The Tempest, Critical Review :: essays research papers

Prosperos PlottingsAfter years of writing plays of history, tragedy, grand comedy and outstanding romance, William Shakespeargon emerged from his darker writing of the past into the lighter, more peaceful style of his play The Tempest. This was Shakespeares last complete play, and, just as he bid leave of absence to the art he had so mastered, his principal character Prospero departs from his artful thaumaturgy on the island he omnisciently controls. While Prosperos early actions against his foes echo the ideas of a vengeful god, he strives to educate more than to correct. He portions out the nicety he carries out with mercy, even when his enemies are delivered directly into his divine power, and, by doing so, proves to be the master of himself, embodying the qualities expected of a good ruler.Prosperos ubiquity during the play is one the more obvious physical signs that he is in control of all his surroundings. The right Duke of Milan, he was exiled with his daughter, Miranda, to a remote island xii years prior to the plays beginning by his usurping crony Antonio, only surviving with the help of the good-hearted advisor Gonzalo. With the help of his tenderness servant Ariel, Prospero stirs up a storm to beach a qualifying ship containing Alonso, king of Naples, who aided Antonios usurpation, his brother Sebastian and son Ferdinand, and Antonio himself, so he may confront them. Ferdinand is separated from the rest, is thought to be drowned, and courts Miranda, is chuck to the test by Prospero, and ultimately marries her. Ironically, Antonio coaxes Sebastian to plot to depose Alonso while they are being punished on the island because of usurpation. Prosperos deformed slave Caliban encounters dickens lower members of Alsonsos court, Trinculo the jester and Stephano the drunken butler and the three unwisely plot to win control of the island, under the unblinking eye of Prospero, who punishes them by dint of Ariels trickery. In the end, all are brought before Prospero who forgives all, but reclaims his Dukedom, and releases Ariel and Caliban from his control. He renounces his magical powers and returns to Italy having learned the virtues of self-mastery from his exile.Prosperos character is portrayed as solo good throughout the play, using his magic only to achieve confirmatory ends such as education. He is one with his environment as he has developed superior intellectual powers, now realizing that he marked himself to be ousted by his distance from everyday affairs.