Usurpation In The Tempest

Usurpation of Power in The Tempest

Usurpation is one of Shakespeare’s favorite themes: he utilizes it in his tragedies to mark a notorious rise to monarchy, namely in Macbeth and Hamlet. However, in his romance The Tempest, Shakespeare employs usurpation of power as a double-edged sword in which those who seek power are also subject to exploitation by others. In addition to accounting for the shipwreck, usurpation manifests in various bands of characters on the island; nearly all characters are in constant pursuit to outmaneuver one another to fulfill their individual interests. Shakespeare reflects the theme of usurpation in the play with each character that attempts to arrogate power being taken advantage of themselves.
In his outrage
Based on his shady depiction and his desire to control others, it is inferred that Antonio has no remorse for betraying his brother. Likewise, Antonio’s insatiable nature is evident in how he persuades Sebastian to kill Alonso in order to usurp the throne from the King of Naples. Antonio reveals that he is always motivated to seek power, so that he can convince Sebastian to pursue Alonso’s throne: “Th’ occasion speaks thee, and/ My strong imagination sees a crown/ Dropping upon thy head” (2.1.229-231). Furthermore, when Sebastian questions his morals, Antonio’s response confirms his disposition to steal power from Alonso as he did Prospero: “Ay sir, where lies [my conscience]? . . . but I feel not/ This deity in my bosom. Twenty consciences/ That stand ‘twixst me and Milan” (2.1.317-320). Prospero, however, ultimately demonstrates his power over them by having Ariel thwart their plan and inform them of their grievances against Prospero. Antonio’s act of usurping Prospero’s dukedom comes back to haunt him as he and his fellow Italians are infringed upon by
Prospero’s grand plan to shipwreck and avenge his enemies falls apart as does his exerted control over the inhabitants of the island. Likewise, Antonio’s failure to take down Alonso mirrors his failure to dispose of Prospero and keep his power, as Prospero eventually returns to his former dukedom. Caliban does not eradicate his master Prospero, nor do Stephano or Trinculo gain nobility on the island. The honest Gonzalo best summarizes the paradox of usurpation: “all of us [lost] ourselves/ When no man was his own” (5.1.253-254). Whenever characters are driven by their aspiration for power, they become vulnerable to exploitation by others. By his epilogue, Prospero, driven by Miranda and Ferdinand’s love for each other and guilt from his enemies’ suffering, achieves peace and closure. He agrees to give up magic and return to Milan, thus relinquishing the power that he endured isolation to achieve. Prospero, the almighty controller of the island, can be likened to Shakespeare, the creator of the play and the fantasy world it depicts. Just like Prospero rids of his book, with his final work Shakespeare releases himself from the various worlds he has made through his writing. Following the epilogue of The Tempest, which is regarded as his last play, Shakespeare does not seek power through writing new plays and feels he has done his job in entertaining his