close
search
Hire writer now Order

Essays on The Tempest

Essay examples
Essay topics
General Overview
Works on The Tempest essay topics focus on one of Shakespeare’s plays that saw a great number of interpretations. It deals with both tragic and comic themes and has been hypothesized to be a play through which Shakespeare says farewell to his public but also a potential allegory for European ... colonizers. The Tempest also attracted feminist interpretations, in particular concerning how the character Miranda is deprived of freedom in a world following a patriarchal order. If you are unfamiliar with how to analyze a play, feel free to review a few works on Tempest essay topics that do that and notice how they approach this task, and what structure is followed. These samples of The Tempest argumentative essay topics could help with some inspiring topics or ideas, they could show how to properly structure, and present the content or characters in The Tempest.
Filter
Clear filters ✕

Shakespearean Principles in The Tempest: Information, Integrity, and Compassion

1979 words | 4 Pages
Do the ends justify the means? People have been asking this question since the beginning of time, but often cannot find an answer. The Tempest is about deception and manipulation of the truth, but ends with a morally clear message. Prospero is the wizard-king of...
Topics:
Audience, Caliban, Ethics, Justice, Lie, Manipulation of Truth, Moons of Uranus, Morality, Prospero, The Final

Stuff: Power and Magic in The Tempest

927 words | 2 Pages
The epilogue of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, while separate from the body of work preceding it due to the nature of an epilogue, it is an integral part of the work. It provides resolution to an otherwise unresolved piece, and the piece actually prepares for the...
Topics:
Caliban, Magic, Moons of Uranus, Power, The Tempest

The Role of Caliban in The Play "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

479 words | 1 Page
Who is Caliban? In the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare portrays the character Caliban as a savage beast and a slave of the witch, Prospero. Caliban is the son of Sycorax, an evil witch who had passed away but once held control over...
Topics:
Africa, Atlantic slave trade, Black people, Brett J. Gladman, British Empire, Caliban, Colonialism, European colonization of the Americas, Indentured servant, Indigenous peoples

The Role of Loyalty in Shakespeare’s The Tempest

833 words | 2 Pages
Throughout the narrative of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, the idea of loyalty is discussed in different scenarios and different situations that align with each separate facet of the plot. While this principle is regularly utilized within Shakespeare’s many works, the characters of The Tempest...
Topics:
2008 albums, Better, Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Concept, First Folio, Human, Idea, Love, Loyalty

Analysis of Prospero as a Public Ruler Or Solitary Wizard in The Tempest

1675 words | 3 Pages
In William Shakespeare’s final play, “The Tempest,” the playwright spins a magical web of a story that, although being comedic and light-hearted, subtly addresses the issues of absolutism, power and the monarchy. The main character in “The Tempest” is a man named Prospero. Formerly the...
Topics:
Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, Flotsam and jetsam, Island, Magic, Marine salvage, Milan, Moons of Uranus, Naples

Analysis of Prospero Portrayed as a Victim in The Tempest

1514 words | 3 Pages
Shakespeare writes many dimensions into the character of Prospero in The Tempest. He is loving and protective of his daughter, hard-hearted towards his enemies, and manipulative of his allies. Given the complexity of his character, rendering him as a victim or as a villain has...
Topics:
Audience, Evil, Moons of Uranus, Power, Prospero, The Tempest, Villain

The Portrayal of Caliban as a Sensitive Creature by Shakespeare

2129 words | 4 Pages
Caliban is certainly one of the most complex and contradictory characters in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, at different points embodying the poetic, the absurd, the pathetic, and the savagely evil. For this reason, he is also one of the most interesting and fiercely debated of Shakespeare’s...
Topics:
Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Monstrosity, Moons of Uranus, Nature, Play from scrimmage, Prospero, The Tempest

The Tempest from a Post-colonial Point of View

1718 words | 4 Pages
A post-colonial interpretation of The Tempest is an interpretation which has gained popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century. This particular reading of the play implies that Shakespeare was consciously making a point about colonialism in the New World in the guise of...
Topics:
Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Colonialism, Imperialism, Indigenous peoples, John Gielgud, Michael Nyman, Moons of Uranus, Postcolonialism, Prospero

The Use of Words to Paint: Looking at The Language as an Art in The Tempest

1632 words | 3 Pages
In Shakespeare’s romance, The Tempest, Miranda instructs Caliban, “I endowed thy purposes / With words that made them known” (I.ii.357-8), affirming the power of language to transform the insubstantial into a forceful and purposeful entity. As Prospero conjures up tempests, masques, and spells, Shakespeare creates...
Topics:
Aleister Crowley, Anthropology of religion, Ceremonial magic, Magic, Magic in the Greco-Roman world, Magician, Oxford English Dictionary, Power, The Tempest, Trance

