The Cycle of Slavery in The Tempest Essays -- Tempest essays

The Cycle of Slavery in The Tempest William Shakespeares The Tempest blends elements of adventure and intellectual inquiry. The plot of Shakespeares last flex contains comedy, ro humanityce, and action enough to sustain the interest of his common audience. However, there lies at a lower place the eloquent language and exciting plot an intelligent political commentary. Shakespeare uses the desktop of a virtually uninhabited island as an experimental testing filth for the institution of buckle downry. Shakespeare shows through his island experiment that subjugation, once instituted, seems to perpetuate itself. season the close automatic explanation of this cyclical nature of thralldom would be to label that this political rule is continued by the subjugators, the surprising reality is that it is the victim of colonialism who continues the calendar method of slavery. Caliban, the native islander(2.2.36), despises his condition as a slave. However, in his attempt to disrupt a nd overthrow the political order instituted on the island by Prospero, Caliban actually provides evidence of the force-out of slavery over both man and mind. Calibans initial attempt to defy Prosperos power via a verbal curse actually gives Prospero more authority as subdue in that the curse acknowledges the dukes ultimate power. Caliban begins his speech with the vengeful pass along that all the evil infections(2.2.1) under the sun fall(2.2.2) upon the tyrant(2.2.160) Prospero. While Caliban wishes for Prospero to be so harmed by sickness, the slave does not have the power to make this happen. Instead, he must request that these evils fall(2.2.2) of their own arrangement upon Prospero. Calibans lack of authority because of his condition as a slave is immediately contrasted to that... ...tly subjugate Trinculo. This brilliant strategic move on Calibans part further perpetuates the cycle of subjugation. Once again it is the victim of slavery who acts as the agent in establishin g and perpetuating slavery. In trying to benefit himself by breaking free of slavery, Caliban instead benefits the very practice he so despises. Slavery exerts its power in every aspect of Calibans life. In his speech, in his actions, in his thoughts, and even in his attempts to break free of slavery, Caliban cannot thresh the powerful effects of subjugation. Caliban does not succeed in breaking the cycle of slavery. Its power and tendency to perpetuate itself are too great. Instead, the slaves attempt to end his servitude actually propagates rather than abolishes the practice of slavery. Works CitedShakespeare, William. The Tempest. Mineloa, NY Drover, 1999.