The Tempest By William Shakespeare Essay, Research Paper
THE TEMPEST
Explore the theme of Freedom versus Control in the Tempest.
The Tempest is a play that explores many themes, one of which is the theme of freedom versus control. We can explore this theme by examining the characters in the play. Throughout the play there are countless examples of power and authority through control, and the desire for freedom echoing strongly along with this is emphasised in many of the characters. All the characters in the play suffer some sort of incarceration before they are free.
For a start, the characters in The Tempest are all on an island of which they have no control over. Prospero and Miranda are exiled there after Antonio usurps his position of Duke of Milan; thus they both suffer a lack of control in their lives. Prospero, in fact, although yearning for control himself, reigns superior over many of the characters. One of these characters is his servant, Ariel, who he freed from Sycorax after she was imprisoned in a tree for twelve years. Ariel has to suffer harsh punishment when she so much as complains of her unfair treatment to Prospero (Act 1, Scene 2):
If thou more murmur’st, I will rent an oak
And peg thee in his knotty entrails till
Thou hast howled away twelve winters.
Prospero here is informing Ariel that if she dares to question is authority again, he will imprison her in an oak tree for twelve years. Ariel, longing for her freedom, agrees to run errands for Prospero in order for him to gain control and be free, through his plans of uniting Miranda and Ferdinand. Throughout the play, references are made by Prospero that Ariel shall soon be free as long as she carries out his instructions. (Act 4 Scene 1):
Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little Follow, and do me service.
Prospero has also enslaved Caliban even though he states that the island is rightfully his by his mother, Sycorax. In Act 1 Caliban tells Prospero how he showed him all the good things on the island, and in return he imprisoned him. However Prospero accuses him of trying to rape Miranda, so therefore he should be a slave. In the theme freedom versus control, Caliban is an interesting character to examine, because he sees freedom in a different way. In Act 2 Scene 2 he insists that he become Stephano’s servant because that will release him from Prospero’s harsh commands:
No more dams I’ll make for fish,
Nor fetch in firing,
At requiring,
Nor scape trenchering, nor wash dish,
Has a new master, get a new man.
Freedom, high-day, high-day freedom.
Although Caliban is drunk at the time of stating these words, it is clear that his version of freedom is switching masters.
Another character that Prospero has control over is Ferdinand. To test the love between Miranda and Ferdinand, Prospero subjects Ferdinand to harsh treatment. But Ferdinand does not care about his lack of control and freedom, saying that as long as he can see Miranda once a day from prison, he is happy: All corners else o’th’earth let liberty make use of. Because he has enough space and enough freedom; nothing matters to him except seeing Miranda. That is his form of freedom. At Prospero’s orders, Ferdinand has to carry logs all day, but he is so blinded by love that it doesn’t bother him. Prospero, being Miranda’s father, also has control of her. In Act 4, Scene 1, Prospero again emphasises his authority over the two lovers by warning Ferdinand that if he is to break her virgin-knot before marriage, Miranda will no longer be his.
In The Tempest, especially in Act 1, some characters are challenging the control that others have over them, and demand for their freedom. The Boatswain orders the king and courtiers to leave the deck and confines all the sailors underneath there. Prospero is angry at being overthrown by Antonio and conspires to change it, through his control over Ariel, who questions his right of having her as a slave. Caliban, too, questions his imprisonment, and Prospero accuses Ferdinand of stealing the island.
Gonzalo has his own version of what freedom should be, and he states it in Act 2, Scene 1, that he believes that men and women would live together in harmony and be freed from government and control. He says:
I would with such perfection govern, sir T’Excel the Golden Age.
He dreams of a Utopian republic in which everyone would have freedom. It is an interesting aspect of the play to have Gonzalo’s view on freedom in exploring the theme of freedom versus control. He thinks that there should be no control in our society, but Antonio and Sebastian mock him.
