Critical Essay on 'The Tempest': Character Analysis

William Shakespeare's Tempest is loaded with relationships between the characters. When looking at these relationships, his tragic-comedy has much more depth and you realize how intricately woven his writing is. Dramatic techniques are used to show the power struggle on which some relationships are based.

One relationship with a disparity between the power one possesses in comparison with another in Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest 'is between Prospero and his brother, Antonio. Throughout “The Tempest,” the relationship between the two brothers consists of themes like abuse of authority, series of insurrection, assessment, questioning authority, and even betrayal and responsibility. Prospero, the protagonist, is depicted as a worthy man, whose throne was unjustly taken over and had a twisted illusion of justice. On the other hand, Antonio is displayed as an authoritative man, for example, the first thing Antonio does in the scene exposes his obvious evil nature by simply cursing the boatswain “Hang, cur, hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker, we are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.” (Act 1, Line 1, 34-35). This already has proven enough that Antonio is not the nicest duke. Hence, this is an early disclosure that he liked to be in control. Overall, the power-politics relationship between Prospero and Antonio can easily be viewed as Antonio trying to abuse and seek his brother’s power and throne for his own revolt. The series of rebellions between these relations starts with Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, being driven away by his brother, Antonio, who illegally took over the throne. While Antonio was given the governing authority of Prospero’s positioning as the Duke of Milan, hence, allowing Prospero to become increasingly engrossed with his secret studies and failing to keep in mind his brother’s schemes. Antonio became greedy for official positioning as the Duke of Milan and literally did whatever he could to achieve this title, thus, he arranged to have his brother Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, killed secretly. But Prospero, widely known to be a good man, was lucky enough that those charged with his fate decided not to kill him.

Another power relationship in Shakespeare's The Tempest occurs between Prospero and his servant Caliban. The relationship between this servant and master consists of themes such as colonization, the illusion of Justice, treason, and nature versus nurture. That is the resentment between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero took over the island that would originally be Caliban by his birthright and made him a slave. However, the relationship between these two characters was not always about power. When Caliban is first introduced in the play he gives us an insight as to how the relationship between him and Prospero has worsened to that state. He tells us that their relationship was akin to that of a father and son. Caliban showed him all the best places on the island and Prospero taught him how to speak and took care of him. He truly felt that Prospero was his father and loved him and their relationship was akin to one of love and respect. However, after Caliban attempted to rape Miranda their relationship changed drastically. Prospero became hostile to Caliban and insulted him greatly, making Caliban his slave and cursing at him frequently. Caliban also hurled curses at Prospero saying that the benefit of him learning their language was that he learned how to curse. Caliban held resentment for Prospero because he tricked him and made him a slave which would prompt him to revolt at any chance offered to him.

Prospero highly valued and appreciated the brotherly bond between them more than Antonio. Prospero assumed his brother feels the same way about him and would be loyal to him. Instead, Antonio learned all the tricks of political betrayal while serving in the place of Prospero, and used them to betray his own brother. Prospero was the Duke of Milan twelve years back, but after being extremely intrigued with his studies of magic he left most of the governmental responsibilities to his brother Antonio with the practical side of governing Milan. He becomes so engrossed in his studies that he almost gives his entire dukedom to Antonio without realizing it.

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Prospero suggests that Antonio’s taste of power awakened in him an even bigger desire for power. Prospero’s loyalty to his brother was so great, and his trust so complete, that he really did not see this coming. With that being said, of course, simply allowed Antonio to take it further. However, Antonio’s greediness for power is both foolish and clumsy. It seems hard to believe that Antonio ever could have risen successfully against his brother. The absurdly aggressive behavior of Antonio may, to some extent, Prospero’s exercise of power in the previous and following scenes seem necessary throughout the play.

