The distinction between good and evil is not always black and white. Different people can have a variety of contrasting morals, and it is nearly impossible to be certain of what is right and wrong. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Shakespeare’s The Tempest, characters are placed in situations that test their morals. In these two works of literature, the authors explore moral issues using plot, themes of freedom and confinement, and the actions of characters. The plots of Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Tempest contain various nefarious plots. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie, kills her husband, Tea Cake, after he is driven mad by a rabies infection. Janie is tried for murdering Tea Cake
…show more content…
Janie spends a good portion of her story trying to find freedom. Her first husband, Logan, forces her to work with him around the farm and orders her around. While he does not offer her an abundance of freedom or voice in their relationship, he does attempt to bring Janie out of the stereotypical role of women in early 20th century American society. When Logan tells Janie to help him move a manure pile instead of spending her time in the kitchen, she responds, “You don’t need mah help out dere, Logan. Youse in yo’ place and Ah’m in mine” (Hurston 31). This line emphasizes the distinction between male and female roles in early 20th century relationships. The woman’s place was in the house and the man’s place was making a living outside the home. Logan might not have been a very fulfilling husband for Janie, but he nonetheless tries to free her from societal norms. Inversely, Miranda in The Tempest is free from societal restrictions, but her liberty is still curbed by Prospero. Had Miranda grown up in Milan as she was meant to, she would likely have stricter societal rules and be barred from many educational opportunities due to her status as a woman. Living on a remote island away from civilization frees Miranda from these societal restrictions. However, Prospero, as the sole source of Miranda’s human interaction, becomes an overwhelming presence in her life and holds a great deal of control over Miranda. Prospero retains this control by keeping Miranda in the dark about much of the outside world. It takes twelve years for Prospero to tell Miranda about the circumstances of their banishment to the island and he does not tell her about his plans for revenge before he acts. After he has told her of what has happened, Prospero meddles with Miranda’s free will by putting her to sleep with his magic in the line, “Here cease more questions. Thou art inclined to
Janie spends a good portion of her story trying to find freedom. Her first husband, Logan, forces her to work with him around the farm and orders her around. While he does not offer her an abundance of freedom or voice in their relationship, he does attempt to bring Janie out of the stereotypical role of women in early 20th century American society. When Logan tells Janie to help him move a manure pile instead of spending her time in the kitchen, she responds, “You don’t need mah help out dere, Logan. Youse in yo’ place and Ah’m in mine” (Hurston 31). This line emphasizes the distinction between male and female roles in early 20th century relationships. The woman’s place was in the house and the man’s place was making a living outside the home. Logan might not have been a very fulfilling husband for Janie, but he nonetheless tries to free her from societal norms. Inversely, Miranda in The Tempest is free from societal restrictions, but her liberty is still curbed by Prospero. Had Miranda grown up in Milan as she was meant to, she would likely have stricter societal rules and be barred from many educational opportunities due to her status as a woman. Living on a remote island away from civilization frees Miranda from these societal restrictions. However, Prospero, as the sole source of Miranda’s human interaction, becomes an overwhelming presence in her life and holds a great deal of control over Miranda. Prospero retains this control by keeping Miranda in the dark about much of the outside world. It takes twelve years for Prospero to tell Miranda about the circumstances of their banishment to the island and he does not tell her about his plans for revenge before he acts. After he has told her of what has happened, Prospero meddles with Miranda’s free will by putting her to sleep with his magic in the line, “Here cease more questions. Thou art inclined to