Comparison of the Tempest and Forbidden Planet Essay

Jamie Roberts ENGL 1000P2 Prof. B. Johnson 8 February, 2010 Morbius’ Fatal Folly As pointed out by Merrell Knighten in his essay called The Triple Paternity of Forbidden Planet, the main difference between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the 1956 science fiction adaptation Forbidden Planet (referred to as FP) is the use and control of power. In The Tempest, Prospero knows what power he holds through the use of his books and spells, and ultimately uses these powers to restore order to the island. However, in forbidden Planet, Morbius’ powers are unknown to him and ultimately lead to his demise. This essay will show how Morbius may be considered a more disastrous character than Prospero due to his lack of realization of the power which†¦show more content†¦For Miranda’s lover Ferdinand, the film inserts Commander Adams who is in fact the leader of the rescue expedition sent to relieve Dr. Morbius and his supposed companions. There are no relations between the film and the play with regards to Morbius’ fellow colonizers of Altair 4, but this has to do with the fact that the film was a sci-fi adaptation. The drunken butler Stephano is countered in the film with the Tennessee-bourbon sloshing space cook. The character of Caliban resonates in the film by use of the Id-monster, and finally Ariel is engrossed through the character of Robby the Robot. A closer reading of some of the characters in FP will reveal parallels outlined by Campos. Campos shines light on the fact that â€Å"[Prospero and Morbius] are figures that, isolated from the rest of mankind, have devoted their lives to the study of some books which have granted them an extraordinary, almost supernatural power† (Campos, 285). The main connections between the two are their utilization of science and magic. As pointed out by Campos, the film gives a â€Å"clear implication that science becomes the magic of the future† (286). This statement seems to be truthful as in Shakespeare’s time magic would be thought to be no different from the scientific breakthroughs of our time. For example a Shakespearean audience would marvel at the strides science has taken in the modern day, such as the utilization of electricity.Show MoreRelatedFred Wilcoxs Science Fiction Film, Forbidden Plane has a Resemblance to Shakespeares The Tempest727 Words   |  3 PagesComparison and Contrast In the 1956 science fiction film by Fred Wilcox, Forbidden Planet closely resembles many other pieces of literature. The most obvious resemblance to Forbidden Planet is Shakespeares The Tempest. As expected, the characters and plot of Forbidden Planet closely mirror those characteristics of The Tempest, with the exception that where The Tempest engages magic, Forbidden Planet utilizes technology. What is more important, however, is that how the technology works is irrelevantRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 Pagesinfluential plays written by Shakespeare is not one listed above. The play that reflects the life and all of Shakespeare?s plays is The Tempest. This work was and still is influential in both America, Britain and around the world. Although William Shakespeare was an influential writer in American and British literature, The Tempest reaches beyond a comparison to the new world- America and points to an autobiographical drama that is a reflection of the life of Shakespeare and his relationships withRead MoreEssay about John Donne- Treatment of Secular Love2101 Words   |  9 Pagesrelationship as he turns to extreme hyperbole: â€Å"No tear-floods, nor sigh tempests move†, to prevent grief at their separation. His dramatic tone used throughout provides the question as to how sincere he is in his agony; his arrogance provides a mock sincerity in his, some might say, chauvinistic address to his treatment of love. Donne continues his obsession with love using neo-platonic concepts to aptly convey the comparison between love and lust. He renders ecstatic visions of the souls whichRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pagesparticularly selective. By filtering the words ‘hate’, software will certainly screen out most hate Web sites but may also block access to valuable and legitimate resources such as sites dedicated to anti-racism, Jewish culture, war museums etc. †¢ Forbidden fruit effect †¢ A critical analysis on the media will inspire youths to question why violence is so prevalent in our media today †¢ Help them to realize that media is not a reflection of reality but rather a social construct †¢ White House