Essay on the Roles of Trinculo and Stephano in The Tempest

The Roles of Trinculo and Stephano in The Tempest Trinculo and Stephano have two major roles in The Tempest - comic relief and the theme of exploration. Because of this double nature to their characters, they are more important than they initially appear. The Tempest is a comedy. The play may not seem to fit into the category of comedy as it exists today; but in the 17th century comedy was very different. Certainly, The Tempest would never be confused with a modern television comedy - the art of comedy has evolved too far. The main plot of the play - the plot involving Prospero regaining his rightful position as the Duke of Milan - seem to be overly serious for a comedy. The scenes containing Trinculo and†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare removes any superfluousness about them in act III, scene II, in which he links them into the main plot by creating their desire to overthrow Prospero and rule the island. This idea in itself is amusing, as it is evident from the beginning that the drunken trio of Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban do not have the slightest chance against Prospero and his Art, as is shown later, in act V, scene I. This link with Prospero and the other characters in tenuous, however, and Trinculo and Stephano never seem to fit particularly comfortably into the play as a whole; perhaps this is because their humorous scenes contrast so greatly with the seriousness of the rest of the play. It must always be remembered that The Tempest was written for an audience that existed over 300 years ago, so some elements are inevitably going to seem somewhat unusual. Something else that distinguishes them from the other main characters is that they appear to have been written as stereotypes - one is a jester, the other is a drunken butler - whereas the other characters all have very carefully defined, individual characters. There is also something a little more complex involved in Trinculo and Stephanos characters, though. At the time that The Tempest was written, people were fascinated by the New World and exploration, and marvelled at strange creatures brought backShow MoreRelated The Tempest: Allegorical to the Bible Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe Tempest: Allegorical to the Bible The Tempest is not a pure fantasy tale, but a purposeful allegory. The characters in the play are all representative of characters found in the bible. The first, and perhaps most persuasive, arguement would be Prospero symbolizing God. Prospero is seen to be a representative of God for several reasons. First, he is obviously in control of the actions and has an omnipotent quality. This has been demonstrated by several scenes throughout the play. ConsiderRead MoreThe Tempest - Relationship Between Prospero and Caliban1667 Words   |  7 Pagesuses to present the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. ‘The Tempest’ was the last play written by Shakespeare and is widely regarded to be his greatest play. ‘The Tempest’ is thought to have been written about the year 1610. All of Shakespeare’s previously used genres are in the play: romance, tragedy, comedy and history. ‘The Tempest’ adheres to the three classical unities, unity of time, action and place. ‘The Tempest’ takes place in a twenty-four hour time period which abides by the unityRead More Essay on Bravery in The Tempest823 Words   |  4 PagesThe Theme of Bravery in The Tempest   Ã‚  Ã‚   Bravery performs a very important role in The Tempest.   Different than a motif, the theme of bravery actually takes form in Shakespeares play and develops the play itself.   However, like a motif, bravery is used intermittently throughout the play in different form and context.   It captures different meanings and performs different capacities erratically.   