Prospero versus Prospera

The changing of the male character of Prospero to the female Propera not only represents a shift in society, but also gives “The Tempest” different implications. Once, only men were allowed on the stage. Helen Mirren’s performance as Prospera turns this notion upside down. Yet, with Mirren’s performance comes a new facet of the play to study. A play centered around greed, revenge, and the search for one’s view of what is just, the creation of a female lead adds the power struggle between females and males to be considered. With the character of Prospero, it is taken for granted that his brother usurps his power simply because of greed. With the character of Prospera, one must ask his or herself if her dethroning was backed by the inherent societal fear of women holding powerful positions. Look at the United States today, we are considered to be one of the most progressive countries in the world and we have yet to have a female president. During this election we have the chance of having the first female president, but there is still a portion of the country that will not vote for the female candidate solely based on her gender regardless of their political beliefs. Having Prospero be Prospera shows tremendous growth in the roles of women in literature and society, but also creates a new dimension of the play for audiences to explore.