The Ulterior Theme in The Character of Miranda from The Tempest

1280 words | 3 Pages
The abandoned damsel, the lonely daughter, the beautiful virgin… In The Tempest, Shakespeare depicts all of these ideal constructions of womanhood in his character Miranda. However, looking closely at the text reveals that Shakespeare had a subtle, but clear message to send to his royal...
Topics:
17th century, Actor, Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, Elizabeth I of England, English Renaissance theatre, Family, First Folio, Francis Bacon, Gender

Analysis of Prospero's Behavior in The Tempest

2048 words | 4 Pages
At first glance, the ending of Shakespeare’s The Tempest appears to be stable, to have reconciled Prospero with his estranged brother and to demonstrate virtuous behavior on the part of Prospero. Indeed, one critic noted that Prospero’s “capacity for compassion and forgiveness” amounts to his...
Topics:
ACT, Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Compassion, Duke, Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, Forgiveness, John Gielgud, Michael Nyman, Milan

Daughters: The Principal Driving Force in The Tempest

1548 words | 3 Pages
Familial relationships are the principal driving force behind the plot of Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest. For example, the sole reason Prospero, the protagonist, is on the island is because of his brother, Antonio, usurping him. Despite the plot seemingly revolving around this relationship, in...
Topics:
Alimony, Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Daughter, Daughters, Family, Human sexuality, Marriage, Mediterranean Sea, Moons of Uranus

The Power Over "The Other": Isolation and Injustice in Literature

3605 words | 7 Pages
Introduction Otherness is one of the prevalent and strong themes in literaure. According to the American Psychological Association, “Socializing is a vital part of human development”. Although some creatures and humans are automatically viewed with a sense of otherness and shunned, this may be creating...
Topics:
Columbia Records albums, Debut albums, Marguerite Duras, Moons of Uranus, Otherness and Alienation, Power, Prospero, Slavery, The Tempest

Elemental Powers in Shakespeare’s The Tempest

1070 words | 2 Pages
The “fantastical” elements of The Tempest by William Shakespeare are made evident by the introduction of Ariel, the spirit, Caliban, the son of a witch, and Prospero, a banished duke who has mastered occult powers. Despite what seems to be an expression of gratitude and...
Topics:
Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Characterisation, Magic, Moons of Uranus, Nature, Power, Prospero, The Tempest, William Shakespeare

A Close Study of How Ariel and Prospero Are Introduced in The Scene 2 of The First Act in The Tempest

1407 words | 3 Pages
The introduction of Ariel in the second scene of The Tempest raises some of the central issues in William Shakespeare’s 17th-century play. Most notably, the themes of power, nature, and magic prove to be integral in shaping the audience’s perception of Ariel, Prospero, and the...
Topics:
Ariel Bybee, Audience, Audience theory, Divine right of kings, Early Modern English, Magic, Moons of Uranus, Nature, Power, Prospero

"Creator" and "Creature" Monsters in The Tempest and Frankenstein

1506 words | 3 Pages
Published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein remains a revolutionary literary achievement whose iconic monster continues to captive modern readers. William Shakespeare, hundreds of years prior to Shelley, also cast a monster at the center of his fantastical The Tempest. It is Caliban, the illegitimate son...
Topics:
Moons of Uranus, Peter Cushing, The Tempest, Tragic hero, Young Frankenstein

The Obsessive Creativity of Prospero in The Tempest

1228 words | 2 Pages
While the magic of Prospero, the deposed duke of Milan at the center of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, is frequently associated with art or creativity, this reading of the text seems incompatible with a substantial amount of textual evidence. Most notably, if the play is a...
Topics:
Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Deus ex machina, Magic, Milan, Moons of Uranus, Power, Prospero, Sycorax, The Play

The Refinement of Caliban in The Tempest

1030 words | 2 Pages
“Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep...
Topics:
Audience, Caliban, Colonialism, Comedy, Djimon Hounsou, Dream, English-language films, First Folio, Irony, John Gielgud

Comic Elements in Our Country's Good and The Tempest

1853 words | 4 Pages
Comic elements are often said to be integral in both in Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker and The Tempest by William Shakespeare. In The Tempest, the characters of Trinculo and Stephano are arguable almost entirely for comic effect, even having their own sub-plot comic...
Topics:
Audience, Audience theory, Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Comedy, First Folio, Gonzalo, John Gielgud, Love, Matthew J. Holman

The Combination of Love and Witchcraft in The Tempest

848 words | 2 Pages
In William Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest, the playwright intertwines love and magic, creating one of play’s the major themes. Prospero, the protagonist, uses magic to plan the events of this comedy. The first act of magic is the tempest and the subsequent shipwreck in...
Topics:
At First Sight, Caliban, Interpersonal relationship, Love, Magic, Moons of Uranus, Perfection, The Tempest, William Shakespeare

