Preview

How Does Prospero Use Power In The Tempest

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
276 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does Prospero Use Power In The Tempest
In The Tempest William Shakespeare uses Prospero's power and control over the other characters as a way to address different social issues during time. Prospero is a character that uses his powers over people to manipulate them into doing his work. Two specific characters he considers his slaves are Ariel and Caliban. For Prospero's plan to succeed he calls on Ariel to start however Ariel asks Prospero when he will set her free, “Pro Do’st thou forget what a torment I did free thee. Ar No Pro Thou do st & thinkst it much to tread the. Ooze the salt deepe” (1.2.296-299). Having prospero say this is shakespeare way of bringing up the issue of colonization. Prosphero also does this to Caliban by taking away his land and native language as a way
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A Different Mirror: Takaki's Use of the Tempest
    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Different Mirror: Takaki's Use of the Tempest

    Prospero is another interesting character from Shakespeare’s Tempest that is found in Takaki’s book. Prospero decared that he had been thrust forth from Milan and had landed on the shore of Caliban’s island “to be the lord on’t” (36). By nothing more than self-righteousness, Prospero dispossessed Caliban’s land and pronounced himself as the rightful owner of the land. Early English settlers in Virginia…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Power Over A Monster In Shakespeare's The Tempest
    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Power Over A Monster In Shakespeare's The Tempest

    Prospero treats Caliban unkindly, which prompts him to switch allegiances. It is blatant that there is tension between master and slave when Prospero accuses Caliban of trying to rape his…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Explore How the Character of Prospero Develops in the Course of the Tempest. How Does the Prospero of Act One Scene Two Compare to That We Hear in the Final Scene of the Play? Compare Your Interpretation of the Play with That of Other Critics.
    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Explore How the Character of Prospero Develops in the Course of the Tempest. How Does the Prospero of Act One Scene Two Compare to That We Hear in the Final Scene of the Play? Compare Your Interpretation of the Play with That of Other Critics.

    Prospero is the most central character in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. The play revolves around his personal task to regain his dukedom, which his brother Antonio usurped from him. Throughout the play it is shown how Prospero develops and changes as a character and seems a different person to the character we first meet in Act One Scene Two. How Prospero’s character develops happens in a variety of ways, one of the most potent ways appearing to be the treatment of the other characters within the play.…

    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Tempest (Prospero vs. Cali
    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Tempest (Prospero vs. Cali

    In order to understand the characters in a play, we have to be able to distinguish what exactly makes them different. In the case of The Tempest, Caliban, the sub-human slave is governed largely by his senses, making him the animal that he is portrayed to be and Prospero is governed by sound mind, making him human. Caliban responds to nature as his instinct is to follow it. Prospero, on the other hand, follows the art of justifiable rule. Even though it is easy to start assessing The Tempest in view of a colonialist gaze, I have chosen instead to concentrate on viewing Caliban as the monster he is portrayed to be, due to other characters that are not human, but are treated in a more humane fashion than Caliban. Before we meet Caliban, we meet Ariel, Prospero’s trusting spirit. Even though Ariel is not human either, he is treated kindly and lovingly by his master who calls him “my quaint Ariel.” Caliban, on the other hand, is called a “tortoise” and a “poisonous slave” by Prospero. As Caliban enters in Act 1 Scene 2, we realise his fury at both Prospero and Miranda. He is rude and insulting and Prospero replies with threats of torture. Prospero justifies his punishment of Caliban by his anger at the attempted rape of his daughter, something Caliban shows no remorse for. Miranda distinguishes herself from Caliban by calling him “a thing most brutish” and inadvertently, a thing that has only bad natures. She calls his speech “gabble,” but doesn’t stop to wonder whether it was she that didn’t understand him because she didn’t know how to speak his language. Surely Caliban communicated verbally with his mother for the twelve years before Prospero killed her? It seems that Prospero and Miranda expect Caliban to be grateful for the knowledge of their language, but Caliban has just learned “how to curse” and justifies his anger by claiming rights…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Controversy in the World of Coal Mining
    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Controversy in the World of Coal Mining

