Prospero is a powerful character. What impression does the audience get of Prospero in Act 1, Scene 2?

As Prospero tells Miranda the story, he constantly makes checks that she is paying full attention, saying “dos thou attend me?”, “thou attend’st not!” and “dost thou hear?” This firstly keeps the audience interested, but also shows Prospero’s power and influence over Miranda as a father, as she listens intently and takes everything in. Her shock at the story is illustrated by her saying “your tale, sir, would cure deafness”.

After telling this story, Prospero charms Miranda into sleep and then calls forth Ariel, his chief magical agent. Prospero and Ariel’s discussion reveals that it was Ariel, under Prospero’s instruction, who brought the tempest upon the ship and set fire to the mast. Ariel boasts, “Sometime I’d divide and burn in many places”. He then made sure that everyone got safely to the island, though they are now separated into small groups. Prospero rescued Ariel from a long imprisonment at the hands of the witch, Sycorax, and therefore Ariel is Prospero’s servant until Prospero decides to release him. He carries out all Prospero’s orders in the play and stays loyal, perhaps out of fear. The audience can see from this that Prospero is totally in control of all goings on with the shipwreck and also with his own servant, Ariel.

Ariel, who is in a kind of captive servitude to Prospero, reminds his master that he has promised him freedom a year early if he performs his tasks without complaint. Prospero chastises Ariel for protesting and reminds him of the horrible fate from which he was rescued. He refuses to give Ariel his freedom yet as he wants him to serve for two more days. He tells him “do so, and after two days I will discharge thee”. Before Prospero arrived on the island, Sycorax had imprisoned Ariel. The witch died and left Ariel trapped until Prospero freed him. He threatens to put Ariel back in the tree that he rescued him from if he does not follow his orders. This is one example of Prospero using his powers to gain authority. After Ariel assures him that he knows his place, Prospero orders Ariel to take the shape of a sea nymph and make himself invisible to all but Prospero. He has a great amount of power over Ariel, and the audience will be able to see this by the way that Ariel obeys and carries out his every command.

Once Miranda awakens from her sleep, she and Prospero visit Caliban, who is another of Prospero’s servants. Caliban is the son of the now deceased witch Sycorax, and acquainted Prospero when he arrived, showing him “all the qualities o’th’isle”. Caliban believes the island to be rightfully his, saying, “this island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother”, and has been stolen by Prospero. His speech and behaviour are sometimes coarse and brutal; for example, “the red plague rid you for learning me your language”, and sometimes eloquent and sensitive, as in other rebukes of Prospero. Prospero has taken possession of him, but he takes no responsibility for Caliban’s actions. This, and the way that Caliban speaks of being “pinched” as punishment, illustrates to the audience that Prospero can also be a fairly harsh dictator.

As Caliban curses him, Prospero and Miranda berate him for being ungrateful for what they have given and taught him. Caliban tells Prospero “you taught me language, and my profit on’t is I know how to curse”. However, although Caliban can argue with Prospero, he eventually bows to his power, saying “I must obey; his art is of such power”. Prospero sends Caliban to fetch firewood.

Ariel, invisible, then enters playing music and leading in the awed Ferdinand. Ariel has again followed Prospero’s orders. Ferdinand is the son and heir of Alonso. He seems in some ways to be as pure and naïve as Miranda. He falls in love with her upon first sight and, having at first drawn his sword, eventually submits in order to win her father’s approval. Therefore Prospero has an authority over Ferdinand, firstly due to the fact that he is keen to impress, and secondly because Prospero uses his supernatural powers against him. The audience can see that all other islanders must be wary of Prospero’s supernatural dominance.

Miranda and Ferdinand are immediately smitten with each other. He is only the third man Miranda has seen, besides Caliban and her father. Prospero is happy to see that his plan for his daughter’s future marriage is working, saying “at the first sight they have changed eyes. Delicate Ariel, I’ll set thee free for this”, but decides that he must upset things temporarily in order to prevent their relationship developing too quickly and to test Ferdinand’s love. He accuses Ferdinand of merely pretending to be the King of Naples, and threatens him with imprisonment, saying “I’ll manacle they neck and feet together”. When Ferdinand draws his sword, Prospero charms him and leads him off to prison. Miranda pleads with him saying “O dear father, make not too rash a trial of him, for he’s gentle and not fearful” and “sir, have pity”. He then sends Ariel on another mysterious mission. This is yet another example of Prospero using his supernatural capabilities to gain power.

Shakespeare gives the audience the impression that Prospero is a firm but fair ruler of the island, out to complete a number of projects throughout the play. Firstly there is the political side to his project, whereby he wants to unite Naples and Milan through the marriage of his daughter to Ferdinand, and also to regain his dukedom. Although Prospero doesn’t exact revenge as such for his usurpation, he illustrates to Sebastian and Antonio that he can take revenge if necessary. In addition to this, Prospero has repentance in mind, as Alonso asks him “pardon me my wrongs”. He also intends to reform Caliban. His other aims involve rewarding his faithful servant, Ariel, escaping the island and returning to Italy, and bringing harmony to the group. The fact that he achieves these aims illustrates to the audience that has a great deal of jurisdiction.

On the whole, Act 1, Scene 2 portrays instances of authority in different forms and in discussing how this notion is portrayed, one can evaluate Shakespeare’s portrayal of power and challenges to it. The play does not really make a statement regarding power and authority, but it seeks to re-establish a just social order around Prospero’s re-emergence as a figure of political power. The Scene explores the dynamics of power relationships from a number of contrasting angles. These different angles include the generally positive relationships between Prospero and Ariel and Prospero and Miranda, and the contrasting, generally negative relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero is constantly portrayed as having authority due to his supernatural powers, be it over Ariel, Caliban or Ferdinand, but also has authority as a father over Miranda. Additionally, the fact that Prospero is able to manipulate the situation between Ferdinand and Miranda accentuates his control. His authority is never really threatened in the first Act, although Caliban does argue with him. This illustrates to the audience that he is the dictator of the island. He is in control of everything that goes on. However, this would more than likely be different if it wasn’t for his magical powers.