The Tempest-Power Critics

Rhian Williams: “Prospero is also fully aware of the “need to dictate the history of his subjects if he is to exert control.”
Rhian Williams-link between narration and power “How one tells one’s story becomes explicitly linked to the nature of one’s power.”
Rhian Williams on Caliban threatening Prospero “Caliban’s subversive nature is figured in his insistence upon the opening up of alternative histories.”
Michael O’Toole on Prospero “Prospero’s magic art can be seen to stem from his connection to modern civilization.”
Iwasaki on Prospero’s circle of power “Prospero is the king, his magic is a symbol of his absolute power, Ariel the agent of his government and Caliban “all the subjects.”
Anjuli Borgonha on how Prospero maintains his power “Prospero maintains his power by withholding his subjects’ desire for freedom.”
Anjuli Borgonha on Shakespeare’s criticism of the monarchy “Shakespeare through his text challenges regal authority.”
Katrin Trustedt on Prospero and sound “Prospero is no longer the master of the sound, but is instead subjected to it.”
Michael O’ Toole: “In the same way that Ariel is dependent upon Prospero for his freedom, “Prospero is dependent upon Ariel for the fulfilment of his plans.”
Katrin Trustedt on music’s perception in the Jacobean world “Music was widely seen […] as the imitation of divine order, whose purpose was to harmonise and “charm” wild nature.”
July 7, 2019