THE TEMPEST

The Tempest is generally regarded as

Shakespeare’s last play, first performed in

1611. Its rich themes and ambiguities are

often attributed to the seventeenth century

age of exploration, the circumstances of its

performance at court (first performed for

King James I as well as for the marriage

festivities of Elizabeth), and the context of

the playwright’s tumultuous writing career.

Allegorical reading of The Tempest

1. The play can be read as Shakespeare’s

commentary on European exploration of

new lands. Prospero lands on an island with

a native inhabitant, Caliban, a being he

considers savage and uncivilized. He teaches

this “native” his language and customs, but

this nurturing does not affect the creature’s

nature, at least from Prospero’s point of

view. But Prospero does not drive Caliban

away, rather he enslaves him, forcing him to

do work he considers beneath himself and

his noble daughter. As modern readers,

sensitive to the legacy of colonialism, we

need to ask if Shakespeare sees this as the

right order and assess his views of

imperialism and colonialism. Furthermore,

we must explore the depiction of the master/

slave dynamic shown in this play.

2. Because it was performed at court, there

is a lot of stage business: music, dance,

masque-like shows. The role of the artist is

explored through Prospero’s use of his

magic, and parallels can be drawn to

Shakespeare’s own sense of his artistry.

With the knowledge that this is

Shakespeare’s last play, some critics have

chosen to explore the autobiographical

connections, indicating that he sees himself

in Prospero. Furthermore, there is also the

notion that he feels somehow isolated and in

need of reconciliation, as he bids adieu to

the theatre. If the play is studied

meticulously with a key attention to these

details then the parallels are certainly

underscored. This interpretation of the play

is also evident in the thematic concerns for

example power, reconciliation, illusion,

change/transformation.

LANGUAGE

Soliloquy

A soliloquy is where a character, onstage

and alone, reveals their thoughts to the

audience. The Tempest does not use

many soliloquy's, as the dramatic scenes

in the play are enough to give accurate

information to the audience. However,

Shakespeare does use a few soliloquys,

most notably through Prospero, for

example, in Act 5, Scene 1 where he

ends the play by telling the audience that

Prospero is giving up his magic.

Aside

An aside is a stage direction which

playwrights use to allow characters to

address the audience, without the other

characters noticing. Asides usually

suggest that there is some form of

conspiracy, deceit, or mocking in the

scene. For example, in Act 3, Scene 1,

Prospero frequently uses the aside:

'[Aside] Poor worm, thou art infected'

to show the audience that he has

orchestrated the union and interaction

between Miranda and Ferdinand.

Prospero’s manipulation of language

Prospero’s rhetoric

(persuasive/eloquent way of speaking)

is particularly important to observe in

the play, especially in his confrontation

with Ariel. Of all the characters,

Prospero alone seems to understand that

controlling history enables one to control

the present—that is, that one can control

others by controlling how they

understand the past. Prospero therefore

tells his story with emphasis on his own

good deeds, the bad deeds of others

toward him, and the ingratitude of those

he has protected from the evils of others.

For example, when he speaks to

Miranda, he calls his brother

“perfidious,” (treacherous) then

immediately says that he loves his

brother better than anyone in the world

except Miranda. He repeatedly asks

Miranda, “Dost thou attend me?”

Through his questioning, he commands

her attention almost hypnotically as he

tells her his one-sided version of the

events which unfolded in Milan. It is

important to note that Prospero himself

is not blameless. While his brother did

betray him, he also failed in his

responsibilities as a leader by giving up

control of the government, so that he

could study and experiment with magic.

As a result, he equally contributed to the

circumstances that surround his

usurpation from his position as Duke of

Milan. He contrasts his popularity as a

leader—“the love my people bore me”

(I.II.141)—with his brother’s “evil

nature” (I.II.).

Additionally, through the playwright’s

use of dramatic monologue, the

audience is informed that initially,

Prospero had taken Caliban under his

wing, taught him to speak, and fed him.

In exchange, Caliban had shown him all

the tricks and treasures of the island.

