William Shakespeare most definitely did not reference Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Seven Monster Theses when writing his play, The Tempest. One of Cohen’s theses though - thesis four “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference” - appears quite prominently in Shakespeare’s work. The thesis articulates that monsters are divisive and often arise in a culture to make one group seem superior to another. Further, societies devise monsters in order to create a scapegoat for social and political inequities and instabilities that surface in that society. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the idea applies to Caliban, who serves as a monstrous slave to the magician Prospero. The story follows in part Caliban’s journey towards independence, as he struggles for acceptance from the other characters. Shakespeare’s work blurs the line between monster and man, with a cast of characters seeking power and vengeance against others. Despite being a fellow tamed inhabitant of the island, Caliban never receives fair treatment from his owners. Instead, the two groups with whom he is associated, Miranda and Prospero and Stephano and Trinculo, ostracize Caliban as an unnatural being incapable of bearing human-like qualities. Consequently, throughout the play, Shakespeare distances Caliban as a monster from the other characters and in doing so creates a hierarchy of superiority of one group of characters over another. Shakespeare thoroughly sets the stage in separating Caliban from the remainder of the
“The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” (5.1.35-36). This quote from scene five of the Tempest gives the reader a glimpse of Shakespeare’s message regarding humanity. To be human means more than to have two feet, breathe in your lungs, and the ability to communicate. To be human is a choice. Being human means showing compassion and love for those around you. In the play the Tempest, Prospero struggles with his humanity. He possesses inhuman abilities that cause him to lose sight of the good qualities of human nature.
In Césaire’s A Tempest one of the main characters, Prospero, decides to remain on the island with Caliban and live out the rest of his life there. He remains there because he thinks the island needs him to be its ruler. As time continues, we see the deterioration of his mind and body. He becomes feeble and weak. He appears to see opossums overrunning the island and he attacks them to "protect civilization". Prospero seems to be hallucinating, and because of this can be seen as a crazy old man who has reached the end of his life. However, in this paper, I will argue that the opossums and other things he experiences aren’t just hallucinations he creates from being in a weakened state, but actually the realization of what he 's done in the
Tragically, this pure, innocent love obsession more often than not, develops into a bitter and resentful obsession that will spite one or both parties. This is clear in Shakespeare’s Othello. Desdemona’s and Othello’s harmonious marriage is warped by the Machiavellian villain Iago, who is insanely jealous and obsessed himself. Othello finds true contentment in Desdemona; she truly comprises his ‘other half’, as a spousal cliché states. She provides serenity in the life of a soldier who has known war since the age of seven. Unfortunately, this serenity and this union is what Iago seeks to undo. Expert in his understanding, he seizes upon lines previously spoken: “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:/ She has deceived her father, and
Love, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a “strong affection”, a “warm attraction”, an “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern” for another. It is “to feel a passion, devotion, or tenderness” for another. Love is simple and yet so utterly complex. Love is that which has the power to build you up and when taken away has the potential to knock you down. The Tempest by William Shakespeare is a political play with a love story woven throughout it. This tale of passion is one that is presented through Prospero’s daughter Miranda and Alonso’s son Ferdinand. Miranda and Ferdinand set themselves up for what they believe to be a life of bliss, but is it merely a spell cast upon them by Prospero, is he
Shakespeare’s retirement play ‘The Tempest’ mainly focuses on the used of power; the will to control over others. Power seems to be the main theme throughout the play as it is manifested by different characters either in a good way or as the case may be, bad. The protagonist Prospero is the main character that holds majority of the power, both magical and political. Tempest, which was written in the early 1600s, shows how characters like Prospero, Antonio and even Caliban plus others exert power over the weak and the willing. The significance of the different elements of power; Political power, Magical powers and most of all, the Power of Love is examined in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Othello is commonly referred' to as just Othello but the full name of the play is The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The tragedy of Othello is concise with Shakespeare’s other more popular works. Upon dissecting the play the most recognizable themes are the play’s complex and prevalent ambivalences of love and hate, jealousy, and perniciousness.
One of the most influential characteristics of human beings is the necessity to survive. In Shakespeare’s play, Othello survival is taken to the extreme by the character, Iago. Iago’s selfishness is what ultimately drives him to manipulate the people around him.
