Comparing Power In The Tempest And Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Throughout Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Prospero and Frankenstein either have power or want it. The power they attempt to and succeed in acquiring superhuman, divine power. Though it seems that they use this power in similar ways, which would lead one to expect similar consequences, Frankenstein has a tragic ending, whereas The Tempest ends more positively. Frankenstein assumes the role of God while Prospero tries to carry out God’s will using limited magic, making Frankenstein a cautionary tale and The Tempest a guide for divinely inspired leadership.
Prospero’s ability to conduct magic and his absent co-creator or partner makes him unlike any other human character in the play. Though his magical abilities are
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Sarah Denman write that Prospero is like the Church in that he is a messenger of God and has limited “life power.” This interpretation of Prospero is reminiscent of the Divine Right of Kings, which was first mention in England under the reign of James I (1603-1625). It is certainly possible that Shakespeare’s had the concept of the Divine Right of Kings in mind when he wrote The Tempest.
H.K Jones and Mrs. Sarah Denman also write that “when the government of this planet is taken from the powers above and put into the hands of man, then comes destruction.” This comment is a reference to Antonio, Trinculo, and Stephano, which are referred to as “natural” men, but it is also applicable to Frankenstein, who tries to assume power without connecting it to religion. The source states that “natural man” indulges in desires and is destined for destruction. Likewise, Frankenstein has a selfish desire for power and faces destruction as a result.
Frankenstein’s story is a manifestation of the idea that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Frankenstein’s total assumption of the God-like power to create life, juxtaposed to Prospero’s limited superhuman abilities, leads him to be responsible for the death of every significant person in his life through his
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1234 Words | 5 PagesMany ideas about the requirements of personhood have been circulating throughout Earth’s history. Many relate to religion and spirituality, and many of the others either contribute to the people v. property debate of the abolition movement or the contemporary pro-life v. pro-choice debates. This paper will address a few of these proposed requirements and how they specifically relate to the Monster created by Victor Frankenstein in the popular novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in a secular and non-endorsing manner. This character will then be juxtaposed with a character of a separate work: Lucky from Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
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Comparing Two Themes In William Shakespeare's Frankenstein And The Tempest
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Scrutinize The Punishment In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
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Fate In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
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Power In Frankenstein Essay
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Solitude In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1109 Words | 5 Pages“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god” (Aristotle). Romantic period writer and author, Mary Shelley, depicts two characters in her soft science fiction novel, Frankenstein, that is exquisitely similar to those who “would find delight in solitude” as quoted by Aristotle in his Politics. In Shelley’s Frankenstein, the parallel of Aristotle’s two presented personas consists as Victor Frankenstein as a god and his horrific creation, the Monster, as a wild beast. Unambiguously, Victor is indeed the god of the Monster because he created him, consequently bringing the Monster into existence. The Monster too is merely a wild beast from the perception that he appears to be a frightening and violent creature.
Character Development In Frankenstein
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The Tempest Forgiveness Essay
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Theme Of Power In The Tempest
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Violence In The Tempest
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