Sadly, the arrangement ended when

according to Prospero, Caliban tried to

rape Miranda. Consequently, Prospero

confined Caliban to servitude. Language

in the play serves as a tool for spreading

knowledge. It is important to note that

Prospero however, has sole autonomy on

how the past is presented.

SETTING

The characters on the boat are divided

into nobles, for example Antonio and

Gonzalo, and servants or professionals,

such as the Boatswain. The potential

lethality of the storm upsets the usual

balance between these two groups, and

the Boatswain, in an attempt to save the

ship, comes into direct conflict with the

nobles, who, despite their helplessness,

are extremely irritated at being rudely

spoken to by a commoner. The

characters in Act 1 Scene 1 are never

named outright; they are only referred to

in terms that indicate their social

stations: “Boatswain,” “Master,” “King,”

and “Prince.” The conflict between

masters and servants which is a thematic

concern in the play, and the angst that

exists between the various social

divisions is introduced on board the ship.

Therefore, the ship becomes an

important symbol as it operates as a

social leveller.

Furthermore, the setting of The Tempest

in an unnamed/ unspecific location

allows Shakespeare and the reader to

create endless possibilities for the

activity on the island. The ambivalent

setting of the play, makes it susceptible

to a variety of interpretations

CHARACTERIZATION

Characterization is the method used by a

playwright to develop a character. The

method includes: (1) showing the

character's appearance (for e.g.

costume), (2) displaying the character's

actions (stage directions), (3) revealing

the character's thoughts

(soliloquy/monologue), (4) letting the

character speak, and (5) getting the

reactions of others

Direct characterization: also known as

explicit characterization, consists of the

playwright telling the audience what a

character is like.

Indirect characterization: consists of

the author showing the audience what

kind of person a character is through the

character’s thoughts, words, and deeds.

This requires the audience to make

inferences about the character.

CHARACTERS

PROSPERO

He is deified and imbued with supreme

magical powers. He is cunning and

manipulates all the other characters.

Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan

who was usurped by his brother. He has

an obsessive interest in magic and the

supernatural, and because of this, his

brother believed that Prospero would not

be an effective Duke of Milan and

plotted, with the help of the other

members of the royal entourage to

banish him. Shakespeare uses this to

create sympathy for Prospero, but

his self-importance and control of the

other characters make him a character

who the audience remains unsure of, as

he is manipulative and deceitful.

However, it can be argued that he only

acts in this way to create positive results

- such as Miranda's wedding to

Ferdinand which create the play's happy

ending.

Prospero symbolizes British colonizers

in foreign countries as he, despite

Caliban's claims that the island is

his, enslaves the natives of the

island to carry out his desires. He

also treats Caliban harshly,

threatening him with painful

punishments and threatening

Ariel with imprisonment.

Prospero is also an autocratic

character who demands attention

from the other characters. At the

start of the play, while telling

Miranda a story, he is eager for

her to listen, and give her full

attention to him. His imperative

language towards may suggest

that he is patriarchal, and in the

time the play was written, this

would not have been unusual.

Prospero might have left

civilisation and surrounded

himself with magic and

supernatural beings, but he has

still replicated a hierarchal

human system of moral

judgments and rules, despite the

possibility that he, Miranda and

the spirits already on the island,

could live with total freedom.

This may suggest that humans

are in need of rules to govern

themselves effectively, yet

Prospero abuses these rules, and

makes himself superior which

may be a comment by

Shakespeare to criticise the

nature of human beings.

Prospero's plans and plots are

central to the events of the play

and this may be symbolic of

Shakespeare being central to the

writing of the play. For example,

it can be posited that Prospero is

an artist in the way that he

orchestrates and arranges the

events of the play, controls others

on the island and studies their

reactions. This is similar to

Shakespeare’s writing as he

creates the play, the plot and the

characters. Some critics even

suggest that Prospero is a

representation of Shakespeare,

allowing the audience to explore

the importance of art in society.

