GONZALO’S COMMONWEALTH

Gonzalo in his attempt to distract Alonso from his grief - envisions the birth of a certain
utopia in his creation of the ideal commonwealth. He dreams of an ideal, self-sufficient
lifestyle in a wonderful and copious nation where everything is provided for.
His political philosophy is based on a section of Montaigne’s essay ‘Of the Cannibals’.

1. In his commonwealth, contrary to the usual manner, Gonzalo would be the king or
leader and ‘execute all things’. This is contrary to the usual custom of the equitable
sharing of power by all members of a commonwealth. Hence, Gonzalo introduces
some hypocrisy in his desire to be the absolute ruler.
2. He would not admit any kind of ‘traffic’-i.e., any import, export, trade or commerce.
3. In the commonwealth, there would exist no degrees or offices of any kind, i.e. ‘No
name of magistrate’.
4. There would be no ‘letters or qualifications and academic education.
5. There would be no hierarchy or division of society into the rich and the poor classes.
6. There would be no servants employed by the ‘higher class’ of society to do their
menial chores- i.e., no ‘use of service’.
7. There would be no use of contracts- bargaining or property dealing would not be
allowed.
8. There would be no ‘succession’ or practice of inheritance of land and other material
possessions that would be permitted.
9. There would be no land boundaries (‘bourn’/ ‘bound of land’), no arable or cultivable
land (‘tilth’) or vineyards in this commonwealth.
10. There would be no use of metal or any kind of machinery.
11. The people would enjoy no rich viands such as corn, wine, or oil.
12. There would be no ‘occupations’ or vocations. All men and women would be idle, but
they would continue to remain innocent and pure (Gonzalo forestalls the proverb,
‘idleness begets lust’)
13. There would be no sovereignty- which contradicts his prior evocation wherein he
stated his desire to be the ruler.
14. The commonwealth would be a land of shared resources. Nature in all her glory and
abundance would provide everything that is required for the people’s common use
and sustenance. No one would have to put in any effort and would enjoy the fruits of
nature i.e., no one would have to ‘sweat’ or endeavour’.
15. There would be no treason (betrayal) or felony (crime). In Gonzalo’s utopia, there
won't be any weapons that perpetrate violence- guns, pikes (spears), swords, knives,
and no need for any instrument of war (engine).
16. Gonzalo continues his flow of thought and says that in his ideal world, ‘nature should
bring forth of its own kind all foison, all abundance.’ Thus, nature’s harvest would
feed his ‘innocent’ people.

Gonzalo concludes his vision of a perfect commonwealth by saying that he would govern the
state with perfection and care, because of which his reign would ‘excel the golden age which
is a reference to the imagined period in a people’s history when everything was perfect and
thus reaffirms the idea of a utopia that Gonzalo envisions his commonwealth to be.