Who Is Prospero A Hero

Criss Jami, an American poet, once said “Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.” This is very true, especially in William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. In his play, Prospero’s dukedom was taken over by his brother Antonio. He ultimately forgives his brother and lets Antonio and his companions free. During the play, Prospero chooses to follow his morals rather than trying to get revenge, and he possesses the attributes of a true hero because he had suffered an unhealable emotional wound, he is special, and he becomes a more mature person. To illustrate, in the beginning of the play, Prospero undergoes an emotional experience that changes him forever. That being the case, he is shown as the hero throughout the story. For example Prospero says, “Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, thy father was

Since he is a more special character than the other characters in the story, he is recognized as the archetypal hero. An example of this is, “Those being all my study, The government I cast upon my brother And to my state grew stranger, being transported And rapt in secret studies.” In this quote, Prospero was very interested in “dark magic”, unlike all of the other characters in the story.This makes him different from anyone else, this gives him one of the many attributes needed to classify as an archetypal hero. Another key point is, throughout all of the play, prospero has authority over an angel named Ariel. In fact, only Prospero has the right to “boss” Ariel around. He is not seen by anyone but prospero. This makes prospero special because he is the only one who is able to give Ariel commands making him the hero in the story. Ultimately, Prospero’s special characteristics make him a suitable hero for the story and prove that he is going to pick better judgment over