Requirements

• Develop a clear, debatable thesis that takes a stance on the nature of Prospero's power.
• Support your argument with close textual evidence (direct quotations and paraphrase).
• Address at least one counterargument (e.g., Prospero as a benevolent or wronged figure) and refute it.
• Conclude by reflecting on what the play suggests about the relationship between knowledge, power, and justice.

Requirements

• Present a clear, arguable thesis in your introduction.
• Analyze at least three distinct pieces of textual evidence.
• Address and counter a counterargument to your stance.
• Conclude by linking your argument to a broader theme (such as freedom, justice, or civilization versus nature).

Write a well-structured argumentative essay where you assert a claim about how Shakespeare illustrates Prospero's use of power to express a central theme — such as colonialism and subjugation, the ethics of revenge versus forgiveness, the connection between art and control, or the nature of freedom and enslavement.

Your essay should:

• Present a clear, defensible thesis that goes beyond merely summarizing the plot.
• Back up your argument with specific textual evidence (direct quotes and paraphrases) from at least three scenes or acts.
• Examine how Shakespeare's dramatic techniques — including imagery, symbolism, dramatic irony, and characterization — enhance the theme you choose.
• Recognize and engage with at least one counterargument or complicating viewpoint.
• Conclude by considering the broader implications of your argument beyond the play itself.

Pre-writing tip

Think about how the experiences of Caliban, Ariel, Miranda, and Prospero himself reveal different facets of power. By the end of the play, who is truly free — and what have they sacrificed to achieve that freedom?