The reciprocation of salvation, gifts, and promises or contracts that governs Miranda, Ferdinand, and Prospero’s relationship is contingent. In other words, nothing is given freely. Although salvation is often time portrayed as a gift, I suggest that perhaps there is no such thing as a free gift or pure salvation. Prospero gives Miranda as a gift to Ferdinand. However, the reason was not that the gift is free, but that in return Prospero gains from gift-giving. Still, Prospero cannot give the gift until the promise of chastity is fulfilled. He cannot ergo receive the benefit until the fulfillment of the promise. Inversely, Ferdinand cannot receive the gift until he fulfills his promise to Prospero by not violating Miranda’s virginity. The gift is contingent on the promise of saving. I will argue that this saving herself and Ferdinand not violating her virginity is a legal and economical contract. Because both parties, Ferdinand and Prospero, have responsibility and benefit from the promise, this is why there is no such thing as a free gift rather a mutual trade. Prospero and Ferdinand’s pre-contract agreement is a necessary condition for Ferdinand’s taking Miranda’s hand in marriage, another form of legal contract.
Gift-giving is never free because it entails that the recipient return with acts of gratitude. The returning favor will apt to be reciprocated. I argue that Prospero’s gift of Miranda is not free evident through his motives and intentions manifested since the beginning and throughout the play. Miranda is a tagged gift because something is expected in return from the giving of that gift. Prospero’s plan drives him to create the storm, to manipulate the crew, and to lead Ferdinand to Miranda. Using the power he has ov...
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...teed. Until the occurrence of their marriage, all must complete the designated conditions. Therefore, salvation and gifts, like chastity, is neither pure nor free.
Following the idea that there is no such thing as a free gift or pure salvation, I observe that the relationship among the characters are contingent and reciprocal. A few examples are: the spirits depend on each other throughout the masque, Prospero depends on Ariel for magical powers and in return Ariel depends on Prospero’s promise of freedom. However, in the Epiloque Prospero by forgiving everyone he is at the same time freeing them from the repeating patterns of repayment we have seen throughout the play. One might further consider whether the reciprocation may have taken form in another way and if salvation or gifts are ever free just as Prospero might have said, “Thou shalt be free” (I. 2. 499).
... have been felt between Prospero and Miranda, and instead accents a more symbolic father-son relationship. The coincidental assigning of gender roles to Miranda and Caliban and the lack of such on Ariel gives us a hint to either Shakespeare or Prospero's view of the male-female dichotomy. Shakespeare, through Prospero, may be trying to tell the reader that distinctions between male and female are useless and that the only reason the characterization of each "child" in the play is different is the way in which Prospero treats them, according to the same gender norms present in England at the time the play was written.
kindness and innocence portray heart" (line 8/9) and this contrasts. to her father who is not as concerned as she is "Tell your piteous heart there's no harm done" (line 14). Prospero's power and control over Miranda is something that really stands out, "obey and be attentive" (line 38) and it is clear that she. respects him, "my dearest father" (line 1.) At first one may presume that Prospero is an evil man for causing the tempest, but I feel that He loves Miranda very much and would do anything to protect her.
Prospero recounts his tale of woe to Miranda of being expelled from his dukedom due to the greed of his brother and his brother conspiring with the king. Prospero states, “The King Of Naples, being an enemy / To me inveterate, hearkens my brother’s suit,” (1.2.145-146). The King of Naples recognized his power over Prospero due to his position and gave power to Antonio by furthering Antonio’s “suit”. Alonso did this not only to help his friend, but to make a subordinate out of Antonio. The power Alonso possessed by being the King of Naples enabled him to act on his greed and act immorally. Although Prospero knows how it feels to have a person of authority abuse that position, his power of Caliban becomes too much temptation and he treats Caliban terribly. In a fit of rage, while yelling at Caliban, Prospero exclaims, “Thou most lying slave / Who stripes may move, not kindness, I have used /thee/ Filth as thou art,” (1.2.412-416). Prospero is using rude language to Caliban with terms such as “filth as thou art” and calling him a liar, and even threatens to use physical violence. From his possession of power over Caliban, Prospero uses it to harm him and force him to do the chores for Prospero. Although Prospero did originally treat Caliban with kindness until Caliban attempted to force himself onto Miranda, he swung to the other extreme and is now getting revenge for it. Prospero uses his position of power and his magic to force Caliban under his will and subordinate him. The corruption caused by powers is exempt for morally just individuals such as Miranda. Miranda is able to make a new attachment due to her position of power rather than becoming isolated. She finds a husband in the person who was her subordinate, and does not abuse that position against him. Miranda is the purest and righteous
But with Prospero informing Miranda of this at such a late stage in her life is this Prospero as a control freak only allowing his daughter Miranda to know the truth when he feels it is time or is it Prospero being caring keeping this information from Miranda until she is of an age when she can fully understand who she is and where she came from?, again it is not clear to see if Prospero's intentions are for his own good or the good of his daughter.
Throughout the play, Prospero is a figure who talks at rather than to the other characters, including his daughter Miranda, Prince Ferdinand, and Ariel, his airy servant. At the end of Act IV Prospero is caught up in the ecstasy of punishing and determining the fate of his foes. The beginning of Act V, however, marks a change in the character of Prospero, which averts a possible tragedy. Prospero is unsettled even though his plans are reaching fruition. In his talk with Ariel for the first time we see an actual conversation take place. In addition, in the line "...And mine shall." (Shakespeare V.i.20) we see a change of heart on the part of Prospero, and in the following monologue the audience is privy to introspection and contemplation even beyond that of the end of the masque in Act IV "We are such stuff as dreams are made on..."(Shakespeare).
