Defending Prospero in The Tempest
In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, the character of Prospero brings about a great deal of debate. Modern literary critics are quick to use him as a poster child for English colonial practice in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Many see him as person who desires complete control of everything around him from the fish-like monster Caliban to his spirit servant Ariel, even his own daughter Miranda. Others believe that Prospero's sole motive is revenge on his brother Antonio and those associated with the established power in Naples and Milan. Taken out of context, these are reasonable conclusions. However, in the development of the play, it is quite clear that these critics are incorrect. Shakespeare does not use Prospero as the symbol of European expansion westward and although Prospero is quite powerful, he is not a power hungry egomaniac. Instead, Prospero is the very figure of a noble father. He loves his daughter so much that he sacrifices everything to give her the best opportunities for a good life. He is the slave of duty, working for the good of his people. His desire for revenge is also clearly not a motivation as he finds the strength to forgive his brother at the play's conclusion. Therefore it seems that Shakespeare's character is not being used to show the dark side of humanity, but rather the nobility of humanity and the model of a seventeenth century father.
When it comes to Miranda, Prospero can never do enough for her. Prospero's second lines states, "I have done nothing but in care of thee, of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter" (Prospero, I, ii, 19-20). Although this line can be interpreted many ways, even as an outright lie, the assumption has to b...
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Malvo was initially arrested under federal charges, but they were dropped. He was transferred to Virginia and sent to jail in Fairfax County; charged for two capital crimes and the unlawful use of a firearm in the murder of FBI analyst Linda Franklin. Malvo confessed that he “intended to kill them all.” The trial was moved to the city of Chesapeake in southeastern Virginia. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all charges on the grounds that he was under Muhammad’s complete control. In 2006, Malvo confessed that the pair also killed victims in California, Arizona, and Texas, for a total of 17 victims. Currently, Lee Boyd Malvo is incarcerated at the Red Onion State Prison, located in Virginia.
He hides in the trees when he walks towards the group of men that are huddled around a fire and is greeted by Granger who says “All right you can come out now! It’s all right, you’re welcome here.” This prompts Montag to show himself and walk towards the group. After talk about Montag’s chase, Granger asks Montag to join the group and be a copy of the Book of Ecclesiastes and Montag agrees. This whole ordeal shows that the rest of society alienates this small group because of an interest in literature and intent to stay around with the books that have memorized. This scene violates the 1st amendment because people cannot adequately express themselves. The censorship on books does not allow for people to say just anything about the government or any other type of expression. The “book covers” also do not have the right to come together because the government limits such expression, speech, and assembly. The group is having their rights taken away. This scene also violates the 14th amendment because the Equal Protection clause from the 14th prevents people from being discriminated against. In Fahrenheit 451, the “book covers” group is being discriminated against because of their beliefs about society and literature. The book keepers want the world to change and to end the ban on books, but it cannot happen because the government does not allow it
It is well known that slavery was a horrible event in the history of the United States. However, what isn't as well known is the actual severity of slavery. The experiences of slave women presented by Angela Davis and the theories of black women presented by Patricia Hill Collins are evident in the life of Harriet Jacobs and show the severity of slavery for black women.
A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs's reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten regularly like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ?ladies? work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, ?You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another.? (Jacobs p. 55).
Harriet Jacobs describes several situations in which she was harassed, and abused physically, mentally and emotionally. “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women.” Women were abused physically
For example, our text describes two symptoms of ASD; 1. social communications and interactions 2. and limited patterns of repetitive behavior, interests, and or activities. This was all evident in the “Neurotypical” documentary. For example, Nicholas was unable to interact with girls or form relationships he believes he has nothing in common with them. Wolf suggested that autistic children are good at mimicking others and that nonverbal cues are important to watch out for. Violet, on the other hand, has a habit of repeating behaviors; she will repeat anything her parents say. In the text it also says severity of language problems vary child to child. In Violets case she does not fall under the mute category but instead she is able to speak in a few words, cry, and even laugh. Our text introduces the term for repetitive speech, echolalia. Violet tends to repeat a word or words her parents say either right away when she hears it or later
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With more education the higher the stature a person has, and with more knowledge a person can understand morality and the way the world works. For this education was denied to African-Americans. This kept African Americans inferior to the white men. This is illustrated by Harriet Ann Jacobs when she said in her book, Incidents in The Life of a Slave Girl, “It is the ignorance in which white men compel him to live”, with “him” representing African-American men (68). Although it was illegal for slaves to learn how to read and write, some white mistress and children taught slaves anyway. Thus slaves taught other slaves during their secret meetings. Therefore, it is not surprising that Harriet Ann Jacobs was able to write her story in her book. In addition, Harriet lived a horrifying life that is completely unforgettable to her and those like her. This meaning that it is also not surprising how vivid and detailed her work is. African-Americans were not just property; they were human beings, and human beings have the capability to remember tragic events vividly for long periods of
Therefore, it shows that Lorde has to stand up for herself in order to go to the dining car. The essay reflects on when Lorde and her family visit a store, they were told to leave the store which made them feel excluded from the crowd. The author writes, “My mother and father believed that they could best protect their children from the realities of race in America and the fact of the American racism by never giving them name, much less discussing their nature. We were told we must never trust white people, but why was never explained, nor the nature of their ill will” (Lorde, 240). The quote explains that Lorde’s parents thought they can protect their child in United States from the racism, however, they had to go through it and face racism in their daily life. This shows that her parents were aware of racism, which they might have to stand up for their rights, but they did not take the stand for themselves as well as their child. Therefore, her parents guided them to stay away from white people. This tells readers that Lorde has to fight for the independence that she deserves along with going against her
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Slavery has been a part of human practices for centuries and dates back to the world’s ancient civilizations. In order for us to recognize modern day slavery we must take a look and understand slavery in the American south before the 1860’s, also known as antebellum slavery. Bouvier’s Law Dictionary defines a slave as, “a man who is by law deprived of his liberty for life, and becomes the property of another” (B.J.R, pg. 479). In the period of antebellum slavery, African Americans were enslaved on small farms, large plantations, in cities and towns, homes, out on fields, industries and transportation. By law, slaves were the perso...
Prospero’s Abuse of Power in The Tempest. In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero lives with his daughter Miranda on a deserted island. On the surface, he appears to be a benevolent leader doing his best to protect and care for the inhabitants of the island, especially for Miranda. On closer inspection, however, Prospero plays God, controlling and creating each individual to fit the mold he desires.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard and Katharine Eisaman Maus. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997. 3055-3107.