Shakespeare Self Discovery

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The transforming effects of a discovery may impact on an individual in a plethora of ways, including one’s surprise to be coming across something new and unexpected or re-discovering something lost or forgotten. The Tempest by William Shakespeare and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost both explore self-discovery through the significance & impact of discovering oneself over time and experientially. Frost poses the use of a journey, either actual or metaphorical to reach a sense of discovery. Shakespeare also represents a physical and emotional journey that results in both self-discovery and discovery of a wider world through his characters. Shakespeare and Frost both explore the concept of discovery to convey the message that one is searching…show more content…
Shakespeare constructs the character Prospero seem like he was disconnected from society portraying him as one with evil intentions, through the quote “It was a torment to lay upon the damned, which sycorax could not again undo. It was mine art……”, this quote demonstrates how tremendous Prospero’s magic is and how he keeps Ariel’s enslavement possible until he can find a way off the island. For Prospero to practise magic and successfully teach himself he could have chosen a different path and used his magic for good but instead chose to use his skills for negative purposes such as the enslavement of both Caliban and Ariel. Shakespeare explores the supernatural powers through Prospero and his art and the character of Ariel, this was a highly relevant contextual concern of this time. When relating this to the poem The Road less travelled on one hand, Frost makes the road to discovery sound crucial as if the traveller will regret, a sense of regret can be experienced through discovery or a lack of regret, and this can be juxtaposed, this juxtaposition can be represented through the quote "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all of the difference”, through this quote Frost juxtaposes the two paths which translates into two possible decisions. Frost regrets not being able to travel both options, but chooses the one less travelled. The juxtaposition within the poem shows that one cannot have it both ways. In another sense Frost makes the road not taken seem like an opportunity that can challenge us and seem attractive leading us to discoveries about our self and others. Frost also makes the discovery idea have an element of satisfaction when overcoming obstacles and making a choice. This can be linked to The Tempest, as the responder ponders what Prospero may have been thinking when he made a bad

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