Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and Shakespeare's The Tempest present similar definitions of "power" through the different circumstances of their protagonists. Power, in these plays, can be seen as “control of the unknown.” If one character controls something that another character doesn't understand, the first character can gain power over the second. While Faustus and Prospero are both presented as highly learned and powerful magicians, Prospero is generally able to exert power over all of the characters in The Tempest because he is constantly aware of what is happening, while the other characters in the room is unaware of what is happening. Faustus, on the other hand, fails not because he is too ambitious or proud, but because he believes he is in control when in reality he is under the power of Mephostophilis, unaware of what is being done to him. Considered together, the plays seem to offer an argument for prudence and caution when faced with the opportunity to rise to power, rather than arguing against ambition as one might suppose in the case of Faustus. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Although the plots of the plays show that it is not that simple, both protagonists equate knowledge with power and thus continue their learning in their quest to become more powerful. Prospero, in telling his daughter the story of their arrival on their island, says that he moved away from his position as Duke of Milan because he was "fascinated by secret studies" (1.2.176) and that he did not resist its usurpation because his library “Was the duchy sufficient” (1.2.212). While he may be downplaying how much he values ​​his true dukedom to ensure that Miranda remains ignorant of his ambitions, this reveals his dedication to his studies. However, he does not explicitly explain why he attaches so much importance to knowledge. This is later explained by other characters. Faustus also professes a love of knowledge, but is more explicit about why, often equating it not only with power, but also with magic. He says that through the study of his books, a “world of profit and delight / of power, of honor, of omnipotence / is promised to the studious artisan!” " (1.1.51-3), explicitly showing that his goal in his studies is to acquire power, particularly magical power as "omnipotence" suggests. Possessing knowledge, however, is only part of what is required to gain power. First, characters must use their knowledge in a way that benefits someone who doesn't have the same knowledge. Prospero is cautious and never clarifies exactly why he is so concerned about his studies, but Caliban reveals this information as he plans with Stephano and Trinculo to overthrow Prospero. He tells them to take control of the magician's books because without them "he is but a fool" and "has not/one mind to command" (3.2.1488-9). This reveals that Prospero, much like Faustus, uses the knowledge from his books to gain power. This is reflected in his relationship with Ariel. Prospero does not do much magic in the play, instead ordering his servant spirit Ariel to perform magical tasks. However, to command a spirit with powers such as commanding storms, Prospero must have power of his own. When Ariel briefly complains to Prospero and asks for freedom, Prospero recounts how he freed the spirit from a trap it had been put in by a witch, and threatens him by saying: "If you whisper again, I will tear an oak tree./ And sting you in its gnarled bowels until / You have howled twelve winters” (1.2.432-4). Although Ariel has powers that Prospero does not have, the powers that Prospero does possess allow him to use Ariel as a tool. The play does not elaborate on the nature of Prospero's power over the mind, but it is clear that Prospero possesses the knowledge necessary to free Ariel and imprison her again, whereas Ariel, although very powerful, does not possess this knowledge.knowledge. This places Prospero in a position of power over Ariel. Faustus' relationship with Mephostophilis seems similar to Prospero's relationship with Ariel, in that Faustus does little magic himself, but orders the demon to perform magical tasks. However, Marlowe's play, unlike Shakespeare's, actually shows the process of summoning the magician and his attempt to control his mind. In this process, Faustus, unlike Prospero, finds himself unwittingly under mind control. Faustus' main problem is that he becomes extremely excited by the prospect of becoming a powerful magician. “It is magic,” Faustus says to his friends Valdes and Cornelius, “a magic that has delighted me,” already convinced of his own magical power although he has not yet performed any magic (1.1.109 ). When Mephostophilis appears, probably following an elaborate ritual, Faustus says, "Such is the power of magic and my spells," showing that the demon's appearance has further confirmed his existing belief in its power (1.3. 30). that the moment he accepts the demon's bargain is the moment Faustus condemns himself. He is too blinded by excitement and the idea of ​​the power he thinks he possesses to properly process what the demon is telling him. “I have come hither of my own accord,” Mephostophilus tells Faustus, “For when we hear one cry the name of God…We fly in the hope of obtaining his glorious soul” (1.3.43-8). The demon lets the audience know that Faustus, despite his elaborate ritual, did absolutely no magic. The demon came simply because Faustus had blasphemed and saw an opportunity to steal a soul. This means that the knowledge that Faustus possessed did not work properly or was false. Therefore, Faustus has no power over Mephostophilis, because he has no control over the knowledge that the demon does not have. Prospero has a similar moment in the story of The Tempest when his brother plans to usurp his dukedom. Rather than resist his plans and seize more immediate power, he errs on the side of caution and chooses not to resist. Allowing himself to lose power allows him to come back later, regain his status and put his daughter in a position of power. If he had chosen to resist his brother back then, this ending may not have been possible. He may have put himself at a greater disadvantage or danger by resisting his brother. Faustus, rather than taking into account the new information presented to him as Prospero did, effectively ignores Mephostophilis' statement. He takes the path that Prospero chose not to follow and decides to seize power immediately, instead of updating his knowledge in the face of a force that can overpower him and determining what else he can do to obtain power. When Mephostophilis speaks to Faustus of the torment of eternal separation from the joys of Heaven, Faustus tells the demon to "Learn... the manly courage of Faustus, / And despise these joys..." (1.3.84-5). Even after Mephostophilis disproves the idea that Faustus performed magic, Faustus not only ignores the demon and continues to believe in his own power, but also believes that he is superior to the demon. Faustus implies that Mephostophilis is somehow.