The Story of Joseph in Shakespeare’s The Tempest Vs. The Spirit of Revenge in Montaigne’s Cannibals

769 words | 1 Page
James Hoyle theorizes that the main sources for The Tempest revolves around the Bible story of Joseph and his Brothers in which the spirit of envy and consequent, reconciliation and pardon predominates. This storyline markedly contrasts with the spirit of revenge as related by Michel...
Topics:
Bible, Caliban, Cannibalism, Family, First Folio, Forgiveness, Hamlet, John Gielgud, Justice, Michael Nyman

Significance of The Menacing Force of The Sea in The Tempest

2289 words | 5 Pages
Images of the fierce and powerful sea are prevalent throughout Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The play opens on a terrible storm at sea and all of the ensuing action takes place on an island that, by definition, is surrounded by ocean on all sides. The sea’s...
Topics:
Audience, Audience theory, Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, Full Fathom Five, Mediterranean Sea, Milan, Naples, Nature, Ocean, Oceanography

The Use of Stories as a Literary Device in The Tempest and Othello

1321 words | 3 Pages
Characters in Shakespeare’s Othello and The Tempest use stories to explain personal history or change the course of events. These are no simple tales; rather, they are complex and thought-provoking means of enriching each play and carrying action forward. This paper examines some of the...
Topics:
A Story, Brabantio, Caliban, Desdemona, Iago, Italian characters in written fiction, Jealousy, John Gielgud, Justice, Milan

A Cinematic Perspective of The Relationship Between Art and Nature in The Tempest

2310 words | 5 Pages
The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touched The very virtue of compassion in thee, I have with such provision in mine art So safely ordered that there is no soul- No, not so much perdition as an hair Betid to any creature in the...
Topics:
Actor, Aesthetics, Art, Audience, Audience theory, Caliban, First Folio, Human nature, Magic, Michael Nyman

Another Version of Prosperity: Undermining The Authority of Prospero

1244 words | 2 Pages
A variant of prosperity, Prospero undoubtedly serves as the major manipulative authority throughout Shakespeare’s drama, The Tempest. Through a postcolonial reading of the text, one can discern that The Tempest is riddled with native characters, forced servitude, the assimilation of language, and ultimately, Prospero’s own...
Topics:
Ambiguity, Art, Authority, Manipulation of Truth, Power, The Play, The Tempest

The Influence of Caliban and Ariel on Prospero

2430 words | 5 Pages
In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero exerts wrathful influence over the island and his servants Caliban and Ariel cannot help but cower in humble obedience. Ariel is indebted to Prospero for freeing him from the dreadful darkness of the “cloven pine” (I.ii.277) to which he was...
Topics:
Ariel Bybee, Brett J. Gladman, Caliban, Holy Spirit, Magic, Moons of Uranus, Paraclete, Power, Prospero, Slavery

The Shakespearean Dystopia of Aldous Huxley

843 words | 2 Pages
Shakespeare’s works revel as masterpieces centuries after their debut, influencing generations of writers including 20th century author Aldous Huxley. Huxley’s 1932 novel, Brave New World, stands as a distinct reincarnation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, fusing a disturbing reality of a dystopian future with the key...
Topics:
Achieving Happiness, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Caliban, Crome Yellow, Dystopia, George Orwell, Huxley family, Island, Morality

Feeling stressed about your essay?

Get professional help in 5 minutes

baner ico 450+ writers and researchers
baner ico 9.5/10 Satisfaction Rate
baner ico Starting from 3 hours delivery
boy-baner
date
Date

November 1, 1611

plot
Author

William Shakespeare

type
Type

Play

genre
Genre

Shakespearean Comedy, Tragicomedy

characters
Characters

Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, Caliban, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, Trinculo, Stephano, Juno, Ceres, Iris, Master, Mariners, Boatswain, Nymphs, Reapers

date
Date and Author

c.1611 by William Shakespeare

symbols-motives
Themes

Shakespeare’s tragicomedy is about a major act of betrayal, ill treatment, the development of magic arts and a plot of revenge.

characters
Characters

Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, Caliban, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, Trinculo, Stephano, Juno, Ceres

based-on
Setting

The play is set on a remote island and Prospero's home is near the shore. The island is inhabited by spirits, lead by Ariel, who have magical powers.

plot
Plot

Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Their celebrations are cut short when Prospero confronts his brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflict is resolved. Prospero grants Ariel his freedom and prepares to leave the island.

quotes
Quotes

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
“What's past is prologue.”

You may also like
The Great Gatsby Law of Life The Diary of Anne Frank American Born Chinese Two Kinds The Odyssey Oedipus The King Lyddie

Filter

Selected filters

Themes

Top 10 Similar Topics

exit-popup-close

We can help you get a better grade and deliver your task on time!

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free
Order your paper now