The Abuse of Power in Shakespeares Play, The Tempest...

The play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare is a very cleverly thought out piece of work. Shakespeare very deliberately inter-relates several different forms of power during the course of the play. There is political power, shown through the plethora of political characters and their schemes, while at the same time parodied by the comic characters. The power of magic and love, and its ability to reunite and absolve also plays a major role in the play. Throughout the play, Prospero, the main character, takes great advantage of his power and authority, both properly and improperly. The epiphany of this however, is realized at the end of the play. Nearly every scene in the play, either intentionally or unintentionally,†¦show more content†¦He seeks for control in his nemesis towards his brother Antonio, control of the fate of his daughter Miranda, and the control of his servants Ariel and Caliban. Prospero uses force and debt to have greater authority over the spirit Ariel. When Ariel asks for his freedom and â€Å"liberty,† Prospero brings up the â€Å"damn’d witch Sycorax† from whom he saved him (1.2.247-264). Sebastian and Antonio also abuse their powers by plotting an attack on Alonso, the King of Naples, so they could gain even more political power in the real world. Eventually after all the words of encouragement from Antonio, Sebastian finally says, â€Å"Thy case, dear friend, shall be my precedent. As thou got’st Milan, I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword,† (2.1.270-272). The desire for political power and authority becomes the core from which other minor th emes develop in this play. This improper use of power eventually only harms everyone, not benefit. Magical powers play a tremendous role in supporting Prospero’s ambitions. Once again, Prospero abuses his magical powers and imbalances the natural elements. The opening scene of Act I begins with a tempest. In this scene, Shakespeare demonstrates that abusing elements, such as water, only creates trouble. When Miranda first speaks to Prospero about the ship wreck, she says â€Å"If by your art†¦you have/Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them/The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,† (1.2.1-3). This createsShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of Power and Violence in Literature Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesAn Analysis of Power and Violence in Literature Violence and power are both significant sources of conflict in the world we currently live in. Large animals exert their power over smaller ones through violence and through their consumption. In this example, we find the food chain. Humankind exerts their power through violence and power in a similar way, creating a hierarchy of power. Although not all violence is physical, it is still used to obtain control of another person or situation. HannahRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1267 Words   |  6 Pagesaudience. 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