Antonio is a character in The Tempest who has acquired control by usurping Prospero’s throne. He proposes a murderous plot to Sebastian: he will kill Alonso so that Sebastian can become king, and Sebastian must also kill Gonzalo. By using powers of persuasion, Antonio is a character that has gained control. Antonio has no conscience and as long as he has his own freedom, he cares not about anyone else. However, although he is probably unaware, Antonio slowly loses his freedom and has a lack of control as Antonio, Sebastian and Antonio are all driven into madness.
Other characters in The Tempest, too, are driven into close insanity. Caliban also proposes a murderous plot to kill Prospero. Stephano agrees and says that he will make Trincolo and Caliban his deputies. But Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban are haunted by Prospero’s spirits. Caliban complains in Act 2 Scene 2 how he is tormented by Prospero’s spirits:
His spirits hear me .sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness.
Once again, Prospero has managed to gain control and create a lack of freedom in the lives of others.
Throughout The Tempest, Prospero has aspired to achieve many things: to unite Naples and Milan through the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand and so he will regain his dukedom; to have revenge on Alonso, Sebastian and Antonio; to overcome the wicked natures of others; to escape the island; to free Ariel; and generally unite everyone. Prospero is essentially a good man: through control he has been able to be successful in most of these things. However, Ariel persuades him (Act 5 Scene 1) to have pity on the king and courtiers, so through Ariel, Prospero abandons his plans for revenge and instead decides he will be merciful and give up all his magic powers. In the end of the play, Alonso asks for forgiveness and resigns all claim to Milan. It is only Antonio and Sebastian who have not apologised and acknowledged their wickedness.
The theme freedom versus control in The Tempest is very important. There is a constant interaction between both freedom and control. All the characters have some sort of freedom, and yet they all have some sort of control over them, too. Through the exploration of the characters in the play, it can be determined that Prospero is the main instigator of both freedom and control. Prospero himself, however, is not free until the end of the play. Prospero has been restricted from total freedom from the beginning of The Tempest. Whether or not Prospero’s final words be echoing the concluding words of one of the world’s greatest playwrights, William Shakespeare, Prospero asks the audience for forgiveness. As it is with many of the characters in The Tempest, it is only with the acceptance of the control over them that they can then truly be free.
Другие работы по теме:
Things Are Not What They Seem Essay
, Research Paper Things Are Not Always What They Seem William Faulkner s short story A Rose for Emily centers around Miss Emily and what the townspeople think of Miss Emily. One of the themes for A Rose for Emily is appearance versus reality. This theme of appearance versus reality can be seen through what the townspeople think of Miss Emily and by the actions taken by Miss Emily.
Leiningen Versus The Ants Essay Research Paper
Leiningen Versus the Ants Do you fear nature? In the story, Leiningen Versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson, Leiningen had no fear over nature. The author, Carl Stephenson, uses characterization, foreshadowing, and Flashback to prove that people underestimate nature.
Philosophy 2 Essay Research Paper
#2 Explain how Augustine s conception of freedom relates to compatibilism and to freedom in the sense of autonomy. According to Augustine, Human beings are endowed with a power that he calls the will. He emphasizes the will to being the center of freedom. Unlike other philosophers, who are determinists, Augustine, who has a libertarian view, sees our will as free choice.
The Guilty Party Essay Research Paper The
The Guilty Party Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter is a wonderful and not so traditional example of the good versus evil theme. What makes this a unique instance of good versus evil is that either side could be considered either one. Hester could very easily have been deduced as evil, or the “bad guy,” as she was by the townspeople.That is, she was convicted of adultery, a horrible sin of the time.
Freedom Essay Research Paper As with any
Freedom Essay, Research Paper As with any government, there is the necessity of an economy, or else the government would fail because economy is one of the basic necessities of a government. With a democracy like we have in a country of our size, managing this economy becomes a big problem. One important factor is; In a country based on freedom, how much are we willing to give up to keep the economy stable? None? A little bit? All of it? The answer is not as simple as any of those.
