The Tempest Summary and Analysis of
Act I
Act I, Scene I
Sailors try to keep a ship ‹from running
aground on the rocks in a stormy sea. The
passengers ‹are Alonso, the King of
Naples, Alonso's son Ferdinand, Alonso's
brother Sebastian, Alonso's
advisor Gonzalo, and Antonio. The
boatswain says that even kings cannot
"command these elements" of wind and
water, and tells Antonio and Sebastian that
they can either "keep below" or help the
sailors. The noblemen take offense at
being ordered around by a mere sailor, and
both show a mean-tempered streak in this
encounter. Suddenly, a panic seizes the
sailors, and they declare "all lost,"
surrendering themselves, and their ship, to
the vicious storm. Antonio and Sebastian
also fear the worst, and go below to say
goodbye to the king, Alonso.
Act I, Scene 2
Prospero and his daughter Miranda are the
focus of this scene, and from Miranda's
first speech it becomes clear that the storm
in the previous scene was somehow caused
and controlled by Prospero. Miranda is
concerned that good men were lost in the
wreck, but Prospero assures her that it all
went to plan, and no men were harmed.
Prospero explains his motivations for
causing the storm by telling her his history
with the nobles aboard the ship; he reveals
to Miranda that Antonio is his brother, and
that he was once the rightful Duke of
Milan, a position Antonio now holds.
Antonio usurped Prospero's estate and
wealth while Prospero became
increasingly "rapt in secret studies" and
oblivious to his brother's machinations;
and in order to take Prospero's title as well,
Antonio arranged to have his brother
Prospero and Prospero's daughter Miranda
killed secretly. But Prospero is widely
known to be a good man, so those charged
with his death decide not to kill him,
Instead, Prospero and Miranda were set
adrift on the open sea in a decayed vessel,
and were able to survive off the supplies
that the honest councilor Gonzalo arranged
for them to have; thus, they landed on the
island where they now live.
After Prospero's tale, Ariel, a magical
spirit, appears; it becomes clear that she is
in Prospero's service, and caused the
storm, at Prospero's bidding. King Alonso
and company are now "dispersedŠ'bout the
isle," and Ariel has made the incident look
like a shipwreck. Ariel also expresses her
wish to be freed by Prospero, although he
rescued her from the nasty witch
Sycorax. Caliban, who was Syncorax's
son, also makes an appearance; Miranda
expresses her strong dislike for him, and
he has been reduced to no more than
Prospero's slave.
Ferdinand, Alonso's son, meets Miranda,
and falls immediately in love with her; this
appears to be of Ariel's doing, and part of
the carefully-laid plan that she must carry
out to win her freedom from Prospero.
Analysis of Act I
The play begins with a pair of contrasting
scenes; one showing men who are helpless
against the storm they believe to be
nature's wrath, and one showing the storm
itself to be merely the work of an
illusionist, trying to reclaim his place
through his magic. In the first scene, the
boatswain suggests that men, despite their
power, are still subject to nature; "what
cares these roarers for the name of king,"
he asks, when the king's ship is being
pummeled by the storm (I.i.16-17). The
boatswain's statement makes sense in the
context of that scene; however, it becomes
ironic in the second scene, when Miranda
and Prospero reveal that it was Prospero
himself who caused the storm.
Antonio and Sebastian's behavior also
reveals the brutish, unkind characteristics
that mark them throughout the play;
Antonio's depiction in this scene gives
credence to Prospero's traitorous depiction
of his brother that comes out when he tells
Miranda about the wrongs perpetrated
against him. The first impression of
Gonzalo is not quite as correct as those of
Antonio and Sebastian; he abets their
affront of the boatswain, and shows little
of the honesty or kindness which he
exhibits later in the play, or for which
Prospero remembers him.
Also, Antonio and Sebastian's diffidence
toward the boatswain on account of their
status is the first demonstration in the play
of social hierarchy, which becomes an
important theme. Characters within the
work, like Antonio, Sebastian, and even
Prospero, depend upon the perpetuation of
this hierarchy to give them their power,
and only become leaders when those
beneath them in station submit to them.
Caliban is well aware that Prospero's
position depends on Caliban's obeisance,
as he says to Prospero, "I am all the
subjects that you have"; though it is
Prospero's "art" and power, rather than a
landed title, that makes Caliban, the
natural owner of the island, subordinate.
The nature of power is repeatedly in
question in this first act; Prospero believes
Antonio's power to be marred by its
underhanded acquisition, while Prospero
believes his own power to be valid and just
because he acquired it through his own
knowledge and effort. Prospero reasserts
his authority over Ariel, claiming that his
pains to free her indenture her to him; and
over Caliban too, because the charge of
attempted rape takes away his credibility,
as far as Prospero and Miranda are
concerned. However, Prospero's power is
not as justly attained as he would like to
believe; he keeps Ariel in unwilling
bondage, as Sycorax did, and keeps control
of Caliban through threats of his power.
Prospero debates throughout the work that
his power, which he achieved through
oppression, is more legitimate than
Antonio's, which he achieved through
theft; and it is this value judgment that
allows Prospero to cast himself as the
victim, and Antonio as the villain, though
this case might not be correct.
If Prospero has a mirror in any of the
characters, it is Sycorax, whom Prospero
repeatedly condemns as a witch. Their
histories are remarkably similar; both were
banished from their native countries, fled
to the island for a new life, and gained
control over the spirits on the island.
Despite Prospero's dislike for Sycorax
(which is curious, considering his only
knowledge of her is from Ariel), they are
also similar in their failings; they share the
same anger, both demand servitude from
those who are unwilling, and keep others
in control though constant threats.
Prospero and Sycorax have the same
magical abilities through their mutual
claim of Ariel, and share the ability to
perform feats of magic through the
servitude of Ariel.
Prospero's long speech in scene 2 shows
several of the contradictions inherent in
Prospero's appearance and nature.
Prospero can be empathetic and calm, as
shown when he gracefully allays Miranda's
fears for the safety of the men; but, he is
also angry and vengeful, when he speaks
of his past and his brother's alleged
treachery. He calls his brother
"perfidious," "false," and casts his brother
as a villain when telling his history to his
daughter. Paradoxically, Prospero also
admits that it was his "being so retired"
from his duties that "awaked an evil
nature" in his brother, and his "trustŠ did
beget of [his brother] a falsehood" (I.ii.91-
96).
Prospero himself causes events, like the
shipwreck, without which the play could
not exist; in these powers of manipulation,
he performs the functions of the author
from within the work. Some essayists have
gone as far as to claim that Prospero is a
mirror of Shakespeare as a writer because
of how he fulfills the author function,
though there seems to be little supporting
evidence for this claim.
As of the end of Act One, Prospero is the
only character who is fully fleshed out.
The characters of Antonio and Sebastian
have been sketched out; and Ariel,
Caliban, and Miranda appear, though their
interactions with Prospero do more to
further Prospero's characterization than
their own. However, in Prospero, more
than any other character, key themes come
into play, and Act One begins the
development of this exceedingly crucial
character.
The Tempest Summary and Analysis of
Act II
Act 2, Scene I
King Alonso has landed on the island, with
his brothers Sebastian and Antonio,
noblemen Adrian and Francisco, and the
councilor Gonzalo. Gonzalo tries to
console Alonso upon their good fortune of
surviving the shipwreck‹but Alonso is
grieved‹not only because his
son Ferdinand is missing and presumed
dead, but because he was returning from
his daughter's wedding in Africa, and fears
he will never see her again because of the
distance. Antonio and Sebastian show
great skill with mocking wordplay, and use
this skill to stifle Gonzalo and Adrian's
attempts to speak frankly to the rest of the
party. Ariel's magic makes the party fall
asleep, with the exception of Antonio and
Sebastian.
