these fundamentals and mankind’s desire to be on top by any means necessary. The goal of this paper is to explore how The Tempest displays the power of ulterior motives, how Ariel continues to spoil plans of conspirators, and the role of marriage in the story.
William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” shows how a manipulative villain can create chaos within a society. The play was written around the year 1603 and takes place in Venice Italy before it is repositioned to Cyprus. This Shakespearean tragedy shows the effects of jealousy, love, desire, betrayal and passion in a society with an imbalance of power in a race, gender, and social position.
Evidently, no other literary work has been revised and deconstructed as The Tempest. Shakespeare’s Caliban represents the most identifiable example of Western colonialism. From the beginning, it is evident that the events are staged at some place in the Mediterranean, which happens to the most popular water body in Europe. Moreover, the Mediterranean has served as the boundary that defined Western culture many years before even The Tempest was written. Although actions take place mainly on the island, Alonso’s daughter wedding in Carthage causes the movement.
In 1516, Sir Thomas More depicted in his famed Utopia what he envisioned to be an ideal state?one that frees its citizens from material worries by mandating economical equality amongst them and dividing social responsibilities impartially. More's work, however brilliant, cannot conceal the serious fallibilities and troublesome limitations of the utopian thoughts; and being the ambivalent creator that he was, More consciously emphasized the paradoxical nature of his ideal society. A century later, in his last work The Tempest, the great playwright William Shakespeare presented his audience with a mystical Commonwealth that is a reflection of the Golden Age from the classical literature. This fantasy, wrapped in the larger still whimsy that is The Tempest, will have the human race return to the purest state of nature. The Tempest, on the other hand, can be interpreted as a critique of the Utopian state. If the apparent paradise can only be sustained by magic and the deconstruction of human civilization, Shakespeare seems to imply, then utopia is altogether unachievable and impracticable.
In The Tempest, Art is that which is composed of grace, civility, and virtue. It is represented by Prospero, the other members of the nobility who belong to the court party and their servants. The world of the court is synonymous with the world of art in the play. In contrast, Nature is bestial, brutish and evil and manifests itself in the form of Caliban and the natural world. With two such extremes brought together, debate between the two is inevitable.
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.
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 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.