Comparing Power in The Tempest and Othello - 1801 Words

Comparing Power in ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Othello’ Both plays are about the ultimate struggle for power. Power can be shown in many ways such as race, gender, ‘others’, social class, and most importantly through use of language. Power can be shown in both plays through the use of ‘otherness’. This can be associated with power as characters such as Othello or Caliban are ‘others’ because they are from ‘elsewhere’. One such character who could be described as an ‘other’ is Othello. Bill Bryson suggested that ‘before he reworked it ‘Othello’ was insipid melodrama’ and perhaps it was the addition of ‘others’ by Shakespeare that added to the drama. Characters such as Othello and Caliban were considered dangerous and unnatural because they†¦show more content†¦Caliban is only allowed near Miranda as he performs the unskilled jobs he does make our fire, fetch our wood and serves in offices reminding the audience that Caliban i s a slave. Ariel on the other hand is given much more important jobs, but this is not because Ariel means any more to Prospero than Caliban does, but simply because of his magic. It is evident that Miranda is aware of how powerful Prospero is, as she says â€Å"Had I been any god of power, I would /Have sunk the sea within the earth†. This indicates that she understands the extent of Prospero’s power, and that if she had possessed the same amount of power, she would use it differently to her father. Shakespeare shows differences in power between Othello, Desdemona and Iago. The use of gender differences and the changing perception of them suggest a powerful gender based conflict. Othello and Desdemona love each other for the ‘differences they perceive in one another’. Desdemona perceives Othello as a valiant warrior, and Othello perceives Desdemona as a woman with genuine feminine grace. Iago’s relationship with Othello becomes a power struggle where Iago attempts to degrade Desdemona in order to position himself so he can ‘poison’ Othello. Here Shakespeare is showing how powerful and manipulative Iago can be with his use of words, and how powerful they can be. This power struggles is exemplifiedShow MoreRelatedRacism In Othello And The Tempest By William Shakespeare1145 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered racist. In Shakespeare’s plays Othello and The Tempest, the underlying idea of racism is present in these works, and his audiences can come to this conclusion, because of the way the characters, Othello and Caliban, are unjustly treated due to their appearances. In the play Othello, the idea of racism is first revealed in Act One, Scene One. Iago and Rodrigo are talking to Brabanzio about how his daughter, Desdemona, married a Moor. 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