A strange seriousness, of Ariel's doing,
falls upon Antonio and Sebastian. Antonio
begins to concoct a plan to get his brother
the kingship, which will be much easier if
Ferdinand, the current heir, really is dead;
and since Alonso's daughter is very far
away in Tunis, Sebastian might be able to
inherit the crown with only two murders,
those of Alonso and Gonzalo. Ariel,
however, hears to conspirators plan, and
wakes Gonzalo with a warning of the
danger he is in. Ariel intends to
let Prospero know that the conspiracy has
indeed been formed as he wished, and
Prospero in turn will try to keep Gonzalo
safe, out of appreciation for his past help
in preserving the lives of Prospero
and Miranda.
Act 2, Scene 2
Caliban curses Prospero, as another storm
approaches the island; he takes the storm
as a sign that Prospero is up to mischief,
and hides at the approach of what he fears
is one of Prospero's punishing
spirits. Trinculo, Alonso's court jester,
finds Caliban lying still on the ground and
covered with a cloak, and figures him to be
a "dead Indian"; but, the storm continues
to approach, so he also hides himself,
using Caliban's cloak as a shelter, and
flattening himself on the ground beside
Caliban's prostrate form.
Alonso's drunken butler, Stephano, enters,
drunk and singing, and stumbles upon the
strange sight of the two men under the
cloak; he figures, in his drunken stupor,
that Trinculo and Caliban make a four-
legged monster. Caliban,in his delirium,
thinks that Stephano is one of Prospero's
minions, sent to torment him; Stephano
thinks a drink of wine will cure Caliban of
what ails him, and bit by bit, gets Caliban
drunk as well. It takes Stephano a while to
recognize his old friend, Trinculo, whom
Caliban seems to be ignoring. Because of
Stephano's generosity with his "celestial
liquor," Caliban takes him to be some sort
of benevolent god; much to Trinculo's
disbelief, Caliban actually offers his
service to Stephano, forsaking the "tyrant"
Prospero. Stephano accepts the offer.
Analysis of Act II
Act 2 begins with a speech by Gonzalo
that sounds similar to Claudius' speech to
Hamlet in Act 1 of that play. Gonzalo tries
to console the king over the loss of his son,
saying that his "hint of woe is common,"
and speaking about all the people who
share his "theme of woe". In Hamlet,
Claudius bandies about similar language
when soothing Hamlet, mentioning the
"common theme" of paternal death, and
begging him to cast off the "woe" that
burdens him. The tone of these two
speeches, also, is similar; both, though
directed toward one person, are made
before a larger audience of listeners, and
so are somewhat formal, impersonal, and
diplomatic in language and form, in order
to sound proper and impress their point on
those who are not being directly addressed.
However, Alonso responds badly to
Gonzalo's good-hearted and carefully-
worded attempt to cheer him up; "he
receives comfort like cold porridge" is the
simile that Sebastian uses to describe the
King's reaction, and the comparison
highlights King Alonso's sober, aloof, and
disconsolate personality.
In the first scene of Act 2, Sebastian and
Antonio first display a mischievous skill
with language which they use to mock
Gonzalo, then the nobleman Adrian.
Sebastian teases the somewhat long-
winded but good-hearted councilor by
saying that Gonzalo is "winding up the
watch of his wit, by and by, it will strike"
when he begins another entreaty to the
king. When Gonzalo opens his mouth
again, he is answered with Sebastian
saying "one," as if Gonzalo had struck the
hour, like a clock.
Then, they change the subject of their puns
to money; "what a spendthrift is he of his
tongue," says Antonio, speaking of
Gonzalo as if he were a character more
akin to the very garrulous, somewhat
foolish Polonius from Hamlet (II.i.25)
Gonzalo and Polonius hold the same
position, of head councilor to the king, but
is not the same wastrel of words that
Polonius proved to be; he makes a few
remarks in this act that are beside the
point, like his statements about their
garments being "fresh," but nothing that
sounds so foolish as Polonius' "brevity is
the soul of wit" speech in Act 2 of Hamlet.
Antonio and Sebastian detach themselves
from their party through their mocking wit.
Adrian and Gonzalo try, in a levelheaded
way, to both take stock of their situation,
and hearten their party; they note the
"subtle, tender, and delicate temperance"
of the island, and report that "here is
everything advantageous to life"
(II.i.42,50). Gonzalo becomes optimistic,
making statements about how "lush and
lusty the grass looks"; Antonio and
Sebastian's replies to Gonzalo's benign
remarks are distinctly negative,
contradicting Gonzalo with claims that
"the ground indeed is tawny," and that "he
lies" in his positive assessments
(II.i.53,54). In this act, notice how
Sebastian and Antonio are thoroughly
characterized as heedless, careless, harsh,
and arrogant through their disregard for
their fellows, their predicament, and
through their constant bickering and
insulting remarks. All of their character
flaws that are exposed in this act are
important in the later action,
foreshadowing their backstabbing
tendencies and their eventual
comeuppance.
Several allusions to The Aeneid are
sprinkled throughout the play, Antonio and
Sebastian's debate about the "widow Dido"
and the uniqueness of Carthage among the
most prominent of these. Although the
Carthage/ Tunis debate is elusive, and
perhaps nonsensical, Gonzalo is correct
that "Tunis, sir, was Carthage," because
Tunis became the political and commercial
center of North Africa after Carthage,as it
is described in The Aeneid, was destroyed
(II.i.82). The Tempest inhabits, roughly,
the same geographic realm as Virgil's
work; Alonso's ship, before the shipwreck,
was following the same route that Aeneas
took from Carthage to Naples. The Aeneid
raises issues about royal authority and
political legitimacy that are also present in
Shakespeare's work; and the allusions are,
at the least, noteworthy because of the
associations present during Shakespeare's
time between the strong, intelligent, and
powerful Queen Dido, and the equally
strong, intelligent, and powerful Queen
Elizabeth.
Note the contrast in tone between Alonso's
lament in lines 104-111 of scene 2, and
Franscisco's answer to the king; Alonso's
statement is somewhat crude in its
metaphors, describing how the "stomach
of [his] sense" is being force-fed by having
to listen to his friends' long-winded
chatter. Francisco answers this complaint
with elevated rhetoric, about how he saw
Alonso's son "beat the surges under him"
and "trod the water, whose enmity he flung
aside"; Francisco's formalized description
is more elegantly worded and image-laden
than Alonso's, and the difference in
language signifies a possible difference in
knowledge and communicative abilities in
the two characters.
As in Act 1, there are a number of
allusions to proverbs in this act as well,
one of which appears in line 136. "Rub the
sore" is a phrase Gonzalo uses to tell
Sebastian that his attempts to console the
king do no more than aggravate the loss;
and this phrase was a popular one during
Shakespeare's time, and is much easier to
understand than some of the more obscure
and outmoded allusions that Shakespeare
includes in his work.
Once Antonio and Sebastian begin to
conspire in scene 1, parallels with Macbeth
begin to surface. "My strong imagination
sees a crown dropping upon thy head,"
Antonio says to his brother, creating an
image similar to the one that the three
witches describe for Macbeth in Act 1,
scene 3 of Macbeth. The presence of a
conspiracy against the throne and a plot of
murder creates another similarity; and
Sebastian reacts to his brother's ambitious
vision as Macbeth reacts to the witches--
that is, with thoughts of murder.
