How Does Shakespeare Explore the Theme of Rightful Authority

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How Does Shakespeare Explore the Theme of Rightful Authority Rightful Authority is the natural level of hierarchy expected from a group of people. In the opening scene of The Tempest, Shakespeare immediately disrupts this order. The opening scene to The Tempest is a dramatic event where a ship is caught in a wild storm (thus the title of the play) and those on-board, excluding the crew, are forced to abandon ship. The audience is faced with utter confusion and panic with the sounds of the storm, the anxious shouting of the characters making it difficult to understand what is said. This confusion is important as it foreshadows and echoes the themes explored in the rest of the play. While the king, Alonso, and his nobles would usually be in command, in the midst of the storm the boatswain and shipmaster are at the top of this hierarchy, shown by their lines all being direct commands, with the boatswain asking the king to just ‘keep below’, as the political power of the royalty is useless in the situation. This is the first usage in The Tempest. It is used to make the reader think about why a king should have power over others, while also emphasising the chaos caused by the storm. The theme continues throughout, with many examples. Prospero and Caliban Shakespeare uses this theme of rightful authority to express Prospero’s and Caliban’s views over who should own the island. While Caliban was the previous ruler, he was usurped by Prospero (a comparison to Alonso’s usurpation of Prospero). In essence the European colonialist has invaded a new country, taken possession and set up their systems of values as the only legitimate code of behaviour. Through this Caliban has been dispossessed and forced to give up his ways of living and language. This is shown in Prospero’s reaction to Caliban’s rape of Miranda, “…till thou didst seek to violate/ the honour of my child…”
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