When analyzing two film adaptations of William Shakespeare's 1610 play The Tempest, it becomes clear that the word "adaptation" is simply a term broad that barely describes the adaptation translations and deviations highlighted by the films themselves. Fred M. Wilcox's 1956 film Forbidden Planet and Julie Taymor's 2010 film The Tempest feel like completely different pieces to the standard Shakespearean original. However, the fact that they are both adaptations of the same story shows that the concept of adaptation is both a multi-layered and very generalized notion. In this particular example of adaptation, the definition used is: “The action or process of altering, correcting, or modifying something, esp. something that has been created for a particular purpose, to be suitable for a new use”. These two films not only modify The Tempest to fit the nature of each particular adaptation; they question the non-specific nature of the term “adaptation” as each piece translates and diverges further and further from Shakespeare's original text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As bizarre as it may seem, Forbidden Planet is perhaps one of the most faithful adaptations of The Tempest. Both works deal with imperfect protagonists, the allure 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 time as Duke, "... [neglected] all worldly ends, all devoted to the nearness and improvement of my mind..." (Shakespeare , 106). His one-sided explanation shows that Prospero refuses to take responsibility, even partial, for the failure of his tenure as Duke. His focus on freeing himself from man's necessary role in society, even in the name of knowledge, is frustrating, as it excludes him from the realities that all people face. Morbius also exemplifies this isolation, and for much of the film's climax he refuses to take responsibility for his role in the monster's creation. 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 it as if he were exempt from this punishment, even though he surely knows that he too is a victim of that "human greed and madness" in the film. Morbius' position above human nature is an example of how he, like Prospero, is intent on keeping himself away from the truths of reality. Because of this struggle both characters face, Morbius is a translation of Prospero, only changed to fit a different setting of the story. The allure of power is a common and very important theme in both works. In The Tempest, Prospero shows his power through his magical ability and control over characters such as Caliban and Ariel. Prospero's magical strength is admitted by Caliban, who says in a note: "His art is of such power, it would control my mother's god Setebus and make him a vassal" (Shakespeare, 121). The terrifying realism of Prospero's brand of 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 a real growth in Prospero's character. Forbidden Planet takes this fascination to new levels, both technological and psychological. Morbius is able to double his intellect permanently, which allows him to perform featstechnologies 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, shown through his technological abilities, prevents him from taking responsibility in the creation of the id monster. Although this difference in character labels it as a partial perversion of Prospero's character, the continuity in the theme of power should not be ignored when analyzing this adaptation of The Tempest, as it shows continuity between the two pieces. Very present in The Tempest and Forbidden Planet is the relationship between man and beast. In Shakespeare's play, the man is Prospero and the monster is Caliban, the original inhabitant of the island. Caliban is the embodiment of the ugliness of Prospero's situation, one example is Caliban's suggestion that his island being taken away from him is very similar to the theft of Prospero's dukedom. Although different in physical nature, Prospero and Caliban have very similar arguments and mindsets which make them comparable, if not 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 Morbius believes he is exempt from (Wilcox, Forbidden Planet). The relationship between Morbius and the monster of the Id takes the relationship between Prospero and Caliban to unprecedented Freudian levels of understanding. In fact, the relationship, like the characterization and themes stated earlier, directly links 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 source material in order to appeal to a modern audience, while not classifying itself as a "modern adaptation". While the story remains generally faithful to Shakespeare's text, the character interpretations of Prospero and Caliban stylize the adaptation into a film enjoyable for a twenty-first century audience. The most obvious example of such a deviation is the change of Prospero into a woman, who is called Prospera. Prospera's backstory is that she was "wife of him who ruled Milan" and that upon her death, the dukedom was bestowed upon Prospera, whose brother conspired to steal it from her (Taymor, The Tempest). While this is a difference from Prospero's backstory, this digression does not alter what is important to the plot: Prospera's desire for revenge and endless quest for knowledge. Thus, Taymor presents 2010 audiences with a feminist and decidedly modern approach to the original text. Prospero's personality and motivation, Taymor argues, 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 fits not only Shakespeare's original profile of Prospero, but also the independent, self-sufficient vision of femininity that contemporary feminism idealizes. The portrayal of Caliban is perhaps the most controversial characterization presented by Taymor. In the “People of the Play” section before the text, Caliban is written as “a wild 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, in stark contrast to his dark skin. Although his makeup shows him as the “deformed” slave described by Shakespeare, Caliban is the only actor who is not of Caucasian ethnicity and is the villain of the play. Included in the film is the suggestion that Caliban attempted rape at one point.