When Prospero was stranded on the island, Prospero studied magic that would help him get used to the island and survive. By studying his magic he planned that one day he would have revenge on his brother who had caused him harm. So as the play progresses, Prospero was able to use his magic and shipwreck Antonio’s ship who had exiled him to the island. But even so, when his brother who had exiled him was merely at his mercy, he was able to rise above all the petty business that his brother had dealt to him in the past and was able to forgive the person who had hurt him the most, Antonio. Prospero’s forgiveness toward his brother is confirmed when he said, “For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother would even infect my mouth, I do forgive thy rankest fault” (V, I 130). Prospero was able to show mercy for Antonio and could have made his brother’s life horrible, but instead had a kind heart and just punished him in ways Prospero felt was what his brother deserved. Prospero showed that one can only get so much from revenge. In the end, to his family, Prospero is portrayed as a generous, kind, loving, and above all forgiving man. Since he could not even go through with punishing his brother it just simply makes us want to say, “Give it to him, he deserves what he gets”. His sad story about how his own brother betrays him so that he may have a place in power really gives the audience a sense of why someone could do this to him. It might just give him satisfaction because he did not even use magic for that. Everyone who Prospero surveys or meets up with and fears his powers, but seeing how it is, his revenge might just be to be able to let Antonio see what he has done, and repent from it. He especially acknowledges Antonio who he could barely face. He could have easily drowned Antonio on board if he so wished, but through his benevolent nature, he commanded his spirit servant Ariel to make sure his brother was safe without harm whatsoever. Prospero actually seems judicious rather than arbitrary in his use of power. Seeing how Prospero studies magic to get revenge, but in the end, chooses to do nothing seems wasted. Generally speaking, nothing is as hurtful as the betrayal of one’s brother. With all Prospero’s authoritative powers, he could have easily avenged himself a hundred times worse than what Antonio did to him, but in the end, he chooses to do nothing, except give the gift of forgiveness.

Caliban searches for a person that could possibly aid him in taking back the island from Prospero which he found when Stefano and Trinkulo appeared on the island. He was again wishing for revenge on Prospero, saying he hopes “all the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats on Prospero fall, and make him by inch-meal a disease” (2.2.1-3). Thinking Trinculo is a spirit coming to torture him on the order of Prospero, Caliban hides. Trinculo thinks Caliban “smells like a fish” (2.2.24), or he could be a dead Indian, one that could be exploited for money in London. When a storm approaches, Trinculo takes cover under Caliban’s cloak. When Stefano enters, Caliban begs not to be tortured. When Caliban takes a drink of Stefano’s wine, he declares Stefano “a brave god” and “I will kneel to him” (2.2.109-110). By kneeling, and swearing on the bottle, Caliban is once again acting in the submissive role. He goes on to call Stefano one “dropped from heaven” and proceeds to “kiss thy foot” (2.2.141). Instead of becoming a person of power in the group, he is still a slave to someone. Caliban plots to murder Prospero so he creates a plan and entrusts his two drunken and scheming collaborators with his murderous plot. However, their plan falls through, and in the end, all three of them are humiliated, punished, and left back on the island at the end of the play.

The use of symbolism portrayed power in the tempest. The tempest at the beginning of the play is a symbol of Prospero’s magic and of the frightening, potentially malevolent side of his power. Like the tempest, Prospero’s books are a symbol of his power. “Remember First to possess his books,” Caliban says to Stephano and Trinculo, “for without them He’s but a sot” (III.ii.86–88). The books are also, however, a symbol of Prospero’s dangerous desire to withdraw entirely from the world. It was his devotion to study that put him at the mercy of his ambitious brother, and it is this same devotion to study that has made him content to raise Miranda in isolation. Yet, Miranda’s isolation has made her ignorant of where she came from (see I.ii.33–36), and Prospero’s own isolation provides him with little company. In order to return to the world where his knowledge means something more than power, Prospero must let go of his magic. The game of chess between Ferdinand and Miranda is extremely symbolic. The objective of the game of chess is to capture the king. That is the only way you would win. This act of playing chess is a connection to the whole plot. Prospero, by use of the tempest and his tricks, has caught the king, Alonso, and not only reprimanded him for his treachery but also secured a future for his daughter and himself after leaving the island. The marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda ensures that Alonso will not prevent them from going back to Milan. It also ensures that Alonso will not attempt to meddle with a dukedom of which his only son is the heir. This shows how scary Prospero's power actually is as everything from the beginning, even his daughter's attitude, actions, and reactions were carefully planned out by him leading to this moment. Caught up in their game, Miranda and Ferdinand also symbolize something else about Prospero’s power. They do not even notice the others staring at them for a few lines. Ferdinand and Miranda, suddenly and unexpectedly revealed behind a curtain, playing chess and talking gently of love and faith, seem entirely removed from the world around them. Though he has promised to relinquish his magic, Prospero still seems to see his daughter as a mere pawn in his game and may continue to do so after the play ends.

The relationships in The Tempest are complex and layered with many issues. They also hold many themes portrayed throughout the play. The power struggles between these characters are what add depth to the play and intrigue. There will always be struggles for power but it depends on if you could stay powerful and not be reduced to the underdog.