A denotative definition from the 15th century, according to the Merriam-Webster CollegiateRead More The Character of Caliban in The Tempest Essay1541 Words   |  7 PagesThe Character of   Caliban in The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Caliban is the only authentic native of what is often called Prosperos Island. However, he is not an indigenous islander, his mother Sycorax was from Argier, and his father Setebos seems to have been a Patagonian deity. Sycorax was exiled from Argier for witch-craft, much like Prospero himself, and Caliban was born on the island. Calibans own understanding of his position is made eloquently plain when we first meet him:    I must eatRead More European Colonization in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay1279 Words   |  6 PagesNo Critique of European Colonization in The Tempest      Since the 1960s, several critics have found a critique of colonialism in their respective readings of Shakespeares The Tempest. The most radical of these analyses takes Prospero to be a European invader of the magical but primitive land that he comes to rule, using his superior knowledge to enslave its original inhabitants, most notably Caliban, and forcing them to do his bidding. While the textual clues concerning the geographic locationRead MoreThe Tempest By William Shakespeare1603 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s play, The Tempest, power is manifested in several forms: the investigation of the power of love, the power of magic and illusion, or the power of nature. However, in The Tempest, power is most clearly defined as dominance. Throughout the play, there is a universal pursuit of dominance over other people, dominance over property, or dominance over cultural ideals. These pursuits of dominance are used in an attempt to further ones authority, and, ultimately, oneâ €™s life. In The Tempest, a motif ofRead MoreThe Selfish Act Of Colonialism : A Nascent Of English Colonialism1741 Words   |  7 PagesOn answering the question, â€Å"To what extent is The Tempest â€Å"about† nascent English colonial?† I would say that this Shakespearean play is completely a nascent of English colonialism, because it’s plot is based around colonialism. The story describes white men inhabiting an island and proceed to fight for control, without any input by the natives. What makes this a story specifically about nascent English colonialism is the alluding fact that humans are power hungry, which will prove to be true withinRead More tempcolon Comparing Language in Shakespeares Tempest and Aime Cesaires A Tempest892 Words   |  4 PagesColonial Language in Shakespeares The Tempest and Aime Cesaires A Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚   Language and literature are the most subtle and seductive tools of domination. They gradually shape thoughts and attitudes on an almost subconscious level. Perhaps Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak states this condition most succinctly in her essay The Burden of English when she writes, Literature buys your assent in an almost clandestine way...for good or ill, as medicine or poison, perhaps always a bit of both(137)Read More The Character of Caliban in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay1786 Words   |  8 PagesThe Character of Caliban in The Tempest       This thing of darkness, I must acknowledge mine It is impossible to understand The Tempest without first understanding the character of Caliban. Despite numerous novels and poems praising the virtuous, the pure and the good, everyone has within them a darker side of depravity and evil thoughts. This makes us human. What distinguishes between good and bad people, though, is the way in which this alter ego manifests itself to both the rest of mankindRead More The Battle for Political Power in The Tempest Essay examples3273 Words   |  14 PagesNearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a mans character, give him power. -- Abraham Lincoln Shakespeares The Tempest forms a world within itself. Within this world, many topics regarding government, power and colonization are addressed. Shakespeare tackles the discovery of new places and races, the relationship between the colonized and the colonist, old world ideologies on new soil, as well as theories on civilization and government. These aspects at the core reveal

