Identities in The Tempest, Tempests in Identities

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the identity formation of the characters in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest in terms of psychoanalytic theories of identity. It also aims to portray the patriarchal dominance over the marginalized characters and the shifting process of identification through the interpellation of the society. Since this process carries the potential to reveal the universal effects of the elements that nurture the identities of the individuals on a microcosmic scale, the play proves to be a perfect stage to explore the interactions between certain embodiments of identities. This research aims to explore the identity formation of the characters in The Tempest through psychoanalysis to reveal how the Western patriarchal ideology, mainly reflected through Prospero, subjugates and controls other formations of identity that fall beneath the social hierarchy as in the examples of Miranda, Ariel and Caliban. While Prospero stands as the main authority who rules the island, all other forms of identity seem to remain as mere subjects of his control. Though the play is presented as a romantic comedy, the findings in this study suggest that patriarchal ideology is stealthily reinforced through the notions of gender and identity. Key words: Identity, psychoanalysis, The Tempest, Shakespeare, gender.