When analyzing two film adaptations of William Shakespeare's 1610 play The Tempest, it becomes clear that the word "adaptation " is just a general term that barely describes the translations and deviations evidenced by the films themselves. Fred M. Wilcox's 1956 film Forbidden Planet and Julie Taymor's 2010 film The Tempest seem like entirely different plays from the standard Shakespearean original. However, the fact that they are both adaptations of the same story proves that the concept of adaptation is both a multi-layered notion and a very generalized one. In this particular example of adaptation, the definition used is: “The action or process of altering, amending or modifying something, in particular.” something that was created for a particular purpose, so that it could be adapted to a new use.” These two films not only modify The Tempest to suit the nature of each particular adaptation; they call into question the nonspecific nature of the term "adaptation" as each play translates and deviates more and more from Shakespeare's original text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As bizarre as it may sound, Forbidden Planet may be one of the most faithful adaptations of The Tempest. Both works deal with flawed protagonists, the lure of power, and the relationship between man and monster. Prospero, like Morbius from Forbidden Planet, is a difficult character to like. While explaining his reason for being on the island, Prospero admits that during his tenure as duke he “…[neglected] all the ends of the world, all devoted to the nearness and improvement of my mind…” (Shakespeare, 106). His one-sided explanation shows that Prospero refuses to take responsibility, even partially, for the failure of his mandate as duke. His desire to free himself from man's necessary role in society, even in the name of knowledge, is frustrating, because it cuts him off from the realities that all people must face. Morbius also exemplifies this isolation and, for most of the film's climax, refuses to take responsibility for his role in creating the monster. Even though he knows the truth, Morbius says of Doc's corpse: "Let him be buried with the other victims of human greed and folly" (Wilcox, Forbidden Planet). He says this as if he is exempt from this punishment, even though he surely knows that he too is a victim of "human greed and folly" in the film. Morbius's placing himself above human nature is an example of how he, like Prospero, intends to stand apart from the truths of reality. Because of this struggle that both characters face, Morbius is a translation of Prospero, changed only to fit a different context in the story. The allure of power is a common and very important theme in both works. In The Tempest, Prospero displays his power through his magical skills and control over characters such as Caliban and Ariel. Prospero's magical strength is admitted by Caliban, who says aside: "His art is of such power that it would control my mother's god Setebos and make him a vassal" (Shakespeare, 121). The terrifying realism of Prospero's magic, exemplified by the storm at the beginning of the play, creates physical manifestations that assert his power over others. The fact that he is willing to give up magic by the end of the play marks real growth in Prospero's character. Forbidden Planet pushes this attraction towardsnew limits, both technological and psychological. Morbius is capable of permanently doubling his intellect, allowing him to achieve the technological feats seen in the film, such as Robby the robot (Wilcox, Forbidden Planet). In a clear parallel, Prospero's power comes from his magic, while Morbius' power comes from technology. Morbius' obsession with power, manifested through his technological abilities, prevents him from taking responsibility for the creation of the id monster. Although this difference in character qualifies it as a partial perversion of Prospero's character, the continuity of the theme of power should not be ignored when analyzing this adaptation of The Tempest, as it shows continuity between the two plays. present in The Tempest and Forbidden Planet is the relationship between man and beast. In Shakespeare's work, the man is Prospero and the monster is Caliban, the island's first inhabitant. Caliban is the embodiment of the ugliness of Prospero's situation, one example being Caliban's suggestion that his island be taken away from him is much like the theft of Prospero's duchy. Although different in physical nature, Prospero and Caliban have very similar arguments and mentalities which make them comparable, even similar, characters. In Forbidden Planet, the monster is literally a manifestation of Morbius himself. Commander Adams angrily tries to make Morbius understand that "we are all part monsters in our subconscious, so we have laws and religion", things from which Morbius believes himself to be exempt (Wilcox, Forbidden Planet). The relationship between Morbius and the id monster takes the relationship between Prospero and Caliban to unprecedented Freudian levels of understanding. In fact, the relationship, like the characterization and themes stated previously, directly connects The Tempest to Forbidden Planet. Just as Forbidden Planet translates the story of The Tempest for science fiction purposes, Julie Taymor's 2010 adaptation deviates from the original material in order to appeal to a modern audience, without categorizing itself as a "modern adaptation ". While the story generally remains faithful to Shakespeare's text, the interpretations of the characters of Prospero and Caliban stylize the adaptation into a film consumable by a 21st century audience. The most obvious example of such a deviation is the transformation of Prospero into a woman, who is called Prospera. Prospera's story is that she was "the wife of him who ruled Milan" and that upon her death the dukedom was conferred on Prospera, whose brother conspired to steal it from her (Taymor, The Tempest) . Although a departure from Prospero's story, this digression does not change what is important to the plot: Prospera's desire for revenge and her endless quest for knowledge. Thus, Taymor presents to the public of 2010 a feminist and resolutely modern approach to the original text. According to Taymor, Prospero's personality and motivation are not limited by his gender, and watching the film it is clear that changing Prospero's gender does not make this adaptation unfaithful. Prospera now responds not only to Shakespeare's original schema of Prospero, but also to the independent, self-sufficient vision of women that contemporary feminism idealizes. The portrayal of Caliban is perhaps the most controversial characterization presented by Taymor. In the “Characters in the Play” section before the text, Caliban is written as “a savage and deformed slave” (Shakespeare, 96). In Taymor's film, Caliban is played by Beninese-American actor Djimon Hounsou, and is shown with scaly, cracked flesh and a partially white face, contrasting sharply with his dark skin. Although her makeup..