Ariel Act 1 Scene 1

Prospero continues to praise Ariel throughout the book especially in Act 4 Scene 1, Ariel asks, “Do you love me, master? No?” and Prospero replies, “Dearly, my delicate Ariel,” (123-125; Act 4 Sc. 1 lines 52-53). This phrasing shows that Prospero cares deeply about Ariel and at the end of the play decides to let him go. As Act 5 states, “Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free,” (163; Act 5 Sc.1 line 293) These examples show that Prospero cares about Ariel and treasures their relationship. He also has a strong, meaningful relationship with his daughter, Miranda. From the beginning of the play, Prospero shows affection to Miranda and wants what is best for her. In Act 1 Scene 2, Prospero says, “‘Tis time I should inform thee farther.” (13; Act 1 Sc. 2 lines 27-28). This quote explains that Prospero wants to deepen his relationship with Miranda by telling her the story of his past. As the play

Tom Nelis’ Prospero is seen as a tall Caucasian male, mid-50s, donning a dusty professor’s suit from the early days of Harvard University. He sports well-groomed hair, a mustache border-lining on Stalin and Salvador Dali, and a grey goatee. In the original play, the essence of Prospero remains somewhat intact with this odd and new rendition. He is still as astringent and commanding as ever and still holds a somewhat caring attitude towards his daughter Miranda the son of the King of Naples Ferdinand along with the airy spirit Ariel, whom he freed from bondage. The case is the same with the supporting characters Alonso, Stephano, and Trinculo. Alonso (the King of Naples) wears an outfit most likened to Ernest Hemingway, Stephano and Trinculo (who is played by the dwarvish actor of shorter stature Jonathan Kim) hold violins while Stephano wears very new and outlandish (compared to Shakespeare’s time) sunglasses. Prospero’s airy spirit Ariel (played by Nate Dendy) is presented as a ghostlike figure with very white makeup accentuating the skin of his body. The most striking decision the directors chose to make with the characters is the slave Caliban, who was originally described as a vile, fish-like creature in the original play.

Throughout Shakespeare’s The Tempest, we are able to view Prospero’s intrapersonal- discovery as an aged man through the coming of age. Using his knowledge Prospero orchestrates the action of the play in order to restore the moral balance and injustice of his usurpation. However, along the way, he does become lost in his quest for vengeance and his pride. Yet, by the epilogue he has come full circle; while the opening tempest resonates with his own internal tempest, the final act sees him “promise…. calm seas”, suggesting that he has returned to his humanist values. In this sense, Prospero has shown us that he moves from immaturity to maturity. Contrastingly, both Holden and Prospero’s process through the coming of age exhibits similarities of the development of maturity. Despite the significant age difference between them, they

Ariel mentions to Prospero about how, if he were human, he would feel sorry for what he has done. Prospero did not consider this because Magic made him believe that he was not human, not “one of their kind.” Prospero has been treated like a god throughout the book and because of it, it has caused him to have a superiority complex towards other people. He finally realizes that he is on the same level as everyone else and is still a bareboned human. Prospero finally understands from Ariel that he has gone too far and has lost sight of his original goal.

Ariel willingly serves Prospero Because he is Eager to be free. In line 48 act 4 scene 1 “ do u love me master?”, Ariel asked Prospero. This demonstrates that Ariel has a better relationship compared to Caliban due to the quotes stated by Prospero in line 344-347, “ I have taken care of you and you seek to violate my daughter”. This line point out that Caliban is not liked at all by Prospero and is enslaved as his consequence. Therefore, Ariel is more liked by Prospero because he freed him from a trap and he enslaved Caliban because he tried to violate his

From the moment Ariel enters the scene appearing as a terrifying monster with a woman’s face and and the body of a bird, flaps his wings making the banquet vanish to when Ariel tells the men, “that you three/ From Milan did supplant good Prospero, / Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it, / Him and his innocent child." What I find most fascinating about this scene is the visuals it creates in the mind of the reader. For me,

Prospero runs everything that happens so he can be considered the 'king ' of the island. He is in complete control of what occurs on the island because of his supernatural powers. He has the "airy spirit" of Ariel to work for him and carry out his orders, who shows no animosity towards Prospero 's ruling. However, Ariel’s obedience doesn’t come without a price. Despite the strict social hierarchy, the nobles who dislike the king can still rebel with the lower class and topple the king. The reason for Ariel’s unwavering loyalty is that Prospero has control over him both physically and mentally. Ariel once askes Prospero to set him free: “I prithee, Remember I have done thee worthy service, Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served Without or grudge or grumbling. Thou did promise To bate me a full year (Act 1 Sc. 2, 294-298).” Prospero responds harshly: “Dost thou forge From what torment I did free thee?,” reminding Ariel who was extricated from the witch Sycorax to be grateful. He further pressures Ariel with a series of questionings, shaming Ariel’s the lack of gratitude and threatening to tie him back to the tree (Act 1 Sc.2, 315-320). Horrified by the thought of experiencing the same torture, Ariel feels obliged to pay back Prospero’s graciousness, forgetting the fact that he has already served faithfully for one year and now