    In this play, Prospero's dominance over Caliban is evident. Although Caliban is an aggressive and defiant slave, Prospero's unquestionable power and magical capabilities leave Caliban helpless to defend himself or refuse an order that is mandated upon him. Caliban complains that despite introducing Prospero and Miranda to the island, Prospero has treated him terribly compared to when they first met.…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Explore the Ways in Which Prospero Is Presented as a Character in William Shakespeare's ‘the Tempest'
    • 2213 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Explore the Ways in Which Prospero Is Presented as a Character in William Shakespeare's ‘the Tempest'

    The changes that occur in Prospero's character are unfathomable at times, and many of his speeches are fairly ambiguous. Prospero's treatment of Caliban is malicious, he enslaves him and calls upon his spirits to pinch him when he curses. His handling of Caliban can be justified to some extent; Caliban is the son of the witch that controlled the island before he did, and he tried to rape Prospero's daughter Miranda. Caliban's plight mirrors that of Prospero's in some ways, Prospero had his dukedom taken away by his brother and was then isolated from the world, Caliban is the only island native in the play, and in his opinion the island belongs to him. Shakespeare is trying to highlight the human response to experiencing a negative event, by Prospero inflicting pain on Caliban and suppressing him and his power, he cannot be a victim. Prospero feels threatened by Caliban, he wants to suppress the Native of the island, to gain complete control, his fear of losing power again is incredibly deep-seated. His hatred of Caliban is evident in the way he addresses him, "Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam, come forth!" By Prospero calling Caliban a slave, he is giving him a pungent reminder of the…

    • 2213 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Dayondra Duffy's Attitudes Towards Cruelty
    • 2160 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Dayondra Duffy's Attitudes Towards Cruelty

    Prospero is a protagonist in “The Tempest” because he has been attacked and betrayed by the people around him. Even though this puts him in a sympathetic position, he is ultimately cruel because he uses his advantages in order to get vengeance and stay in power over others. In particular, Prospero tournaments, Caliban, whom he catches trying to rape his daughter Miranda. He resorts to vengeance in Act 1, telling Caliban, “If thou neglectest or dost unwillingly what I command, I’le wrack thee with old Cramps, fill all thy bones with Aches, make thee roar, that Beasts shall tremble” (Shakespeare 1:2:21). Prospero threatens Caliban by imposing torture on him. To punish Caliban for his actions Prospero threatens to cause physical pain to Caliban by giving him painful cramps during the night. The fact that Prospero's idea of justifying the problem through torture demonstrates his standing in his sense of morality.. Prospero is wrong in the way he uses his social standing as a mean to torture others. Prospero feels a sense of authority. And this makes him like he is able to inflict suffering Caliban so that Caliban can pay for his actions towards his daughter. It is important to understand that authority figures such as Prospero's often turn to torture and cruelty to keep their subordinate figures in order. This contradicts the fact that all humans were created equally with the…

    • 2160 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Injustice for Justice: an Analysis on Equity in the the Tempest
    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Injustice for Justice: an Analysis on Equity in the the Tempest

    In this quote, Prospero’s fervor for justice is seen in his anger towards Antonio’s betrayal. Although Prospero justifies his actions with his brother's betrayal, his end, being justice, does not justify the means because ultimately, Prospero is using injustice to fight for his own justice.…

    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prospero as a Flawed Machiavellian Prince
    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Prospero as a Flawed Machiavellian Prince

    As expressed from this quote, “…I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated/ To closeness and the bettering of my mind/ With that which, but by being so retired/ O’erprized all popular rate in my false brother…” (Shakespeare 10), Prospero was extremely immersed in his studies and books to betterment his mind. Although this practice was beneficial in obtaining greater…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Tempest Research Paper
    • 2269 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Tempest Research Paper

