ipl-logo

Abuse Of Power In Pygmalion And The Tempest

1995 Words8 Pages

This essay will explore reactions to an abuse of power from the characters Eliza, and Caliban in the plays Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, and The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Overall it is apparent that both characters react with anger toward those who are abusing them. However what the characters do externally with the anger they feel internally, differs greatly. Eliza, who is controlled by Higgins in Pygmalion, expresses her anger in a more direct and emotional way, expressing her anger directly to Higgins, whereas Caliban, who is controlled by Prospero in The Tempest, expresses his anger through manipulating those around him, not confronting Prospero directly with his emotions. The situations that Eliza, and Caliban face are drastically different. However the fact that they both react with anger towards those who control them, rather than fear, or sadness, shows some similarities between the characters attitude and thought process. Throughout the play Pygmalion, Eliza suffers humiliation, manipulation, and abuse from Higgins. Her first response is often to lash out at Higgins directly. If he does something she does not agree with, that she does not like, or that insults her, she makes her feelings clear immediately. Although this may be due to social norms from Eliza’s lower class upbringing, it may also be a way that she creates a wall or a barrier between herself and the way Higgins treats her. “ELIZA: Oh, you’ve no feeling heart in you: you don’t care for nothing

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Disobedience To Authority In Romeo And Juliet

    744 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maryam Poonawalla Mrs. Sadia Warraich Essay #1 9B Disobedience to recognized authority: Every human being is composed of exclusive characteristics that make them unique in their own way, however, no individual is perfect because they also possess certain flaws that can lead them to disastrous outcomes. For example in the play Romeo and Juliet almost every character possessed certain flaws that lead to disastrous outcomes. One of the most common flaws that readers can see in the play is disobedience towards recognized authorities. This is manifested through characters like; Romeo, Juliet, and Tybalt whose hatred, revenge and love towards one another resulted in paying the price for their mistakes.

    Read More

  • Literary Techniques Used In Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Fever 1793, Eliza cares more for others than herself during the fever. For example, Eliza is a free African American. People thought that African Americans could not get the fever, but Eliza knew this was not true. She goes to fever victims to care and help them

    Read More

  • Night By Elie Wiesel Theme

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    On page 67 he asks, “Blessed be God’s name? But why would I bless Him?” This quote is coming from the same person, who when asked why he prays, he replied with why do we breathe. Eliza was once a strong follower in Judaism, and although he questioned God, and the religion itself, his faith in God never truly went away. Once he was put in the traumatic situation of the Holocaust, his relationship with God was challenged, and

    Read More

  • Gender And Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1514 Words  | 7 Pages

    Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, focuses on the tumultuous events that surround a regicide. Despite being the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays, in his critical study of the play A. C. Bradley concludes that due to its vehement nature the audience is left with an impression “not of brevity but of speed” . The principal female character of Lady Macbeth is arguably one of his most contentious. Consumed with intense passion, ambition and greed she challenges the subservient role of the traditional Elizabethan woman. She has disturbed, horrified and intrigued both contemporary and modern audiences alike through her powerful diction.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Identity Quotes

    764 Words  | 4 Pages

    Maudie’s dispute, Atticus walks in to everyone's surprise. When Aunt Alexandra is asked to accompany Atticus in the kitchen, she almost instantly asks what's wrong so everyone in the room can listen in. Aunt Alexandria tries to be a people pleaser but at the same time, wants things done her way. By asking what is wrong in front of everyone, she is satisfying the groups' gossip needs and therefore making everyone happier. She wants things her way because previously she makes Scout cry while telling her that the way she is acting is wrong and that Scout needs to have more pride.

    Read More

  • Feminism In The Coquette

    795 Words  | 4 Pages

    She wanted real love and actively pursued that desire, proving her autonomy to all. However, this “real love” was tainted in a way she was unable to see, it was in fact seduction, not love. The seduction twists Eliza’s drive for independence and uses it against her. She attempts to decide her own fate, and society punishes her for it. The seduction ruins her name and her life, leaving her alone and with child, then eventually dead.