The Awakening Essay Research Paper This novel
The Awakening Essay, Research Paper This novel takes place in the early 1920’s on the Grand Isles of Louisiana. Grande Isle was a resort for wealthy people, to get away from the city. The remainder of the novel takes place in New Orleans. The theme of this book is about women and her “awakening”, a sort of liberation.
Themes Of The Book
” Eaters Of The Dead” Essay, Research Paper My book is titled ?Eaters of the Dead? by Michael Crichton. There are two major themes to this book. First is man versus man and the second is man versus nature. The nature that man is going up against in this book were the supernatural monsters that terrorized the town.
Themes In American Literatue From 18651914 Essay
, Research Paper Volree Everson Ms. Barnett English 252 17 June 2000 Common Themes throughout American Literature Many authors contributed to American literature between 1865 and 1914. Although these authors came from all over the country and lived different life styles, they still managed to include similar themes in their works.
Themes Of Romeo And Juliet Essay Research
Paper In Shakespeare?s Romeo and Juliet, there are several themes. One theme deals with ?eye love? versus ?heart love?. Eye love is loving someone at first sight because of
Teenagers Have Too Much Freedom Essay Research
Paper ??Young people today have too much freedom.?? Do you agree ? Nowadays, many teenagers are spoilt, they are doing things which are unsuitable for their age. You may ask , ??Why ??? I am sorry to say that the kids have too much freedom, they
Is Freedom Really Free Essay Research Paper
Is Freedom Really Free A person, place, or thing not under the control or power of another defines freedom. Freedom can be described as independence, free rein, or home rule. I believe that liberty comes with a price. I feel that our rights and privileges can easily be seized by others if we do not stand up together as one nation.
Handmaid 2 Essay Research Paper freedom mean
Handmaid 2 Essay, Research Paper freedom mean to you? The meaning of freedom is different for each individual. For some it may be the freedom offered to immigrants fleeing torment of their home countries to seek refuge in other countries. To a sixteen-year-old boy, freedom has only one true definition, driver s license.
Tempest Essay Research Paper The Tempest is
Tempest Essay, Research Paper The Tempest is a play that explores many themes, one of which is the theme of freedom versus control. This theme can be explored by examining the characters of the play.
Rhetoric Essay Research Paper Rhetoric as a
Rhetoric Essay, Research Paper Rhetoric as a communal making of meaning versus a platform for demonstrating intellectual prowess of an individual through victory over an opponent, or even as a means to put an existing point across seems to be at least one theme in these articles. For us, as educators, this seems a distinction to be reckoned with.
Analysis Of Huck Finn Essay Research Paper
A complex literary work may have several themes. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, it has many themes. In my opinion I think the most important theme is that people in our world can distort what is right and just, causing an individual to break away from their ideas. This theme is conveyed through Huck Finn s struggles on whether or not to turn a runaway slave who becomes a friend in or not.
Themes In Hamlet Essay Research Paper In
Themes In Hamlet Essay, Research Paper In William Shakespeare s play Hamlet; a theme that remains constant throughout the play is appearance versus reality. Many things in the play appear to be true and honest when in reality they are not. Many characters in the play give the impression of being honest and sincere in their actions, but in reality they are filled with lies.
Velocity Essay Research Paper Instantaneous Versus Average
Velocity Essay, Research Paper Instantaneous Versus Average Velocity A position versus time graph or a displacement versus time graph can be used to analyze the motion of an object in one dimension. The slope gives the object’s velocity. The slope of a line segment joining two points on the graph gives the average velociy during that interval.
Is Freedom Of Choice A Right Or
A Responsibility? Essay, Research Paper Is freedom of choice a right or a responsibility? That is that the question which will determine the outcome in ?woman vs. doctors?. The problem is this: a woman wishes to have her child born naturally. If this happens her baby will most likely be born retarded. The way her baby is positioned inside her, within a few months, the baby would not receive enough oxygen and the birth process would be drastically altered.
