Control in William Shakespeare's The Tempest Essay Example

📌Category: Plays, The Tempest, William Shakespeare, Writers
📌Words: 657
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 19 June 2022

Control. A power used by some, felt by many. It is all-powerful and yet weak. Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, creates a situation where control is felt by everybody.  Shakespeare depicts Prospero as a manipulative and controlling man, who only cares for his future. Yet through the use of control and age, Prospero demonstrates his love for his daughter. And uses his power to create a beneficial and flavorful life for his daughter by setting her up with a loving prince. 

Prospero is introduced as an all-powerful wizard. Stranded on an island with his daughter. If you follow farther into the book you will see that Prospero is the controller of the island. He controls the island using many different magical creatures. This is shown when Prospero is causing a storm that is destroying a ship and Miranda wholeheartedly says “ It should be the good ship so have swallowed and The fraughting souls within her.”  (I.II.12). This characterizes both Miranda and Prospero, as it shows Prospero as an all-powerful god who can control the weather. He is made out to be a man with powers like Zeus. And Miranda has morals embedded in her that do not allow her to watch people get hurt. This is found throughout the text as Prospero has to hide some of his control over people and the island to stay close to Miranda. This brings to light the key concept shown in the text. It asks the reader how people grow up and become bad apples. This is done by showing that Miranda was raised and taught everything she knows on an island with her dad, and she is one of the purest characters in the novel. But the Royals who were raised in castles and riches only care about one thing, themselves. This effectively shows that issues of control and power are steamed from society and hierarchies. 

Deeper into the Novel, we can see a romance between Ferdinand and Miranda. This was Prospero's greatest plan. He wanted his daughter to find a man who could take care of her. But at this time there is no rhyme or reason for Prospero's actions. At the moment in the text, it seems to the reader that Prospero just wants to be in a royal family again. However, signs start showing everywhere. Yet the most important reason was not something Prospero did but something he did not. As Prospero is fantasized about the newfound relationship he “had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates Against [his]  life.” (4.1.140). This symbolizes Prospero's great age. It shows how Prospero is getting older and his mind is getting weaker and soon can only care for himself. This is the primary reason why he wanted to find a suitable man for his daughter. This also shows us that Prospero only uses his control to help his daughter. Yet many states that Prospero only uses his control to further himself into the kingdom. However, a recurring theme in Shakespeare is a father loving his children and doing whatever is necessary to help them. 

Finally, It is necessary to show the problem of control in royal families. Royal families in this play show an uncaring attitude. They also bring to light the idea of doing whatever possible to gain more power. Antonio stranded Miranda and Prospero on an island to gain a little more power. This is also seen by Sebastion who would kill anyone in front of him to gain power. As Alonso says “We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again, And by that destiny to perform an act Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come In yours and my discharge.” (II.I.244) This metaphor creates a problem of control with the reader. It effectively showcases how the royals will do anything to gain a little more power. This is seen more effectively in Shakespeare's play King Richard III. Both plays show a unique understanding of how those in power want more power. 

In conclusion, The Play The Tempest creates a situation where at glace everybody wants more power and control but at the same time it highlights the problems in hierarchies and shows how families outside of the royals use their control for love.

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