This essay covers the topic as magic as the Tempest's weakness. It was marked 15/15, A*.
It covers all the necessary points for the top band marking scheme and has been edited on various occasions to use the best available information.
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‘The Tempest shows the worst aspects of human nature’
‘The Tempest’ written by William Shakespeare in 1611, shows both the worst and best
aspects of humanity. The play focuses on the nature of civilisation and its significant
influences. The worst aspects of human nature are shown through the controlling patriarchy
and slavery. However, although the play is inundated with negative aspects of society, there
are also positive elements. The positive elements of the play are highlighted through the
character of Miranda and her feminist influence over the men within the play.
Interpretations and critical perceptions of the play over time can significantly inform the
extent to which ‘The Tempest’ presents the negative aspects of human nature.
‘The Tempest’, written by Shakespeare, is significantly influenced by the patriarchy that was
evident during the Jacobean era and this is elucidated through the character Prospero and
his nature as a controlling father. The patriarchy within the play would have been viewed as
an acceptable norm by the Jacobean audience. Yet over time, a more modern audience
would have viewed this element of the play as significantly negative portraying the worst
parts of human nature and their primitive desires. Prospero, the governing patriarch in the
play, asserts his agency over his daughter Miranda, Caliban and Ariel. He attempts to control
them all through language, addressing Miranda for example, with belittling pet names such
as ‘cherub’ and ‘child’. The use of these controlling, condescending terminology elucidates
the patriarchy as a negative aspect of human nature whereby Shakespeare shows the
control men had over women in the Jacobean era. Literary critic Ann Thompson states that
a woman can take no enjoyment out of the play rather than ‘the various grim forms of
exploitation’. The ‘exploitation’ of the only female character in the play Miranda, is
governed by her father as she is presented to her fiancé, Ferdinand, as a gift. A Jacobean
audience would not have been surprised by the nature of this transaction as it was common
for fathers to pawn off their daughters to other men. However, over time, a modern
feminist critic would have been outraged at the transactional nature of women presented in
the play and would conclude that this element shows the negative aspects in past society.
The controlling patriarchy is also shown through the lack of female voice within the play.
Miranda is the sole speaking woman, even though the characters Claribel and Sycorax are
mentioned, they are spoken of on behalf of the men in the play, showing the absence of
women at the hands of the misogynistic patriarchy as a negative aspect of Jacobean human
nature ad society as a whole, shown through ‘The Tempest’. On assessment, the controlling
patriarchy is presented as a negative aspect of human nature through the use of the
character Prospero, alongside the other men in the play.
Slavery and the notion behind western imperialism and dominance is another key feature
brought to light by Shakespeare as a negative aspect of human nature, where the western
world strives to assert its dominance over the ‘new’ world and native people. Prospero, the
controlling patriarch in the play, asserts his western imperialist agency over the characters
Caliban and Ariel. As an audience, Caliban is first introduced to us as ‘slave’ and ‘tortoise’
showing this control and marginalisation as a negative aspect in human nature whereby
people are subjugated by their race and origin. A Jacobean audience would have not been
surprised by this as slavery was common, whereby rich men bought native or foreign people
as a help. However, a modern audience would have been disappointed and arguably
disgusted by this marginalisation of character. This suggests that over time, as
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