How Does the Relationship Between Prospero and Ariel Change During the Tempest

The nucleus of the plot in Shakespeare's The Tempest revolves around Prospero enacting his revenge on various characters who have wronged him in different ways. Interestingly enough, he uses the spirit of Ariel to deliver the punishments while Prospero delegates the action. Prospero is such a character that can concoct methods of revenge but hesitates to have direct involvement with disillusioning his foes. In essence, Prospero sends Ariel to do his dirty work while hiding his involvement in shipwrecking his brother, Antonio, from his daughter, Miranda.

     In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero's magic is the means that Prospero teaches his lessons to the plays various characters. Whether or not those lessons were learned or not is irrelevant. The main issue is that Prospero's character is indeed a complex one, and one that deserves much attention. Two essays that look at the complexity of Prospero and his magic are Stephen Miko's "Tempest," and Barbara Mowat's "Prospero, Agrippa, and Hocus Pocus." Both of these essays, in dealing with Prospero and his magic reveal things about Prospero that only enhance the mystery of his character.

 Soon after we learn that Prospero controls Miranda, we discover that he magically controls the weather and that he also commands a spirit named Ariel to do tasks for him.  When a ship carrying

"From the moment they arrive on the island to the time of their release and pardon, they are almost continually guided, prompted, and motivated by visions that Ariel, acting for Prospero, weaves before them and by the spells he casts upon them". Prospero's motivation behind all this manipulating is to provide the group of nobles, mainly Alonso and Antonio, to become of aware of their wrongdoings, repent for stripping away his dukedom and casting him out to isolation. The first illusion that Prospero casts is planting the idea that Ferdinand has drowned during the shipwreck firmly within the mind of his father Alonso. It doesn't take much for Alonso to be thoroughly convinced that his son is head, batting away any words that offer any hope. "No, no, he's gone" At this point in the play, Alonso has not associated the drowning and loss of his son with Prospero. He believes that this is the result of marrying off his daughter Claribel to an African prince. Losing both his children and heirs to the throne, he feels as though he cannot go on "O thou mine heir/Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish/Hath made his meal on thee?"

Prospero enslaves Caliban and Ariel, seizing the island for him and Miranda, just like Alonso and Antonio had done to him. The rightful ruler of the island is Caliban, and although Caliban at one time tried to rape Miranda, Prospero repeatedly punishes him for this one event that occurred much before this play takes place. Prospero initially “helps” Caliban by educating him and in exchange, Caliban taught Prospero and Miranda how to survive on the island. Prospero uses the act of attempted-rape to justify his seizure of the island. This take-over should have been enough punishment but Prospero enslaves Caliban, threatening to hurt him if he does not do his bidding. By endlessly punishing Caliban, Prospero inadvertently shows his malicious side. Although Prospero freed Ariel from the tree he was bound inside, Prospero blackmails Ariel and essentially enslaves him too. Prospero repeatedly tells Ariel that he will set him free but, it seems as if that is an empty

In “The Tempest”, Prospero is the one controlling everyone and everything for his own personal reason. He controlled the tempest (1.2-195), the spirit Ariel (1.2-246-249), the monster Caliban (1.2-310-313) and the men of the ship; Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian and Francisco (3.3.82-90). Prospero’s control is at it’s highest when it comes to Ariel. In this passage, Ariel responds to Prospero after refusing his liberation “I prithee, Remember I have done thee worthy service, Told Thee no lies, made no mistaking,

Originally, he was a fair duke that showed love to everyone he met; however, his love of magic gets him exiled by his own brother. Once on the island of his banishment, Prospero develops monstrous characteristics of greed and domination. He imposes his beliefs upon initial inhabitants by teaching them his own language so that they could communicate with him (Tempest. I.ii.352-364). Prosper felt he had the superior form of communication and higher level of intellect, so the previous occupants should have to learn his language. He also forced his self-proclaimed authority on this creature who was the birth-right land-owner. This creature, Caliban, is upset and claims, “This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother, / Which thou tak’st from me” (Tempest. I.ii.331-332). Just as Prospero’s kingdom was taken from himself, he retaliated by taking Caliban’s kingdom from him. To do this, Prospero enslaved Caliban as well as another he finds on the island through use of his magic and forces them to do his menial tasks. It is through his exploiting and dominating actions that Prospero is seen as a monster. He cultivated his supremacy over everyone to a malicious extent that he was a malevolent monster disguised as a

