Thoughts on Shakespeare's 'Tempest'

By Joel Ben Thomas
Class of 2015

Several themes present in Shakespeare's The Tempest relate to opportunity; anything seems possible with the island's magic, at least until one reaches the sea that surrounds it. Events are twisted, the characters wander, and waves never stop crashing against the shore. Another theme present within the play is the struggle to govern a colony and the struggle to maintain order on the island. These two things bring to mind the struggles of emerging democracies around the world as they undergo this intricate transition—especially those in the Middle East (for example, Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain). These countries are on the rocky road to transitioning to a democracy from either dictatorships or monarchies, each reflective of their culture. Charges of corruption, wealth distribution gaps, and a lack of personal freedoms have all taken center stage. Democracy isn’t a one-all-end-all solution to these problems; rather, it is the placement of a process that enables these issues to continually be addressed, and therefore aids in the survival of the state. These countries, just like the island after the tempest, are full of opportunity and are subject to the political forces (waves) around them. Let us hope that they bear stability and don’t withhold their opportunity in the time to come…