One of the main points in this play is the experiment that Shakespeare makes with his characters: he represents through them some of the different ways of taking control of a government. He chooses some characters with very different kind of experiences in life as well as social status,... and gives them the chance of being powerful, so he can speculate about how ambition, money, power,... would affect men in many different situations. I mean, for instance, he gives Prospero the chance to rule a land after having lost all the power he had and after being betrayed by his loved brother. After this brief introduction I have to say that I've based my essay on three of the characters: Prospero, Gonzalo and Stefano.
             Every character has the opportunity to imagine and even see themselves as someone important able to be the lord of a land. The best thing in it is that he doesn't give importance to the character's role in society; they are all the same in the island because Shakespeare divides them into different groups to make that possible (so everybody can see his/her dreams as something possible). For example: he gives the chance of imagining himself as a King to the jester of the court, who's never been anything else than a "clown".
             This is a very interesting point because when Stefano (the jester) sees so much power in his hands, he starts behaving as a tyrant.
             "Monster, lay-to your fingers; help to bear this away where
             my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom.
             He can see himself doing nothing all day long, with servants around him... He only wants a paradise for him.
             "This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall
             This is a very curious way of acting because Stefano should have thought of it quite the opposite. The most logical political ideas on Stefano's character should have been the communist ones or perhaps anarchists, but not monarchic ...