In this life that we live, different individuals go about their business oblivious of their individual struggles that confront them. According to www.dictionary.com, a struggle is defined as, “a forceful/violent attempt or effort to get free from restraint or contrition”. Some of these struggles are more pronounced than others. From Othello, the tragedy by William Shakespeare, we can see how humans are faced with individual contentions, and their daily actions are in fact, efforts of trying to free themselves. In the discussion below, we not only consider Othello’s struggles of being different, gullible, timid, inferior, proud and selfish but also, Iago’s conniving personality, hatred, greed, manipulation, selfishness and slander.
Over the course of the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare, a nobleman named Othello becomes the antihero of his town, due to his fatal flaw: jealousy. Othello became Venice’s most competent generals, which gave him a loyal reputation. Although he has great success on the battlefield, his jealousy causes a downfall in his life. Iago is the man who is causing all of the mischief acts, because he himself is jealous of Othello’s choosing of general: Cassio. Othello’s act of jealousy causes him to lose himself, wife, and nobility.
“By my so potent art. But this rough magic I here abjure,”(V.i. ). Throughout Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the main character Prospero refers to his magic, and it is through his magical abilities that the story is set in motion. In the play, Prospero controls characters and events, much like a playwright does. Shakespeare created Prospero as a guise for himself, through similarities in personality, manipulation abilities, and environment, to demonstrate and reflect on his literary abilities before bidding farewell to the theater.
William Shakespeare’s plays transcends time and is renowned for their captivating plots and complex characters. Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy play that portrays major themes such as racism, manipulation, and jealousy just to name a few. Throughout the whole play, these themes are represented through the conniving character from the play, Iago. Out of all the plays Shakespeare has written, Iago is believed to be the most complex villain of all times. During the play, Othello, a black military commander of the Venetian military of Italy and also a close trustworthy friend to Iago, gives Michael Cassio the general second commander spot instead of Iago. This angers Iago because he was expecting the position instead of Cassio, he
Othello is the perfect example that you can’t believe everything you see or hear in life, also that constant self-doubt can push one to the brink of insanity. It is always important to consider your source of information, can the information source be trusted? In the case of Othello, Iago has poured information into his ear that holds no truth or worth. Iago states that, “I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear” (II.III.330). “The Moor already changes with my poison” (III.III.329–336). Despite the obvious fact that Iago is not being truthful to Othello, he believes Iago and his word. Iago ensures him of that, “My Lord, you know I’m your friend” (III.III.6). Othello responds with, “I think you are. And I know you’re full of love and honesty, and you think carefully before you speak” (III.III.6). Othello believes the false accusations that Iago has poured into him. Iago is so sore at Othello that he chose him over Cassio to be his lieutenant. Iago felt he should have been the one chosen to fulfill the duties of the position. Iago has a plan to cast revenge on Othello and will see to it that he carries it out no matter the cost or lives lost.
Othello being a black man of status, the top General in the Venetian capital, always
The culture of a space has a powerful influence on the people inhabiting that space, an influence that alters inhabitants to varying degrees. Through the writings of Kant, Montaigne, and Shakespeare–in particular their works What is Enlightenment?, Of Cannibals, and The Tempest, respectively–this idea of cultural influence is able to take shape. Culture is something that all people carry with them, pieces of places and people they have known and groups to which they have been a member. The natural state of people is twisted by culture until there default worldview is changed as if looking through a bias lens. All people carry with them a view of normalcy that is a product of their environments.
William Shakespeare's The Tempest Generally acknowledged as one of Shakespeare's final plays, 'The Tempest' may be described as a romantic tragi-comedy - where love and contentment prosper despite the threatening presence of evil forces. However, beyond the almost 'fairy-tale' like exterior lies a seemingly direct approach to a greatly topical debate at the time. This was the supposed contrast between civilised and uncivilised persons, brought to the fore as a result of recent expeditions overseas. Although pioneering voyages of discovery were not a recent commodity since the travels of Christopher Columbus, almost a century earlier, it wasn't until the early sixteen hundreds that such voyages