However, while Shakespeare seems to use Prospero to meditate uneasily on his own long career as a playwright, Atwood ultimately uses this contradiction to argue for the moral utility of theater and the importance of prioritizing it within a society. Both works use their powerful protagonists to contrast the inherently contrived nature of theater with its ability to reflect and influence real life. In this sense, Shakespeare’s Prospero-who uses his magic powers to exact revenge on his enemies-and Atwood’s Felix-whose craftiness as a thespian allows him to achieve his own vengeance-represent the playwright or author who inevitably controls his or her creative work. Both novel and play center around a protagonist who does his best to control the direction of the plot and the actions of those around him. A retelling of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed tells the story of a director named Felix who, after being ousted from his job at a prominent theater festival, begins teaching Shakespeare in a prison, eventually using his new position to get back at his old enemies.
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