Before Sebastian is convinced to follow
his brother's plan, he exclaims that he is
"standing water"; the statement is a
metaphor, but the words are somewhat
vague in their connotation. What Sebastian
means with this comparison is that he is
waiting to be moved in some direction, and
will remain still, or "standing," until he
finds his purpose and motivation. The
phrase could be alluding to another
proverbial saying, but exactly which
saying is being referred to is unclear.
Act 2 returns to the themes of political
legitimacy, source of power, and
usurpation that arose in the first act. While
Prospero firmly believed that the only
legitimate power was the power that came
from one's knowledge and hard work,
Antonio believes that the power he
usurped from his brother is legitimate,
because he deserved it more and had the
skill to wrestle it away. "Look how well
my garments sit upon me, much feater than
before," Antonio brags to Sebastian;
Antonio's lack of remorse over his crime,
and his arrogant claim that his power is
just because he uses it better, foreshadow a
confrontation with his brother Prospero,
and an eventual fall from this ill-gained
power.
However, Ariel's involvement in this
conspiracy shows it to be part of
Prospero's plan; Ariel makes all but
Antonio and Sebastian go to sleep, and
then causes conspiratorial seriousness to
settle on them as well. The situation is
created as part of Prospero's project, to
reinforce his idea of his brothers as
villains, and act as Prospero "foresees
through his art" that they will. "His project
dies" if Antonio and Sebastian's deviant
plot is not made; and here, Prospero again
shows himself to be a manipulator of the
play's events, influencing the course of the
play from within. There is great dramatic
irony in this situation, and in the fact that
Prospero causes his brothers to do the very
things that he condemns them for.
The most important literary elements in the
second scene are probably those that are
used to refer to Caliban. Upon finding
Caliban lying on the ground, Trinculo calls
him a "dead Indian"; indeed, in
Elizabethan times, natives were brought
back to England from foreign lands, and
their captors could earn a great deal of
money exhibiting them in London.
Trinculo's speech is significant because he
describes Caliban as a "fish," and a
"strange beast," showing his Western
contempt and lack of understanding of a
person with a different skin color than his
own. Stephano assumes that Caliban is a
"mooncalf," or a monstrosity, the term
alluding to a folk tale of the time.
Although Caliban asserted his natural
authority over the island in Act 1,
Prospero's usurpation of Caliban's power is
negated by Caliban's portrayal as a savage
seeking a new master. Caliban proves
Prospero's view of him, as a natural
servant, to be true, when Caliban
immediately adopts Stephano as his new
master upon Stephano's sudden
appearance. Caliban, as a native, is seen as
a "monster," not only by Prospero, but by
Trinculo and Stephano also; their contempt
for dark-skinned Caliban is analogous to
Europeans' view of "natives" in the West
Indies and other colonies, and
Shakespeare's treatment of Caliban
provides some interesting social
commentary on colonization. In fact, when
this play appeared in the First Folio of
Shakespeare's work, shortly after
Shakespeare's death in the early 17th
century, Caliban's character description
marks him as "a savage and deformed
slave," despite glimpses of his noble
character in the play. As a representation
of a man apart from Western society,
Caliban is seen as a contemptuous
character because of prejudices of
Shakespeare's time; these Elizabethan-
period social prejudices also belong to
many of the characters in the play, and are
the prime determinant of the negative view
that Prospero, Stephano, and Trinculo have
of Caliban in the play.
Other colonization-related themes are
raised by Gonzalo's description of his
Utopia, from lines 145 to 162 in Act 2,
scene 1. Gonzalo's speech recalls many of
Thomas More's ideas from his book
Utopia, and summons up the spirit of
Renaissance political idealism with his
ideas about reform. These topics were
particularly relevant at the time of the play,
because of New World colonization, and
Europeans finally had the chance to start
new governments and societies that
reflected these idealistic tenets. But,
Gonzalo's imagining is also self-
contradictory and impractical, as Antonio
and Sebastian are quick to notice; and
perhaps this is Shakespeare's statement
about the naivete of Utopian thought in
general.
The Tempest Summary and Analysis of
Act III
Act III, Scene 1
Ferdinand has been made to take Caliban's
place as a servant, despite his royal status;
and though he does not like Prospero, he
does the work because it will benefit his
new love, Miranda. Ferdinand and
Miranda express their love for each other,
and both express their desire to be
married‹though they have known each
other for less than a day.
Act III, Scene 2
Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban are
drinking; Trinculo and Stephano continue
to insult Caliban, though Caliban only
protests against Trinculo's remarks, and
tries to get Stephano to defend him.
Caliban begins to tell the other two about
the tyranny of his old master, Prospero,
and how he wants to be rid of Prospero
forever; Ariel enters, causes further
discord among the group, and gets Caliban
to form a murder plot against Prospero.
Caliban promises Stephano that if
Prospero is successfully killed, he will
allow Stephano to be ruler of the island,
and will be his servant. He also promises
that Stephano will get Miranda if the plot
is successful‹Ariel leaves, to tell Prospero
of these developments.
Act III, Scene 3
Alonso, Adrian,
Francisco, Sebastian, Antonio,
and Gonzalo are still wandering about the
island, and Alonzo has finally given up
any hope of his son Ferdinand being alive.
Antonio and Sebastian decide to make
their murderous move later that night, but
their conspiracy is interrupted by Prospero
sending in a huge banquet via his spirits,
with he himself there, but invisible. They
are all amazed, but not too taken aback
that they will not eat the food; but, as they
are about to eat, a vengeful Ariel enters,
taking credit for their shipwreck, and
makes the banquet vanish. Alonso
recognizes Ariel's words as being of
Prospero's pen, and the great guilt of
Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian begins to
take them over, at the thought of Prospero
being alive, and so nearby.
Analysis of Act III
Ferdinand is stripped of the privileges of
his rank by Prospero, who did the same to
Caliban by making him a slave as well.
Prospero's action in this case might not be
fair, but Ferdinand bears it, and in so
doing, legitimates Prospero's rule, just as
Caliban did; this case again stresses the
theme that willful obedience is a legitimate
source of power. Prospero's tone, when
speaking of Ferdinand in this act, is a
curious mix of affection and distaste; he
refers to Ferdinand as "poor worm," which
could be taken as a statement of
endearment. However, the worm was often
used as a symbol of corruption and lust, as
mentioned in Act 2, scene 4 of Twelfth
Night, and as it is represented in William
Blake's poem "The Rose". In this case, the
symbolic meaning foreshadows Prospero's
suspicious warnings to the couple to wait
until their wedding ceremony, and recalls
his accusation of Ferdinand of treason and
bad faith in the first act.
In his speech in this act, Ferdinand
employs paradox, overstatement, etc. in his
many entreaties to Miranda. "The mistress
which I serve quickens what's dead, and
makes my labours pleasures," Ferdinand
says, using paradoxes that communicate
how magical and wonderful his beloved is,
to turn the unpleasant pleasant (III.i.6-7).
A contrast between Miranda and her father
shows her to be much more pleasant than
her father, who's "composed of harshness":
yet, he declares, with overstatement, that
he will carry "some thousands of these
logs" for his stern taskmaster, because of
the great sweetness of Miranda (III.i.9-10).
