As a result, Antonio realises that the only method of disposing of Prospero is to ‘misplace’ him. He charges a Neapolitan named Gonzalo, to cast Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, out to sea.
As an alternative to sentencing them both to death as instructed (by making holes in their boat), Gonzalo provides them with food and warmth.
Due to their dire circumstances at the start of the play, we should feel compassion for Prospero. Nonetheless, His possession and use of magical knowledge renders him extremely powerful and not entirely sympathetic.
This is shown to a great extent in act 1 scene 2.
Prior to this scene, Prospero and Miranda arrived at an island, safe and thankful of their lives. Prospero chances upon an entrapped spirit by the name of Ariel, and a shamefully contorted savage, named Caliban.
He willingly frees Ariel, demonstrating his ability to be empathetic. He also shows a certain amount of selflessness regarding Caliban. He shows this by an endeavour to teach him things. However, this scheme becomes swiftly unproductive, followed by Caliban’s attempt to rape Miranda.
It is Prospero’s ensuing relationship with Caliban in Act 1 Scene 2, that outlines one of the more disagreeable characteristics.
He uses a large amount of exclamation in his tone of voice, usually screaming at Caliban. I believe it is his absolute power over the other characters and his overwrought speeches make him difficult to like, for he appears self important and condescending.
In lines 312 to 317, Prospero reluctantly explains to Miranda how his ‘slave’, Caliban, is needed to fetch fire wood and carry out other chores;
“He does make our fire,
Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices
That profit us. What, ho! Slave! Caliban!
Thou earth, thou: speak!”
“Come forth, I say! There’s other business for thee.
Come, thou tortoise! When?”
In addition to his interaction with Caliban, he also portrays a negative superiority through bribery, threats and a large use of imperative verbs.
A sufficient example of this would be his dealings with Ariel, for when he suggests being freed; Prospero challenges Ariel with the prospect of enslaving him back to the confinements of a tree;
“I will rend an oak, I
And peg thee in his knotty
Entrails.”
This mere quotation shows how his potentially ruthless persona coincides with his manipulation of power. He flaunts his power in Act 1 Scene 2 to affect people’s actions. On the contrary, this is one of the main changes of his character in Act 5 Scene 1.
In Act 1 Scene 2, Prospero has just ordered Ariel to capsize King Alonso’s ship. This is one key point when we are encouraged to see a darker side to Prospero. Following his malevolent conduct of revenge, he still imposes a feeling of moral decency, for he asks if the crew are unharmed:
Line 218;
“But are they, Ariel, safe?”
This understanding of Prospero’s virtuousness is only accentuated in Act 5 Scene1, when he finally decides to absolve the acrimony between His adversaries and himself. He realises towards the ends of act 5 scene 1, that there is no need to prolong resentment, and the requisite desire for retribution any longer. This warrants Shakespeare with the ability to engender a poignant and heart-rending dialogue, in which Prospero sees irrevocably, the superfluous concept of dictating people through magic;
“Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?
Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th' quick,
Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury
Do I take part. The rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance. They being penitent,
The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel.
My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore,
And they shall be themselves.”
It is then, when Ariel ventures out to release the ships crew that we are left alone with Prospero. It is only then do we perhaps appreciate the full extent that his character has changed. He has journeyed from being ruled by the notion of revenge, to wanting nothing more than to cast away his limitless power in order to reconcile with his foes.
By translating the Elizabethan style text to modern day, Prospero’s account of his astounding intentions is made more apparent to a modern day reader. This also shows his transformation of personality more comprehensible;
“I've darkened the noontime sun with the aid of you elves who
Live in the hills and brooks and groves, and you who chase
The sea on the beach without leaving footprints in the
Sand, and run away when the waves come back; and you
Who make toadstools while the moon shines; who make
Mushrooms as a hobby after the evening bell has rung.
With your help I've called up the angry winds, and set the
Green sea and blue sky at war with each other. I've given
Lightning to the thunderclouds, and burned up Jupiter's
Beloved oak.
With his own lightning bolts; I've shaken up the sturdy
Cliffs and uprooted pines and cedars; I've opened up graves
And awakened the corpses sleeping in them, letting them
Out with my powerful magic. But I surrender all this
Magic now, when I've summoned some heavenly music to
Cast a spell, as I'm doing now, I'll break my staff and bury
It far underground, and throw my book of magic spells
Deeper into the sea than any anchor ever sank.”
