ipl-logo

How Does Prospero Change In The Tempest

1124 Words5 Pages

Through The Tempest, the author tells the story of Prospero’s revenge on the men who took his dukedom away and left him and his daughter to die. Throughout the book Prospero tortures and manipulates them until he has complete control over them. In Act 5, Prospero’s chooses to forgive them and in the meantime abandons his art which can be a sign of change in character. However, through triumph, not change, the author uses Prospero’s choices to reveal that his desires are for power and superiority. When Ariel questions Prospero’s humanity, due to his ego, Prospero only pretends to change his views because he wants to feel superior. By this point in the play, Prospero has every character in his hand. He can exploit them anyway that he wants, but once Ariel tells he would feel bad for them, Prospero becomes a whole different person: “Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling/Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,/One of their kind, that relish all as …show more content…

Prospero’s ideals and views destroyed right when a spirit questions his ethics. Ariel, a non human spirit, even admits he feels bad for the men that Prospero tortured. This causes Prospero to forgive the men, not because he truly wants to, but because of his ego. He doesn’t want to be lower than one of his servants so he pretends to be more compassionate and accepting. Prospero then tells Ariel;“The rarer action is/In virtue than in vengeance.”(V.i.35-36). Prospero does not truly believe that. His entire life he has been living the exact opposite way, only focused on getting his revenge. But he can’t have some lesser being think more highly and more moral than him so he pretends to have higher standards than he actually does. Power play is a big theme in the Tempest. This example shows that Prospero wants to be the master, and Ariel the servant. Overall, Prospero just wants power over people. However it can be argued that Prospero changes when he says:

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Othello And The Storm

    167 Words  | 1 Pages

    The characters in the play Othello by William Shakespeare and the short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin, refuse to take blame for their unfaithful actions by blaming external forces. Although, the main characters, Othello and Calixta, are fairly powerful characters, they seek comfort in knowing their actions were determined for them. In the short story “The Storm” the main characters Calixta and Alcee try to make their adultery seem amoral by accusing the inevitably of their fate. Their sexual intercourse happens due to the violent storm that keeps Calixta’s husband and son captive in a small market.

    Read More

  • Humanity In The Masque Of The Red Death

    1720 Words  | 7 Pages

    In contrast, The peasants mean nothing to him because they’re not worth of any value. The ignorance comes from Prospero’s delusional views of the world. As said before, Prospero doesn’t do anything because he looks the world through a different perspective. It ties in with his selfishness because since the Red Death has not affected him and instead ignores the harsh reality and lives in his own fantasy. “The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The Tempest

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Prospero played a key role in his own downfall. He, for example, failed to manage his authority. He admits enabling his brother 's treason happened because he gave him a lot of powers and neglected his own duties as the head of state as he concentrates on

    Read More

  • The Masque Of The Red Death Literary Analysis

    1117 Words  | 5 Pages

    Prince Prospero tried to escape fate, but he failed to do

    Read More

  • The Masque Of The Red Death Research Paper

    638 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Masque of the Red Death: Essay The Masque of the Red Death is a short gothic horror story. Overall is about a prince who thinks he is invincible, while having a party one night a mysterious guest appears and all the party-goers are very frightened of him. In the end this red death man kills the prince along with many other people at the party. This story became more horrific because the setting was in a castle, there was supernatural elements, and there was revenge.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Vengeance In The Tempest

    987 Words  | 4 Pages

    In addition to Caliban, Prospero's yearning for vengeance also creates internal issues for himself. After Ferdinand and Miranda announce their marriage, Prospero claims his "rejoicing / At nothing can be more," because he must "perform / Much business appertaining," (Shakespeare, 95-99). Usually, a father focuses more on his daughter getting married, however Prospero can only focus on his plans for vengeance. Some believe that the characters internal struggles were caused by the wrongdoers, and not a lack of forgiveness; however, at the end of the play, after Prospero becomes a more virtuous character, his conflicts with his brother and Caliban are resolved, clearly showing that their focus on vengeance is what caused the internal struggles.

    Read More

  • How Othello's Character Changes

    844 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nadia In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, the title character is a valiant hero who is in love with his beautiful bride, Desdemona. The play’s villain, Iago, destroys this love by feeding Othello vicious lies about Desdemona, causing Othello to slowly go mad. By the end of the play, Othello, in a fit of jealous rage, murders his wife. This significant change in Othello’s character is not sudden; rather, it is a gradual transformation that takes place after a series of events that occur throughout the play.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Tempest And Brave New World

    1220 Words  | 5 Pages

    William Shakespeare and Brave New World María José Castañeda Guerrero >>> William Shakespeare was an important 16th-century English writer who was widely known for his poems and plays, such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet or The Tempest. He has influenced many writers since his death and furthermore, has had an immense impact on recent films, plays and poems. Shakespeare has had a lot of influence on Brave New World, one of the most important Aldous Huxley's novels; but to be more specific, the Shakespeare's play that has more connections with Huxley's novel is The Tempest, a romance where reality and magic are together. The Tempest, popularly regarded as Shakespeare's last play, was performed in 1611 for James I and first published in 1623.

    Read More

  • The Tempest Forgiveness Essay

    881 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Tempest can be seen as a play about reconciliation, forgiveness, and mercy. However, while it is clear that the theme of forgiveness is at the heart of the drama, it is unclear to what extent mercy is given. An examination of Caliban and Ariel and their representations of Prospero’s struggle illustrates that there is little, if any, true forgiveness and reconciliation in The Tempest. Prospero’s actions from the beginning of the play seem to contradict his ultimate aim to forgive those of have wronged him. Prospero seizes the opportunity for revenge with the help of his magic and good fortune.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Power In The Tempest

    1624 Words  | 7 Pages

    The various ways Shakespeare dramatizes and explores power, allows us to obtain a richer impression of the theme of power in The Tempest. Government and authority both carry out important functions in the play. It is the subject of government that initiates the events in the play and it is also the foundation of the progression throughout the play. Prospero is the fundamental piece in the play concerning governance because he used to be the Duke of Milan, but loses his title to his brother Antonio when he devotes too much of his time learning magic rather than ruling his people and seeing his obligations through: “The government I cast upon my brother, [a]nd to my state grew stranger, being transported [a]nd rapt in secret studies,” (p.10). This is also the cause of Prospero and his infant

    Read More

  • Theme Of Nature In The Tempest

    1822 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the play, nature will be predetermined as either good or bad and depending on which, the characters will reflect their nature accordingly through their actions and dialogue. Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, was predetermined as naturally good by Prospero when he says “Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and she said thou wast

    Read More

  • Social Issues In Shakespeare's The Tempest

    1555 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Tempest is a play where a man named, Prospero, was a former duke of a land. He was exiled to an island because his brother, Antonio, usurped his dukedom. Prospero lives on the island with his daughter, Miranda attempting to reattain his title of duke. There are many causes of social issues, and it is important to view these issues on how they affect others.

    Read More

  • Violence In The Tempest

    2448 Words  | 10 Pages

    When we first meet Prospero we are also introduced to his 15 year old daughter Miranda. In Act 1 Scene II we are presented with aspects of violence as Prospero retells his past to Miranda and in doing so he explains how they got to this current situation and how “that situation involves treason and murder” (Nostbakken, 3) In doing so he retells Miranda how “his Brother Antonio persuaded Alonso the king of Naples, to assist him in overthrowing Prospero and taking his dukedom of Milan” (3). It is clear that Prospero, although throughout the play is the one causing the psychological violence, in this case he is the victim. In this scene it is evident that Prospero suffered from both psychological and physical violence bestowed upon him by his brother Antonio.

    Read More

  • Power In The Tempest

    1470 Words  | 6 Pages

    As the play begins, it seems as if the massive tempest is simply a random occurrence, catching the mariners and nobility by chance. However, as the act continues, Shakespeare reveals that the tempest was actually the work of Prospero and his ghostly servant Ariel, who stirred up the seas and set fire to the masts (1.2, 193-194). This establishes Prospero as the executor of a mess of ‘coincidences’ ranging from Ferdinand stumbling upon his daughter Miranda to King Alonso and his party walking directly into the former duke’s cell. Though Prospero may have the same control over the English language as the other characters, Caliban points to his specific source of power. He says, “… for without [his books] /

    Read More

  • The Tempest Character Analysis

    1123 Words  | 5 Pages

    Shakespeare’s The Tempest is often considered fiction and finds content in expressing characteristics of both the main character, Prospero and differences in the power dynamics affecting his characters. Shakespeare often uses groups of characters to emphasize the complexity of their surroundings and effects on their behavior. The overall repetition of complications faced or caused in relation to Prospero and play an enormous role in the plot, helping to develop both the his feelings and the emotional ties of others regarding him. Shakespeare also varies the diction to place emphasis on the power dynamic and relationships observed between thespians.

    Read More

More about How Does Prospero Change In The Tempest

Open Document