    In the Tempest, written by William Shakespeare in 1611, Prospero the sorcerer was the Duke of Milan until Antonio usurped his power. Prospero is banished to an isolated island with his daughter Miranda. Here he practiced his sorcery and controlled every aspect of Miranda’s life. Prospero used his sorcery to create a magnificent tempest to bring all his enemies to the island, including Antonio, for revenge. Caliban was a native to the island Prospero lives on. Prospero catches Caliban trying to rape Miranda so he makes him his slave. Prospero makes Caliban carry firewood and other hard labor. Prospero frees Ariel from a tree and then makes him his personal servant. Both of these men are Prospero’s slaves but they are much more than…

    • 2269 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Other in the Tempest
    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Other in the Tempest

    In order to understand the characters in a play, we have to be able to distinguish what exactly makes them different. In the case of "The Tempest," Caliban, the sub-human slave is governed largely by his senses, making him the animal that he is portrayed to be and Prospero is governed by sound mind, making him human. Caliban responds to nature as his instinct is to follow it. Prospero, on the other hand, follows the art of justifiable rule. Even though it is easy to start assessing "The Tempest" in view of a colonialist sight. I have chosen instead to concentrate on viewing Caliban as the monster he is portrayed to be, due to other characters that are not human, but are treated in a more humane fashion than Caliban.…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Tempest's Power
    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Tempest's Power

    "The Tempest" centers on the loss and gain of power. Prospero is stripped of his power in civilization, and thus uses his magical powers in order to return to nature and regain some kind of leadership role. His deliberate involvement in the shipwreck, the overthrowing of Caliban, and the romance between his own daughter Miranda and Ferdinand, shows that he is attempting to regain the status that he had lost.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Guns Should Be Banned In The United States
    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Guns Should Be Banned In The United States

    The United States has been a gun culture country since the day the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. After many decades, gun ownership had rapidly increased, and many lives have been saved with a gun. An American citizen can legally purchase a handgun at age twenty-one and a rifle at the age of eighteen with a cleared background check by a licensed dealer. In recent months’ guns has become a very conversional topic because of all the incident happening around. For example, Orlando mass shooting, where 49 people died, and Dallas sniper shooting where 5 police officer died. Compared to early days USA have powerful police forces protecting its citizen. All the firearms should be banned because guns have already caused many deaths.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Imaginative Journeys
    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Imaginative Journeys

    In “The Tempest”, William Shakespeare leads the reader into an island in a realm beyond reality, which generates obstacles and challenges that aid the characters in their self-discovery process. During their time on the island, they are encouraged to expand themselves and become more than what they think they are. This journey is especially evident within the protagonist, Prospero, as he is able to grow in many aspects of his entire being. Comparing his initial plans of retribution and punishment towards his brother Antonio, with his attitudes of reconciliation and resolution at the end of the play, it is apparent that he has undertaken a journey of self-discovery. Somewhere along the way, Prospero has arrived at a realisation, during which he comprehends that “the rarer action is in virtue, than in vengeance” (Act 5, Scene 1), meaning that it is both rare and ultimately more admirable to exonerate, than to hate one’s enemies. This sense of illumination and enlightenment is achieved through the island’s magical properties that stimulate growth within the characters, and also Prospero’s love for his daughter, Miranda, which humbled him greatly.…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Irish politics
    • 1882 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Irish politics

    When I was presented with the essay title ‘employers liability in tort for injuries suffered by employees at work’ immediately I was interested as I soon realised this law is highly relevant in all our day to day lives . This topic holds a lot of confusion and is a very complex. A lot of uncertainty surrounds the law, this is why I have choose to crytically analyse it thouroughly so I can gain a greater knowledge and hopefully write a great essay. At first I will begin with a brief intoduction into emplyers liability and discuss and analyse how it has developed through history to now. Then I will continue on to make a critical analsis of the law using a variety of cases accompanied by well thought out conclusions and opinions by myself.…

    • 1882 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics