Utopia and Dystopia

Utopia-Literally translated this term means "no place," but we generally think of a Utopia as perfect world or paradise. Perhaps the literal translation holds more meaning, however, if we look at the term in regards to "The Tempest." Different characters in the play try to define what a utopia should be, but whenever one character imposes their utopia on another, it becomes clear that the latter character's ideas about utopia are quite different. One of the best examples of this occurs in Act 1, scene 2, when the character Caliban expresses how his utopia differs from Prospero's: "You taught me language, and my profit on't/ Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language." Caliban's speech implies that Prospero pushes intellectual language onto Caliban, believing that he will profit from learning and potentially experience a more utopian existence. Caliban rejects Prospero's logic, however, explaining that Prospero's ideal existence is not in line with his own, and that language has actually made him quite miserable. The text is highlighting that a community is never a true utopia if an absolute authority is attempting to define its ideals. Utopia exists when a place becomes a "no place," emptied of the rules and content which govern individuals behavior.

Thomas Marren