The Age of Absolutism, Essay Example

It is unusual, generally speaking, to think of Shakespeare’s Prospero as only an absolute ruler, and mainly because of the surreal nature of The Tempest, the supernatural elements of the play, and the nature of the man himself. Prospero does wield immense power on the island hosting himself, his daughter Miranda, and the other and inhuman characters present. He commands, and his rule is essentially based upon two elements: his belief in his own right to rule as the rightful Duke of Milan, and his gifts of sorcery. Prospero takes full charge of the lives around and serving him and, in this uncanny environment, exists then as an absolute prince. At the same time, however, and apart from the minimal population under his authority, Prospero’s rule reflects qualities and intents not in keeping with any absolutist agenda, and because his innate humanity insists on interaction and some degree of responsibility to others. These qualities, as discussed in the following, challenge the idea that Prospero is an ultimate sovereign, and because such rulers typically are distanced from those under their control, and also are not influenced by the needs of others. Shakespeare’s Prospero is an absolute ruler to an extent, but the benevolence of his character translates to this state as modified, and consequently not fully “absolute.”

Analysis

Before the rule of Prospero as absolutist or otherwise may be understood, it is first necessary to turn to established philosophies regarding absolutism itself. To begin with, for Locke, man exists in a state of nature which supports his right to live independently as he chooses, and never exist under another’s authority unless he consents to it.[1] This is a view profoundly supporting republican principles, in that governance of any kind in place against the will of the people is inherently unjust and should be overthrown. The relevance to Prospero is them immediately apparent, as his former life and rank go to power invested through monarchy. This is in fact the fundamental influence on Prospero; having lost his “rightful” role of sovereign of Milan, he assumes the same authority on the island and, arguably, with magic as his support or militia. The force of this motive is powerfully expressed at the play’s close, as Prospero presents his true identity to Alonso: “Behold, sir king,/ The wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero.”[2] The sheer conviction of this authority, derived by birthright, counters Locke’s thinking by virtue of the unquestioned absolutism implied: “He being supposed to have all, both legislative and executive power in himself alone, there is no judge to be found, (and) no appeal lies open to anyone.”[3] In strictly Lockean terms, then, Prospero is an absolute ruler. When, for example, he perceives Ariel as rebellious, he threatens: “I will rend an oak/ And peg thee in his knotty entrails till/ Thou hast howl’d away twelve winters.”[4], and his supernatural powers dictate existence for all on the island.

At the same time, however, and in assessing Prospero through the ideas of Hobbes, a different reality emerges, and because difference in quality of rule translates to difference in actual type. Hobbes makes it clear that tyranny and despotism are not forms of government removed from the absolute power of sovereignty, but are instead only “misliked” variations of it.[5] What is important here, however, is that sovereignty itself is then defined by the individual wielding the power. As Hobbes views it, the nature of the specific sovereignty may validate its absolutism, as the benevolent ruler attending to the welfare of the people is entitled to rule absolutely. Hobbes go so far as to assert that no sovereign may exercise power by means of a contract or covenant already in place, because this is not possible until the rule is established.[6] In short, everything relies on the ruler as good, which in turn validates absolutism as it modifies the usual idea of it as a wholly individual rule.

Prospero then defies absolutism even as he exercises great power, and because his motivations are generated by external concerns. Beyond anything else, his love for Miranda guides his use of power, as in his testing of Ferdinand: “All thy vexations/ Were but my trials of thy love and thou/ Hast strangely stood the test here.”[7] It is certainly arguable that Prospero is then paternalistic, but still absolutist. It must be reiterated, however, that a sovereign’s nature as good essentially weakens absolutism itself, and because the ethics of the ruler, as in Prospero’s case, go to acting in ways based on attending to the needs of those under his authority. This is then a significant modification of absolutism, simply by virtue of the humanity guiding the rule.

Conclusion

It is reasonable to hold, as does Locke, that any form of absolute rule is inherently unjust and those those subject to it – as in the case of Shakespeare’s island inhabitants – are within their rights to eliminate it. Power, however, is not so neatly arranged, as even a democratic government may abuse privilege, just as an ethical sovereign may encourage a society more moral and fair than a flawed democracy. This is the critical point in understanding Prospero, whose nature as humane alters the nature of his rule itself. Ultimately, Shakespeare’s Prospero in The Tempest is an absolute ruler to a degree, but the benevolence and humanity of his character translates to this state as modified, and consequently not completely “absolute.”

Bibliography

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Mineola: Dover Publications, 2012.

Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. London: Everyman, 1958.

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. MIT. Accessed 12 Nov. 2015, http://shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/full.html

[1] John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (London: Everyman, 1958), 163.

[2] William Shakespeare, The Tempest, http://shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/full.html, V, i.

[3] John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (London: Everyman, 1958), 159.

[4] William Shakespeare, The Tempest, I, ii.

[5] Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (Mineola: Dover Publications, 2012), 103.

[6] Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 98.

[7] William Shakespeare, The Tempest, IV, i.