“To cause paralyzing anxiety, is the dream of power. . .”

Is this true?  To have power, do you need to make everyone feel anxious?  According to the author of this essay about Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the answer is “Absolutely.”  The play is about an exiled Duke who wants to return to power, even though he has no army, no wealth, and no powerful friends.  What he does have, however, is the ability to create an anxious situation for the king and current duke, who then agree to the restoration of power. With this victory, comes another question: how long will this last? Will everyone need to be kept on edge?

Greenblatt, Stephen. “The Use of Salutary Anxiety in The Tempest.” William Shakespeare: The Tempest. Edited by Robert Langbaum. Signet Classic, 1998, p. 158.