    Read More

  • How Does Shakespeare Create Tension In Romeo And Juliet

    593 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare entertains the audience through use of character, language and drama. The plot focuses on the theme of conflict and consequences, using deep characterisation, descriptive language and high drama to entertain. Act 3 Scene 1 focuses on a brutal feud between two enemies and Act 3 Scene 5 follows the patriarchal society’s approach to women marriage and societal expectations. Shakespeare forces the audience to engage with the idea of conflict and what it must have been like to live through this time. Shakespeare cleverly utilises a changing atmosphere in Act 3 Scene 1 to expertly entertain his audience.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Lady Macbeth And An Inspector Calls

    1469 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this essay I will be comparing two female characters from different texts and different time periods. We will be looking in depth at Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare 's play 'Macbeth ', and Sheila from J.B. Priestley 's 'An Inspector Calls '. We will be looking at their roles in their respective plays, and how their characters develop over time. It is clear that both ladies are in strong relationships, but how they act within these relationships is vastly different.

    Read More

  • Patriarchal Society In King Lear

    1987 Words  | 8 Pages

    King Lear is about political authority as much as it is about the power of family and its’ dynamics. Lear is not only a father but also a king, and when he gives away his authority to the unworthy and evil Goneril and Regan, he gives not only himself and his family but all the people of Britain into cruelty and chaos. As the two wicked sisters satiate their demand for power and Edmund begins his own rising, the kingdom collapses into civil clash, and we realize that Lear has destroyed not only his own authority but all authority in Britain. The reliable, hierarchal order that Lear initially represents falls apart and disorder consumes the dimension. The failure of authority in the face of chaos recurs in Lear’s excursions on the heath during the storm.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Aime Cesaire's A Tempest

    1180 Words  | 5 Pages

    “A Tempest” is as a derivative of Shakespeare ’s play “The Tempest” by Aime Cesaire. Cesaire makes a number of alterations in his adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. These alterations have been made in order to outline the change in time eras between the two playwrights’ time of existence and to illustrate the great social change that occurred in these periods, mainly colonialism by the West, the subsequent theme of the quest for freedom as well as the theme of power that resonates throughout the play. This essay aims at exploring the similarities and to draw attention to the alterations made by Cesaire in “A Tempest” and the subsequent effects of these alterations on the audience.

    Read More

  • The Tempest Forgiveness Essay

    881 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Tempest can be seen as a play about reconciliation, forgiveness, and mercy. However, while it is clear that the theme of forgiveness is at the heart of the drama, it is unclear to what extent mercy is given. An examination of Caliban and Ariel and their representations of Prospero’s struggle illustrates that there is little, if any, true forgiveness and reconciliation in The Tempest. Prospero’s actions from the beginning of the play seem to contradict his ultimate aim to forgive those of have wronged him. Prospero seizes the opportunity for revenge with the help of his magic and good fortune.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Power In The Tempest

    1624 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Tempest by William Shakespeare is projected to be written in 1610-1611 and is first performed in November 1611 and it is also believed to be the last play that Shakespeare has written alone. The play is largely engaged on the theme of power whether it be bad or good. Power is demonstrated in various ways in The Tempest, it can be seen as the characters desire power amongst each other, the power over slaves and men, the power of love and lastly the supernatural power of magic. These forms of power is witnessed through governance and possession in the play as well. Shakespeare depicts this power predominantly through Prospero who seems to have the greatest extent of power in the play.

    Read More

  • Violence In The Tempest

    2448 Words  | 10 Pages

    In the Shakespearean comedy The Tempest, we are presented with the psychological violence associated with the abuse of power and continuous theme of colonialism explored throughout the play. In early works of Shakespeare it is evident that the violence interrogated in his plays consists of bloodshed and physical torture as opposed to his later works such as The Tempest where the play focuses on the ideology of psychological violence. The Tempest was one of the last plays written by Shakespeare and is recognised as one of his most popular works

    Read More

  • Power In The Tempest

    1470 Words  | 6 Pages

    Language is one of the definitive advantages that allowed humans to become the dominant race on earth. Though many species may have effective forms of communication, none is as fluid and wide reaching as that which we use in everyday life. The depth in our array of languages has led to an increasing amount of disparity between the educated and uneducated, with a narrowing of opportunities for the latter. It is no coincidence that those on the in Shakespeare’s The Tempest with the greatest power are also the ones with the greatest linguistic skills.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Comedy And Comedy

    1824 Words  | 8 Pages

    The conventions of tragedy and comedy, such as the tragedy in Oedipus Rex and the comedy in The Taming of the Shrew, can shape the way the play is developed. Thorough analysis can reveal these dramas to be discussions of human experience. As Laurence Olivier once said: “The office of drama is to exercise, possibly exhaust, human emotions. The purpose of comedy is to tickle those emotions into an expression of light relief; of tragedy, to wound them and bring relief of tears. Disgust and terror are the other points of the compass.”

    Read More

More about Abuse Of Power In Pygmalion And The Tempest

Open Document