Essay on Prospero in Shakespeares The Tempest - 983 Words

The Greatness of Prospero in William Shakespeares The Tempest No man is an island. It takes a strong, mature man to forgive those who hand him misfortune. It takes a real man to drop to his knees and repent. The character of Prospero in Shakespeares Tempest is a man who has suffered much. Prospero is a puppet master throughout the play, but releases everything to save himself from his own self. The enemies in the play are not those whom he shipwrecked, they are of little consequence, and he plays them easily. Properos purpose in The Tempest is only to make everything right again. Ariel is accordingly shown as the agent of Prosperos purpose. He is Prosperos instrument in controlling and developing the action (Knight†¦show more content†¦While Antonio and Sebastian are greedy, Prospero never perverts his power. Prospero s own flaws brought him to his island. My Librarie was Dukedom enough for me, (I. ii. l.127). He lost threw away his title for his books and he eventually was exiled. Yet, as Prospero proves at the end of the play, A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more worthwhile than a life spent doing nothing, (Bernard Shaw). According to Tillyard, Prospero had made enough mistakes in his life to be very carefull not to make any more. Unless I be relievd by praier which peirces so, that it assaults mercy it selfe, and frees all faults (epilogue). Prospero exercised mercy towards Alonso, whom may have deserved to die. By stopping Sebastian and Antonio from murdering Alonso, Prospero proves to be a great man who is wise to overcome the temptation of vengeance and chooses to pardon them instead. It is no coincidence that Ferdinand was the first person that Miranda meets. Most everyone else on the island is evil and Miranda cannot tell the difference. When she first sees the others she does not realize they are evil. How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! (V. i. 182-183). Miranda may have loved the first man she saw, and for that reason Prospero used his magic to bring her and Ferdinand together. Prospero chooses nurture over nature. Shakespeare wants to make clear what he means: thatShow MoreRelated Defending Prospero in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay1771 Words   |  8 PagesDefending Prospero in The Tempest      Ã‚   In William Shakespeares The Tempest, the character of Prospero brings about a great deal of debate. Modern literary critics are quick to use him as a poster child for English colonial practice in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Many see him as person who desires complete control of everything around him from the fish-like monster Caliban to his spirit servant Ariel, even his own daughter Miranda. 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For in the latter plays, England itself becomes the hero - the English crown, in its resistance to civilRead More Conflict and Harmony in The Tempest Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesConflict and Harmony in The Tempest   Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare describes a utopic world saturated with supernatural images and ideas which works to create the mysterious island where The Tempest takes place.   This is one of Shakespeares best examples of how a natural harmony reveals itself through the actions of discourse and confusion.   To illustrate this idea best one must examine the historical context upon which The Tempest is based.   Because this play was published in the early 1600sRead More tempcolon Confronting Colonialism and Imperialism in Aime Cesaires A Tempest1403 Words   |  6 PagesColonialism in A Tempest   Ã‚  Ã‚   A Tempest by Aime Cesaire is an attempt to confront and rewrite the idea of colonialism as presented in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.   He is successful at this attempt by changing the point of view of the story.   Cesaire transforms the characters and transposes the scenes to reveal Shakespeare’s Prospero as the exploitative European power and Caliban and Ariel as the exploited natives.   Cesaire’s A Tempest is an effective response to Shakespeare’s The Tempest because heRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1267 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Enlightenment Era, William Shakespeare’s writing were a form of social commentary on the English Government. Endorsed by the king, Shakespeare’s works told tales of tragedy and whimsy, incorporating both fiction and nonfiction elements. One trademark of Shakespeare s plays were the subtle allusions to the concurrent events in the English government. This is evident in his well known and final play, The Tempest. The story of The Tempest tells the tale of Prospero, a fallen duke forced to live