THE TEMPEST

by

William Shakespeare

PROSPERO Magician, born leader,

kind, merciful, wise, charitable, intelligent,

hot-tempered, influential, commanding/ controlling.

MAIN CHARACTERS:MIRANDA Beautiful, compassionate,

sympathetic, honest, kind-hearted, considerate, gentle, moral compass, epitome of goodness and innocence.

CHARACTERSARIELAir spirit, loyal, peaceful, graceful, lively, honest,loving. Embodies the best qualities of humanbeings.CALIBANEvil, selfish, cruel, monstrous, grotesque, intelligent,

clumsy,traitor, bitter and sour – however, has the capacity to be

good.ANTONIOPower hungry, cruel, brave, selfish, malicious, sense of

humour.

HOW THEY’RE POWERFULProspero is a talented magician, gifted in the knowledge of and the ability to control the natural elementsPower of persuasion and wordsUnderstands people’s flaws- can easily manipulate them. Plays on their emotionsPhysical powerPersonalityHas loyal subjects (also paternal power)Forgiveness

HOW THEY’RE POWERLESS• Ignorance• No political power, only has his title• Trapped on the island• Influenced by his relationship with his

daughter• Dependent on Ariel’s assistance

THE RELATIONSHIPS RESULTING FROM THIS:

Miranda: Powerless- Stops him from taking his revenge. Is very protective over her, devote and loving.Powerful- Marriage to Ferdinand.

Ariel :

Powerful- Loyalty (debt for his rescue) and controls his freedom. Powerless- Ariel performs all his tasks and magic, relies on his devotion and compliance.

RELATIONSHIPSCaliban:Powerful- physical abuse, is his servant.Powerless- he rebels and plots to kill him.

Antonio:Powerful- stranded on the island, also forgives him.Powerless- steals his dukedom and tries to kill him in thebeginning of the play.

POSITION OF POWER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY

Originally in a form of political power, he looses it in Milan when his brother betrays him and steals his position, exiling him out to sea. He then gets stranded on an island and relies on the monster Caliban to teach him how to survive on the island. He has power though in the form of his magical abilities and quickly gains more when he sets Ariel free from the tree. He enslaves Caliban through force and the physical abuse of power, taking complete control of the island and its inhabbitants. He swaps one form of political power for another. He creates a Tempest, marooning his enemies on the island too. He then has almost complete power over everyone present.

POSIT ION OF POWER IN THE END OF THE PLAY

He creates the setting where Miranda and Ferdinand meet and thus fall in love. He appears before the island’s hosts, forgiving them all despite their treatment and secures the marriage of the prince and his daughter. He returns to his old home after severing his connections to his and the island’s magic.

“Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick, yet with my nobler reason ‘gainst my fury do I take part: the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance: they being penitent, the sole drift of my purpose doth extend not a frown further.”

CONCLUSIONProspero is always powerful and seems to only trade one form for another.

He never relinquishes it and actually becomes more powerful.He never experiences the corrupting nature of power and nor does he become a slave to it.

ByChristopher Marlowe

THE TRAGICAL HISTORY / THE TRAGEDY OF DR FAUSTUS(OR JUST)

DOCTOR FAUSTUS

Faustus:• Arrogant, ignorant,

naïve, obnoxious, egotistical, no morals, greedy, stubborn, power hungry, loner, selfish, book smart.

Mephistophilis:• Remorseful, bitter,

moral, menacing, wise, unhappy. What Faustus will become if he does not repent.

“Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer, conspir’d against our God with Lucifer, And are for ever damn’d with Lucifer.”

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Old Man:• Good, faithful,

religious, loyal, trustworthy. What Faustus would become if he did repent.

Helen Of Troy:• Beautiful, tempting,

evil. She is the cause of Faustus’ damnation.

CHARACTERS

Good Angel:• Pure, heaven’s

representative, offers Faustus nothing. What it offers will only matter after death.

“Sweet Faustus, think of heaven and heavenly things.” Good Angel.

Bad Angel:• Evil, hell’s

representative, offers Faustus everything he desires. What it offers is immediate.

“No, Faustus; think of honour and of wealth.”

CHARACTERS

HOW THEY’RE POWERFULFaustus:• He is very knowledgeable and smart. He uses

this as a means to not only gain respect but also power over people. He can summon a demon.

Mephistophilis:• Wise, immortal and has the power to do a

great deal of things.

HOW THEY’RE POWERLESSFaustus:• Completely dependant on Mephistophilis to do

anything. The devil has his soul so he controls Faustus. Gains no knowledge.

Mephistophilis:• Is a slave to hell and can’t be where he really

wants to be. He is constantly being used by the Lucifer and Faustus.

THE RELATIONSHIPS RESULTING FROM THIS:

Faustus and Mephistophilis.Faustus believes he holds all the power in the relationship when in truth he is just being controlled by Mephistophilis. Mephistophilis

wants to warn Faustus but can’t because he is loyal to Hell.“Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it: Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God, and tasted the eternal joys of heavan, not tormented with ten thousand hells, in being d’prived of everlasting bliss? O, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, which strike a terror to my fainting soul!” Mephistophilis.

