I’ th’ commonwealth I would by contraries Execute all things. For no kind of traffic Would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known; riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none; No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil; No occupation; all men idle, all; And women too, but innocent and pure; No sovereignty. (II, i, 140-49)Within the short span of time that the fleet had arrived on the island, they have already disrespected their king’s authority and power. Gonzalo ponders the idea of being King, which would get him arrested for treason, had they not been stranded on the island. This is similar to how Sebastian and Antonio plan to murder Alonso. Being on the island has already divided them and pitted them against each other, even without magical assistance. I think that Alonso, the King, lost a lot of authority over his subjects once they got shipwrecked, because they realize that he is just like another one of them, lost, confused, and probable stranded forever. His peers also have fostered some resentment towards Alonso, because it is his fault that they are stranded there, because he selfishly married his daughter off to African royalty, contested by many people, and they got stranded on their way home. This quote emphasizes them turning against their leader, and coming up with their own fantasies and utopias. Gonzalo describes his theoretical rule as getting rid of class distinctions, agriculture, jobs, gender inequalities, and democracy. He seems to be describing a communist country, which relates to how communist regimes arose in the 18th century as a result of social exploitation of harsh, capitalist oppression.
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