Ferdinand overstates his resolve, in order
to impress upon Miranda how much he
would do for her; he swears that he would
rather "crack [his] sinews, break [his]
back" than see her work, though his work
could scarcely be hard enough to cause
these injuries (III.i.26). They make all the
vows of marriage to each other; Ferdinand
swears to "love, prize, and honour"
Miranda, and in turn Miranda pledges to
give him her "modesty," meaning her
virginity (III.i.73, 54). They give each
other their hands, and Miranda declares
him her "husband"; the show of love is
nice, but they know almost nothing about
each other, and given that they have been
together for less than twenty-four hours,
the sentiment is rather rash, and almost
foolish.
Ferdinand and Miranda speak with a
poetic, romantic, unrealistic tone that is
very similar to the tone used by Romeo
and Juliet when they spoke to each other;
the same devices, of overstatement,
paradox, contrast, and comparison are used
to make elegant compliments to each
other, and high-flown declarations of love.
Ferdinand slips into conventional, polished
phrases when speaking to this woman
whom he hardly knows, an example being
when he tells her "'tis fresh morning with
me when you are by at night," though they
have not been through a night together at
all (III.i.33-34). Indeed, Ferdinand and
Miranda's love is the same sort of instant
physical attraction that Romeo and Juliet
had, though Romeo and Juliet's love was
not influenced by a mischievous sprite like
Ariel. Although Ferdinand hardly knows
Miranda, he brazenly declares her "perfect
and peerless," though she cannot be either
of those (III.i.47). The mood and feel of
these passages is very different from those
appearing before it, and are guided by a
blind sort of idealism, and a naïve, young
love.
The language in these sections of the play
also turns distinctly sexual, with maidenly
Miranda showing her hidden, but mature
knowledge of desire and sexual politics.
Miranda explains the urgency of her love
to Ferdinand by telling him "all the more it
seeks to hide itself, the bigger bulk it
shows"; note the image of a concealed
pregnancy in her description, which
coincides with the increase in their
declared desire (III.i.80-81). Miranda
"dare[s] not offer what [she] desire[s] to
give" to Ferdinand, betraying the lust
behind her maidenly exterior; and she
acknowledges the sexual exchange
inherent in marriage, that the "jewel in
[her] dower" is the main treasure which
she has to attract a husband (III.i.77-78).
Miranda may seem young and isolated, but
this scene shows that she is far more
knowledgeable about worldly matters than
one might expect, given her upbringing on
this remote island.
In scene 2, Caliban is still regarded as a
"servant-monster," despite being revealed
as a human. Stephano and Trinculo,
though arguably less intelligent than
Caliban, still treat him like he is hardly
human because of his native status and
skin color; and the fact that Caliban
tolerates this treatment and name-calling
shows that he accepts this inferiority and
Stephano's tenuous authority as well. The
previously rebellious and independent-
thinking Caliban is suddenly reduced to
asking if he can "lick [Stephano's] shoe"
and the intelligence he demonstrated in
Act 1 has all but disappeared. Caliban is
once again shown to be a "natural servant"
because he is a native‹another reflection of
the prejudiced Elizabethan views which
Shakespeare uses to shape Caliban as a
character. However, these prejudices mean
that Caliban, as a character, is very erratic,
and his motivations are vague; when he
first appears in the play, he is churlish
toward his captor and shows a remarkable
power of thought, but quite unexpectedly,
he turns into a fawning, blind, mindless
servant who refuses even to think for
himself.
As characters' intelligence, nobility, and
feelings become apparent through their
language, Caliban's intelligence, though
completely contradicted by his actions, is
clear in the words he speaks to Trinculo
and Stephano. At line 40, Caliban begins
to speak in lines that approximate the
rhythms of blank verse; and his speech, in
lines 132-141, show a great descriptive
power and poetic potential in this allegedly
savage man. However, it must be noted
that Ariel also appears right before line 40,
and that means that Caliban could merely
be voicing words that Prospero had already
written for him. Prospero wants Caliban to
try and murder him, so that his view of
Caliban as a cut-throat, cruel savage is
confirmed; it is difficult to tell whether
Caliban's murder plot is in any way a
product of his own hatred for Prospero, or
whether it springs from the sole influence
of Ariel, who is present for the length of
Caliban's conspiratorial speech.
Some interesting magic appears in scene 3
with Prospero's spirits laying out a banquet
for Alonso and his companions to take part
in. The display does not seem to have
much point‹perhaps it is meant so when
Ariel is introduced, they focus on his
words and not the device of his
appearance, or perhaps to lull them
temporarily, so that when Ariel starts
speaking, his serious words have a bigger
impact. Or, maybe the show of magic is a
ploy by Prospero to keep them quiet about
events on the island, meant to make the
"fools at home condemn Œem" if they
ever dare to tell the story (III.iii.27).
Indeed, the sight makes Sebastian and
Antonio drop their droll aloofness, and
draws them into the action; they declare,
probably sarcastically, that they are willing
to believe in other legendary magic, and
make allusions to the mythical unicorn and
phoenix.
Though so many of the characters in this
play openly show contempt for the natives
on the island, Gonzalo is probably the only
exception. He does describe them as being
of "monstrous shape," which is hardly
complimentary and also recalls Trinculo
taunting Caliban as being a monster.
However, Gonzalo is more open-minded in
his appraisal of the natives than this
statement would suggest; "their manners
are more gentle-kind than of our human
generation you shall find," he says of
them, noting the nobility that "savages"
like Caliban are capable of displaying
(III.iii.33-34). Colonial attitudes toward
native peoples are an important theme of
the work, and Shakespeare's treatment of
Caliban is marked by the prejudices of his
time. But, what is strange about Gonzalo's
remark is that Prospero is moved to call
him an "honest lord" because of it, though
Prospero himself has a negative view of
the natives, and does not question the
correctness of his own view. That Gonzalo
is considered good because of it, despite
the author's and many of the characters'
contradictory views is ironic, and also
difficult to understand.
Another parallel with The Aeneid appears
in this act; in The Aeneid, a feast is
prepared for Aeneas and his party, but is
suddenly swept away by harpies who give
him a dire prophecy. Almost the same
events happen here, with the banquet
disappearing also, and Ariel, "like a
harpy," descending upon them with a very
serious speech (III.iii.53). Ariel's speech
also recalls the language of The Aeneid in
its tone and syntax, but yet is still the work
of Prospero, and he takes credit for it in
lines 85-86.
Ariel declares Alonso and his brothers
"most unfit to live" because of their
conspiracies on the island, and despite the
fact that Ariel and Prospero set traps for
them and caused them to form these
murderous plans. This is also parallel to
Prospero's account of his history, and his
confession of causing Antonio's corruption
through his own actions. Prospero again
acting the part of the author from within
the work.
In scene 3, Alonso's language changes, and
becomes more image-laden and
metaphoric in nature. In act 2, he spoke
very little, and when he did, was very curt
and brief in his replies. In lines 95 to 102,
Alonso speaks of "the thunder, that deep
and dreadful organ-pipeŠit did bass my
trespass," and makes a story of the winds
and waters causing sounds that reminded
him of his guilt. The visual and sound
imagery is very poetic and learned, and far
more emotionally involved than Alonso's
previous, clipped responses.
The Tempest Summary and Analysis of
Act IV
Summary of Act IV
Prospero stops Ferdinand's punishment,
and decides to finally give Miranda to him,
since he has proven his love for her
through his service. Prospero accepts the
union, but issues them a warning; if
Ferdinand takes Miranda's virginity before
a ceremony can be performed, then their
union will be cursed. Ferdinand swears to
Prospero that they shall wait until the
ceremony to consummate their marriage,
and then Prospero calls upon Ariel to
perform one of his last acts of magic. A
betrothal masque is performed for the
party by some of Prospero's magical
spirits; Juno, Ceres, and Iris are the
goddesses who are represented within the
masque, and the play speaks about the
bounties of a good marriage, and blesses
the happy couple. This act of magic so
captivates Prospero that he
forgets Caliban's plot to kill him; for a
moment, he almost loses control, but
manages to pull himself out of his reverie
and take action.
Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo come
looking for Prospero, and swipe a few
garments of Prospero's on their way.
Caliban still wants very much to kill
Prospero, and carry out this plot; however,
Trinculo and Stephano are very drunk, as
usual, and prove completely incapable of
anything but petty theft. Prospero catches
them‹not difficult, since they are making a
huge amount of noise--and sends Ariel
after them as they flee.
Analysis of Act IV
Prospero tries to dismiss his tyrannical
demands for Ferdinand's service as "trials
of thy love"‹but also makes mention in
this first scene that he has "punished"
Ferdinand, which implies a need for
retribution for a wrongdoing (IV.i.6). The
word "punished" that he uses recalls the
fabricated charges Prospero raises against
Ferdinand in the first act, of Ferdinand
being a spy or a potential usurper; and the
irony is that Prospero heaps his suspicion
on Ferdinand, who has no such designs,
while forgetting the very real plots of
Caliban and his brothers.
Prospero's actions, however, were unfair
and ungrounded; he uses the couple's love
to try to excuse himself in this instance,
but Prospero is not the just judge he would
have himself appear to be. Ironically,
Prospero's decision to let Miranda and
Ferdinand marry was made even before
Ferdinand came to the island, and was
made because the marriage would secure
Prospero's position back home, and would
make his daughter queen as well. The
work Prospero made Ferdinand do,
coupled with the enchantment that he put
his daughter and Ferdinand under so they
would fall in love, merely assured that
Prospero's plan would succeed, as it finally
does. But, be wary of the difference
between the way Prospero's character
appears, and the machinations and plans
lying beneath the appearance he would like
to project, especially in instances such as
this one.
However, just as Prospero begins to
promise a blessing upon their union, his
tone again becomes threatening. It is so
important to Prospero that they not
consummate their marriage before "full
and holy rite be ministered," that he would
wish them "barren hate" if they do, and
continues with enough bitter, harsh-toned
rhetoric to hopefully drive his point home
(IV.i.17-20). Prospero conjures up a
frightful image of disdain, personified as
being "sour-eyed"; and, in meaningful
contrast with the traditional flower-strewn
marriage bed, an image of hateful weeds
symbolizing the downfall and pollution of
the marriage. Prospero's language, heavy
with unpleasant images and symbols, does
yield some result; Ferdinand, in earnest,
forswears his "worser genius," or any
possible influence of lust and dishonor
within him.
Prospero seems preoccupied with
Miranda's virginity because it is
inextricably bound up with Prospero's own
power. Her virginity is their prime
bargaining chip in winning an
advantageous marriage that will secure
both of their positions; and if she does
marry Ferdinand, their power back in Italy
is secured for both of them. Virginity was
often an important bargaining point‹most
notably, for Queen Elizabeth, who used
her eligibility to gain a great deal of power
throughout her reign. If Miranda's virginity
is thrown away, then Prospero's greatest
hope for regaining his estate and position
is gone too; so Prospero tries his best to
keep Miranda well-informed of her
importance, and keep Ferdinand warned as
to the potential consequences of his
actions. Prospero's great concern
foreshadows the importance of this theme
in the betrothal masque; in the masque, Iris
makes mention that the couple cannot be
together "till Hymen's torch be lighted,"
her language parallel to that in Prospero's
earlier entreaty to the lovers.
Prospero reduces his daughter, who is
intelligent and worthy, to a mere object,
wrapping her with the language of
exchange when speaking of her to
Ferdinand. Prospero refers to his daughter,
not by her name, but as a "rich gift,"
"compensation" for Ferdinand's pains; he
says his daughter has been "worthily
purchased" as an "acquisition," further
building up his metaphor of his daughter
as a thing of exchange. Prospero's
metaphors, and overstatement of his
daughter's perfection ("she will outstrip all
praise") could be meant to distract
Ferdinand from what Prospero and
Miranda are getting in the bargain. Indeed,
Prospero never makes mention of the
power and position that he and his
daughter are regaining because of this
"rich gift," or the true purchase price of his
daughter's hand.
It is strange to think of the "liver," as
Ferdinand mentions it, as having anything
to do with love; but, in Shakespeare's time,
the organ was a symbol of lust and
passion, just as these emotions are
associated with the heart today. The heart
was also related to love, but was thought to
be more pure and honorable in the feelings
originating there. We know now, of
course, that feelings originate in the brain,
and that these relations of organs and
emotions are quaint in their backwardness;
but, the heart remains a symbol related to
love, and despite our modern medical
knowledge, this ancient literary device
continues to be used.
Though the marriage rites to be performed
are Christian, allusions to ancient pagan
mythology abound. Prospero invokes
Hymen, god of marriage‹and a figure
uniquely opposed to his wish for "holy
rites" for his daughter. Ferdinand mentions
"Phoebus' steeds," as symbols of day-time
and the sun, and the characters in
Prospero's masque originate in classical
myths as well. Allusions to Greek and
Roman myth were common in Elizabethan
literature, but especially common in the
first few court masques that were
performed, which often featured the same
goddesses as characters that appear in this
masque.
Prospero calls upon Iris, the messenger of
the gods and also the goddess of the
rainbow, to perform a betrothal masque for
Ferdinand and Miranda. A betrothal
masque also appears in As You Like It that
is presided over by Hymen; but otherwise,
the spectacle was mostly reserved for
weddings of state and almost exclusively
for court functions. In this respect, the
masque does confirm that the wedding is
an important one‹eleven were actually
performed at the court of King James, and
some of these for occasions of the
marriage of rich and important people.
Masques were special ritual-type plays in
which the monarch was always the
protagonist, and the subject was how
royalty made things harmonious and
resolved tensions between people.
Although Shakespeare's masque took some
inspiration from earlier ones, thematically
it is entirely innovative. Royal power is
displayed as power over nature, and the
idea of the masque as the projection of a
royal vision first appeared in this masque
in The Tempest, and were to appear again
in Jonson's court masques of later years.
Within the masque are a few parallels to
events within the play. Ceres presides over
the play, because she symbolizes order and
plenty; Ceres is credited with teaching men
agriculture, thus civilizing them and
stopping their wild hunter-gatherer ways.
Prospero's mission parallels this, as
Prospero also sought to civilize and bring
order to the island, and to the wild Caliban,
though he did not manage to succeed.
Also, Ceres mentions "dusky Dis,"
meaning Pluto, the god who abducted
Ceres' daughter Proserpine, inspired by
Cupid and Venus. Caliban is reminiscent
of the dark figure of Pluto, in his attempts
to abduct and rape Miranda; and the story
also recalls the plot Caliban later fosters, to
get Miranda for Stephano. The parallels
might be faint, but it is, after all, Prospero
who has "called [them] to enact [his]
present fancies"; the inclusion of the Pluto/
Proserpine story is so tangential to the
concerns of the masque, that it must have
been included by Prospero on purpose, as
some sort of reminder to himself
(IV.i.121-122).
Once again, Prospero almost loses control
because he is absorbed by his art; but here,
he is able to shake himself from his
reverie, and becomes conscious of time
again. The moment is important because
Prospero is in real danger of losing
control, and almost gives up his chance to
act because of the pull of his magic. The
moment is a humanizing one for Prospero,
as he realizes his mortality and his
forgetfulness, as well as the limits of his
magic. The masque, which he created from
his own power, disappears in an instant;
and finally, Prospero realizes that his
works of magic are all in vain, as they are
made of "baseless fabric" and will not last.