This is supported by some of

Prospero's speeches, near the end

of the play, where he likens

himself to a playwright, and

makes references to the theatre.

MIRANDA

Miranda is one of the principal

characters in The Tempest, and is the

daughter of Prospero, who was exiled to

the island when she was very young. She

cannot remember much about

‘mainstream civilisation’ and this has

allowed her to become extremely

sheltered, innocent and somewhat naïve

as she has no experience with other

humans - all she knows she has learnt

from her father. She is gentle and

extremely compassionate. For example,

during the storm she tries to convince

Prospero not to hurt the men 'I have

suffered with those I saw suffer' (Act 1,

Scene 1). Oreover, she is devoted to her

father. For example, when she

unintentionally disobeys her father's

command that she must not tell

Ferdinand her name, she is dismayed and

upset. Yet, she asserts herself and tells

her father what to do sometimes, such as

'Sir, have pity', which may suggest that

Miranda is not controlled by her father

and that she has an innate sense of

morality. Her naivety is shown through

her “love at first sight” reaction upon

seeing Ferdinand. Some critics have

suggested that her feelings for Ferdinand

are unreasonable and foolish, because

she may not know what love is, as she

has never met another young male. The

only male acquaintances she has are her

father and the “monstrous” Caliban. On

the other hand, others believe that this is

true love, because she does not want to

meet any other man, and she is

extremely happy marrying Ferdinand

immediately.

CALIBAN

The character of Caliban is a complex

character and functions as one of the

main protagonists of the play. He is the

son of the evil witch Sycorax, and is the

only known native of the island. He is

portrayed as a dark creature, associated

with nature, and who is enslaved by

Prospero initially, and secondly by

Stephano. As a result of his enslavement,

and his belief that he is the rightful ruler

of the island, Caliban is insolent and

rebellious, often complaining about

Prospero's control. However, he fulfills

his orders because he is afraid of the

pain that Prospero unleash through his

magic. Although Caliban is a native, and

this may mean that he is justified in his

claims for power, he is yet another

character who wishes to control the

island. On the other hand, his more

sensitive side is elicited through his

language. Caliban speaks some of the

most beautiful and eloquent poetry of the

play, and this may be used by

Shakespeare to critique Prospero's and

Stephano's attempt to control and

suppress the autonomy and individuality

of the native. For example, many critics

believe that the character of Caliban is a

tool for Shakespeare to criticise Western

colonisation which suppressed native

cultures, as Prospero 'teaches' Caliban

how to speak English and both Prospero

and Stephano enslave him.

ARIEL

Ariel is a source of mystery

throughout The Tempest. The audience

is never quite sure about what the spirit

is exactly. The character has no gender

and may be presented from an ethereal,

feminine spirit, to a mischievous male

character. Shakespeare calls the

character an “airy spirit” and Ariel is

presented through a variety of forms in

the play, for example: a flaming light

during the storm, a harpy during the

banquet and as Ceres in the Masque

scene.

We do not learn how Ariel came to be on

the island, but we do discover that Ariel

was previously imprisoned by the ruler

of the island; the evil witch Sycorax. He

was punished by her when he refused to

do her cruel biddings, and was trapped

inside a tree. When Prospero takes over

the island, he discovers and frees Ariel

temporarily, and then re-enslaves the

spirit. Ariel fulfills Prospero's every

demand in the hope that Prospero will

one day free him, and throughout the

play Ariel yearns for freedom. For

example, Ariel is the one to cause the

storm which brings the royal entourage

to the island, as the spirit believes that

this event will allow Prospero to provide

him with the freedom he has asked for.

The relationship between Ariel and

Prospero is a difficult one to term.

Prospero seems to have an ambivalent

attitude towards his spirit-servant - he is

sometimes abrupt and dismissive,

referring to Ariel as a 'moody' and

'malignant thing', and in other

circumstances he is affectionate towards

Ariel, calling the spirit 'bird', 'chick' and

'my fine spirit' which creates an

uncertain atmosphere regarding their

relationship. Ariel is the character who is

able to teach Prospero about forgiveness

and pity through his childlike

willingness to serve- 'What shall I do?