Prospero’s intentions throughout the play was to seek out vengeance towards his brother and all those who helped him in his betrayal. Through the work of Ariel, Prospero was able to capture those he shipwrecked but decides to forgive them. He also forgives Caliban after plotting to kill him while serving another master, these acts of change are key to the improvement and empowerment Prospero learns after being on the island. The is a growth and arch shown about the character as he states, “ The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” Prospero also shows enrichment of character when he sets Ariel free after commanding him to make smooth sailing upon the return to Naples and Milan, contrasting to the beginning of the play when Prospero seems ungrateful about the service of Ariel. The problem Prospero had that paved the way to him being exiled, was his obsession with studying his art/magic. It is through his experience on the island where he finally comes to realize that the source and self-improvement that he needed to make was giving up his magic. This is symbolized by the throwing away of his books and his plea to the audience to “release him from his bands”. By giving up his magic,the reason he couldn’t be an affective Duke, shows how his alienation on the island benefited him by allowing him to focus on his role and duty as

Prospero operated in the three facets of power relation, as did Columbus. He attacked the social, psychological and cultural facets of the natives as was able to thwart them to his good pleasure. In attacking the social facet, Prospero threatened the class system that was already in effect on the island. After fleeing from Italy, he no longer belonged to a specific class and sought to regain a regal position by taking control of those he encountered on the island. In attacking the psychological facet, Prospero used his power of influence to persuade others to change the way they think or redirect their morality. This influence on morality can be seen when Ariel returns from performing a task for

First, Prospero tells Miranda that he has caused the tempest for her. Prospero turns attention away from Miranda and focuses upon the fact

Ariel is Prospero's servant, yet he is also his assisting companion. Ariel voluntarily does Prospero's work. He is loyal and yet Prospero sees him as a means to an end and manipulates Ariel's willingness. His manipulation is seen where he affirms: "Dost thou forget, from what a torment I did free thee? (1.2. 383-383) Prospero’s actions are contradictory. This exemplifies the idea that justice in the Tempest is primarily depicted as what is best for Prospero.

In the play, Prospero in many cases takes advantages of things such as Ariel. Although he did free Ariel from being trapped in a tree, he keeps him as a servant for a very long time. Sometimes when Ariel mentions the fact that one day Prospero has to let him free, Prospero then counters it by saying if it weren’t for Prospero, Ariel

The Tempest, often regarded as Shakespeare’s last play, displaces the theme of possession of control and command over other, commonly known as power. Ariel, Caliban and the courtiers from Milan, all demonstrate different levels of control. Prospero, the protagonist of the play, especially displays his ability to cast influence and affect others psychologically. The characters, their relationships and their use of power can be compared to the English government and society of the 17th Century.

William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” speaks about multiple authoritative relationships throughout the play and the abuse of power and authority. The main character Prospero lives on a deserted island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero used to be the Duke of Milan until he has been usurped by his brother Antonio with the help Alonso the King of Naples and his brother Sebastian. Prospero and Miranda were banished to sea in a rotten boat and eventually lands in a deserted island who was once ruled by a witch named Sycorax but is now only inhabited by her son Caliban and a spirit named Ariel. Since arriving at the island, Prospero has been ruling the island and enslaved Caliban and Ariel by the use of magic. He acts as if he is God by creating a storm in order to shipwreck the King of Naples and Antonio. Prospero uses his powers to get revenge on his brother for having been exiled to the island. Prospero is a controlling character who seems to be obsessed with getting revenge in order to regain his status. He abuses his authority and takes advantage of his slaves and his daughter Miranda to fulfil his evil plan.

Also, throughout the play Prospero?s anger is shown, for example, late in the fourth act, Prospero interrupts the spirits' pleasant masque when he's suddenly overcome with rage at the thought of Caliban's plot against him. Then, early in Act V, he admits to Ariel that he can only forgive his enemies by letting his "nobler reason" overcome his ?fury." This fury, more than any other