He sees that "we are such stuff as dreams
are made on," and at last realizes that his
mind has aged and his powers are fragile
and faltering (IV.i.166-167). It is a
sobering moment for Prospero, to admit
his "weakness" and "infirmity"; and this
marks the beginning of his surrender of his
magic.
It is not Caliban and his drunken friends,
whom Ariel describes in a simile as being
"like unbacked colts," that Prospero has to
worry about (l. 176). Indeed, the thought
of Caliban upsets Prospero more than the
plot, as Prospero again curses the one "on
whose nature nurture can never stick"
(188-89). Prospero thinks that Caliban is
bad because he has not adopted the
"civilized" ways of thinking that Prospero
has, and must be bad natured because of
this; but Prospero fails to realize that
Caliban's relative goodness has been more
spoiled by the way Prospero treats him
than by any refusal to adopt foreign ways
of thinking. Prospero, for all his learning,
still espouses a haughty, colonial point of
view when it comes to Caliban, and lets
this prejudiced treatment corrupt a
potentially good man's nature.
The Tempest Summary and Analysis of
Act V
Summary of Act V
Prospero finally has all under his
control; Ariel has apprehended
Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio, and they
are all waiting for Prospero's judgment.
Finally, Prospero makes up his mind
against revenge, and makes a speech that
signifies his renunciation of magic; the
accused and the other nobles enter the
magic circle that Prospero has made, and
stand there, enchanted, while he speaks.
Prospero charges Alonso with throwing
Prospero and his daughter out of Italy, and
Antonio and Sebastian with being part of
this crime. Prospero announces Ariel's
freedom after Ariel sees the party back to
Naples, and Ariel sings a song out of joy.
Alonso and Prospero are reconciled after
Alonso declares his remorse and repents
his wrongs to Prospero and Miranda, and
Prospero finally wins back his dukedom
from Antonio. Prospero, perhaps
unwillingly, also says that he forgives
Antonio and Sebastian, though he calls
them "wicked" and expresses his
reservations about letting them off the
hook.
After despairing that his son is dead,
Alonso finds out that his son Ferdinand is
indeed alive, and the two are reunited;
then, Ferdinand and Miranda's engagement
is announced, and is approved before the
whole party by Alonso and
Prospero. Gonzalo rejoices that on the
voyage, such a good match was made, and
that the brothers are reunited, and some of
the bad blood between them is now
flushed out. Ariel has readied Alonso's
boat for their departure, and the boatswain
shows up again, telling them about what
happened to all of the sailors during the
tempest.
Caliban apologizes to Prospero for taking
the foolish Stephano as his master, and
Prospero, at last, acknowledges Caliban,
and takes him as his own.
Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban's plot is
exposed to the whole group, and is
immediately forgiven. Prospero invites
everyone to pass one last night in the
island at his dwelling, and promises to tell
the story of his and Miranda's survival, and
of the devices of his magic. The play ends
with Prospero addressing the audience,
telling them that they hold an even greater
power than Prospero the character, and can
decide what happens next.
Analysis of Act V
Prospero's first words suggest an alchemic
metaphor; the words "gather to a head"
denote things coming to a climax, but also
liquid coming to a boil, and Prospero's
"project" is a kind of scientific experiment
as well. Prospero, with his somewhat
sinister studies in magic and strange
powers, is a figure reminiscent of an
alchemist as well, though his experiments
are more involved with human nature than
metallurgy.
Allusions to classical literature also appear
in this act, but this time to Ovid rather than
Virgil. Prospero's speech, starting at line
33, is very much reminiscent of one of
Medea's speeches in the Metamorphoses:
both speeches run roughly "ye elvesŠby
whose aid I have bedimmedŠ, called
forthŠ,given fire, and rifted," and
Shakespeare's language is too similar to
Ovid's in its syntax, commanding and
formal tone, and implications to be merely
incidental.
There are also a few interesting allusions
to English folk beliefs in Prospero's
speeches, one of them with the "green sour
ringlets" that he mentions (V.i.37). These
"ringlets" that he is referring to are fairy
rings, or small circles of sour grass caused
by the roots of toadstools; according to
folk tales, these rings were made by fairies
dancing. Suddenly appearing "midnight
mushrooms," as Prospero calls them, were
thought to be another sign of fairies'
overnight activities. The "curfew" that
Prospero mentions in the same speech
marked the beginning of the time of night
when spirits were believed to walk abroad,
and fairies and other creatures were
believed to cause their mischief then.
When Prospero at last confronts Alonso
and his brothers, he uses another ocean
metaphor to describe the gradual process
of Prospero's spell falling from them, and
their minds returning to reason.
Understanding, in Prospero's estimation, is
the sea, and confusion is the shore at low
tide, waiting to be cleared of its "foul and
muddy" covering. Though they are still
charmed as Prospero speaks like this,
gradually understanding will reach them,
like the sea on an "approaching tide"
(V.i.80).
The surprise of Ferdinand alive on the
island is nicely set up by one of Alonso's
statements; upon being told that Prospero
lost a daughter, in a manner of speaking,
Alonso exclaims, "o, that they were living
both in Naples, the king and queen there!"
(149-50). The statement is perhaps too tidy
a foreshadowing of the revelation that
Ferdinand and Miranda are in fact alive,
and will be united as king and queen; but,
as in Act 1, an urgently expressed wish of
one of the characters is fulfilled by the
economical workings of the plot.
Ferdinand and Miranda's pairing is a prime
example of the political marriage, used
frequently to cement unions between
former enemies, as in this case; and they
were also not uncommon in England, with
Elizabeth's oft-proposed matches to French
and Spanish royalty, and James I's
strategic alliances forged with the
marriages of his own children occurring in
the era of this play.
Ferdinand and Miranda metaphorically
reduce their parents' political wrangling
over "kingdoms" into a game of chess.
Allegorically, the game of chess often
represented political conflict over a prize,
and here, the stakes are the realm that
Miranda and Ferdinand will inherit.
Although Ferdinand and Miranda are a
confirmed couple by the end of the play,
their discussion over the game
foreshadows some political movement
looming in their own future. Miranda
makes an accusation, at least partly in jest,
that Ferdinand will "play [her] false"; the
baseless charge recalls Prospero's false cry
of treason against Ferdinand, in the first
act (172). Yet, Miranda openly admits to
complicity in any cheating that Ferdinand
might commit: "for a score of kingdoms
you should wrangle, and I would call it fair
play," she assures him, her remark
forecasting that the same ambition, deceit,
and struggle that marked their parents'
lives shall also be present in their own
(174-5).
As for Miranda, her famous exclamation
of "o brave new world that has such people
in't" can hardly be taken at its cheery face
value, when Miranda's knowledge and the
context around the statement are
considered (183-4). The remark comes
only ten lines after Miranda's half-joking,
politically minded statements to
Ferdinand; and, considering Miranda's
typical tone and manner in the play, a
wide-eyed expression of wonder would be
out of character. The remark could have
been spurred purely by the briefly worded
reunion of Alonso and his son Ferdinand;
however, coming so soon after Sebastian's
less-than-exuberant remark, and with so
little buildup, it is unlikely that Miranda's
remark can be construed in a purely
positive way. Also, Prospero's reply, "'tis
new to thee," sounds more like a remark
correcting her assumption about the
outside world, than a simple, rather
unnecessary, and prosaic affirmation. The
tone of Miranda's utterance is complicated
by a great many factors, and its meaning is
a great deal less straightforward than it
suggests when taken out of context and
character.
