What qualifies one to be a king? Is it a noble vision? Fair execution of justice? As Shakespeare’s The Tempest presents kingship, it is having the most powerful slaves and betraying the competition. The dilemma of the source of sovereignty is faced in The Tempest after a shipwreck strands nobility and commoners on an island. On the one hand, Shakespeare presents inherited kingship by noble birth as a more dignified alternative to rule by commoners. On the other hand, upon closer inspection, inherited kingship is riddled with greed, corruption, and injustice. Ultimately, the corruption and greed of nobel rule throughout The Tempest demonstrate that kingship, when derived through violent conflict, can only inspire further strife, which must be avoided by ruling with the approval of others. Therefore, one can earn the ideal form of kingship only through the approval and support of one’s followers.

The foolishness of Stephano’s kingship, a commoner butler shipwrecked on an island, exemplifies the apparent follies of commoners’ rule. Notably, while Stephano is wandering the island he has crashed on, he discovers Caliban and pours him some liquor, after which Caliban declares, “I’ll kiss thy foot. I’ll swear myself thy subject” (Shakespeare 2.2.158). Caliban exemplifies the follies of common rule by electing Stephano as his ruler, all for the simple act of providing him with an intoxicating drink. By depicting Caliban’s foolish choice for a ruler, a butler without any knowledge of leadership, Shakespeare portrays election by commoners as easy to bribe via vice. Furthermore, after learning of Prospero’s power on the island, Stephano immediately wants to “kill this man” so that “his daughter / and I will be king and queen” (3.2.116-7). Stephano’s willingness to murder upon learning of another’s position of power uncovers his driving motivation: greed. Rather than being content with the fortunate position he found himself in after the tragic circumstances of crash landing on the island, he immediately seeks to sow chaos and violence to expand his newfound power. Moreover, Stephano exemplifies his incompetence as a leader during the culmination of this plot to overthrow Prospero for total control over the island they are stranded on. As they approach Prospero’s section of the island, they discover his noble attire and are immediately distracted. While Trinculo and Stephano are fixated on the insignificant clothing, Caliban worries that they “shall lose [their] time” focusing on the clothing, which he considers “but trash,” yet his concerns and council are ignored by the two who continue trying to steal the clothing while neglecting their true objective of overthrowing their perceived rival (Shakespeare 4.1.235-50). As a result of their distracted behavior, they are driven off by Ariel and Prospero (Shakespeare 4.1.280-85). The commoners’ fixation on the noble clothing is yet another indication of their inability to lead. Stephano could not look past the grand attire, merely a symbol of kingship, toward the real source of power whom they wished to dethrone: Prospero. Not only are they distracted, but despite repeated attempts by their subject, Caliban, to redirect their course of action toward their objective of dethroning Prospero, they continue to fixate on the clothing until Prospero drives them off. Shakespeare’s repetition of failure and incompetence on the part of the commoners seems to indicate that they are incapable of self-governance – their elected leader, Stephano, could not stay focused on his goal despite repeated attempts by his subjects to remind him of his duty. Thus, it appears that commoners need noble leadership – kingship – to achieve any meaningful objective.