GONZALO

Gonzalo is referred to as an elderly

counsellor to the King of Naples who is

known to be trustworthy and honest. He

helped Prospero to survive, and provided

him with his magical books, when

Prospero was banished from Milan. This

suggests that Gonzalo, unlike the villains

of the play; Antonio and Sebastian, has

integrity and is sincere. The character of

Gonzalo introduces the idea of a utopia

society which is juxtaposed against the

hierarchal structure of Prospero's island.

He talks of an island 'For no kind of

traffic/ would I admit; no name of

magistrate/ Letters should not be

known; riches, poverty/ and use of

service, none;' (Act 2, Scene 1), where

people do not need to work, and the

concept of money does not exist.

Everyone works in harmony to help each

other.

ANTONIO

The character of Antonio can be read as

a symbol of Western civilisation as

foolish and hungry for power. He allows

Prospero to be usurped in order to

become Duke of Milan himself. His

actions are governed by envy as he

desires to further his own social position

in the society. For example, he plans to

kill Alonso, convincing Sebastian to

assist him, in order to take control and

power from the King.

Antonio, shows no sign of remorse, even

at the end of the play when he has been

terrified by Prospero's spirits and

when the other members of the royal

entourage make amends with Prospero.

He does not attempt to reconcile the

relationship with his brother, and this

may be a message from Shakespeare to

suggest that Western ideals of

colonisation and superiority are

irrational and unreasonable ideas which

divide society, and promote selfishness.

FERDINAND

Ferdinand is the son and heir of the King

of Naples, Alonso, who through

Prospero's plan, is isolated on the island

after the storm, until he meets Miranda-

Prospero's daughter. Prospero has

planned this in order to make the couple

“fall in love”, so he that he can get

revenge on Ferdinand's father. Ferdinand

experiences love at first sight with

Miranda and even agrees to servitude in

order to win Prospero's approval to be

with her. This may suggest that

Ferdinand is naïve and innocent.

However, he makes several comments

about women he had previously been

with. In this instance, he seems arrogant.

Yet, he does respect Prospero's rules

regarding Miranda and promises not the

break Miranda's 'virgin-knot' (Act 4,

Scene 1) before their wedding night

which may suggest that he is honourable

and earnest.

ALONSO

Alonso is the King of Naples and is a

character that the audience remains

ambivalent about for the entire play.

Although he is an enemy of Prospero, he

does not take any real vindictive action

himself - he is easily persuaded into

plots by others, for example Antonio, but

he can also be persuaded into good

actions by his counsellor Gonzalo.

Alonso experiences intense, divisive

emotions, for example when he cries

over the death of his son, as well as the

fact that he has maintained a relationship

with traitors such as Sebastian and

Antonio. However, Alonso is able to

redeem himself by admitting his flaws

and mistakes and showing sincere

remorse. For example, when the harpy in

Act 3, Scene 3 reminds him how he had

wronged Prospero by banishing him. He

is genuine in his regret and sorrow, and

he returns Prospero's dukedom to him at

the end of the play. Yet, we can still

argue that Alonso is reluctant to confront

his mistakes, as he does not account for

them until he is confronted by another

person.

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian is Alonso's brother, who is

willing to attempt murdering the King.

He is simultaneously an aggressive and

cowardly character. He also presents

Western civilisation as foolish and

thoughtless, as he mocks Gonzalo's

dreams of a utopian society of harmony

and peace.

STEPHANO

Stephano is another of The Tempest's

antagonists, but he is a comedic, drunken

fool. He is the butler of the royal

entourage, and his petty and greedy

nature encourages him to create a plan to

kill the King and rule the island. He is

yet another character used by

Shakespeare to criticise the Western

ideal of colonisation as Stephano's aims

are purely selfish. For example, when he

first discovers the native Caliban, his

first instinct is to capture him to sell

when he returns to Naples. He also

imprisons Caliban to be his 'foot-licker'.