Albert Camus The Stranger Essay - 1690 Words

Albert Camus The Stranger What if the past has no meaning and the only point in time of our life that really matters is that point which is happening at present. To make matters worse, when life is over, the existence is also over; the hope of some sort of salvation from a God is pointless. Albert Camus illustrates this exact view in The Stranger. Camus feels that one exists only in the world physically and therefore the presence or absence of meaning in ones life is alone revealed through that event which he or she is experiencing at a particular moment. These thoughts are presented through Meursault, a man devoid of concern for social conventions found in the world in which he lives, and who finds his life deprived of physical†¦show more content†¦It is his lack of concern for following normal social conventions that eventually hinders the impression he makes on others. Further evidence of Meursaults indifference is demonstrated when he meets with Marie at the beach on the day following the funeral. Marie is a former co-worker whom [he had] a thing for at the time (19). Keeping with character, the implication of that description is that he hadnt thought about her since then, until now. The two end up spending a lot of time together, swimming, going to the movies, and even sleeping together, but when asked if he loved her he recalls: I told her that it didnt mean anything, but that I didnt think so (35). These words are somewhat surprising given the relationship portrayed here. At the same time, it is important to realize that Meursault actually does care for Marie--however the word used to express that feeling, in a sense, is practically absent from his vocabulary. This notion becomes more evident with his reaction to the principle of marriage, which he regards as basically insignificant: ...Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didnt make any difference and we could if she wanted to (41). On a related notion, when his boss offers Meursault the opportunity to further cultivate his life via a transfer to Paris, Meursault simply doesnt want to go: I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good asShow MoreRelatedThe Stranger By Albert Camus1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe Stranger â€Å"The Stranger,† written by the Algerian writer Albert Camus, is a novel about Meursault, a character who’s different and even threatening views on life take him to pay the highest price a person can pay: his life. This was Camus’ first novel written in the early 1940’s, in France, and it reflects the authors belief that there is no meaning in life and it is absurd for humans to try to find it places like religion. The main themes of the novel are irrationality of the universe and theRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1495 Words   |  6 Pages Albert Camus said, â€Å"Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.† In other terms, Camus is indicating that absurdity affects us all even if it’s hidden all the way on the bottom, but it’s the joy that comes from absurdity that makes us take risks and live freely without any thought or focus. Camus also specifies that the onlyRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1411 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel The Stranger, written by Albert Camus, encompasses contemporary philosophies of existentialism and absurdism. Existentialist and absurdist philosophies entail principles regarding that one’s identity is not based on nature or culture, but rather by sole existence. The role of minor characters in The Stranger helps to present Camus’s purpose to convey absurdist and existentialist principles. The characters of Salamano and Marie are utilized in order to contrast the author’s ideas about contemporaryRead MoreThe Stranger by Albert Camus720 Words   |  3 PagesAlbert Camus’ portrayal of the emotional being of the main character in The Stranger is an indirect display of his own personal distress. The use of symbolism and irony presented throughout this novel is comparable with the quest for such that death itself would be nonetheless happy. Camus’ irrational concept is based off the exclusion of any logical reasoning behind the events in the text. Meursault’s first impression given to the reader is that of ignorance and a nonchalant behavior to indifferenceRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1345 Words   |  6 PagesAbsurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe. Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger is often termed an absurdist novel because it contains the elements of Camus’s philosophical notion of absurdity. Mersault, the protagonist, is an absurd hero that is emotionally detached and indifferent form society. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal worldRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stranger was written by the French author Albert Camus, and was first published in 1942 in its indigenous French. It’s described as being the most widely-read French novel of the twentieth century, and has sold milli ons of copies in Britain and the United States alone. It’s known by two titles; the other being The Outsider. The backstory to this is very interesting but, more importantly, the subtle difference in meaning between titles suggests certain resultant translative idiosyncrasies whenRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1628 Words   |  7 PagesAlbert Camus’s novel â€Å"The Stranger† revolves around a young man estranged from society. This man, Monsieur Meursault, lives the majority of his life fulfilling his own physical needs and social obligations, but has little emotional connection to the world around him. Throughout the book Meursault attends his mother’s funeral, begins a serious relationship with his former co-worker Marie, kills a man without motive, goes through trial, and is sentenced for execution. His lack of emotional responseRead MoreThe Stranger by Albert Camus1115 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the point lessness of life and existence is exposed through the illustration of Camus’s absurdist world view. The novel tells the story of an emotionally detached, amoral young man named Meursault. Meursault shows us how important it is to start thinking and analyzing the events that happen in our lives. He does this by developing the theme of conflicts within society. Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger portrays Meursault, the main character, as a staticRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1365 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Stranger, Albert Camus uses routinesituations to demonstrate how the protagonist, Meursault is not just another ordinary individual. Camus depicts Meursault as an independent being, disinterested in his surroundings, contrasting him with the majority of his peers. Meursault traverses the entire novel, exhibiting little to no emotion. Instead, he displayscharacteristics synonymous to someone suffering from psychopathy. Regardless of the situation, Meursa ult refrainsfrom assigning meaningRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus Essay1844 Words   |  8 Pagesof the novel, The Stranger, written by Albert Camus, multiple debatable topics have risen. Does Meursault have a heart? Is he an existentialist? Why does he seem to not be phased by his mother dying? This novel is definitely on the more controversial side, which is somewhat strange because although it seems like a novel about almost nothing, everything seems to have a much deeper meaning than it puts off. However, one topic that seems to be overlooked is the fact that The Stranger relates highly to

