Tempest Speech Start “Discoveries often challenge a character leading them to re-evaluate their beliefs and values.” Identify a discovery and evaluate its significance to a character from The Tempest and a character from ONE text of your own The degree to which an intellectual discovery confronts an individual directly correlates with its ability to provoke reconsideration and thereby, transformation. William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ explores Prospero’s discovery of Ariels’ emotion that challenge his power complex and initiates a reassessment of his definition of humanity shifting from power to familial connections. Albert Camus’ philosophical fiction ‘The Outsider’ explores Meursault who, despite discovering murder, after reflection, …show more content…
Initially Prospero defines his humanity through the power he possesses, the egocentric plosive coupling in the dialogue “prince of power,” expounds the importance of “power” in his self definition of his humanity. However, Prospero’s beliefs are subverted by the confrontational epiphanic discovery of Ariel’s polemic definition of humanity. The didactic statement “mine would, sir, were I human,” ironically delivered by the spirit Ariel, implies the defining characteristics of humanity are compassion and emotion. The immense value of this cognitive discovery for Prospero challenges his previously held ideologies concerning the human capacity for forgiveness and emotion. This moment of anagnorisis leads to his introspective rhetorical question “myself… be kindlier moved than thou art?” The …show more content…
Initially Meursault is vacant and emotionless, he believes only in the absurdity of life and values nothing. The short-sentenced syntax of “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday,” and detached tone elucidates Meursault’s belief of meaninglessness and the lack of value he places on maternal connections. His perspective is challenged further when Meursault encounters the challenging cognitive discovery of murder, where he remains dispassionate, evident in the dialogue “it was like giving 4 sharp knocks at the door of unhappiness.” The euphemistic downplay echoes his perceived irrelevance of the incident. The intellectual discovery however does initiate reconciliation. The emotive statement “I was a criminal. It was an idea I just couldn’t get used too”, appears contrastingly genuine, insinuating a momentary re-contemplation his absurdist views and values. His previous apathetic nature is juxtaposed by the exaggeration of “could not”. However, Meursault remains impotent, dismissing the discovery as “of no concern.” His concluding request “hope...they should greet me with cries of hatred,” confirms his diehard neophobic attitude towards life’s futility. The abnormal request for “cries of hatred” epitomises his lacklustre attitude regarding credence of the pointlessness of life and his indifferent values. Thus, confronting cognitive discoveries may