Isolation of the Individual in Society in The Tempest
In William Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, characters such as Caliban, Prospero, Miranda and Ferdinand, experience varying degrees of consequences, due to their change in behaviour, while isolated from society. Although isolation from society affects the characters in different ways, some see it as being advantageous while others see it as being a curse. This essay will show how characters in The Tempest suffer consequences due to their isolation from society.
Caliban is possibly the only character in The Tempest who is not originally affected by his isolation from society. Caliban is the only character that is native to the island and he
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Caliban's problems only began when he was introduced to, and included into society.
Caliban: You taught me language, and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language! (Shakespeare 77)
Caliban is now a slave to Prospero because of being brought into society, yet when he was isolated he was a free spirit and could do whatever his heart desired. Throughout the play, Caliban is regarded as a monster and he only receives negative treatment from the other characters. For Caliban, the consequences of being isolated within a society or in other words, being ostracised from that society, is far worse than not having been exposed to society at all, and to live in a world without society. Caliban has to continuously live with Prospero's orders, threats and harsh words (sparknotes.com). Caliban's only wish is to yet again be without society and to escape the consequence of being ostracised from that society because of his monster-like appearance, and to escape from his slave status imposed upon him by Prospero.
Prospero is also isolated from society, yet his reasons are far different to those given for Caliban. Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, were banished to and island due to Prospero's irresponsibility and his meddling with magic (Shober 46).
The trauma that the Residential School students faced has left them with long term social complications. Viola Papequash a survivor of Gordons Residential School exclaims “They are now struggling with a lot of issues, and one is identity and self-esteem and being proud of who they are” (Source C). Furthermore, Residential schools took confident young children proud of who they are, and confident in their religion and straight up turned them into what Richard Wagamese (an Intergenerational Survivor) would say as “frightened children” (Source E). Grant Severlight a survivor of St. Philips’s Residential School shares that Residential schools caused him to live in constant fear and living in constant fear ruined his “Relationships later on” (Source B). Survivors did not know how to take care of themselves so that caused them to be incapable of taking care of others. All those quotes stated above help paint the bigger picture of how Residential Schools Affected the Social aspect of the survivors’ life. When those innocent
Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something old that had been unrecognised as meaningful. The nature of discovery allows an individual a new perspective and view of themselves, others, and the wider world. In The Tempest, William Shakespeare reveals how discovery can lead to a new-found identity, position and view on society. Whilst, in The Eagleman Stag, composer Michael Please reveals how a discovery allow a change in perception of themselves and relationship with others. Regarding both texts, it can be said, from the discovery of the truth, the individual is given the opportunity of a new perspective of themselves, others, and the wider world.
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Whether one realizes it or not, the world we live in is governed by certain expectations and unwritten rules that our society creates. These expected behaviors are called norms. When one establishes the role that they play in society, they are governed by the expectations that society places on that specific role. Norms give order to a society, but is that enough to say that they are good for citizens? Are these norms needed to govern our behavior in a way that our government cannot? Social norms and the effect that they can have on a person or group of people is shown through Shakespeare's The Tempest. The characters in The Tempest are negatively affected by the unwritten social norms that they are expected to follow, and today these
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