Prospero’s relationships with others prior to his personal epiphany were highly unpleasant to say the least. It was imperative that Shakespeare wrote these relationships this way to emphasize Prospero’s inner angst. Prospero’s angst stemmed from being betrayed by his brother.
In summary, Shakespeare’s The Tempest play explores the theme of opposition to the colonial-style authority of Prospero based on various characters’ covert and overt reactions to the master’s antics. For instance, Ariel opposes Prospero’s continuous detention of the former regardless of an earlier agreement to the contrary. Moreover, Caliban expresses his dissatisfaction with the forced labor that her does for Prospero. To prove his opposition to Prospero’s authority, Caliban plans the master’s death. Miranda also makes a statement that indicates her displeasure with the way Prospero executes his authority especially with regard to Ferdinand. The imprisoned Ferdinand also indicates his opposition to Prospero’s power through a disproving statement made before Miranda.
Prospero is in complete control of Miranda; he raises her in his image and as nearly all fathers of his day demands respect. He commands her, “obey, and be attentive” (Shakespeare 1.2.39) when he tells her the story of how they came to the island. Also alike the fathers of this time, Prospero would plan his daughter’s future marriage to Ferdinand. Ferdinand is the only man Miranda has ever seen, besides her father and Caliban so he immediately captivates her—they mutually fall in love. Prospero also controls the speed at which their relationship progresses, by accusing Ferdinand of only pretending to be the Prince of Naples and forces him to haul wood; this act only further exemplifies the power and control Prospero has over his
As soon as they encounter each other, Prospero begins ordering him around, making him his slave and does the same thing for the spirit of Ariel, whom he promises to release after he performs the duties requested. Throughout both stories, Caliban and Ariel continuously ask for freedom from slavery and get denied until the very end. Prospero eventually gives Ariel his freedom and Ariel gives Caliban his. In the ending of The Tempest, Prospero then delivers a speech essentially asking for forgiveness for his wrongdoings and asks for them to set him free. Caliban throughout both stories is angry and distraught because “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou takest from me.” (Page 13) which he states in The Tempest, and he essentially had no control over anything. This is where the freedom of oppression might be suggested as one of the themes and can even be used in modern
The shipwrecked people also play into Prospero’s hand, but they don’t even realize this. Even Miranda is dutiful to her father, and does what he says with little complaint.
Sebastian's stubborn and easily manipulated personality also meets the same fate as Antonio. On the other hand, many characters are rewarded for their forgiveness. Alonso gets his son back as a reward for his remorseful mentality towards what he did to Prospero, something that definitely reflects the good people receive for forgiving or asking to be forgiven. Another great example of this is Ferdinand, who is threatened with enslavement in Act 1, Scene 2, but remains content. Ferdinand simply proclaims "“Might I but through my prison once a day behold this maid: all corners else o'the earth let liberty make use of; space enough have I in such a prison,” (1.2.495-499) thus forgiving Prospero for enslaving him merely out of love for Miranda.
...on seeing Ferdinand for the very first time, Miranda says that he is “the third man that e’er I saw,” (1.2.449) This shows the audience that Prospero’s power of love and magic have worked again, since Miranda has fallen in love with Ferdinand. This time however, Prospero used his daughter as bait in order to draw Ferdinand closer in the hopes of getting them married. He wants to regain his title as the Duke of Milan.
Ferdinand and Miranda’s type of relationship shows Shakespeare’s ideas about true love, recognising not just the emotional side of love, but the physical nature too. Miranda promises Ferdinand “The jewel in my dower” which is her virginity, a prized thing in Jacobean times. This knowledge would have been known by Shakespeare’s audience and knowing this helps us to understand Prospero’s protection of his daughter from Caliban.
Prospero uses the power of love to influence his daughter Miranda. Prospero knows that Miranda is devoted to him so he uses guilt to maintain her devotion. Miranda tells her father “Alack, what trouble/Was I then to you!” (I.2.153.154) her saying that to him shows that because of Prospero making her feel guilty, she is willing to do anything just for him. “Had I been any god of power, I would/Have sunk the sea within the earth…” (I.2.10.11). This quote indicates that she understood the extent of her father’s power and she had possessed the same amount of power, she would use it differently with Prospero. His power over Miranda is one that is continuously in this play. Prospero does say “I have done nothing, but in care of thee, /of thee, my dearest one…”(I.2.16.17) when he says that he makes it known that he does love his daughter and only trying to protect.
The Tempest, like any text, is a product of its context. It is constructed in relation to moral or ethical concerns of 17th century European Jacobean society. The resolution of conflict appears 'natural' or an inevitable consequence if regarded in relation to the concerns of its context. The resolution of conflict in this play incorporates Prospero being returned to his 'rightful' or natural position as Duke of Milan, his daughter Miranda getting married to Ferdinand, and the party returning to Milan leaving the island to the 'monster', Caliban. The resolution is a consequence of the concerns of the time, including the idea of the divine right of kings, courtly love, and colonisation.