Essay On The Tempest And A Dolls House - 862 Words

Raising the oppressed against their oppressor is by no means a new concept. Countless literary works have explored the relationship between, say, tyrants and their rebellious servants. Two prime examples are Prospero from The Tempest and Helmer from A Doll House, given their domineering and self-righteous demeanor as they fancy themselves the reinforcers of social justice. In contrast, their counterparts are Caliban and Nils Krogstad, respectively, whom are social outcasts that are not fond of the authority forced upon them. Both of these characters use their beliefs to actively subvert their oppressors’ power. First, we’ll begin with Caliban. As the son of the hag-witch Sycorax, Caliban was born on the island, making him its first and†¦show more content†¦Prospero’s magic keeps Caliban’s subversion at bay, but that doesn’t stop Caliban from cursing his master in the language he was taught. Anxious to win his freedom back after so many years, Caliban, though a bit drunk, grovels at Stefano’s feet, mistaking him a god and thinking him to be his savior from Prospero’s tyranny. Interestingly, this highlights a different side of Caliban, revealing a naivety and hopefulness about him that is usually overshadowed by his maliciousness. He eventually conspires with Stephano and Trinculo to kill Prospero so that he may finally win back what was taken from him. Next, we move on to Krogstad. Though it’s never explicitly stated why he did it, we know that Krogstad got involved in a forgery scheme in his past, and that one action ruined his entire reputation. Forgery is a relatively minor crime to commit, but â€Å"the community turned its back on him, [which] forced [Krogstad] into the unsavory business of moneylending and blackmailing in order to support his family† (Schmoop Editorial Team). Even though he is treated as a despicable human being by society, Krogstad does find a small ray of hope in regaining his status through his respectable job at the bank. However, his job is put in jeopardy when Torvald Helmer is in line to be the new bank manager. Helmer, whom is very conscious of people’s perceptions of him, narrow-mindedly intends to fire Krogstad simply because they are on aShow MoreRelatedEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesAP ENGLISH LIT AND COMP FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS 2004 (Form A): Critic Roland Barthes has said, â€Å"Literature is the question minus the answer.† Choose a novel or play and, considering Barthes’ Observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. You may select a work from the list below or another