The Tempest by William Shakespeare and its Relevance to Power in the 21st Century

The Tempest
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The Tempest
The Tempest is a play built on the elements of tragedy and comedy. It is estimated that William Shakespeare wrote the play in 1610 as part of his last romance plays. The play’s setting is a remote island with its society caught up in a power struggle. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, and throughout the play, he schemes to restore his daughter Milan to the throne. He uses manipulation and illusion to conjure up a storm to lure Antonio and King Alonso to the island. The storm is later referred to as Tempest. Throughout the play, the theme of power and control is dominantly driven by the two power-hungry brothers, Antonio and the conspirator King Alonso. Consequently, the characters are locked in a power struggle for the island and its freedom. This essay reviews The Tempest by William Shakespeare and its relevance to power in the 21st century.
The year 2020 was a challenging year around the globe due to the spread of Covid-19. The pandemic allowed governments to exercise their power over civilians by introducing curfews. While this is a reasonable measure, numerous instances have shown that it is difficult to draw between governance and oppression. Social anxiety rose as a result of the actions, and it took the death of George Floyd to spark mass nationwide protests. Like every other regime, the government’s approach was extreme, with protestors getting beaten and pepper-sprayed. Therefore, the relationship between a public and its government is always tense and fosters resentment. Prospero is the main protagonist from the play who drives forward the main narrative. At first, he appears sympathetic when wronged by his brother, intent on acquiring the power. However, the character shows that he has absolute dominance over other characters, and he will take advantage of anything to maintain control. When challenged, Prospero can be likened to a government that reacts with extreme force. For instance, the punishment of Caliban shows Prospero’s petty and vindictive side. He calls upon a spirit to pinch Caliban every time he curses. Prospero’s relationship with Ariel is autocratic with the issue of false promises. Ariel is promised relief from his duties if he performs them willingly. However, upon requesting Prospero to fulfill his promise, Ariel is met with fury and threats to return him to his former site of imprisonment and torment CITATION Tuğ16 \l 1033 (Tuğlu, 2016).
Since the dawn of time, colonization has been the easiest way for a country to expand its dominance and influence. The Tempest draws inspiration from the human urge to control land and conquer new regions. It also represents England’s politics and colonial expansion during Shakespeare’s time CITATION Lee19 \l 1033 (Jamieson, 2019). Numerous characters in the play aspire to rise to power with colonialism as part of their primary strategy. Sycorax is the original colonizer and father to Caliban, who traveled from Algiers to do bad things. Prospero is another character who is banished from his home only to land on the island with the singular purpose of ascending into power. Accompanied by his three-year-old daughter Miranda, he uses his powers and spe...