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Language In The Tempest

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The single most powerful weapon in society is the alphabet. Individual letters shape the words that fabricate the sentences, which compel humanity to follow one exclusive leader. Prospero, from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, strings letters and words together exceptionally well, earning him a position atop a forged hierarchy. Capitalizing on the guilt and debts of his subordinates along with the power in naming, Prospero adopts a place as head of the island, where he bathes in rewards such as slavery, dominance, and self-glorification. Using language for personal advantage is not limited to The Tempest, in fact, many people believe that Colonialism inspired Prospero’s approach to influencing society. Utilizing the history behind Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the new world, in addition to his actions once arriving to North America, Shakespeare set the framework behind Prospero’s leadership. Bill Ashcroft et. al. explores the idea of how powerful language earns positions of high authority, alongside their continued utilization in administration. Exploring topics such as, naming together with subversion and rejection, Ashcroft defines language in terms of sovereignty and jurisdiction. Unknowingly influencing those they are being used on, the aforementioned language styles covey strength in command, but this power is not eternal. Prospero and Columbus constructed hierarchies through the use of unpaid debts, guilt, and dynamic language techniques outlined by Ashcroft; however,

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