Upon closer examination, however, traditional kingship is plagued with corruption. A prime example of the corruption of conventional kingship is Prospero’s attitude toward his subject, Caliban. When Prospero catalogs Caliban’s role to Miranda, he explains that Caliban “does make [their] fire,” he “fetches [their] wood,” and overall, he “serves in offices / That profit [them],” yet, despite the import of Caliban to their subsistence strategy, they view him as a “poisonous slave, got by the devil himself” (Shakespeare 1.2.373-85). Caliban clearly performs the duties necessary to survive on the island, yet despite his crucial importance to their survival, he is mistreated and enslaved to Prospero. His impoverished condition under Prospero’s kingship condemns “noble” rule. Under the inadequacy of Prospero’s morally reprehensible rule, not only was a critical subject unrewarded, but Prospero compelled his labor as a “poisonous slave” and stigmatized him. Contrasting his treatment at the hands of Prospero with his meeting with Stephano, a simple commoner, further condemns traditional kingship. After escaping Prospero’s oppression, as soon as he sees another person, he “lies down and covers himself with a cloak” for fear of returning to his oppressor because he believes that what he sees is a “spirit of [Prospero’s]” (Shakespeare 2.2.15) however, after Stephano gives him some of his liquor, Caliban decides that he “will kneel to [Stephano]” (Shakespeare 2.2.120). Seen in this way, Caliban’s decision to submit to Stephano is not, in fact, a sign of his willingness to engage in vice nor a sign of his foolishness, but rather, a reflection of his cruel mistreatment at the hands of Prospero. After suffering as a “poisonous slave” under Prospero’s oppressive rule, Caliban was so traumatized that even the thought of his cruel former master terrified him. As a result, Stephano’s mere offer of liquor was enough to win Caliban’s loyalty, not due to foolishness but out of desperation for a less abusive ruler. Furthermore, the corruption of traditional kingship is evident throughout Prospero’s history. Namely, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, was stranded on the island as a result of his brother, Antonio’s betrayal, who levied a “treacherous army” against him with the aid of Alonso, the king of Naples, after which they “bore [Miranda and Prospero] some leagues to sea” (Shakespeare 1.2.152-73). This betrayal exemplifies the propensity of inherited rule to breed greed, inspire treachery, and cause violence to expand their power at all costs. These costs can take the form of Prospero’s enslavement of Ariel and Caliban or Antonio’s betrayal. Yet, the product of this greed and corruption is the same: conflict, violence, and suffering on the part of the subjects of kingship.

Throughout the play, the actions of Miranda and Ferdinand model the ideal form of kingship. Ferdinand seeks to earn the approval of Prospero and Miranda by serving them. For instance, when tasked with the arduous process of bearing logs for Prospero, Ferdinand, the prince of Naples, performs the task admirably, declaring that “The sun will set before I shall discharge / What I must strive to do” (Shakespeare 3.1.25-6). In this instance, despite his noble heritage, he does not act out of selfishness and greed; instead, he performs challenging tasks to earn the approval of others. In his willingness to perform labor, he acknowledges his noble heritage is not sufficient to obtain his goals. He recognizes that he gains more power when others approve of his actions and leadership. By selflessly choosing to aid the people around him, Ferdinand gains their approval and, thus, models the duty of a king: to serve others. Miranda further parallels this attitude towards kingship by offering to “bear [his] logs the while” and “carry [them] to the pile” (Shakespeare 3.1.28-9). Miranda and Ferdinand act out of selflessness rather than greed in both instances. Their actions present their attitude towards leadership as one of collaboration and respect over the domination and control that is Prospero’s rule. Through their selflessness, they can earn the approval of Prospero, who proclaims, “Heavens rain grace / On that which breeds between ’em!” (Shakespeare 3.1.90-1). They not only earn Prospero’s approval, however, but also the approval of all around them, as Gonzolo states, “And on this couple drop a blessèd crown,” to which Alanso states, “Amen” (Shakespeare 5.2.242-5). As a product of their selflessness and willingness to serve others, they can resolve the strife caused by their parent’s traditional and corrupt kingship. Through their magnanimity, they were able to unite the conflict between Naples and Milan. Thus, as a product of their selfless actions and model of ideal kingship, they earned a greater “crown” than possible through inheritance, demonstrating that the greatest kingship is earned by serving others and gaining their approval.

The Tempest highlights the follies of both conventional rule by inheritance and rule by commoners. Rule by inheritance is plagued by corruption, greed, injustice, and suffering, while rule by commoners is characterized by foolishness, vice, and a lack of leadership. However, through the selflessness of Ferdinand and Miranda, Shakespeare critiques the traditional role kingship plays in society, that of a monarch dominating over their subjects, and he presents an alternative option to successful rule: a monarch serving and collaborating with the subjects of a nation. So, yes, while it may appear that the most powerful form of kingship is obtained by enslaving the most potent subjects and compelling them to serve, ultimately, the most power a monarch can have is earned by the approval of their subjects.

Works Cited