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Summary Power dynamics essay - The Tempest
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Essay discussing the power dynamics that manifests themselves within The Tempest by William Shakespeare.
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Lexi Davies 12PTempest essay
I agree to a full extent that Ed Moola makes an accurate evaluation of the dynamics of
power that manifests itself in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. For me, power is the ability
to have influence over others. Such dynamics of power can be explored through Miranda
and Ferdinand’s love, the power of Prospero the almighty master over his slave Caliban
and ultimately the universal desire for power amongst men embodied by Antonio and
Prospero. The different forms of supremacy allow Prospero and the audience to understand
the true meaning of power by discovering humanity.
One of the dynamics of power in this play is the power of love which is explored through
Miranda and Ferdinand. When Ferdinand arrives on the island, Prospero says: “They are
both in either’s power” suggesting simply that they are slaves to one another and
completely infatuated with love. Prospero’s magic makes their love an easy task and as an
obstacle he believes he should “uneasy make” their rapidly progressing, young love an
example of Prospero asserting his power.
Furthermore, Prospero’s test of Ferdinand’s commitment to Miranda and her devotion to
him is clearly seen when Miranda begs Prospero to ‘have pity’ and she will ‘be his surety’.
While Ferdinand is forced by Prospero to haul logs endlessly, Miranda recognizes the
futility of the task and sees how tired he is, thus offering to ‘bear [his] logs the while’ as she
believes it ‘would become [her] as well as it does [him]’ implying not only her powerful
dedicated love for him but also her independent attitude as a strong woman. Prospero’s
actions of power here can be seen as caring, he only wants what’s best for his daughter
and therefore he does allow them to marry. I am so amazed by Miranda’s assertiveness
and Prospero’s willingness to allow Miranda the freedom of the power of love.
When Prospero “discovers Ferdinand and Miranda, playing at chess”, he overhears that
their game is “fair play” suggesting that the lovers understand what justice and injustice in
the world is and, in their leadership, they will play fair in contrast to the leadership of their
fathers’. Therefore, through the examination of the relationship between Miranda and
Ferdinand, the power of love is explored despite Prospero’s efforts to control it.
The power of the master over the slave is most obvious in Caliban’s enslavement to
Prospero. When Prospero tells Miranda that Caliban is “[his] slave, who never yields
[him] kind answer” he is reminded that “[he] cannot miss him” suggesting that
although Caliban is a “villain”, Prospero cannot do without him because Caliban does
all his menial work for him. Caliban’s sense of nativism to the island is evident as he
claims: “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother” and he is affronted by Prospero’s
sense of ownership and right to command him. According to Caliban, Prospero had
at first “strok’st [him]” but then “made much of [him]” suggesting that Caliban showed
him how to survive on the island when Prospero first arrived for him ultimately take
over and exploit him for manual labour much like the relationship between the
colonisers and the colonised.
Additionally, When Caliban understand his foolishness to have considered serving
Trinculo and Stephano over Prospero, he realises “how fine [his] master is”. I see
that the effect of slavery on Caliban is so great that he cannot merely exist without a
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