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In the poem “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson and the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, both describe situations where men relinquish there responsibilities to pursue a life as they choose with out being constrained. Ulysses was a king and ruler of his lands, this however was not enough as he yearned for travel, “To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, until I die.” This was his dream, and the way in which he was choosing to live his life absent of his responsibilities. This was also the case in “The Tempest” as Prospero, was also king and ruler of his lands and relinquished his responsibilities to study and practice magic. These men were different in various ways the foremost distinction between these two men was in the time periods in which they wrote. Prospero was a character in Shakespeare’s play written in the Renaissance time period, and Ulysses a Greek story written within the Victorian Age. These works demonstrates how two men both reject their responsibilities but how the Renaissance and Victorian Age look upon the same circumstances differently regarding the aspects of time, justification and morality. During the Renaissance morals were highly upheld, not fulfilling ones’ responsibilities was unheard of. This was made evident as Prospero was banished from his own kingdom as he had turned his back on his people, choosing not to rule but to read and study.
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