Humanity essay about shakespeare and europe colonial history

Respond to one of the following prompts. A counterargument and response is required. Remember, the counterargument should engage one of YOUR arguments in the essay and present a potential problem a reader may have with it. The counterargument should NOT simply be another way to approach the prompt.

In The Tempest, Prospero scolds Ariel and seems to make an argument as to Ariel’s natural state as a slave when he remarks, “Thou, my slave, As thou report’st thyself, wast then her servant” (Act 1.2.269). Prospero rationalizes Ariel should be his slave because Ariel was previously a slave to Caliban’s mother. The key themes in The Tempest include enslavement and the loss of autonomy. Equally important is the way those who are deprived of power resist, both overtly and covertly. Comparing the characters in The Tempest who have lost their autonomy with those in Cabeza de Vaca’s narrative, make an argument about how resistance is shaped by power in both works.

Note: One question you may consider is whether the loss of autonomy is mourned for some characters and expected for others.