The Tempest

The similarities and differences between Aime' Cesaire's ATempest and William Shakespeare's The Tempest gives the reader an idea that it is a political response. From the way that both of the titles of these works of literature differ, an idea of concept is offered. They share a similar story line yet, after some one has read A Tempest : a different perspective is gained. A Tempest is actually considered a post colonial period piece of writing and one can acquire and prove this by the forms in which Aime' Cesaire portrays the characters and switches around their personalities and their traits,the time periods and the acquisition of language, and the ways power is used reveals that it is indeed a political response from a post colonial perspective.

Shakespeare's The Tempest and Cesaire's A Tempest differ in the way it is expressed. From the words, the and a the whole concept of tempest is changed completely. The definition of the word tempest could mean two things, a violent windstorm, frequently accompanied by rain,snow,or hail and/or a furiosus agitation, commotion,or tumult; an uproar. Shakespeare's The Tempest is correlated with the first definition while Cesaire's A Tempest associates more with the second one. Shakespeare's The Tempest starts of with a storm and on a ship [A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard] (Shakespeare 1667-69) while Cesaire's begins with Caliban shouting, "Uhuru!" (Cesaire 1721) which means freedom. Those examples gives us the concept of the storm and an a uproar.

The time period in which The Tempest was written is the age of exploration is within the time frame of the mid 1400's towards the late 1500's. The discovery and colonization of far off lands, these years were filled ...

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...liban called him "a colony addict" .(Cesaire 1727) Also,Cesaire made it seemed as Prospero revenge was another conquest not really a vengeful act. By the end, the reader sees this with his reasoning of why he forgived them. Ariel was always overly compliant and was always called my dear Ariel by Prospero. While Caliban, the black slave was treated horridly and threatned. Prospero told Ariel it doesn't matter what that villain plots against me?All the nobility of Italy,Naples,and Milan and henceforth combined,will protect my person."(Cesaire 1723) There is no doubt that Cesaire is trying to say no matter what, us Europeans always stick together, so he has nothing on me, he doesn't phase me which is one of the main ideals in this political response.During slavery, Europeans had alot of control over the Africans fate but, there were always limits that caused a tempest.