TRINCULO

Trinculo acts as a jester in The

Tempest and he also aids Stephano’s and

Caliban’s evil scheme to kill

Prospero. He and Stephano act as

comedic counterparts to the true villains-

Antonio and Sebastian, through their

ridiculous, drunken attempt to kill

Prospero and take control of the island.

LITERARY TECHNIQUES

Imagery of servitude: Ferdinand sees his

love for Miranda, as a form of servitude. He

assures her that he is worthy of her love

although he is royalty and “would no more

endure / This wooden slavery [carrying

logs]. He states that: “The very instant that

I saw you did / My heart fly to your service;

there resides, / To make me slave to it” (Act

3 Scene 1). The words “slavery” and “slave”

underscore the parallel as well as the

difference between Ferdinand and Caliban.

Prospero repeatedly calls Caliban a slave,

and we see Caliban as a slave both to

Prospero and to his own anger. Ferdinand,

on the other hand, is a willing slave to his

love, and is happy in a servitude that makes

him rejoice rather than curse.

At the end of Act 3 Scene 1, Miranda takes

up the theme of servitude. Proposing

marriage to Ferdinand, she says that “I am

your wife, if you will marry me; / If not, I’ll

die your maid. . . . / You may deny me; but

I’ll be your servant.

The play attempts to overcome the

implausibility of this courtship—to make

Miranda look like something more than

Prospero’s puppet and a fool for the first

man she sees. Shakespeare accomplishes

this by showing Ferdinand in one kind of

servitude—in which he must literally and

physically humble himself—as he talks

earnestly about another kind of servitude, in

which he gives himself wholly to Miranda.

The fact that Miranda speaks of a similar

servitude of her own accord, that she

remembers her father’s “precepts” and then

disregards them, and that Prospero remains

in the background without interfering helps

the audience to trust this meeting between

the lovers more than their first meeting in

Act 1, scene 2.

Doubling: In Act 3 Scene 2, Caliban,

Trinculo, and Stephano wander aimlessly

about the island, and Stephano muses about

the kind of island it would be if he ruled it—

“I will kill this man [Prospero]. His

daughter and I will be King and Queen . . .

and Trinculo and thyself [Caliban] shall be

viceroys”, just as Gonzalo had done while

wandering with Antonio and Sebastian in

Act 2, Scene 1. At the end of Act 3, scene 2,

Ariel enters, invisible, and causes strife

among the group, first with his voice and

then with music, leading the men astray in

order to thwart Antonio and Sebastian’s plot

against Alonso. The power-hungry servants

Stephano and Trinculo thus become rough

parodies of the power-hungry courtiers

Antonio and Sebastian. All four men are

now essentially equated with Caliban, who

is, as Alonso and Antonio once were, simply

another usurper.

Spectacle

1. Ariel’s appearance as an avenging harpy

represents the climax of Prospero’s

revenge, as Antonio, Alonso, and the

other lords are confronted with their

crimes and threatened with punishment.

From Prospero’s perspective, the

disguised Ariel represents justice and the

powers of nature. He has arrived to right

the wrongs that have been done to

Prospero, and to punish the wicked for

their sins. However, the audience knows

that Ariel is not an angel or

representative of a higher moral power,

but merely mouths the script that

Prospero has taught him (Dramatic

Irony). Ariel’s only true concern, of

course, is to win his freedom from

Prospero. Thus, the vision of justice

presented in this scene is artificial and

staged. Prospero knows that a

supernatural creature claiming to

represent nature will make a greater

impression in advancing his argument

than he himself. If he simply appeared

before the table and stated his case, it

would seem tainted with selfish desire.

However, for Ariel to present Prospero’s

case in this spectacular fashion, it makes

it seem like the inevitable natural order

of the universe—even though Prospero

himself stages everything Ariel says.

2. Miranda is the only female presented on

stage, in a play filled with male

characters who either vie to control her

view of the world or for her hand in

marriage.