As for the closure of this play, do not be
misled by Gonzalo's typically optimistic
appraisal of the situation. Gonzalo rejoices
that "FerdinandŠfound a wifeŠ Prospero
his dukedomŠand all of us ourselves,"
conveniently omitting any mention of
Caliban's fate, or Sebastian and Antonio's
lack of salvation (210-2). As with many of
Shakespeare's comedies, with which this
play is loosely grouped, the resolution is
anything but cut and dry. There is a
parallel lack of closure in Love's Labours
Lost, in which the ladies of France swear
at the end to leave off any discussion of
marriage for an additional year; and
in Twelfth Night, at the end of which
Orsino and Viola's union is indefinitely
postponed. Also, in Much Ado about
Nothing, when Hero reveals herself to
Claudio, he says no words of apology or
love; a happy resolution can be read into
the situation, but there is no reply at all
from Claudio to such a major
development, either in words or gestures in
the stage directions. Shakespeare's
comedies might be considered to have
"happy endings"; but, the conclusions of
these plays, even more so than with
tragedies like Hamlet, are rarely simple in
their implications, or harmonized in their
meaning and tone.
Prospero is finally aligned with Medea, a
representation of dark magic, like Sycorax,
in this act, further complicating his
characterization. Prospero makes a rather
strange claim in this act, that is brought up
nowhere else in the play; he echoes
Medea's claim in the Metamorphoses that
he can call up dead men from their graves,
which seems to be included merely to
further identify Prospero with the figure of
Medea. Sycorax, the witch whom Prospero
takes every opportunity to disparage but
whom he resembles in his use of force,
manipulative use of his magic, and past
history, is actually based upon Ovid's
portrayal of Medea; and, the relation
between Prospero and Sycorax/Medea
becomes more apparent in Prospero's
speech, based upon the words of Medea.
Medea and Sycorax represent a dark side
of magic that is also present in Prospero;
Prospero uses his magic for devious,
selfish, and questionable purposes, and
with him, it is difficult to separate the
good-intentioned magic he uses from the
bad. Prospero himself has a mixed view of
his own magic; he recognizes how his
fascination with magic lost him his
dukedom, and almost caused his loss of
control, and therefore cannot maintain his
magical practices and his role as a man of
action in the real world. He also chooses to
give up his magic when he leaves the
island, revealing a mixed view of magic in
Prospero himself. Prospero's battle against
his fabricated characterization of Sycorax
is resolved when he finally accepts
Caliban, her offspring, and the dark
qualities that Caliban represents to him;
"this thing of darkness I / acknowledge
mine," Prospero says, bringing closure to
his struggles against Caliban and his
allegedly evil mother (V.i.275-6).
Prospero's relinquishing of his magic is
coincident with the disclosure of his
methods and devices; his magic is spoiled,
just like any kind of magic, when the
boatswain comes forth and tells of the
strange fate of the ship, complete with
some remarkably vivid sound imagery.
Prospero's powers cannot survive the trial
of being revealed, and his promise to tell
Alonso of his devices and tricks is the final
act of his resignation.
As for Caliban, the wrongs done to him are
not redressed, and the poetic, noble
sentiments that he shows within the play,
especially in his beautiful speech about the
island, do not reappear. "How fine my
master is," Caliban exclaims; he fully
proves himself a born servant, by
apologizing to Prospero for taking the
foolish, drunken Stephano for his master,
and submitting himself to Prospero more
willfully than ever (261). Trinculo and
Stephano's ill-conceived murder plot is
simply laughed off by the party, and
Prospero shows no signs of treating
Caliban with anything other than veiled
contempt. Although Prospero does finally
accept Caliban, he also still regards
Caliban as being "as disproportioned in his
manners as in his shape"; Prospero
upholds his civilized superiority over this
native, though to acknowledge Caliban and
to also dislike his ways of being are
completely contradictory views.
A major theme running through the entire
work is forgiveness versus vengeance;
Prospero causes the tempest out of a wish
for revenge, but by the end of the work, he
decides to forgive the crimes against him,
fabricated or otherwise. He finally declares
this intent, with his words alluding to the
proverb "to be able to do harm and not do
it is noble." The same sentiment is also
offered up in Shakespeare's Sonnet 94:
"they that have power to hurt and will do
noneŠRightly do inherit heaven's graces,"
that poem runs. At last, Prospero
renounces the anger and resentment that
marked his tone throughout the play,
especially in scene 2 of the first act.
Prospero declares his brothers "penitent,"
though they are not; Alonso expresses his
regret, but Antonio, who has the most to
be sorry for, expresses no remorse.
The circle of forgiveness remains
unresolved by the end of the play, but, in a
moment of irony, Prospero believes that
closure has been reached. Throughout the
play, Prospero does direct a disinheritance of the usurper, though it is
disproportionate amount of blame toward
Alonso, leading him to abduct and enslave
Alonso's son Ferdinand; when confronting
his brothers, Prospero actually calls
Antonio "a furtherer in the act," a great
understatement of Antonio's actual role as
prime perpetrator of the crime against
Prospero. Alonso expresses complete
penitence, asking Prospero to "pardon me
my wrongs"; and he achieves some sort of
reconciliation with Prospero, through his
willingness to cooperate with Prospero's
wishes of reconciliation. Also ironic is that
the only crime that Prospero charges
Antonio with is conspiring to kill Alonso,
which Prospero himself arranged through
Ariel; although Prospero focused his great
anger on Antonio almost exclusively in
Act 1, by the end of the play, he has, quite
ironically, forgotten his primary
motivation in causing the tempest and
bringing his brothers and their companions
to the island.
As for Antonio and Sebastian, they are not
satisfactorily redeemed by the end of the
play, and Prospero's forgiveness, though
openly and freely declared at first, is
almost rescinded when he finally addresses
the pair. His previously conciliatory tone
turns threatening, as he says he could
"justify them traitors" if he wished to do so
(V.i.128). He even states that "to call
[Antonio] brother would even infect [his]
mouth," which is hardly an expression of
forgiveness; but, in a strange paradox of
sentiment, he completes his sentence with
the words "I do forgive thy rankest fault,"
turning an insult and a threat into some
approximation of absolution (130-2). Also,
Sebastian returns to his characteristic
sarcasm, calling Ferdinand's survival "a
most high miracle"; and his unimpressed
tone is additional proof that not only is
Sebastian not sorry for any wrongs, he is
completely unchanged by the events of the
play (177).
In the end, the play's concern with political
legitimacy is resolved by the
unresolved in the case of Caliban.
Prospero has again secured his dukedom,
and also his daughter's power and
marriage; and so, with Prospero's main
goals achieved, the play ends. However, in
an epilogue spoken by Prospero in rhymed
couplets, Prospero steps outside the
confines of the play to address the
audience, as a character from within a
fiction. The audience of the play, he says,
are the ones who hold the power over his
fate, and must finally forgive him for his
deeds; a larger world surrounding the play
is revealed, with the audience recreating
the role of the author, which Prospero
himself recreates, in turn, from within the
play. No other Shakespeare play has quite
this kind of un-ended ending to it; but, the
sentiment is completely fitting, coming as
it does after a play in which unfinished
business is such a recurrent, pervasive
theme.
The Tempest Symbols, Allegory and
Motifs
Prospero's Books
Prospero's books are an important symbol
of his power. Without them – as Caliban
notes – he is vulnerable and no better than
Caliban himself. His books also symbolize
his greatest interest and passion (magic),
which he chose to prioritize over his
dukedom when he was still Duke of Milan.
