In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero is depicted as the protagonist despite his malicious actions and manipulative nature shown throughout the play. While the voice of the conquered– represented largely through Caliban– is present, the voice of the conqueror is ultimately dominant. This play is a direct reflection of the historical context in which the English colonial project was of great relevance and importance. This can be seen in the play as almost every character, from the lord Gonzalo to the drunk Stephano, ponders how he would rule the island on which the play is set if he were its king. There also seems to be an indirect focus on race and the inherent inferiority of the “other” or barbarians in the mind of the conquerors. In my own adaptation of The Tempest, I would attempt to show a reversal of the power dynamic between the conquerors and conquered that represents much of the modern world around us. Today, while the history of colonialism and imperialism remains forever engraved in countless cultures worldwide, there is a larger focus on independence and democracy. Furthermore, I would create a film as the medium for the work due to its modernity. Film represents a more modern take on the classic play, and this use of a more modern medium would underscore the focus on the shift between the perspective of the past to that the present. I share the interest of facilitating the emerging of Caliban’s voice, however I believe that there are other voices that are suppressed in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
While the film would undoubtedly represent an ultimate amelioration of society in the progression of time, I would also include various troubling themes into the film in order to hint at the problems our society continues to face today. Including topics of corruption, violence, and the continuation of racism and sexism would work in order to assure the audience that we have not yet reached what is considered to be the perfect utopian society. However, I would attempt to leave the end of the film open to interpretation in order to allow for the audience themselves to ponder and reflect upon whether reaching a utopian society is even possible.
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