3. The shipwreck which opens the play is a

spectacle as it destabilizes everything

before the audience/reader has

encountered the plot and the characters.

4. Act 3 Scene 3: The Masque (a masque

is a form of festive courtly

entertainment).Act 4 Scene 1 plays an

integral role in the play. Up until this

point in the play, Prospero has been

exacting towards Ferdinand, and this

masque allows for kind of reconciliation.

It finally allows the audience to see

Prospero’s real ambitions towards

Ferdinand. Therefore, the masque is a

ceremony very similar to marriage.

Ferdinand and Miranda are amazed, and

Prospero says these are spirits he has

called upon behalf of the young lovers.

Nymphs and land reapers are then

summoned, and they perform a beautiful

dance. This scene can also be argued as

important as it heralds the final scene of

the play (the reconciliation). We see this

because Iris was the goddess of the

rainbow in Greek mythology; acting as

the rainbow to the storm at the start of

the play and so this metaphorically

signifies the change of mood, preparing

us for Prospero’s final action. The

theatricalities can be seen as very

necessary in creating the spectacular and

intense atmosphere. This makes the

magic look as grand and important as it

is in this play.

5. Another part in the play that we can

recognise, where theatricality is used to

highlight the importance of magic, is

where we see the banquet disappear. It is

a spectacle that astonishes the audience,

and this event helps to create the magical

feel that is needed to facilitate Ariel’s

role in the play. When Alonso, Gonzalo,

Sebastian and Francisco (a lord in

Alonso’s court) witness this event they

are utterly stupefied:

A living drollery. Now I will believe

That there are unicorns; that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix’ throne; one

phoenix

At this hour reigning there.

Importantly, it can be posited that

Shakespeare uses the theatricality of magic

in the play to highlight the

significant/powerful characters and to

underscore the effect they have over other

characters. For example:

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a

harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and,

with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

6. Act 4: Stephano, Caliban and Trinculo’s

discovery of the courtly attire. The

clothing immediately distracts them and

they want to steal it, despite the protests

of Caliban, who wants to stick to the

plan to kill Prospero. The sight of these

“commoners” parading on stage in

courtly attire is a spectacle since it is

visibly appealing and striking, since their

rank in the society does not make them

synonymous with the power/affluence

that these clothes represent. The pack of

spirits in the shape of hounds, set on by

Ariel and Prospero is also a spectacle.

SYMBOLISM

1. The Tempest: the tempest is a

significant symbol in the play since it

is the event that starts the action and

allows Prospero to carry out his plan

to trap his usurpers. Initially, the

tempest symbolises the suffering that

Prospero experienced after his

usurpation, and his desire to punish

the men who wronged him.

Prospero uses the storm to put the

royal entourage at his mercy, as he

wants them to be in a similar

position of distress that he and his

daughter Miranda experienced when

they were banished from their home.

The tempest shows that Prospero

wants to seek revenge and make his

enemies suffer for what they did to

him, and the storm creates the image

of Prospero as extremely powerful,

malevolent and God-like.

2. Prospero's Books: similar to the

tempest, Prospero's books are a

symbol of his power. It is his books

that have taught him the magic

which allows him to control nature

and other people to fulfill his desires.

For example Caliban tells Stephano

that 'For without them [the books]

/He's but a sot' (Act 3, Scene 2).

Prospero's books also show his

isolation from civilisation as magic

is what causes him to neglect his

duties as Duke of Milan. We can see,

from the ending of the play that the

only way Prospero can return to

civilisation is by ridding himself of

his magic and by destroying his

books. This suggests that magic or

the supernatural does not function in

society.

THEMES

Usurpation

Usurpation is the overthrow of a rightful

leader or ruler. This is used in a variety of

forms throughout The Tempest. The play is

full of rebellions - the Boatswain orders

the king and courtiers from the deck during

the storm; political treachery - Antonio

expels Prospero and steals his dukedom;

mutinies - Caliban attempts to rape

Miranda; and conspiracies - Antonio

and Sebastian plot to kill Alonso and

Gonzalo and Caliban; Stephano and

Trinculo plot to kill Prospero.

Imprisonment and Freedom

Many characters within this play experience

some form of imprisonment or confinement,

yet this is not always overt. Prospero and

Miranda are banished from Milan and are

exiled to the island, Caliban is enslaved by

both Prospero and Stephano, Ariel is

imprisoned by Sycorax and is then forced to

serve Prospero, Ferdinand is kept as

Prospero's prisoner after the initial

shipwreck, and the sailors of the ship are

confined to a magical sleep which keeps

them unknowingly confined to slumber. All

of these characters yearn for freedom in

some way but through a variety of forms.

Prospero wants to be freed through

regaining his rightful status, Miranda

achieves freedom, although through

marriage, from her father's control, Caliban

believes that he can gain freedom by

exchanging one master for another, Ariel

demands freedom from Prospero's control

and Gonzalo dreams of freedom from the

restraints of a civilisation controlled by

social conventions and hierarchy. This idea

of freedom is also emphasised at the end of

the play when Prospero's character asks the

audience to “set me free” through

forgiveness of his actions. (Act 5, Scene 1)

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

It seems, at the beginning of the play, that

Prospero's aims are not to reconcile, but to

seek revenge. However, the audience is

never quite sure, and by the end of the play

Prospero, with help from Ariel, has learnt

how to forgive and reconcile with the royal

entourage and regains his position as the

Duke of Milan - he says: 'The rarer action

is/n virtue, than in vengeance' (Act 5,

Scene 1). This idea of forgiveness is

introduced slightly earlier in the play, during

Act 4, Scene 1, through the appearance of

the Goddess Iris. Iris is the Goddess of the

Rainbow which provides the audience with

the image of the storm ending, and provides

the promise of a new beginning. This also

symbolizes Prospero's transition to harmony

and peace, rather than revenge as he allows

the blessing of his daughter's marriage to

Ferdinand, the king's son.

Colonialism

The Tempest is preoccupied with the theme

of colonialism. Shakespeare presents

colonialism as a form of exploitation which

Western societies use to control 'inferior'

beings. The conflict between Prospero and

Caliban, represents the conflict between the

Old World (Europe) and the challenges to

their culture and beliefs from the New

World (Americas, Africa and other

colonized areas), as Prospero can be seen as

the colonist and Caliban as the native

inhabitant. There is much support

within The Tempest for the idea that

colonisation was a form of economic

exploitation. Firstly, Prospero takes control

of Caliban and uses him as a slave, and

secondly and perhaps most obviously, when

Stephano and Trinculo discover Caliban

their first thought is to wonder how much

money they could gain by selling him.

Colonisation links closely to the idea of

social class as Europeans believed that

social hierarchy was a fixed element of

society and was ordained by God.

Europeans justified their inhumane actions

against natives through the suggestion that

natives and their actions were full of

debauchery and depravity. For example,

Caliban's “attempted rape” of Miranda is

used as evidence of his evil nature,

especially as he does not realise how

horrible his actions are. In comparison,

Prospero's control of Miranda's sexuality

suggests that Western society is a “higher

state of civilisation”, characterised by

restraint, abstinence and self-

discipline. These beliefs were often related

and encouraged by the Christian religion,

which Europeans felt needed to be enforced

all over the world. Native Americans for

example were seen as barbaric and ungodly.

Colonists used this idea to justify their

divine right to “save” natives from their

“degenerate” nature. Some critics have

argued that Shakespeare gives a Eurocentric

view in The Tempest and that he fails to

explore Caliban's point of view, instead

focusing only on Prospero.

Illusion and Magic

The play begins with an illusion - the

shipwreck is not a result of a tempest, but of

Ariel's and Prospero's magic, and this

creates the idea that the island is full of

magic and illusions. For example, Ariel and

the other spirits may be seen as an illusion to

the royals as they are unused to such

supernatural beings and the island itself is

seen to be magical. Even Caliban - a

supernatural creature himself - says that the

island “is full of noises” (Act 3, Scene

2) which suggests that it is a place of magic

and the supernatural.

Prospero is also representative of magic

through his learning of spells and his

possession of magic books. He is able to

make himself invisible, control others and

the elements, bring torment and pain, and

command the spirits of the island, which

show that his magic is extremely powerful.

It is this magic that allows Prospero to

perform all his tasks, regarding the royal

entourage, which makes magic central to the

success of the play.

It is also suggested that illusion within The

Tempest appears through the illusion of

justice. The act that initiates the play, is the

unjust usurpation of Prospero by his brother

Antonio. This is the first violation of justice

the audience encounters, and Prospero uses

this to present himself as a victim. Yet it can

be argued that he abuses this status as he

takes power from other characters - Ariel

and Caliban. Thus, Prospero also creates an

illusion of justice as he should not enslave

the other characters of the play.

Sleep and dreams recur throughout the play.

At the beginning, Prospero sends Miranda to

sleep so that he can plot with Ariel, then

Ariel enchants Alonso and Gonzalo into a

sleep, the sailors of the ship are kept in a

magical slumber for the entire play, Caliban

has dreams so wonderful that he longs to

sleep again and the Masque scene also has

dream-like qualities due to their supernatural

elements.

Metamorphosis - change and

transformation

The play begins with a turbulent storm

which creates a change in the life of all the

characters and by the close of the play there

has been a huge transformation as Prospero

and the royal entourage have now made

amends and Prospero no longer intends to

seek revenge and instead shows forgiveness.

.

God and Humanity

This is an interesting theme of The

Tempest as religion is not clearly

mentioned, yet Prospero often acts as if he is

God of the island. He demands total respect

and recognition, even from his daughter, and

he is outraged that Antonio has stolen his

position. His enslavement of the spirits and

Ariel and Caliban suggests that he believes

that he is superior to all other beings, as they

must do his bidding. This supports the idea

that Western nations believed that they were

better than other contries - which may also

suggest that Western civilisation thought

themselves to be somewhat god-like.

Master/Servant

The relationship between servants and their

masters is one that Shakespeare explores in

several ways. The first instance we

encounter of servants and masters is in Act

1, Scene 1, through the Boatswain and the

royal entourages accepting and equal

treatment (Gonzalo and Alonso) and their

demanding and belittling treatment of the

Boatswain (Antonio and Sebastian). This is

used by Shakespeare to critique society’s

treatment of lower class people and to

criticise those who believe themselves to be

superior to others.

Ariel’s slave status to the master of Prospero

poses several interesting questions to the

audience. Initially, Ariel seems keen to serve

Prospero, and even acts with some level of

affection towards the master, yet this may

only be because Ariel craves freedom. We

can see that Prospero, as the master wielding

power, manipulates Ariel by promising and

then taking away freedom. This eventually

forces the spirit to obey him which creates

sympathy for Ariel. Prospero's feelings

towards Ariel are ambivalent throughout the

play, he sometimes addresses the spirit with

affecting, and other times condemning it

“malignant thing!” which may suggest that

masters feel some level of emotional

connection with their servants. (Act 1, Scene

2)

However, this is not the case with another of

Prospero's slaves, Caliban. Prospero treats

Caliban poorly and with contempt because

Caliban does not willingly accept the rule of

Prospero on the island. This suggests that

'masters' should not have any power over

others because all are equal and men cannot

control each other. The main idea from the

theme of colonisation also makes an

appearance here; that Western nations see

themselves as masters of all other races. For

example, Prospero makes himself master of

the island, and then Stephano and Trinculo

also enslave Caliban which suggests that

civilisation will always try to create a social

hierarchy.

PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF THIS

INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM

THE SOURCES LISTED BELOW AND

WERE MODIFIED AND EDITED

Resource List

1. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-

literature-740531

2. A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet

Classic Edition of William

Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

3. Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s Study

Guide to The Tempest

4. http://thetempestscrapbook.blogspot.

com/p/themes.html