The Theme of Colonialism in Shakespeares Tempest Essay...

The Tempest, by Shakespeare, offers the reader a variety of themes. The one theme that stands out the most is that of colonialism. During the time of Shakespeare, many European countries such as Spain, France, and England, were expanding their borders by taking over less developed countries, referred to as colonies. During this time of exploitation, there was skepticism concerning the possible success of the colonies. While some scholars believe that the play is about the Americas, I argue that the play reflects on colonialism in general and how it is destined for failure which is shown through the character’s relationships throughout the play. During the 1600’s the English decided to have people colonize in the Americas for the†¦show more content†¦Due to these debates, it’s possible that Shakespeare has contemplated on the different views on colonization and decided not only to create the setting of the play on an island, but uses the storm in the firs t act as way to create excitement and danger and also to reference to the perils of the struggle of exploration. Also the title of the play is The Tempest which also hints how powerful the storms of the ocean are, that it can determine the fate of many people as seen in the play; and is relatable to real life events such as the one described earlier. The Tempest also reflect the concerns of the times such as the exploration of foreign lands and struggles for power and the colonization of lands as seen in the role of the characters in the play. The roles the characters have in the play are an essential in the expression of colonization and how it destined for failure. In The Tempest, Shakespeare shows hints of colonization problems in a subtle manner. The character Prospero, for example, can be seen playing the role of the colonist, because he was usurped from his dukedom for neglecting his duties as a duke, he sees the island as a way to be able to exercise the power he had but did not exercise in his dukedom. In this case, he’s able to use all the knowledge and magic he knows to be able to conjure up the storm and to be able to control nature. His control overShow MoreRelated tempcolon Confronting Colonialism and Imperialism in Aime Cesaires A Tempest1403 Words   |  6 PagesConfronting Colonialism in A Tempest   Ã‚  Ã‚   A Tempest by Aime Cesaire is an attempt to confront and rewrite the idea of colonialism as presented in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.   He is successful at this attempt by changing the point of view of the story.   Cesaire transforms the characters and transposes the scenes to reveal Shakespeare’s Prospero as the exploitative European power and Caliban and Ariel as the exploited natives.   Cesaire’s A Tempest is an effective response to Shakespeare’s The TempestRead MoreEssay On Colonialism In The Tempest1624 Words   |  7 PagesAs Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest, holds phenomenal value. In his writing, Shakespeare often included contemporary issues of his time. In Hamlet, for example, the idea of a King dying was an important notion. This was drawn from the belief that a King got his authority from God, so if he died nature would become unbalanced and disturbed. In The Tempest, he included his supportive views of colonialis m into his writing. Centuries later, Aimà © Cà ©saire made an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The TempestRead MoreTheme Of Colonialism In The Tempest924 Words   |  4 Pageswrote The Tempest around 1610, towards the end of his career as a playwright. The play depicts a story about a usurped duke who has taken over and become the ruler of the island and its’ inhabitants. Amongst many themes, one theme in the play that is clearly evident is colonialism. During the time Shakespeare was writing The Tempest, colonialism was one of the biggest issues of the time. For this reason, it is not surprising that Shakespeare chose to include many references to colonialism and explorationRead MoreProsperos Relationship with Caliban and Colonialism in The Tempest1483 Words   |  6 Pagesdemonstration of the dependence relationship between a coloniser and the native of whichever colony he set his eye upon. Colonialism was a subject easily related to by Shakespeares contemporary audie nce; with James on the throne the British Empire was beginning to thrive and would soon become the largest in not only the 17th Century world, but one of the largest in history. At the time The Tempest was first preformed, 1611, Britain had begun to lay claim to North America and the smaller Caribbean isles, aRead MoreWorld Events Influencing Shakespeare ¨s The Tempest Essay example1277 Words   |  6 Pagesthe â€Å"golden age† of poetry, music and literature. It was in the midst of European exploration that Shakespeare wrote, The Tempest. It would be safe to suggest that many of the worldly events during this time, such as the shipwreck of Sea Venture, global colonization, and the works of Michel de Montaigne, had prodigious influences on Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. The Tempest starts aboard a ship in the middle of the sea caught in a violent hurricane. Members of the audience can hear Gonzola shoutRead More European Colonization in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay1279 Words   |  6 PagesNo Critique of European Colonization in The Tempest      Since the 1960s, several critics have found a critique of colonialism in their respective readings of Shakespeares The Tempest. The most radical of these analyses takes Prospero to be a European invader of the magical but primitive land that he comes to rule, using his superior knowledge to enslave its original inhabitants, most notably Caliban, and forcing them to do his bidding. While the textual clues concerning the geographic locationRead MoreThe Tempest Critical Analysis1029 Words   |  5 Pagesreaffirming or challenging presumptions. However, the ambitious strive for necessitating power and self-fulfillment is only ascertained in one’s ability to defy and transcend contextual limitations. The prescribed text, William Shakespeare’s dramatic tragicomedy â€Å"The Tempest† (1619) exhibits the physical discovery of a new world, fostering renewed intellectual and emotional understandings in relation to the construct of power in a microcosmic manner. This is fu rther demonstrated through George Orwell’sRead More tempnature Duality Between Nature and Society in Shakespeares The Tempest813 Words   |  4 PagesDuality Between Nature and Society in The Tempest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   One of the essential themes of The Tempest is the duality between nature and society.   This is made evident through the character of Caliban: the disfigured fish-like creature that inhabits the island upon which the play takes place.   Caliban lacks civility because he was born on the island deprived of any social or spiritual morality other than nature and instinct.   He is literally man untamed.   Caliban is not monstrous simplyRead MoreThe Tempest - Relationship Between Prospero and Caliban1667 Words   |  7 Pagesuses to present the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. ‘The Tempest’ was the last play written by Shakespeare and is widely regarded to be his greatest play. ‘The Tempest’ is thought to have been written about the year 1610. All of Shakespeare’s previously used genres are in the play: romance, tragedy, comedy and history. ‘The Tempest’ adheres to the three classical unities, unity of time, action and place. ‘The Tempest’ takes place in a twenty-four hour time period which abides by the unityRead MoreCaribbean Colonization And Power In The Tempest By William Shakespeare1315 Words   |  6 Pagesthrough terrible times. Jamaica is the center of our study; they have suffered through slavery and being abandoned by Great Britain. Through the stories that we read in class I saw the theme of power show up in the text. The mystery of the Caribbean was enough to make Shakespeare choose it for his final play The Tempest a story about power and how easy it is achieved and lost. Power is li ke control this is what makes it such a trick subject since it is always shifting and everyone thinks they have