The Tempest Feminist Analysis - 1208 Words

The Undermining Power of Masculinity in The Tempest â€Å"The more people argue loudly, against feminism, the more they prove we need it† -Caitlin Moran, How to Be A Woman Sycorax is ostensibly absent from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The witch does not appear on stage once, as she dies long before the actions of the play begin. She is, however, invoked frequently, through memories and retellings and secondhand accounts, primarily by the character of Prospero. Many critics have used Sycorax’s absence as undisputable proof that The Tempest, with few traditionally powerful female characters, is, at its core, an anti-feminist play. However, while it may seem as though the easiest way to absolve women of their power is to exclude women from the†¦show more content†¦To further manipulate Ariel by invoking Sycorax, Prospero adds, â€Å"Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee...and in her most unmitigable rage / Into a cloven pine† (1.2.322-25). It seems as though Prospero creates or at least embellishes what Ariel knows firsthand about Sycorax. But Prospero lacks firsthand observation or concrete evidence about Sycorax; thu s, Prospero constructs Sycorax as simply his opposite and tool. Because Prospero never knew Sycorax, his detailed descriptions of her can only be his own construction, which he manipulates for his benefit, specifically to legitimize his power. The more emphatically Prospero tries to demonize Sycorax’s powers, the more he evokes her permeating presence. For any structure to be created and sustained, it is necessary to have an â€Å"other† on the opposite side-- thus, by damning Sycorax, Prospero does two things; a) solidifies Sycorax as the ‘other’ or a competitor, and b) confirms the existence of a structure or ulterior motive-- in this case, patriarchal power. Thus, the implicit power struggle, which seems to be gendered, between Sycorax and Prospero is revealed. Although Sycorax is dead, Prospero’s struggle to be the stronger power is an undercurrent throughout the play. There are some commonalities between their powers,Show MoreRelatedWomen Were Birds And Unspeakable Things By Laurie Penny1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen Women Were Birds and Unspeakable Things both champion feminist thought. Despite this commonality, the voice, stories, and themes are different and unique. Both touch on similar ideas, but the tone the authors take on are distinctive. Unspeakable Things, a novel by Laurie Penny, abrasively addresses the oppression of gender in society through the lens of girls, boys, sex, the Internet, and love and intimacy. This intersectional analysis has an overlay of the impact of neoliberalism, what PennyRead MoreDomestic Unrest And Jennifer Johnston s Fiction Of The Irish Trouble1118 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"force her son to owe her anything† (9). 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