Concept Of Prostitution Essay Example For Students

Concept Of Prostitution Essay Introduction The Concept Of Prostitution Essay is one that causes a visceral revulsion in conventional Western morality a symptom of which is how the many colloquial terms for a prostitute, such as whore, or harlot, are commonly used as denigratory pejoratives towards women. Although a persistent phenomenon throughout human history , it remains difficult to view prostitution in an objective light various cultures have alternately tried to ban it on religious or moralistic grounds, or stigmatise it under a dont-ask-dont-tell sort of veneer which was a barely-tolerated but necessary evil of society. It is interesting to note that despite an increasingly secularised attitude towards sexual relationships, as seen in societys increasing tolerance of homosexuality or pre-marital sex, prostitution retains much of its social stigma. Faced with the strong reactions which the concept of prostitution tends to elicit in common moral viewpoints, any discussion of the topic must be prepared to look beneath t hese reflexive attitudes, examine the motivations and justifications for such attitudes, and, hopefully, come to a more informed judgment on the morality of prostitution, or lack thereof that is not founded in mere blind adherence to dogmatic social norms. For the purposes of this essay, I have defined prostitution in the strictest sense of the word, that is, the sale of sexual intercourse for the purposes of pleasure(this obviously omits surrogate mothers). While potentially ambiguous examples of the above exist both in reality(for instance, sexual surrogates as a form of impotence therapy) and possibility(such as what Adeney and Weckert term symmetrical virtual sex ), to simplify discussion I will confine this essay to a discussion of the morality of prostitution as it is understood old-fashioned, physical sexual intercourse sold purely for pleasure. I will also omit discussions into the morality of third-party soliciting, such as pimps or madams, for brevitys sake. Moral vs. Legal justification. When considering the issue of prostitutions morality, I would like to begin with a distinction between morality and legality. There are many instances in which the two concepts have existed independently of the other and whether the law should apply itself to moral issues is a subject beyond the scope of this essay. However, with regards to prostitution, it may very well turn out that prostitution could be immoral and yet legally tolerated, if not sanctioned. The contemporary liberal view, in the Millian tradition, is that such acts are essentially private contracts between consenting adults which is beyond the purview of legal enforcement because they(according to some) do no harm to other parties. However, the issue at stake here is not so much whether the law should come down in favour or against prostitution, but whether prostitution itself is inherently morally objectionable. In a that vein, I will also therefore avoid arguments about the enforceability of any proscription against prostitution whether prostitution can be stamped out or not is irrelevant to whether it is morally objectionable or not. There is also, of course, the age-old ethical question raised about definitions of morality, and by what moral benchmark one uses to judge an issue such as prostitution. To this end, I would like to approach the issue from several disparate perspectives: traditional Christian morality, the utilitarian perspective, the radical feminist perspective, and the secularly romantic perspective Traditional Christian morality Primoratz sums up the traditional Christian argument succinctly: it views sex as something inferior, sinful and shameful, and accepts it only when, and in so far as, it serves an important extrinsic purpose which cannot be attained by any other means: procreation. Moreover the only proper framework is permissible only within marriage. These two statements make up the core of the traditional Christian understanding of sex Now, Primoratz goes on to argue that while prostitution which is both non-marital and disconnected from procreation would appear to go against such a moral ethos on the surface, he also further notes that many eminent Catholic theologians such as Aquinas and Augustine are willing to go beyond this scriptural concession to fallen human nature, which permits the satiety of physical lust within the confines of the institution of marriage. They are willing to tolerate prostitution particularly if it serves a purpose as an outlet for rampant male sexuality, which, if overly repressed, might .

True West and Death of a Salesman Compared Essay Example For Students

True West and Death of a Salesman Compared Essay Death of a Salesman and True West can be compared in terms of their visions of the American dream. Both of these plays focus on characters that spend their lives pursuing this dream and fail at happiness as a result. In Death of a Salesman Willie Loman is a tragic man who is so obsessed with trying to live up to an ideal that he has become disillusioned and has developed a loose sense of reality. He tries so hard to be ‘successful’ and ‘well-liked’ that this passion overrides his ability to recognize his true talents in carpentry. To Willie, carpentry does not satisfy the ideals of the American Dream. Instead, he spends his lifetime attempting to become a skilled salesman, only to find in the end that he has been a failure. Perhaps had Willie accepted his talents he could have achieved happiness through his success and then truly have lived the American Dream. True West also focuses on the dysfunction of the American Dream. Austin has been successful and appears at first to be living in this ideal. Austin possesses a prestigious career, two children, a suburban home, and a nice car. However, upon closer inspection, we find that Austin is not satisfied with his role in society. On the contrary, he is quite unhappy at living the typical American lifestyle and would prefer to walk in his brother’s shoes, living a carefree life in the desert. Lee also suffers from an inner tug-of-war. In the first act of the play he wishes to be able to live the American Dream, wishes to have been raised in this ideal. He is jealous of his brother and his prestigious position. However, later on he realizes how hard it is to try to live in that ideal, and how unhappy it makes a person. Bibliography: