The Tempest and Power

544 Words3 Pages
Describe the way Shakespeare portrays different types of power in the opening scene in the Tempest, explain the significance of the emphasis on power in relation to your understanding of the play as a whole. In the opening of The Tempest the audience is faced with a very dramatic scene in which Shakespeare introduces some of the types of power to the audience. As the opening moves on from the first scene, it quickly becomes apparent that there is much more power within the play such as physical power and manipulative power. Power evolves to become a key theme within the play which arises time and time again through different situations and different forms of power. The start of the play shows the dramatic impact of natural power on the play, with the storm which is wreaking havoc to the boat and sets fear into the people on the boat. Shown through Gonzalo’s exclamation of “the wills be done above” which shows his acceptance of his fate. The storm is also an example of magical power which is rife on the island. The storm which is described as “a tempestuous noise of thunder heard” in the stage directions is an example of the sheer power the magic on the island has and could be seen to foreshadow the large role magic will have on the play as it progresses and how it is through magic that many things on the island through. The storm is also very important in understanding that there will be a great effect on the outcome of the play because of the different types of power and the storm is the first of many episodes where power has severe consequence on the characters in the play and can be understood to foreshadow other powerful events. When the focus shifts away from the events at sea to those on land it becomes clear that much of the different types of power in the play focus around Prospero. Prospero is the victim of stolen power as he has power taken away
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