The Summer Of The Falcon Essay Research
Paper The Summer of The Falcon Every popular novel must have an interesting story, suitable conflicts, and a theme. In the novel The Summer Of the Falcon, the author Jean Craighead George parallels the maturation of the main character with the teaching of a bird to fly and take commands. June becomes mature and grows form childhood to adulthood, In the end of the story, June is not a child anymore.
Feelings And Emotions In Film Essay Research
Paper Feelings and Emotions in Film Braveheart is one of the most powerful and emotional films ever made. It draws feelings and emotions out of the audience with ease and affects everyone that watches it. It includes almost any emotions you can think of throughout the story and makes the viewer feel all of them.
Are We Losing Our Freedom Essay Research
Paper ?Are We Losing Our Freedom? Many people today feel that living in America has more privileges than living anywhere else. But do we have enough freedom here in the United States? Many people can argue on their outlook on freedom. I personally feel that we are given many opportunities then other people in the world.
Conflict In The Miracle Worker Essay Research
Paper In my opinion, all the types of conflict occur in ?the Miracle Worker?. There is internal conflict such as man versus self. There is also external conflict such as man versus man, man
Freedom Of Choice Essay Research Paper Freedom
Freedom Of Choice Essay, Research Paper Freedom Of Choice Since 1973 abortion has been an important controversial issue to the United States. The problem begins should it be a womans choice whether or not to terminate her pregnancyor should it be the goverments choice. This is where a woman looses her rights as a person.
Hamlet Appearance Vs Reality Essay Research Paper 2
Hamlet Appearance Vs. Reality Essay, Research Paper Appearance vs. Reality The theme of appearance versus reality has shown up in some of the major works read this year. The themes were present in William Shakespeare?s play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and also in the epic poem Beowulf. In both plays the topic was evident during the plot of each story.
Beowulf Good Vs Evil Essay Research Paper
Beowulf: Good versus Evil Beowulf is one of the oldest existing poems in the English Language. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, which portrays a story of an epic hero destined to defeat a ferocious monster in order to save a kingdom from destruction and death. The major theme in this epic was the theme of good versus evil.
Cry Freedom Essay Research Paper The book
Cry Freedom Essay, Research Paper The book Cry, the Beloved Country is an interesting navel about apertide in South Africa. It talks about a man from a small village named Ndotsheni who travels to a large city to help his city. The theme of the movie Cry Freedom is a lot like the book. The movie is about a reporter who goes to South Africa to find out what it was like in the apertide.
Conflicts Essay Research Paper ConflictsIn the three
Conflicts Essay, Research Paper Conflicts In the three stories To Build a Fire, The Use of Force, and A and P there are some different conflicts. A conflict is struggle between two or more objects. In these stories the three different conflicts are man versus nature, man versus man, and man versus self. The three stories that contain these conflicts are To Build a Fire by Jack London, The Use of Force by Williams Carlos Williams, and A and P by John Updike.
Huck Finn Essay Research Paper ESSAY Adventures
Huck Finn Essay, Research Paper ESSAY: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain?s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn depicts a boy struggling against the beliefs of a hypocritical society. The author has Huck go through many harsh experiences to develop his theme. Mark Twain?s theme of the individual versus society in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is developed through Huck?s experiences of imprisonment, cruelty and inhumanity on the shore, which contrast with the freedom Huck has on the river, thereby explaining Huck?s difficulty in living with in society of hypocrisy, and final decision to set out for the frontier.
The Right To Privacy Essay Research Paper
The word “privacy” does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, though a number of Supreme Court opinions have held that the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments offer some constitutional backing for a right “to” (as opposed to an enumerated right “of”) privacy. This right has been applied to cases involving privacy versus law enforcement, voyeurs, freedom of the press, the release of personal information, and personal choices.