From when Prospero first “raised the tempest (Shakespeare 71),” and conjured the storm to helping him hold Alonso and his companions captive, we can clearly see in Ariel’s case that he adores Prospero for freeing him and holds a very loving son-father relationship with Prospero. These caring attributes are very scarce in the other majority of the characters such as Antonio, Stephano and Caliban (who only wish to murder and rob Prospero of his power) and Ariel's attitude which he has for Prospero only makes that case even more evidently obvious. When Ariel gives the word on Alonso and his partners in crime, he states that “our (his and Prospero’s) charm so strongly works 'em that if you now beheld them, your affections would become tender” (Shakespeare 71). He states that Prospero’s effect on the three were so ominous that if he saw them, even he, in all of his power and malice, would be compelled to sympathetic tears. We are duly noted that Ariel is a spirit who is able to possess a very human and fatherly concern for others despite being of nonhuman

His invisible music allows him to guide the characters to where Prospero desires them to be. The first instance of interference is the tempest at the opening of the play. It isn’t until Scene 2, of Act I, that it is disclosed through Ariel and Prospero’s conversation that the tempest was caused by Ariel, as he describes his own actions: “I boarded the king’s ship: now on the beak, now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flamed amazement.” Through such instigation, Ariel’s actions prompt the course of the

We see this sense of manipulation through Ariel’s mouthing of the script that Prospero has taught him, while he tries to win his freedom from the king. Prospero manipulates Ariel to further his persuasion and control over the men of the play. “Thunder and lightning/ Enter ARIEL, like a harpy, claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes” (III, iii, 50-52, 1677). Authority here lies in the hands of Prospero’s magic rather than in the court and is also completely subjective, as Prospero’s actions of “setting things right again” are highly paradoxical; he feels targeted and vulnerable by the plan of Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban to kill the king, but at the same time is highly manipulative of Ariel and the other men, forcing them to dance jerkily. The king is also staged as being situated on a platform above the action, highlighting his haughtiness and power.

For example, he constantly uses Ariel to carry out deeds that will assist in his revengeful plan, such as transforming into a flame and tormenting the ship during the storm. These deeds are performed because Prospero constantly tells Ariel that he will set him free and makes Ariel feel guilty and unappreciative of Prospero. For example, after the storm Ariel tells Prospero that he has served him without complaint; therefore he should be set free. In return Prospero verbally abuses him, saying that he does

Throughout the years since The Tempest was first published in the 1623 Folio, there has been much debate among Shakespeare’s contemporaries and critics as to the significance of the figure of Prospero and other major characters featured in the work. In this paper, I want to examine the figure of Prospero and his relationship with the character Ariel. In doing this, I want to show how Prospero is a figure for the artist, how Ariel is a figure for the poetic imagination, and how the relationship between Prospero and Ariel explores the relationship between the artist and his or her poetic imagination. By showing this, I wish to argue that Shakespeare’s intention in portraying

Although King Alonso and Antonio unfairly banish Prospero from Milan, he still wrongfully overtakes the island he discovers and the few inhabitants on it. Not only does Prospero take control over Caliban, he also becomes Ariel’s master after saving him from his entrapment, but unlike the favored Ariel, Prospero treats Caliban horribly like a slave rather than a humble servant. Later in the play as Stephano encounters Caliban, he too takes advantage of him because of his gullibility and his fascination with liquor. Overall, Prospero along with Stephano, play the role of usurping European colonizers who make both Caliban and Ariel their deprived colonial subjects in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

As stated by Deborah Willis in her article Shakespeare's Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism, “Prospero dominates this play in a way few Shakespearean characters do in others” (279), though with that being said the play does not favor him nor does it endorse his treatment and abuse of the Islands natives, but simply accepts it as is. Prospero does this through his overall power seen continually throughout the play, and it is this idea of power that divides the colonizer from the colonized or in this case Prospero from Caliban and Ariel. Furthermore, an example of this abused use of power can be seen in act 1 scene 2, when Prospero reminds Ariel of the kindness he has shown, “Dost thou forget/From what a torment I did free thee?” (1.2.299-300) in saying this Prospero reminds Ariel that he owes his freedom to Prospero and therefore his servitude. Furthermore, the relationship struggle for dominance between Prospero and Caliban is highly apparent in Act 3 Scene 2, when Caliban the original ruler of the island, explains that Prospero is an intruder and has betrayed his trust and initial welcome by enslaving him, in order to rule the Island himself, “I say by sorcery he got this isle;/From me he got it. If thy greatness will, /Revenge it on him, for I know thou dar'st,/But this thing dare not.” (3.2.59-62).

Shakespeare, much like Prospero, needed more than just his art to accomplish the productions that he completed. Just as Shakespeare needed other contributors, Prospero too needed his servants. Caliban is much like the stagehand as he is not a significant part of Prospero’s works, but he is used to complete laborious task for Prospero who commands him with complete control. Caliban is referred to by Prospero as his slave, “thou poisonous slave” (I.ii.322), and is used to fetch wood. Much like a stagehand would covet the position of the playwright Caliban desires to replace Prospero as lord of the island. Though Caliban begrudgingly obeys Prospero he is eager to be rid of him and his commands. This resentful relationship is contrasted to the relationship between Prospero and Ariel. Ariel is a spirit who upon being rescued by Prospero became is his diligent servant, until such time when Prospero decides to release him. Ariel is playing the role of the actors in the figurative interpretation of the play. Prospero’s treatment of Ariel is far nicer than his treatment of Caliban, he responds in a much kinder manner, “My brave spirit” (I.ii.207). This difference in treatment can be attributed to Ariel’s importance to Prospero; Prospero needs Ariel for his plans to function. If it were not for Ariel Prospero would not be able to perform his plan, correspondingly, if there were no actors