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The Tempest Pursuit Of Power Analysis

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Matt Venter
12/10/2014
ENGL 3000
The Tempest: Pursuit of Power The Tempest by William Shakespeare encompasses a theatrical performance that entails a different spectrum than a majority of Shakespeare’s plays, but still hits his common underlying themes. This play begins in a violent storm caused by the Tempest that crashes a boat of with noblemen on it. Shakespeare introduces Prospero, former duke of Milan, who has taken refuge on this island where he and his daughter, Miranda, are watching the storm. This ship has the following people on it: Antonio (Prospero’s brother; took over Prospero’s Dukedom), Alonso (King of Naples), Sebastian (Alonso’s brother), Stephano (nobleman), Trinculu (nobleman), Gonazalo (nobleman to Prospero), and Ferdinand …show more content…
The Tempest has four major scenes where disregard for anything, but the pursuit of power is conceived which include: Antonio’s initial deception of Prospero, Caliban’s desire for the island to be his again, Stephano’s want for to become the king of the …show more content…
Sebastian succumbs to this momentarily as he is about to kill his brother, but then at the last minute after he had drawn his sword, he changes his mind. Here again is a case that shows how the thought of power can make someone do the unthinkable, as Sebastian was completely against killing his brother prior to Antonio’s convincing that it is all worth it. Sebastian; however, showed some perseverance and morality as he did pull up.
Throughout The Tempest, we see this overall consumption with power and how these men sacrifice basic human morals in order to obtain it. Whether they have felt they have been wronged in some fashion, the pure sound of it, or just the ease of access to it. Prospero ends up confronting these men; Antonio and Alonso for forcing him out of Milan, & Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo for conspiring to kill him. Though Prospero delivers this message to the men by forgiving them, he is not innocent to the lust for power, as he requests his dukedom back from Antonio. The Tempest has a number of these examples and the message is conveyed. Through Shakespeare’s plays it is evident that the desire for power ends up consuming

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