Romeo And Juliet Power And Authority Analysis

Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. Authority, can affect relationships between people and the outcome of situations. One’s relentless strive for authority and the greed for power can overwhelm a character. In Act 1, the loss and gain of authority, and the resulting consequences characters suffer when there is a struggle for authority is discussed. Through Prospero’s grand authority and the lack of authority of Antonio, it can be said authority is not gained by strength, inheritance, or greed but knowledge.

Knowledge contributes to the amount of power and authority one owns. Antonio usurps Prospero to claim authority, as he was “so dry for he was for sway”. Metaphorically, Prospero talks
about Antonio’s greed for power. Throughout Act 1, it displays how fighting for power and greed for authority can overwhelm a character, as Antonio usurps his brother Prospero.
Contrastingly, Boatswain mentions “None that I more love than myself”, rejecting Antonio’s claim of authority and fails to obey him as the Duke of Milan. Ironically, the boat holds not just Duke of Milan but the King of Naples Alonso, but their authority is invalid due to the lack of obedience, and lack of decision making, this is due to their lack of knowledge. Boatswain commands, to “Blow, till thou burst thy wind”, to the soldiers. Symbolising the power and authority of Prospero through the controlling of the ‘tempest’ itself and the Boatswain. The storm also symbolised the lack of authority Antonio has compared to Prospero. Prospero holds knowledge on the ‘secret arts’ and Boatswain on the function of the ‘sails’, therefore both have major authority. Gonzalo respects the great chain of being, which is in order of greatest knowledge and authority beginning with God to earth. Gonzalo exaggerates that he “would…give a thousand furlongs of sea
for an acre of barren ground…The wills above be done”, he grants the “wills” their supremacy and authority. Gonzalo also respects the authority of Boatswain as he feels “great comfort from this fellow” and plays on the proverb “If you are borned to be hanged, then you will never be drowned” as he states “he hath no drowning mark upon him. . .If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable”. Prospero and Boatswain have knowledge and authority unlike, Antonio. Therefore, it can be said authority is not gained by strength, inheritance or greed, but knowledge.

One may be under authority due to fear, lack of knowledge or being in debt.
Caliban being the native, rightly should be able to claim the “island’s mine”, however due to the power and knowledge of Prospero he was able to “takest from” him. Caliban realises “I must obey. His art of such power”, further represents and alludes to the power and authority of Prospero. Likewise, Prospero holds great control over the spirit Ariel, as it metaphorically states it “will be correspondent to command”. Prospero has authority over Ariel due the debt Ariel is in for ‘liberty’. Similarly, in the age of exploration major countries colonised other countries where they held far superior knowledge to the natives. At times, colonisers reasoned their invasion under giving “words to the wordless”, but Caliban hopes with the personification that “the red plague rid you (Miranda)/ For learning me your language”, as he recognises the truth and the savageness of the colonisers. Therefore, it can be said authority is not gained by strength or inheritance, but
knowledge.

It is Prospero who can hold grand authority due to his high power and knowledge, displayed through the ‘tempest’. Similarly, to the colonisers who held much higher knowledge to the natives, they were also able to hold great authority. Antonio, due to his lack of knowledge he was not able to achieve authority. Therefore, it can be said authority is not gained by strength, inheritance or greed, but knowledge.