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Gender Roles In The Tempest

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Prospero the protagonist in Shakespeare's The Tempest, struggles to position herself as a paternal/maternal figure and protector of Miranda. Upon arrival of Ferdinand to Prospero's safe –place the island, Miranda falls head over heals for Ferdinand, and him likewise, exploring their attraction on an intellectual level, forcing Prospero to trust her daughter's expression of self, beyond the control of her supernatural powers. The Julie Taymor screen adaptation of the playwright portrays Ferdinand as feeble, not a major threat to Prospero or Miranda, as well as a maternal Prospero who takes on the identity of a female, demonstrates gender identity to plan a minute role. Familial relations are explored through the sporadic nature love Miranda and Ferdinand share, lending themselves as the vehicle to changing familial relations of Prospero. The father of Miranda, Prospero is also the ruler of the island, with Caliban under her control, a native islander who raped Miranda. On the island for twelve years, Miranda has only been influenced by Prospero's teachings and ideas, until Ferdinand arrives on the island and challenges Miranda to think and act for …show more content…

Prospera observes her daughter's development and her familial responsibility transform from leader to a supporter. The female Prospera would encompass a quality of understanding a protective quality unseen to a father. The maternal nature of Prospera is sensitive to male dominance and provides for the reader an awareness of violence subjected towards females. Julie Taymor's adaptation of Shakespeare's script lends itself to a maternal reading of Prospero's character, navigating her position in the familial relationship between her daughter and self, demonstrating the importance in understanding human expression as a support and indulgence for another

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Prospero was betrayed by Antonio who had an "evil nature" and with the help of the king from Naples banished her (Shakespeare Act 1 93). A betrayal like this would be devastating for anyone but the fact it's her brother makes it hurt so much more. Later in the play when Prospero meets King Alonso, her brother Antonio, Sebastian, and Gonzalo she chooses to forgive them for banishing her and she even "brings them to their ship" so they can return to Naples (Shakespeare Act 5 306). Had Prospero chosen revenge she most likely would have left them on the island and they would have died which would have taken Ferdinand's father from him and their deaths would be on her conscience. When a person chooses to take revenge instead of forgiving someone they kill or hurt people to make themselves feel

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In addition to Caliban, Prospero's yearning for vengeance also creates internal issues for himself. After Ferdinand and Miranda announce their marriage, Prospero claims his "rejoicing / At nothing can be more," because he must "perform / Much business appertaining," (Shakespeare, 95-99). Usually, a father focuses more on his daughter getting married, however Prospero can only focus on his plans for vengeance. Some believe that the characters internal struggles were caused by the wrongdoers, and not a lack of forgiveness; however, at the end of the play, after Prospero becomes a more virtuous character, his conflicts with his brother and Caliban are resolved, clearly showing that their focus on vengeance is what caused the internal struggles.

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He is always in control of the situation. He is seen as a god-like figure and uses his powers and wisdom to enact justice. Prospero also acts like Jesus when he forgives and wants reconciliation instead of revenge. This reference to Jesus represents Christian values in the play while there are also language references to polytheism as in ‘Jove’s oak’. The structure of the Tempest is interesting because Shakespeare leads the reader to believe it will become a tragedy filled with revenge but the above passage is a turning point in which the resolution follows with

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She too is in love with Ferdinand. That is why we see such concern and love from both sides. Prospero is clearly observing both of them, and he realizes that there’s true love between them. Afterwards, Ferdinand asks Miranda if she loves him and the same question goes towards Ferdinand too. Both of them say yes, and then asks for each other’s hand for marriage.

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From the play’s inception, it is clear to the audience that Prospero rules the island and its subjects. Despite being a foreigner to the land, Prospero claims the island as his own and enslaves the lone inhabitant, Caliban, while also asserting his rule over the spirit, Ariel. Furthermore, Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, remains subservient to her father. Despite his seemingly malicious intentions, Shakespeare hesitates from going as far as making Prospero a tyrannical dictator. Instead, Shakespeare portrays Prospero as a benevolent, but cold, ruler who is not willing to kill anyone to accomplish his desires, and justifies his harsh treatment of Caliban by disclosing the details of the fallout between Prospero and Caliban.

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1- What makes Miranda a central character in the play? What process must she undergo? What virtues does she possess that make success likely? Miranda is a hero “The Tempest.”

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Unlike Shakespeare’s other main characters, he is much more enigmatic. In they play Prospero is portrayed as the rogue who seeks revenge on his brother Antonio for his treachery. In this Shakespearean comedy it becomes clear that Prospero is the heart of power on the island. Evidently Prospero has been wronged by his brother’s usurping which he could not control and now uses his magic as a tool for controlling the events that occur on island throughout the play. The theme of power in this play is hugely significant as it clear that the violence interrogated in this play is in relation to power and the abuse of that power by the protagonist.

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In the play, nature will be predetermined as either good or bad and depending on which, the characters will reflect their nature accordingly through their actions and dialogue. Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, was predetermined as naturally good by Prospero when he says “Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and she said thou wast

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While Desdemona is a remarkably strong character, Emilia also displays independence unmatched by any other female in Othello, and there are multiple details of Shakespeare and his time that may have prompted such a portrayal. In Elizabethan England, many women worked behind the scenes of productions, like Shakespeare’s, as uncredited authors and editors (Crowley). Due to their anonymity, nobody can be sure that women were involved in Shakespeare’s plays nor Othello in particular, but there is a genuine possibility that female writers did have leverage. This may have had to do with how Emilia was portrayed as resilient from the time of Desdemona’s death all the way until her own, standing up for herself regardless of the ridicule it caused her (Iyasere). In fact, it even killed her in the end.

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The Tempest is a play where a man named, Prospero, was a former duke of a land. He was exiled to an island because his brother, Antonio, usurped his dukedom. Prospero lives on the island with his daughter, Miranda attempting to reattain his title of duke. There are many causes of social issues, and it is important to view these issues on how they affect others.

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In comparison, the inconsistency between diction depicts the power dynamics observed in the play. Shakespeare often uses Prospero’s servant, Ariel and slave, Caliban to portray the differences in the hierarchy of the play. As observed by the audience Prospero often uses threats and insults to communicate and assign task to Caliban, hence “...tonight thou shalt have cramps, side stitches that shall pen thy breath up. ”(I.ii.325-326) Prospero threatens Caliban with pain after his refusal to do work, because he feels as if the isle belongs to him due to the fact that it was inhabited by his mother first.

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