The Tempest Research Paper

The Tempest was Shakespeare’s last play that was written shortly after England colonized Virginia in 1609. Throughout the play, there are many different references to imperialism and colonialism within the characters. The Tempest analyzes the imperialistic relationships between England and America but applies it to personal human interaction between the central characters. The island gives newcomers a sense of endless possibilities like claiming the land for themselves because of the belief in the Great Chain of Being and the seventeenth century being an age of exploration. The idea of ruling a colony lured many people into the idea that having that kind of power over a large group of people is attainable. Master-servant relationships are

    In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero lives with his daughter Miranda on a deserted island.  On the surface, he appears to be a benevolent leader doing his best to protect and care for the inhabitants of the island, especially for Miranda.  On closer inspection, however, Prospero plays God, controlling and creating each individual to fit the mold he desires.  He takes advantage of his authority over the people and situations he encounters while wearing a facade of integrity and compassion to disguise his wily intentions and to retain love and respect.

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,

In Act 2 Scene 3 when Caliban plots to kill his master Prospero with his newly found drunken master Stephano we can see that Shakespeare is portraying Caliban as a creature with very base instincts. From Caliban's actions, it is difficult to see understand why Prospero does not cast away Caliban. He says in Act 5:

When we meet Ariel we see Prospero's control over him straight away with "Has't thou spirit, perform'd to point the tempest I bade thee?” This shows that it is Prospero who makes commands and expects Ariel to obey him.

Prospero gives him tasks to fulfill. Ariel eagerly does the tasks for Prospero so he can grant him his freedom. Whenever Ariel asks for his freedom to Prospero, Prospero keeps reminding Ariel of of the time when he saved him from a tree. Manipulating Ariel that he still owes him a lot more depts for saving his life. “Have you forgotten the torture I freed you from?

Specifically, Prospero uses his love for Miranda to hide under the shroud of patriarchy. “The Tempest” opens with a storm in the first act and by scene two, the reader learns that it is Prospero who has commissioned the storm. First, one must examine why Prospero summoned the storm. When Miranda presses her father as to why the people in the ship are in the tempest, he says that “I have done nothing but in care of thee” (Act 1, Scene 2). In some aspects, Prospero is acting against patriarchal ideals because he summons the storm. Directly after Prospero declares the tempest in the name of Miranda, he debases himself. Prospero draws attention to his fall from grace and says "your humble father who lives in a poor little shack" (Act 1, Scene 2). Within these scenes, Prospero is reinforcing his patriarchal role. Furthermore, Prospero is constructing his salvation through Miranda's desires. The tempest has been summoned to maroon Ferdinand and Alonso and ensure Prospero's prosperity off the island. Prospero’s love for Miranda serves only towards his assimilation back into a position of

Ariel carries magic, allowing himself to disappear, and creates deceitful plans to cause harm towards others. In act 2, he casts a spell on Alonso’s party, except for Antonio

As Ariel reminds Prospero of his promised freedom; Prosper says,”Do so; and after two days I will discharge thee” (Shakespeare 523). Prospero shoes somewhat sympathy towards Ariel by telling him that he will soon have his freedom by doing what he

(5.1.14-29) Ariel says that the group of men are in a crazed state of mind and Gonzalo is suffering. Prospero replies asking if Ariel would feel sorry for them, and Ariel says

Prospero even creates the actual tempest of the play through Ariel, which allows the creation of the rest of the story to happen. Prospero’s art is truly powerful and permits Prospero to conjure up and wield anything he must to attain his desired purpose or fancy. As Stopford A. Brooke states about Prospero: “He acts like a divine Providence, moulding nature and human wills to his purposed end” (Brooke 307).

     Second among the slave-master relationship is a fear factor that links a fear that Prospero’s slaves. For that if they are not doing of what is expected by Prospero, they can and will be easily destroyed by his mighty powers. For this fear is real and keeps Ariel and Caliban from coming together and staging a coo to overthrow Prospero and his powers. To reaffirm his power Prospero tells Ariel, “If thou more mumur’st, I will rend an oak and peg thee in his knotty entrails till thou hast howled away twelve winters”(Act I, Scene II, 295-297). Thus Ariel is pressured to do what is asked of him, or face a horrible demise that should not be wished upon no one. This fear also reminds Ariel that though he is powerful Prospero is even more powerful. Making it hard for him to try and escape. Whereas, Caliban fears that Prospero is willing and able to end his llife at any time, since at every meeting he threatens Caliban with the bad things that he can do to him if he is not pleased with his work. “Fetch us in fuel, and be quick, thou’rt best, to answer other business—shrug’st thou malice? If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly what I command, I’ll rock thee with old cramps, fall all they bones with aches, make thee roar, that

Alonso and Gonzalo's minds are deluded by Prospero's spells to make them unaware of what is happening around them or aware of something out of the ordinary, and

It is a common theme for the nobility to suppress the other people on the island to maintain their status of power. While their subjects may not be kept in a physical cell, they are placed in a cell of restrictions. Perhaps the most famous prisoners within the cells are Ariel and Caliban. Ariel was trapped in a tree because of the sinful witch, Sycorax. Upon arriving on the island, Prospero frees him from the trunk of the tree and makes Ariel his subject (I.ii 17). Ariel is sometimes hesitant to perform Prospero’s spiteful tasks. Another sign of captivity between Prospero and Ariel is the way Ariel refers to Prospero. In line 318 of Act I Scene II, he obeys Prospero and says, “My lord, it shall be done.” However, the two benefit from each other. Ariel also acts as a guide for Prospero by grounding him against his narcissistic tendencies while Prospero takes care of the ethereal spirit. Caliban, however, despises the sight of Prospero. In Act I Scene II, Caliban describes the care that was provided by Prospero: he taught him language; he cared for him as he grew, and he gave him delicious wine. Bitter due to the usurping of his rightful kingdom, he manages to keep his distance from Prospero (I.ii 19). Disobeying his master’s rules, Caliban

The second part of the plot also introduces some major characters such as Ariel, a captive servant of Prospero. Other active characters in this part are Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and Ferdinand. The complications remain in this part with the development of the sub-plot of the alliance among Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban. Shakespeare uses comedy while handling this subplot. The third part is full of crisis and climax where Prospero prepares magic banquet for his enemies. The forth part is called a resolution in which the audiences are introduced about the marriage contract of Miranda and Ferdinand. Ariel appears in the scene with the news with the failure of Caliban plot. The final stage of the plot is the conclusion. In this part, Alonso came to know that his son is alive and he is in love with Prospero’s daughter. Prospero gets back his dukedom and the play ends with forgiveness. The number of characters has made the plot more complex.