Faustus and Old Man.He is Faustus if Faustus had chosen to repent. He tries to warn

Faustus and tells him to repent.“By which sweet path thou mayst attain the goal that shall conduct the to celestial rest! Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears, tears falling from repentant heaviness of thy most vile and loathsome filthiness, the stench whereof corrupts the inward soul with such flagitious crimes heinous sin as no commiseration may expel, but mercy, Faustus, of thy saviour sweet, whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt.” Old Man

RELATIONSHIPSFaustus and Helen of Troy

She is the epitome of beauty and is probably what seals Faustus’ fate. Her kiss is what stops Faustus from

repenting at his last chance.Faustus and the Two Angels.

The bad Angel constantly keeps Faustus from repenting by offering him all his heart desires and offering him things that are immediate. The good angel can only

offer him heaven and a promise that he will be safe if he repents this therefor makes Faustus hesitant to

listen to him.

POSITION OF POWER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY

Faustus:• Knowledge• Magic• Status• Greed• Lust for powerMephistophilis• Loyalty• Wisdom • Regret

POSITION OF POWER IN THE END OF THE PLAY

Faustus:• Magic• Greed• Repentance• Arrogance• Knowledge“My heart’s so harden’d, I cannot repent: Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven, but fearful echoes thunder in mine ears, ‘Faustus, thou art damn’d!’ Then swords, and knives, poison, guns, halters, and envenom’d steel are laid before me to dispatch myself; and long ere I should have slain myself, had not sweet pleasure conquered deep despair.” Faustus.

CONCLUSIONFaustus has power only in the beginning because of the knowledge he has. However as soon as he sells his soul to the devil he loses any inkling of power he had previously. He gains nothing from the bargain he makes and loses more and more power the whole time he refuses to repent. His ignorance makes the deal seem fair even though it isn’t and his greed and selfish desires is what keeps him from repenting and so dooms him. He is a slave to power.

ByTennessee Williams

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Delicate, unstable, flirtatious, lonely, self-destructive, alcoholic, vain, acts meek/helpless. Manipulates the truth.

Crude, vulgar, sexually driven, obnoxious, blunt, attractive, primitive, abusive, egotistical. Uncovers the truth., blunt, hot tempered. Uncovers the truth.

Blanche Stanley

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Pregnant, submissive, naïve, push over, weak, timid, constantly trying to keep the peace. Hides from the truth.

Kind, gentleman, caring, lonely, sensitive, seeks companionship.

Stella: Mitch:

CHARACTERS

Blanche: Uses beauty as her power over men and her words as power over

everybody.Stanley: His masculinity, desirability and

intimidating nature is what gives him power.

HOW THEY’RE POWERFUL

Blanche: Fear of aging, vanity, alcohol, beauty, mental instability, desire for attention, stability and love.

“And admire her dress and tell her she’s looking wonderful. That’s important with Blanche. Her little

weakness!” Stella“I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick. It isn’t

enough to be soft. You’ve got to be soft and attractive. And I - I’m fading now!” Blanche

HOW THEY’RE POWERLESS

Blanche and Stanley:He holds all the power in the relationship. Stanley is the only

character that never falls victim to Blanche’s lies. “I’ve been on to you from the start! Not once did you pull any wool over this boy’s eyes! You come in here and sprinkle the

place with powder and spray perfume and cover the light bulb with a paper lantern, and low and behold the place has turned into to Egypt and you are the queen of the Nile! Sitting on your throne and swilling my liquor! I say – Ha – Ha! Do you hear me?

Ha – ha – ha!” StanleyBlanche and Mitch:

Blanche has power over Mitch almost instantly because of her beauty. Even after he finds out the truth he is still affected by

her beauty.

THE RELATIONSHIPS RESULTING FROM THIS:

Blanche and Stella:Blanche holds power over Stella simply because of the fact that she is the older sister. Stella, however

has power over Blanche because of the fact that she now supports her.Stanley and Stella

Stanley has power over Stella physically and because she loves him so much. Stella also has power over Stanley because he also loves her substantially and can’t really live without her

RELATIONSHIPS

Blanche:She never really has power though she tries to

pretend she does.• Bathing• Alcohol• Desire• Beauty.• Past.• Words/lies.• Age.

POWER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY

Stanley:He is powerful.

• Physical.• Bathing.• Desire.

POWER POSITION

Blanche:Less power than she started with, completely powerless.• Mental instability• Varsouviana/past.• Lies• Desire• Beauty• Alcohol.

“I don’t want realism, I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that

is sinful, then let me be dammed for it!” Blanche

POSITION OF POWER IN THE END OF THE PLAY

Stanley:Has more power over Blanche physically and with

knowledge.• Desire.• Physical.• Truth.

“Delicate piece she is.” Stanley

“She is. She was. You didn’t know Blanche as a girl. Nobody, nobody, was tender and trusting as she was. But people like you

abused her, and forced her to change.” Stella

POWER POSITION

In conclusion Blanche is powerless from the start the only true power she has is her

beauty and even that leads to her downfall. Blanche gets lost in her own lies and is

trapped in the web she herself has spun. From the time you meet her she is running and hiding from her past which can and did

make her powerless. She is a slave to desire and therefor she is a slave to power.

CONCLUSION

• Magic• Appearances • Words• Music• Knowledge• Truth and deceit• Feminist perspective• Society and class• Seclusion or loneliness

SUMMARY OF POWER SIMILARITIES IN ALL

THREE PLAYS