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Shakespeare's Tempest

Life is a dreamlike play set upon a stage. The beauty of this life lies in the hour of peace--that of sweet slumber. William Shakespeare observes, "we are such stuff/ As dreams are made on, and our little life/ Is rounded with a sleep" (4.1.156-158). This implication serves to explain that life is but a dream, to perturb it then will only lead to misery. From the juxtaposition of many characters in The Tempest, nightmares and dreams come to life in everyday morality where moral characters emerge with a more successful life than those who lack virtue.

By forcefully claiming a throne that did not rightfully belong to him, Antonio eventually offsets the hatred of Prospero’s heart, leading to the awakening of his dream. On the uninhabited island that Prospero luckily comes ashore to after being cast to sea by Antonio, he remains satisfied with the conditions that even though he has no control of Milan, he still reigns over Miranda, Caliban, and Ariel. During these moments when Prospero is able to exert his power over others, he is happy… and at peace, which allows him to reside in the delicate dream of control. However, when Prospero first conceives that his brother is sailing by the island where he now in

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Miranda's obedience towards her father signifies an "incline to sleep" (1. Realizing that Prospero holds magical powers that he cannot abolish, Caliban succumbs and obeys the wishes of Prospero and Miranda. He merely spends his time dreaming of a kingdom where people are equivalent—where fairness exists. In the entire play, he never involves himself in any evil plots to harm others. Even though Miranda appears ignorant through her unwavering obedience of her father, the virtue of innocence evolves more as her strength rather than some weakness. Caliban claims that his actions can be justified by the reason that in dreams, “the clouds […] open and show riches/ Ready to drop upon me” (3. 61) and ambitions intertwine to make Prospero a bitter man. To work against what is natural and against a man with unnatural powers would merely be wasting his efforts. 7) heart, she believes “How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world/ That has such people in ‘t” (5. 19-20) himself and utilize this power to make the lives of others miserable.

One major character of the play that actually comprehends the value of dreaming is Caliban.

Approximate Word count = 1163
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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