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"All men are created equal" is one of the declarations that American culture is built on. This declaration means that all men no matter of race, religion, or creed are equals in the eyes of society, as well as the law. This was not always true in history, especially not in Shakespeare's day and age. During this time, society had levels of classification where men were considered "superior" to other men. Shakespeare gives us a taste of this hierarchical culture through his play The Tempest. He shows us how "superior" men perceived themselves in contrast to lesser beings due to their race, financial status, and gender. We also are shown those who had reason to feel superior yet treated others equally and with the respect due to them.

The Tempest reflects Shakespeare's society through the relationship between characters, especially between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban, who was the previous king of the island, is taught how to be "civilized" by Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Then he is forced to be their servant. Caliban explains "Thou strok'st me and make much of me; wouldst give me Water with ber

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Not all men in the position to consider themselves superior thought themselves to be. Even though some men had the financial status or noble blood, they treated others equally and genuinely thought them equal. Ferdinand, although being the Prince of Naples, treats Miranda, who he thinks a mere maid, as an equal human being deserving nothing less than his affection and kindness. This is proven true in his conversation with Miranda where he tells her "O, if a virgin, And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you the Queen of Naples."(I,ii,450-452). He loves her and would have her as his wife and Queen even though he thinks her a mere maid. Gonzalo also shows us his heart when he sees Ariel enter with the Boatswain and sailors. He refers to them as "here is more of us" (V,i,15) showing he considers the Boatswain and sailors his equal. In these two characters, Shakespeare is saying that not all men are egotistical and perceive themselves above others.

In today's society, treatment of inferiority is against the law and supposedly non-existent openly in society. We all know, however, that this hierarchial mind set still lurks around every corner in today's culture. It may not go as far as forcing someone to be your servant, but it lives in the form of discrimination and segregation. Because of many years of inferior treatment, many people feel they either can not succeed or that it will be more difficult for them than those of the "right" race or financial bracket. It is not that the people today feel inferior, its that they feel they will not get a fair chance. It's commonly believed that the people of "inferior" races or monetary status will get picked over for jobs or ot

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1186
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)