Shakespeare's The Tempest - Use and Abuse of Power

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“The Tempest” is a Jacobean play written by William Shakespeare in Western Europe at a time in which there was a huge curiosity about learning and a focus on humanism rather than the otherworldly figures which were overvalued in the Byzantine era which came before. It is not suprising that Shakespeare studies the theme of the elevation of man in “The Tempest” by exploring the use and abuse of power by the main characters. In the course of my essay I hope to demonstrate that the play is ultimately about this theme. I believe this for a number of reasons. Firstly, the play opens with an example of nature’s colossal power, that is, the tempest itself. Then throughout the play we see how every central character possesses, or at some point tries to gain, power. I believe “The Tempest” is about the use and abuse of such power and I have formed this impression as throughout the play Shakespeare leads his readers/audience to ask questions arise about the ethical issues concerning each character’s actions relating to power. The central character, and one who undeniably holds most control over others on the island, is Prospero. Much, but not all, of this power comes from the fact that Prospero is a magician, who dabbles in both magic and the science of the period. At the time this play was written the audience would have undoubtedly believed in the supernatural and scholar’s ability to employ magic. Witchcraft and magic were highly topical at the time “The Tempest” was written and first staged however it seems significant that they were condemned as evil in all their forms. Therefore the audience would have been predisposed to question the ethical validity of Prospero’s power and would have already been in two minds about whether it was good or evil. On one hand Shakespeare portrays him throughout the play as the hero and a loving father who is trying to do the best for his
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