I wasn’t here on Friday, so I’m very unsure how to do this, but here is my best shot. If it’s wrong then I’m deeply sorry.
In discussions of The Tempest, by Shakespeare, one controversial issue has been the appearance of post-colonialism within the text. On the one hand, critic George Will argues that it is unfortunate that all literary works, such as The Tempest, are subject to the liberal victimization of all minorities. On the other hand, Stephen Greenblatt, a critic who directly challenges Will, contends that it is the very purpose of literature to highlight such injustices so that society can become increasingly aware. He argues that if literary criticism is checked as Will would like then it will enslave people in unawareness outside their own life. Others, such as Aime Cesaire’s in his parody of The Tempest, which is also called the The Tempest, maintain the same views as Greenblatt, by portraying Prospero as a disgusting slave driver under which both Ariel and Caliban stuggle. However, my own view is a blend between those of Will and Greenblatt/Cesaire.
In discussions of The Tempest, the traditional view is to condemn Prospero for his conquering and enslaving of the island and all of its inhabitants. However, there may be other ways to think about this text. For one thing, I believe that Shakespeare is portraying post-colonialism, which explains the events throughout the play. The existence of traditional European post-colonialism is clear afterall. I; however, am not convinced that Shakespeare is portraying this to necessarily condemn the Europeans. Rather, I believe that he is portraying it more as a way to show that it happened. And Greenblatt also contends that literature’s purpose is reveal things about the past, whether they be injustices or triumphs. Therefore, taking these positions into account, we can see that, while The Tempest does expose European post-colonialism that does not mean by any circumstance that they do so out of criticism. It may have been done merely to tell a story.
In discussions of The Tempest, the traditional view is to condemn Prospero for his conquering and enslaving of the island and all of its inhabitants. However, there may be other ways to think about this text. For one thing, I believe that Shakespeare is portraying post-colonialism, which explains the events throughout the play. The existence of traditional European post-colonialism is clear afterall. I; however, am not convinced that Shakespeare is portraying this to necessarily condemn the Europeans. Rather, I believe that he is portraying it more as a way to show that it happened. And Greenblatt also contends that literature’s purpose is reveal things about the past, whether they be injustices or triumphs. Therefore, taking these positions into account, we can see that, while The Tempest does expose European post-colonialism that does not mean by any circumstance that they do so out of criticism. It may have been done merely to tell a story.
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