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His subsequent treatment of each character in the play, even his beloved daughter are purely based on his elf-centered motives. Prospers can be seen as an overbearing racist, as well as a usurper to land that does not belong to him, but rather to Clinical. Being that Prosperous nature is dictatorial, every aspect of his life concerns achieving his narrow and self-centered goals Of regaining political power through his former title of Duke of Milan.
Prospers treats his young daughter, Miranda, in a controlling way by sheltering her from the outside world and even devises a marriage for her to the son of his enemy, King Alonso to better his efforts of obtaining back the dukedom. Whilst Prospers is explaining how they once were royalty, he continually interjects “Dost thou attend me? ” (1 2, 77) and “Dost thou hear? ” (1. 2. 106) to his acquiescent daughter. Prospers impatiently desires to be in control to every situation and be at the center of attention and thus this can explain his constant questioning.
To the more sympathetic view can be seen that these questions are not from a controlling point of view, but paranoia regarding how his daughter perceives the conversation. However, after his long speech, he then uses his magic to control her into lulling her into a sleep when he is done talking to her, Is this the action f a loving or a controlling father, a question which individually you can answer differently. Even Marinara’s romantic affairs are not free from her father’s meddling and controlling. Prospers admits, “It goes on (Ferdinand and Marinara’s amorous glances], see, as my soul prompts it” (I . . 422424). Even though he has created this love affair through his magic, he plays with both Ferdinand and Marinara’s emotions by enslaving Ferdinand to menial work while the rest of his evil demise is carried out. Driven only by selfish motives, Prospers is not concerned with his daughter’s state of well-being but how she can be used as a pawn within his Ames. As the play progresses Prospers gives his daughter away in marriage to Ferdinand without even consulting first with her. His selfish motives become more apparent When he extensively warns Ferdinand against pre-marital sex.
Prospers view upon Marinara’s virginity is that it is a prize for him to give away. Without her Virginity, she would not be a valuable asset to him, Which is Why Prospers calls upon the help of the three goddesses Iris, Ceres, and Junk to protect Marinara’s virginity. Prosperous relationship With his daughter displays how he is an authoritative figure, caring not for his daughter. UT working only for his own selfish motives. In gaining political power and status with King Alonso through his daughter’s magically arranged marriage, Prospers is sacrificing his relationship with his daughter.
Not only must Prospers have power over his daughter’s elite, but he also must control Ariel and Clinical through their enslavement in order to gain power over the land that is not rightfully his. Prosperous racism is evident through his discriminatory treatment of Ariel and Clinical. Though Ariel is a slave of Prosperous, just as Clinical is, he is treated better because Ariel represents “white gaga”, while Clinical is associated with “black magic. ” Nonetheless, Prospers enslaves them both because of his selfish motives of being in complete ruling power over the island inhabited by only four people.
Ariel is a spirit and though enslaved by Prospers, is treated with more respect and eventually released. Clinical, on the other hand, is viewed as a brutish native, both enslaved and scorned by Prospers and Miranda. Though Clinical is an aboriginal inhabitant Of the island, Prospers does not give him special treatment solely because his mother was a witch, a characteristic of which Clinical has no control. By retreating the tempest that puts the plot in motion, Ariel performs magical tasks, which makes him more valuable to Prospers.
Still, Ariel is Prosperous servant and endures Prosperous impatience through his constant demands to “CGI)o hence, with diligence! ” (1. 2. 307). Prosperous discriminatory attitude towards his two slaves is apparent in how he chooses to call them. Riel’s master, Prospers, affectionately calls him . 2,444), “my spirit”, and also “quaint” (1. 2321). Clinical does not receive such “royal” treatment; instead, he is called “my slave” (1. 2. 312), “thou poisonous slave” (1. 2. 323), “thou most lying slave”(l . 2. 48), “beast Clinical” (4. 1. 140), “a born devil” (4. 1. 88), and my “thing of darkness” (5, 1277). Like many other colonists, Prospers views the native Clinical as a “savage” (1. 2. 359) and who does not “know thin own meaning” (12. 360), so he of course feels compelled to impart on him his own meaning and allows his daughter to instruct him on certain things like language and literature.! Clinical receives harsher treatment because he was “got by the devil himself’ (I ,2. 323), as Prospers claims. Born of Scoria, a witch demon, Clinical represents black magic to Prospers and suffers the plight similar to African slaves during pre-Civil War mimes.
Prospers sees this “black” magic differently than the magic he has taken up and discriminates against Clinical based on this racist attitude. Ariel has magical powers also, but his magic is supposedly “white magic. ” Thus, Prosperous racist views are evident in his differing treatments of Ariel and Clinical. Because Ariel represents the more desired “white magic” he is treated like an indentured servant; however, Clinical is treated like a barbaric slave because he epitomizes “black magic” because of his family, which is beyond Scallion’s own control. Prosperous attitude towards his homeland also displays his somewhat selfish attitude.
When he held the title of Duke of Milan, Prospers did not care for his citizens and ignored them; however once this title was removed from him, it became the object of his desire. Driven by titles, Prospers will seemingly do anything to win back his title of Duke, though it is unclear why he relishes this title so much. Once again, he is ruled by completely self-centered motives. He is not trying to gain back his power for the sake of the citizens, but for his own ego’s sake. Prospers admits in the first act, “He [Gonzalez] tarnished me [Dorm my own library with volumes that prize above my dukedom” (l . 167-168), Before Prosperous brother, Antonio, usurped the title of dukedom, the title had little meaning to Prospers, He also admits that his studies at magic ranked higher in importance. Since the title has been wrongly taken from him, however, he has now made getting it back his narrowly focused project. Prospers never gives clear evidence as to why he wants or deserves back his title. Prosperous treatment of his homeland, Milan, again shows his self-centered He did not patriotically act like a good ruler while he held the title of duke, but now he menacingly plans for his revenge and return to power.
Prosperous dictatorial and racist attitude is evident in his relationships towards Miranda, Ariel, Clinical, and even his homeland. Others may argue that Prospers redeems himself in the end by his forgiveness of all his enemies; however, one should remember that his generosity is not coming out of the kindness of his heart, but rather the black abyss that is his ego. Prospers creates the tempest as an invitation to his enemies to an island where he could be in ultimate control. He grants forgiveness because it is a necessary, pre-determined step in gaining what he passionately desires, his dukedom back.
Prospers should be asking all f them for forgiveness because of his egocentric activities that cause pain and madness during everyone’s unexpected stay at the island. If Prospers had not forgiven them, he would not have any subjects to bring him back to Milan and verify his rightful duskiness. One should remember Prosperous countless acts of tyranny and self-centered motives before falsely believing that he is a changed man, Every act of Prosperous, even his mass "forgiveness” is an act based on his personal, selfish goals of obtaining back political power through his former office of Duke of Milan. Works Cited and Consulted: Boone, Edward.