Many have compared Prospero to the
figure of the playwright, who is so
consumed by their artistry that they
disregard other responsibilities and
obligations.
The Tempest
The storm that opens the play is an
important symbol of Prospero's anger and
bitterness. He conjures the storm in order
to seek revenge on those who wronged
him, but it is important to note that the
storm does not actually cause anyone
physical harm. Prospero is controlling and
vengeful, but he is not evil or murderous.
Furthermore, the storm also represents a
destruction of hierarchy (crucial to the
play's backstory, in which Prospero was
usurped as Duke of Milan) when the
boatswain essentially disregards Duke
Antonio because of his own knowledge of
sailing. That the tempest occurs
immediately in the play suggests that
hierarchical disruption, misunderstanding,
and chaos will be crucial to the play's plot
development.
Chess
Chess was a common symbol in early
modern English plays, and its role in The
Tempest is no different. As a game that
relies heavily on foresight and strategy,
chess serves as a symbol of manipulation
and control. This is precisely what
Prospero sets in motion when he conjures
the tempest at the beginning of the play; in
the end, Prospero is revealed as the expert
"chess player" because is able to win back
his dukedom by manipulating and out-
strategizing his opponent. Additioanlly,
when Ferdinand and Miranda are seen
playing a game of chess in Act 5, they
speak innocently and vaguely about their
romantic relationship. In this way, chess
functions as a reflection of power romantic
power dynamics, as the game revolves
around being able to wield power without
your opponent knowing.
Miranda's Virginity
Many of the male characters – especially
Prospero – seem to be particularly
interested in Miranda's status as a virgin.
Her virginity is a symbol of her purity and
innocence, but it is also an assurance that
any children she has will rightly inherit the
dukedom Prospero has worked so hard to
win back. Furthermore, Miranda's virginity
is also a symbol of her youth and passivity.
By preserving her virginity, Prospero is
able to keep her from becoming sexually
autonomous and therefore maintains
control over her body and her mind.
Water
Water is a central motif in the play. It is an
emblem of mystery, wonder,
transformation, and loss. When Ariel sings
his famous "Full fathom five" song, for
example, he describes to Ferdinand the
transformation that has happened to his
father's body on the sea floor. Because the
play takes place on an island, water
becomes a symbol of loss – drowned
bodies are typically irrecoverable – that is
then upended by the play's focus on
recovery (Prospero's dukedom, the
appearance of allegedly drowned
characters, etc.).
The Tempest Metaphors and Similes
Antonio's Betrayal
Prospero explains to Miranda how Antonio
and Alonso were able to successfully usurp
his dukedom, saying they "With colours
fairer painted their foul ends" (1.2). In this
metaphor, Prospero tells Miranda that
Antonio and Alonso disguised their
schemes with "fair colors," as one would
paint over the face of an ugly woman with
makeup.
Prospero as Tree
As Prospero continues describing what
took place between him and his brother, he
compares Antonio to a creeping ivy,
calling him "the ivy which had hid my
princely trunk, and sucked my verdure out
on't" (1.2). In this metaphor, Prospero
compares to Antonio to a life-sucking
vine, suggesting that his station was slowly
strangled by his brother's ambition.
Ariel's Song
In Ariel's "Full fathom five" song, he
describes to Ferdinand the transformation
his father's body has undergone on the
ocean floor. He uses a series of metaphors
to emphasize the transformative and
mysterious power of the sea, ultimately
suggesting that his father's (alleged) death
is both natural and beautiful.
Prospero's Promise
Early in the play, Prospero reminds Ariel
that he plans to free him from his servitude
as long as Ariel helps him in his scheme.
He tells Ariel, "Thou shalt be free as
mountain winds" if he obeys every order
Prospero gives him (1.2). In this simile,
Prospero compares Ariel's impending
freedom to the wind that blows through the
mountains, emphasizing Ariel's spritely
and ethereal nature.
Return to Reality
At the end of the play, Prospero realizes
that the people he has charmed throughout
the play will soon be returning to their
normal mental state. He uses a metaphor to
describe this phenomenon, saying, "the
approaching tide will shortly fill the
reasonable shore that now lies foul and
muddy" (5.1). Here, Prospero compares
the ocean water to a cleansing power that
will restore the "reasonable" minds of
those he has manipulated.
The Tempest Irony
The Tempest
The tempest (storm) at the beginning of
the play is itself a form of irony, as it is a
storm conjured by Prospero in an attempt
to control the events on the island and win
back his dukedom. The audience learns
this information rather quickly, but the
characters caught in the storm (as well as
Miranda) are unaware that Prospero has
manipulated nature in order to serve his
own ends.
Alonso's Death
In "Ariel's Song," Ariel gives Ferdinand an
elaborate description of how his father
Alonso's body has been transformed on the
ocean floor after he drowned at sea. The
song is an example of dramatic irony
because Alonso is not actually dead, and
he reappears at the end of the play when he
is reunited with his son.
Caliban's Language
Early in the play, Caliban tells Miranda
that the only benefit he received from
learning her language was that he has also
learned how to curse her. Later in the play,
however, Caliban describes the wonder of
the island by delivering what many
consider one of the most eloquent speeches
in all of Shakespeare's plays. Caliban's
relationship to his non-native language is
ironic because though he detests Prospero
and Miranda for forcing it on him, he has
mastered its power and appreciates its
complexity.
Ferdinand and Miranda
At the end of the play, Gonzalo comments
that Prospero's grandchildren will become
kings of Naples (through Miranda and
Ferdinand). Gonzalo thus communicates a
central irony of the play, which is that it
was Prospero's very exile that leads to his
increase in power and continued legacy.
The Tempest Imagery
Water
Because of the setting of the play, water is
a central image that appears throughout the
five acts: first as a storm conjured by
Prospero, and later as a mysterious and
transformative power that leads to both
loss and recovery. Water is seen as a force
that is at once cleansing, beautifying, and
dangerous, and its complex portrayal in the
play is what leads characters to confusion
and misinterpretation throughout.
Caliban's Speech
When Caliban describes the wonder and
mystery of the island, he uses imagery that
is enchanting and visceral. This speech has
long been regarded as one of the best that
Shakespeare ever wrote, as it showcases
Caliban's intimate knowledge of his native
island as well as his mastery of a language
that has been imposed on him by Prospero
and Miranda.
Hands
Hands are an important image throughout
the play, as they represent mending
(bringing the hands of Ferdinand and
Miranda together), long-established love
(Prospero clasps Miranda's hands in his
before telling her what happened to him),
and finally, enthusiasm and support
(Prospero asks the audience to clap for him
at the end of the play). The hand imagery
in the play illuminates a number of
important filial relationships – between
spouses, parent and child, etc. – and
ultimately compares these relationships to
that between the audience and the
playwright.
Caliban's Antagonism
There are many instances throughout the
play when Caliban expresses murderous or
harmful intentions toward Prospero and
Miranda. At one point, he instructs other
characters to bash Prospero's skull in after
seizing his books. None of these impulses
ever come to fruition, of course, but they
serve as examples of Caliban's ambivalent
nature within his complex circumstances.
A native of the island, Caliban detests
Prospero for power and fantasizes about
harming him. At the same time, however,
Caliban is capable of thinking and
speaking with gentleness and delicateness,
his connection with the island often
inspiring eloquent speeches (in what
would be his second language) about the
wonder and beauty that surrounds him.