Moons of Uranus

Shakespeare’s play The Tempest and the 2010 film adaption by Julie Taymor have evident differences in characters, themes, and story line. The themes are similar, for instance justice, and power. However, Prospero is played by a women in the film and it modifies some of the relationships and gender roles. Casting choices impacted the dynamics of character relationships. The major casting choice in the film was turning Prospero’s character into a women. The mother-daughter relationship made Prospero’s character less evil. In the play, Prospero seems more genuine about her intentions and seems to partly be doing everything for her daughter. Prospera just wants a better life for her daughter and she thinks she can achieve that if she regains her authority and title. Prospera also seems stronger because she manages to trap a group of men regain her authority. Another interesting casting choice was for the character of Caliban. The actor is African American, which adds a layer of authenticity to the character. Caliban is a slave to Prospera and the race quality added to Caliban makes his enslavement comparable to Whites enslaving natives when colonizing. One of Caliban’s lines in both the play and film is “I must eat my dinner” becomes more powerful. It can be interpreted as Caliban being a cannibal; his character is dehumanized and made uncivilized with his physical appearance and this specific line emphasizes these qualities. The scales and body language make him appear as a…

William Shakespeare never ceases to communicate messages through his works, and The Tempest is no exception. There are many lessons and morals taught throughout the course of the play that have both positive and negative impacts. The themes of those who abuse power damaging others, and those that manipulate others for their own benefit are shown to be negative themes that pertain to the dark side of the story, while forgiveness being worth more than revenge teaches a more positive, valuable…

Physical Theatre Analytical Essay Zen Zen Zo, founded in 1992, is an Australian Physical Theatre company. Asian-theatre traditions (Butoh and Noh), and pop culture, where stagecraft, music and movement create meaning, forged the company’s unique style. Physical Theatre can be defined as, a genre of theatrical performance that pursues storytelling through physical means, rather than, spoken text. Zen Zen Zo’s interpretation of the Tempest encompasses themes (dramatic meaning) which have a…

Following the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was marked by a rise in literacy and education, and the return of classical values. During this period, writes and artists explored the effects of these trends on society, debating the consequence of the loss in the traditional Christian value. The Tragic History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, written in 15XX and The Tempest by William Shakespeare, written in 16XX, are literature works from the Renaissance that…

In The Tempest, Shakespeare many times takes the stance that despotism is not a stable form of government. Shakespeare exemplifies his stance on despotism by narrating prolific power shifts and frequent coups. In fact, the main plotline is about a duke, Prospero, whose title is usurped by his brother Antonio with the help of King Alonso. Then Prospero gets exiled to an island with only one inhabitant, Caliban. After Caliban has shown him everything about the island Prospero takes power and…

When considering the interpretation of Shakespearean plays, it is common to find similarities among popular culture through iterations that can be directly linked, such as Hamlet to that of The Lion King in plot and character struggles. Furthermore, this enables for an intriguing investigation in to the works of Disney that may aid in the discovery of all sorts of other Shakespearean plots, and presenting them as a revision of historical pieces of art. For this document, the two works of The…

Uncivilized: Mistreatment in The Tempest Shakespeare provided his audience with a unique perspective on nature versus nurture within The Tempest. He used many examples of Caliban conveying animalistic qualities that showed how hierarchy played a role within society and how uncivilized and "natural" human beings didn’t fit within that hierarchical ladder. Was Shakespeare leading his audience to interpret Caliban as an uneducated and uncivilized soul, who after prolonged abuse and neglect, had…

Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, mentioned in Chapter 8, gives an important parallel to Brave New World. In The Tempest, Prospero and his daughter Miranda are exiled to an island where the only other person is a native named Caliban. Prospero takes control of the island and raises Caliban as a slave with an intent to civilize him. When liquor is introduced to Caliban, the liquor becomes his “God,” like soma is to those in the New World. Caliban resents Prospero for taking his home from him, but…

In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, Miranda, the daughter of Prospero, states that “Good wombs have borne bad sons” (1.2.119). In regards to nature versus nurture in The Tempest, this quote shows that there is a preference for nature as even the best conditions can still form wicked people. Nature is how a person’s underlying personality determines their behaviour, while nurture is how the environment in which a person is raised impacts their behaviour. The concept of the two applies to…

Discovering One’s Ability to Forgive In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, forgiveness is manifested as a motif throughout the play. Shakespeare illustrates that the ability to rise above and reconcile with others can lead to inner peace, through the character of Prospero. As the play begins, the mood is dark, consistent with the turmoil Prospero experiences as he plans to seek vengeance against his rivals. However, his state of mind begins to shift when his spirit helper, Ariel, proclaims that…